Method for limited recording of an information signal, system for controlled recording of an information signal, and information signal recording apparatus

• US 6,781,935 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2000
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kori, Teruhiko, Otsuka, Masaya
• Primary Examiner(s): Huber, Paul W.
• Application Number:
  US09/482,768
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 369/53.11, 369/53.31, 369/53.34, 369/53.37, 369/53.44, 369/53.45, 369/124.14, 369/47.12, 369/47.13, 369/84, 369/47.28
• US Class Current: 369/53.34
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00688 said measures preventing that a usable copy of recorded data can be made on another medium
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0076 wherein the copy frequency, i.e. the number of copies in a given time period, is limited
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0084 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific time or date

Abstract

A recorder provides to a recorder/player via a high-speed bus content-related information such as a digital audio signal as information, a content ID being identification information on the digital audio signal and a standard playing time of the digital audio signal. The recorder/player has a controller which stores the content ID into a copy-history information management memory when the same content ID is not existent in the memory. The content ID is held for a period measured by a timer. For this period, the recording function of the recorder/player is limited so that the same digital audio signal cannot be copied at a high speed.

Claims

1. A method for limited recording of an information signal, comprising the steps of:

setting a time;

recording a time-series signal;

measuring an elapsed time from start of the recording step;

comparing the measured elapsed time and the set time with each other; and

limiting the recording step, after completion of the recording, if the comparison result shows that the present time is between the start of the recording step and the set time.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the set time is longer than the playing time of the time-series signal.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing an identification signal correspondingly to the time-series signal; and

recording being further limited at the recording limiting step when there is the same identification signal as the already stored one.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the recording is disabled by disabling, for the predetermined time, the recording function to record of the information signal.

5. A method for limited recording of an information signal, comprising the steps of:

setting a time;

reproducing a time-series signal for a standard playing time;

recording the time-series signal;

measuring an elapsed time from start of the recording step;

comparing the measured time and the set time with each other; and

limiting the recording step, after completion of the recording, if the comparison result shows that the present time is between the start of the recording step and the set time.

6. A system for controlled recording of an information signal, composed of an information signal output device to provide as an information signal a time-series signal whose information content varies with time, for a time shorter than a standard playing time, and an information signal recording apparatus to record the information signal from the information signal output device, the information signal recording apparatus comprising:

means for measuring an elapsed time from start of the recording; and

a controlling means for comparing a preset time and the measured elapsed time with each other, and limiting the recording, after the information signal has been recorded, if the comparison result shows that the measured elapsed time is shorter than the preset time.

7. The system as set forth in claim 6, wherein:

the information signal output device is adapted to provide the information signal and information indicative of the standard playing time of the information signal;

the information signal recording apparatus comprises means for receiving the standard playing time information and information signal provided from the information signal output device; and

the time measuring means is adapted to set as a preset time the received standard playing time information, and compare the standard playing time information and the measured elapsed time with each other.

8. The system as set forth in claim 6, wherein:

the information signal output device is adapted to provide the information signal and information on a time for which the recording function is limited;

the information signal recording apparatus comprises means for receiving the information on the recording-limited time provided from the information signal output device; and

the time measuring means is adapted to set as a preset time the information on the received recording-limiting time, and compare the recording-limiting time information and the measured elapsed time with each other.

9. The system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the information signal output device is adapted to provide identification information on the information signal;

the information signal recording apparatus further comprises a memory for holding therein the information-signal identification information received by the receiving means; and

the controlling means is adapted to control the recording of the information signal whose identification information is the same as already stored in the memory.

10. The system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the recording controlling means in the information signal recording apparatus is adapted to disable the recording if the comparison result shows that the measured elapsed time is shorter than the preset time.

11. An information signal recording apparatus adapted to receive and record a time-series signal for a time shorter than a standard playing time of the time-series signal, the apparatus comprising:

means for measuring an elapsed time from start of recording the time-series signal; and

means for limiting re-recording of the time-series signal, after the time-series signal has been recorded and for a predetermined elapsed time measured by the time measuring means.

12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, adapted to receive the time-series signal and information indicative of the standard playing time of the time-series signal;

the controlling means being adapted to limit the re-recording of the time-series signal once recorded, for a period longer than the received standard playing time after the time-series signal has been recorded.

13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, adapted to receive the time-series signal and information on a time for which the recording is controlled;

the controlling means being adapted to limit re-recording of the time-series signal once recorded, for the received standard playing time after the time-series signal has been recorded.

14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, adapted to receive an identification information on the information signal along with the information signal, the apparatus further comprising:

means for detecting the information-signal identification information; and

a memory to hold therein the identification information from the identification information detecting means for the predetermined time period when recording the information signal; and

the recording function controlling means being adapted to disable, for the predetermined time measured by the time measuring means, the recording of the information signal whose identification information is the same as already stored in the memory.

15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein the recording function controlling means is adapted to prohibit recording of the information signal by disabling the recording function for the predetermined time measured by the time measuring means.

16. A recording apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an information signal and a time information on the information signal;

means for recording the information signal;

means for measuring an elapsed time from start of the recording by the recording means; and

means for comparing an elapsed time from start of the recording, set based on the received time information, and the measured elapsed time with each other, and disabling the recording means form recording the same information signal if the measured elapsed time is shorter than the set elapsed time from start of the recording.

17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein the information signal is a music signal or voice signal while the time information concerns a time for which the music or voice signal is reproduced.

18. The apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein the time measuring means is adapted to set a predetermined time based on a transfer rate included in the received information.

19. The apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein the time measuring means comprises a servo circuit working synchronously with the received signal to set a predetermined time based on a sync information of the servo circuit.

20. A method for limited recording of an information signal, comprising the steps of:

receiving an information signal and a time information on the information signal;

recording the information signal into a recording medium;

measuring an elapsed time from start of the information signal recording; and

comparing an elapsed time from start of the recording, set based on the time information, and the measured elapsed time with each other, and disabling re-recording of the same information signal into the recording medium if the measured elapsed time is shorter than the set elapsed time from start of the recording.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20, wherein the information signal is a music signal or sound signal while the time information concerns a time for which the music or sound signal is reproduced.

22. The method as set forth in claim 20, wherein the time information is a one set based on a sync information of a servo circuit working synchronously with a received signal.

23. A method for limited recording of an information signal, comprising the steps of:

reproducing an information signal from a first recording medium;

recording the reproduced information signal into a second recording medium;

setting time information based on the reproduced information signal;

measuring an elapsed time from start of the recording based on the recording step; and

comparing the measured elapsed time and the set time information with each other, and disabling the recording, after the information signal has been recorded, if the measured elapsed time is shorter than the set time information.

24. The method as set forth in claim 23, the information signal is a music signal or voice signal while the time information concerns a time for which the music or voice signal is reproduced.

25. The method as set forth in claim 23, wherein the time information is a one set based on the status of reproduction at the reproducing step.

26. The method as set forth in claim 23, wherein the reproducing step takes a plurality of states for reproduction of the same information signal and sets a time information for the information signal based on the states of reproduction.