Image processing apparatus, method therefor and recording medium storing image processing program

• US 6,763,071 B1
• Filed: 12/02/1999
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Maeda, Mitsuru, Inoue, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): PHILIPPE, GIMS S
• Application Number:
  US09/452,185
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 375/240.13, 375/240.15, 375/240.16, 375/240.28, 375/240.25, 348/415.1, 348/460, 348/462, 348/465, 382/100, 382/135, 382/232
• US Class Current: 375/240.25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/24 Systems for the transmission of television signals using pulse code modulation H04N21/00 takes precedence

Abstract

There is provided an image processing apparatus for entering image data encoded with plural encoding modes and security data for protecting the image data, discriminating, based on the security data, whether the reproduction of the encoded image data is permitted, judging the encoding mode of the encoded image data, and decoding the encoded image data according to the results of discrimination and judgment, a method therefor and a recording medium storing the corresponding image processing program.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a) input means for inputting image data encoded with plural encoding modes and security data for protecting the image data, the security data including at least information for authentication and information indicative of an image protecting period;

b) discrimination means for discriminating, based on the security data, whether reproduction of the encoded image data is permitted or not;

c) encoding mode judging means for judging the encoding mode of the encoded image data;

d) decoding means for decoding the encoded image data and outputting the decoded image data; and

e) control means for controlling the decoding operation of said decoding means according to the outputs of said discrimination means and said encoding mode judging means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plural encoding modes at least include an intra-encoding mode and an inter-encoding mode.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plural encoding modes include a bidirectional prediction encoding mode.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means is adapted to stop the decoding operation of said decoding means.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said control means is adapted to re-start the decoding operation of said decoding means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control means is adapted, in a case in which the reproduction is permitted by said discrimination means from a state in which the reproduction is inhibited, to stop the decoding operation to the intra-encoded image data after the reproduction is permitted.

7. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control means is adapted, in a case in which the reproduction is permitted by said discrimination means from a state in which the reproduction is inhibited, to re-start the decoding operation from the intra-encoded image data after the reproduction is permitted.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means is adapted, in a case in which the reproduction is inhibited by said discrimination means, to output the image data decoded before the reproduction is inhibited.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means is adapted, in a case in which the reproduction is inhibited by said discrimination means, to output a predetermined image at least during the period in which the reproduction is inhibited.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data is motion image data.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the encoded image data is data encoded according to MPEG-1.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the encoded image data is data encoded according to MPEG-2.

13. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the encoded image data is data encoded according to MPEG-4.

14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the encoded image data is data obtained by dividing an image into N objects (N being a natural number), and encoding each of the objects.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said decoding means executes decoding for each of the objects.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said control means controls the decoding process in the unit of each of the objects.

17. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the security data at least include a code for identifying the object.

18. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the security data at least include a code for protecting intellectual property rights.

19. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the security data at least include a code for copyright certification.

20. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the encoded image data includes a code for identifying the encoding mode, and said encoding mode judging means judges the encoding mode by the code.

21. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a) input means for inputting image data encoded with plural encoding modes and security data for protecting the image data, the security data including at least information for authentication and information indicative of an image protecting period;

b) discrimination means for discriminating, based on the security data, whether the reproduction of the encoded image data is permitted or not;

c) encoding mode judging means for judging the encoding mode of the encoded image data;

d) image decoding means for decoding the encoded image data; and

e) synchronization control means for controlling the synchronization of the decoded image data according to the outputs of said discrimination means and said encoding mode judging means.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said input means includes decoding means for entering encoded information data and decoding said information data, and said synchronization control means is adapted to control synchronization of the decoded image data and the decoded information data.

23. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said image decoding means is adapted to control the decoding operation according to the outputs of said discrimination means and said encoding mode judging means.

24. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the plural encoding modes at least include an intra-encoding mode and an inter-encoding mode.

25. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said image decoding means is adapted to stop the decoding operation according to the output of said discrimination means.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said image decoding means is adapted to re-start the decoding operation according to the outputs of said discrimination means and said encoding mode judging means.

27. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said synchronization control means is adapted, in a case in which the reproduction is permitted by said discrimination means from a state in which the reproduction is inhibited, to re-start synchronization according to the intra-encoded image data after the reproduction is permitted.

28. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said synchronization control means is adapted, in a case in which the reproduction is permitted by said discrimination means from a state in which the reproduction is inhibited, to re-start synchronization according to the period in which the reproduction is inhibited.

29. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the image data is motion image data.

30. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the encoded image data is data encoded according to MPEG-1.

31. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the encoded image data is data encoded according to MPEG-2.

32. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the encoded image data is data encoded according to MPEG-4.

33. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the encoded image data is data obtained by dividing an image into N objects, N being a natural number, and encoding each of the objects.

34. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said image decoding means executes decoding for each of the objects.

35. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the security data at least include a code for identifying the object.

36. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the security data at least includes a code for protecting intellectual property rights.

37. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the security data at least includes a code for copyright certification.

38. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the encoded image data includes a code for identifying the encoding mode, and said encoding mode judging means judges the encoding mode by the code.

39. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the information data is audio data.

40. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

inputting image data encoded with plural encoding modes and security data for protecting the image data, the security data including at least information for authentication and information indicative of an image protecting period;

discriminating, based on the security data, whether reproduction of the encoded image data is permitted or not;

judging the encoding mode of the encoded image data; and

decoding the encoded image data according to the result of said discrimination and the result of the judgment.

41. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

inputting image data encoded with plural encoding modes and security data for protecting the image data, the security data including at least information for authentication and information indicative of an image protecting period;

discriminating, based on the security data, whether reproduction of the encoded image data is permitted or not;

judging the encoding mode of the encoded image data;

decoding the encoded image data; and

controlling the synchronization of the decoded image data according to the results of said discrimination and the encoding mode judgment.

42. A computer readable recording medium for recording a program for causing a computer to execute an image processing method, said method comprising:

a) an input step, of inputting image data encoded with plural encoding modes and security data for protecting the image data, the security data including at least information for authentication and information indicative of an image protecting period;

b) a discrimination step, of discriminating, based on the security data, whether reproduction of encoded image data is permitted or not;

c) an encoding mode judging step, of judging the encoding mode of the encoded image data; and

d) a decoding step, of decoding the encoded image data according to the results of said discrimination step and said encoding mode judging step.

43. A computer readable recording medium for recording a program for causing a computer to execute an image processing method, said method comprising:

a) an input step, of inputting image data encoded with plural encoding modes and security data for protecting the image data, the security data including at least information for authentication and information indicative of an image protecting period;

b) a discrimination step, of discriminating, based on the security data, whether the reproduction of the encoded image data is permitted or not;

c) an encoding mode judging step, of judging the encoding mode of the encoded image data;

d) an image decoding step, of decoding the encoded image data; and

e) a synchronization control step, of controlling the synchronization of the decoded image data according to the results of said discrimination step and said encoding mode judging step.

44. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a) input means for entering image data encoded with plural encoding modes and security data for protecting the image data;

b) discrimination means for discriminating, based on the security data, whether reproduction of the encoded image data is permitted or not;

c) encoding mode judging means for judging the encoding mode of the encoded image data;

d) decoding means for decoding the encoded image data and outputting the decoded image data; and

e) control means for controlling the decoding operation of said decoding means according to the outputs of said discrimination means and said encoding mode judging means.

45. An apparatus according to claim 44, wherein the plural encoding modes at least include an inter-encoding mode and an inter-encoding mode.

46. An apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the plural encoding modes include a bidirectional prediction encoding mode.

47. An apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said control means is adapted to stop the decoding operation of said decoding means.

48. An apparatus according to claim 47, wherein said control means is adapted to re-start the decoding operation of said decoding means.

49. An apparatus according to claim 45, wherein said control means is adapted, in a case in which the reproduction is permitted by said discrimination means from a state in which the reproduction is inhibited, to stop the decoding operation to the intra-encoded image data after the reproduction is permitted.

50. An apparatus according to claim 45, wherein said control means is adapted, in a case in which the reproduction is permitted by said discrimination means from a state in which the reproduction is inhibited, to re-start the decoding operation from the intra-encoded image data after the reproduction is permitted.

51. An apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said control means is adapted, in a case in which the reproduction is inhibited by said discrimination means, to output the image data decoded before the reproduction is inhibited.

52. An apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said control means is adapted, in a case in which the reproduction is inhibited by said discrimination means, to output a predetermined image at least during the period in which the reproduction is inhibited.

53. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

entering image data encoded with plural encoding modes and security data for protecting the image data;

discriminating, based on the security data, whether reproduction of the encoded image data is permitted or not;

judging the encoding mode of the encoded image data; and

decoding the encoded image data according to a result of said discriminating step and a result of said judging step.

54. A computer readable recording medium for recording an image processing program, said program comprising:

a) process code of an input step, of entering image data encoded with plural encoding modes and security data for protecting the image data;

b) process code of a discrimination step, of discriminating, based on the security data, whether reproduction of the encoded image data is permitted or not;

c) process code of an encoding mode judging step, of judging the encoding mode of the encoded image data;

d) process code of a decoding step, of decoding the encoded image data and outputting the decoded image data; and

e) process code of a decoding step, of controlling the decoding of the encoded image data according to results of said discrimination step and said encoding mode judging step.