Digital broadcasting receiver

• US 6,694,022 B1
• Filed: 02/15/2000
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsushita, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Peeso, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US09/423,009
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 380/201, 380/210, 713/164, 713/200, 713/201
• US Class Current: 380/201
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00666 involving a step of erasing or nullifying data, e.g. data being overwritten with a random string
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91321 the copy protection signal being a copy protection control signal, e.g. a record inhibit signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42661 for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A digital broadcasting receiver includes a tuner unit for receiving digital broadcasting in formation, an information storage unit for storing the digital broadcasting information together with copyright information, and a decoder unit for decoding the digital broadcasting information into an output signal in a form to be displayed. When a copy-disallowance signal is detected during an operation for reading and reproducing digital broadcasting information from the information storage unit, by employing a reproducing pointer, the digital broadcasting receiver simultaneously erases the digital broadcasting information by employing a simultaneous erasing pointer. On the other hand, when a copy-disallowance signal is detected while digital broadcasting information is being received and stored in the information storage unit, the digital broadcasting receiver inhibits outputting the received digital broadcasting information as an output signal in a form to be displayed through the decoder unit. Thereby, the digital broadcasting receiver can satisfy the condition of disallowing the copying of copyright protected digital broadcasting by realizing the copyright protection for digital broadcasting information, and can shift a viewing time of the digital broadcasting information to a later time.

Claims

1. A digital broadcasting receiver comprising:

a tuner unit operable to receive digital broadcasting information including copyright information indicating whether copying the received digital broadcasting information to an external device is allowed, to detect the copyright information included in the received digital broadcasting information, and to output the received digital broadcasting information including the detected copyright information;

an information storage unit operable to receive and store the received digital broadcasting information, together with the detected copyright information, irrespective of whether the detected copyright information indicates that copying the received digital broadcasting information to an external device is allowed or disallowed; and

a decoder unit operable to read out and receive the received digital broadcasting information from said information storage unit, and to decode and reproduce the received digital broadcasting information read out from said information storage unit into an output signal in a form to be displayed, wherein

when a copy-disallowance signal is detected in the received digital broadcasting information read out from said information storage unit, the received digital broadcasting information which is stored in said information storage unit and which has been successively read out therefrom and received by said decoder unit is reproduced by said decoder unit and simultaneously erased.

2. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pointer controller operable to control a reading position where information is read out from said information storage unit when the received digital broadcasting information is read out from said information storage unit and reproduced by said decoder unit, wherein said pointer controller comprises

a reading pointer operable to point to the reading position where the received digital broadcasting information is read out from said information storage unit, and

an erasing pointer operable to point to a position where the received digital broadcasting information is erased after being read out from said information storage unit, wherein the position to which the erasing pointer points is the reading position to which the reading pointer previously pointed.

3. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 1, wherein said tuner unit is further operable to demodulate the digital broadcasting information received by said tuner unit, and to output the demodulated digital broadcasting information as a data sequence in a transport stream having a plurality of program data and control information multiplexed therein.

4. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 3, further comprising a transport decoder arranged and configured between said tuner unit and said information storage unit, wherein said transport decoder is operable to receive the demodulated digital broadcasting information outputted by said tuner unit and to select one of the program data among the plurality of program data multiplexed in the transport stream.

5. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 1, further comprising a scrambler arranged and configured between said tuner unit and said information storage unit, wherein said scrambler is operable to scramble the received digital broadcasting information when the detected copyright information included in the received digital broadcasting information indicates that copying the received digital broadcasting information to an external device is disallowed, and to output the scrambled received digital broadcasting information to said information storage unit.

6. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 5, further comprising a descrambler arranged and configured between said information storage unit and said decoder unit, wherein said descrambler is operable to read out and receive the scrambled received digital broadcasting information from said information storage unit, to descramble the scrambled received digital broadcasting information upon being read out from said information storage unit, and to output the descrambled received digital broadcasting information to said decoder unit.

7. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 6, wherein said descrambler is further operable to separate the copyright information included in the received digital broadcasting information from program data included in the received digital broadcasting information.

8. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 1, further comprising a recording pointer operable to successively point to packets of the received digital broadcasting information until each packet of the received digital broadcasting information is stored in said information storage unit.

9. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 1, wherein said decoder unit is operable to reproduce the received digital broadcasting information as a video signal.

10. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 9, wherein said decoder unit is further operable to reproduce and output the video signal as a copy-guarded signal when the detected copyright information included in the received digital broadcasting information indicates that copying the received digital broadcasting information to an external device is disallowed.

11. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 1, wherein said decoder unit is operable to reproduce the received digital broadcasting information as a video signal and a voice signal.

12. A digital broadcasting receiver comprising:

a tuner unit operable to receive digital broadcasting information including copyright information indicating whether copying the received digital broadcasting information to an external device is allowed, to detect the copyright information included in the received digital broadcasting information, and to output the received digital broadcasting information including the detected copyright information,

an information storage unit operable to receive and store the received digital broadcasting information, together with the detected copyright information, irrespective of whether the detected copyright information indicates that copying the received digital broadcasting information to an external device is allowed or disallowed; and

a decoder unit operable to read out and receive the received digital broadcasting information from said information storage unit, and to decode and reproduce the received digital broadcasting information read out from said information storage unit into an output signal in a form to be displayed, wherein

when a copy-disallowance signal is detected in the received digital broadcasting information while the received digital broadcasting information is being stored in said information storage unit, said decoder unit, instead of reproducing the received digital broadcasting information read out from said information storage unit in the form to be displayed, outputs a signal indicating that reproduction of the received digital broadcast information is inhibited.

13. The digital broadcasting receiver of claim 12, further comprising an output unit operable to receive and output a signal outputted by said decoder unit, wherein when a copy-disallowance signal is detected in the received digital broadcasting information while the received digital broadcasting information is being, stored in said information storage unit, said decoder unit, instead of outputting the received digital broadcasting information as the output signal in a form to be displayed, is operable to output a pre-generated message screen signal to said output unit so that said output unit displays the message screen signal.

14. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 12, wherein said tuner unit is further operable to demodulate the digital broadcasting information received by said tuner unit, and to output the demodulated digital broadcasting information as a data sequence in a transport stream having a plurality of program data and control information multiplexed therein.

15. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 14, further comprising a transport decoder arranged and configured between said tuner unit and said information storage unit, wherein said transport decoder is operable to receive the demodulated digital broadcasting information outputted by said tuner unit and to select one of the program data among the plurality of program data multiplexed in the transport stream.

16. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 12, further comprising a scrambler arranged and configured between said tuner unit and said information storage unit, wherein said scrambler is operable to scramble the received digital broadcasting information when the detected copyright information included in the received digital broadcasting information indicates that copying the received digital broadcasting information to an external device is disallowed, and to output the scrambled received digital broadcasting information to said information storage unit.

17. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 16, further comprising a descrambler arranged and configured between said information storage unit and said decoder unit, wherein said descrambler is operable to read out and receive the scrambled received digital broadcasting information from said information storage unit, to descramble the scrambled received digital broadcasting information upon being read out from said information storage unit, and to output the descrambled received digital broadcasting information to said decoder unit.

18. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 17, wherein said descrambler is further operable to separate the copyright information included in the received digital broadcasting information from program data included in the received digital broadcasting information.

19. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 12, further comprising a recording pointer operable to successively point to packets of the received digital broadcasting information until each packet of the received digital broadcasting information is stored in said information storage unit.

20. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 12, wherein said decoder unit is operable to reproduce the received digital broadcasting information as a video signal.

21. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 12, wherein said decoder unit is operable to reproduce the received digital broadcasting information as a video signal and a voice signal.

22. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 12, further comprising a pointer controller operable to control a reading position where information is read out from said information storage unit when the received digital broadcasting information is read out from said information storage unit and reproduced by said decoder unit, said pointer controller comprising a reading pointer operable to point to the reading position where the received digital broadcasting information is read out from said information storage unit.

23. A digital broadcasting receiver comprising:

a tuner unit operable to receive digital broadcasting information including copyright information indicating whether copying the received digital broadcasting information to an external device is allowed, to detect the copyright information included in the received digital broadcasting information, and to output the received digital broadcasting information including the detected copyright information;

an information storage unit operable to receive and store the received digital broadcasting information together with the detected copyright information;

a control arrangement operable to read out and receive the received digital broadcasting information together with the detected copyright information from said information storage unit, to detect a copy-allowance signal or a copy-disallowance signal included in the received digital broadcasting information read out from said information storage unit, and to output the received digital broadcasting information;

a decoder unit operable to receive the received digital broadcasting information from said control arrangement, and to decode and reproduce the received digital broadcasting information read out from said information storage unit by said control arrangement into an output signal in a form to be displayed, wherein

said control arrangement, upon detecting the copy-disallowance signal included in the received digital broadcasting information read out from said information storage unit, is further operable to erase the received digital broadcasting information read out from said information storage unit while simultaneously causing said decoder to reproduce the received digital broadcasting information read out from said information storage unit.

24. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 23, wherein said control arrangement comprises a pointer controller operable to control a reading position where information is read out from said information storage unit when the received digital broadcasting information is read out from said information storage unit by said control arrangement and reproduced by said decoder unit, wherein said pointer controller comprises:

a reading pointer operable to point to the reading position where the received digital broadcasting information is read out from said information storage unit; and

an erasing pointer operable to point to a position where the received digital broadcasting information is erased after being read out from said information storage unit, wherein the position to which the erasing pointer points is the reading position to which the reading pointer previously pointed.

25. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 23, wherein said tuner unit is further operable to demodulate the digital broadcasting information received by said tuner unit, and to output the demodulated digital broadcasting information as a data sequence in a transport stream having a plurality of program data and control information multiplexed therein.

26. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 25, further comprising a transport decoder arranged and configured between said tuner unit and said information storage unit, wherein said transport decoder is operable to receive the demodulated digital broadcasting information outputted by said tuner unit, to select one of the program data among the plurality of program data multiplexed in the transport system, and to output the selected program data.

27. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 23, further comprising a scrambler arranged and configured between said tuner unit and said information storage unit, wherein said scrambler is operable to scramble the received digital broadcasting information when the detected copyright information included in the received digital broadcasting information indicates that copying the received digital broadcasting information to an external device is disallowed, and to output the scrambled received digital broadcasting information to said information storage unit.

28. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 27, wherein said control arrangement comprises a descrambler operable to read out and receive the scrambled received digital broadcasting information from said information storage unit, to descramble the scrambled received digital broadcasting information upon being read out from said information storage unit, and to output the descrambled received digital broadcasting information to said decoder unit.

29. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 23, further comprising a recording pointer operable to successively point to packets of the received digital broadcasting information until each packet of the received digital broadcasting information is stored in said information storage unit.

30. A digital broadcasting receiver comprising:

a tuner unit operable to receive digital broadcasting information including copyright information indicating whether copying the received digital broadcasting information to an external device is allowed, to detect the copyright information included in the received digital broadcasting information, and to output the received digital broadcasting information including the detected copyright information;

an information storage unit operable to receive and store the received digital broadcasting information together with the detected copyright information;

a control arrangement operable to read out and receive the received digital broadcasting information together with the detected copyright information, to detect a copy-allowance signal or a copy-disallowance signal included in the received digital broadcasting information read out from said information storage unit, and to output the received digital broadcasting information;

a decoder unit operable to receive the received digital broadcasting information from said control arrangement, and to decode and reproduce the received digital broadcasting information read out from said information storage unit by said control arrangement into an output signal in a form to be displayed, wherein

said control arrangement, upon detecting the copy-disallowance signal included in the received digital broadcasting information read out from said information storage unit, is further operable to inhibit said decoder from reproducing the received digital broadcasting information read out from said information storage unit in the form to be displayed.

31. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 30, further comprising an output unit operable to receive and output the output signal outputted by said decoder unit, wherein said control arrangement, upon detecting the copy-disallowance signal included in the received digital broadcasting information read out from said information storage unit, is operable to cause said decoder unit to output a pre-generated message screen signal in a form to be displayed, instead of reproducing the received digital broadcasting information in the form to be displayed, to said output unit so that said output unit outputs the message screen signal.

32. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 30, wherein said control arrangement comprises a pointer controller operable to control a reading position where information is read out from said information storage unit when the received digital broadcasting information is read out from said information storage unit and reproduced by said decoder unit, wherein said pointer controller comprises a reading pointer operable to point to the reading position where the received digital broadcasting information is read out from said information storage unit.

33. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 30, further comprising a scrambler arranged and configured between said tuner unit and said information storage unit, wherein said scrambler is operable to scramble the received digital broadcasting information when the detected copyright information included in the received digital broadcasting information indicates that copying the received digital broadcasting information to an external device is disallowed, and to output the scrambled received digital broadcasting information to said information storage unit.

34. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 33, wherein said control arrangement comprises a descrambler operable to read out and receive the scrambled received digital broadcasting information from said information storage unit, to descramble the scrambled received digital broadcasting information upon being read out from said information storage unit, and to output the descrambled received digital broadcasting information to said decoder unit.

35. The digital broadcasting receiver according to claim 30, further comprising a recording pointer operable to successively point to packets of the received digital broadcasting information until each packet of the received digital broadcasting information is stored in said information storage unit.