Remote control of VCR with electronic mail

• US 6,925,567 B1
• Filed: 04/14/1998
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hirata, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Hosuk
• Application Number:
  US09/059,765
• Time in Patent Office: 2,667 Days
• Field of Search: 380200-202, 380239-242, 713/189, 713200-202, 713/151, 713/152
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A security apparatus and a security method for controlling electric devices by use of electronic mails. A modem receives an electronic mail sent from a sending side and stores the received electronic mail into a RAM of a controller. A CPU extracts certification information encrypted by a secret key of a user of the sending side and decrypts the certification information by use of a public key. Based on the decrypted information, the CPU determines whether the user of the sending side is authentic or not. Only when the user is found authentic, the CPU extracts a control command from the received electronic mail and stores the extracted control command into a RAM. Then, the CPU transmits an electronic mail to the sending side for confirming content of the control. If an electronic mail for approving the confirmation is returned from the sending side, the CPU extracts second certification information obtained by encrypting information different from that mentioned above, determines again whether the sender of the electronic mail is authentic, and, if the sender is found authentic, executes the control command received before.

Claims

1. A reception device for controlling a video recording device physically separate from to the reception device, the reception device comprising:

reception means for receiving an electronic mail transmitted through a network by a sender;

first extracting means for extracting encrypted certification information inserted in said electronic mail received by said reception means;

second extracting means for extracting a control command inserted in said electronic mail received by said reception means for controlling a remote timer video recording reservation function of the physically separate video recording device, wherein said control command is added to said electronic mail to reserve an operation time of said physically separate video recording device;

decrypting means for decrypting said certification information extracted by said first extracting means;

certifying means for certifying, by referencing the certification information decrypted by said decrypting means, whether the sender of said electronic mail is an authorized user;

means for determining if the control command extracted by the second extracting means is seeking an operation time duplicating one already reserved and informing the sender by electronic mail if so;

storing means for storing, if said sender of said electronic mail has been certified by said certifying means to be an authorized user and if the means for determining determines there is no duplicated operation time request, said control command extracted by said second extracting means; and

control means for controlling said timer video recording reservation function of the physically separate video recording device to reserve an operation time of said physically separate video recording device based on said control command stored in said storing means.

2. A receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said certification information is predetermined text information in an encrypted state.

3. A receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said certification information inserted in said electronic mail is predetermined information encrypted by use of a private key owned by said authorized user and said decrypting means decrypts said certification information extracted by said first extracting means by use of a public key.

4. A reception method for controlling a video recording device performed without using interior components of the video recording device, the reception method comprising the steps of:

receiving an electronic mail transmitted through a network by a sender;

a first extracting step of extracting encrypted certification information inserted in said electronic mail received in said receiving step;

a second extracting step of extracting a control command added to said electronic mail to control a reservation function of said video recording device so as to reserve an operation time of said video recording device;

decrypting said certification information extracted in said first extracting step;

certifying, by referencing the certification information decrypted in said decrypting step, whether the sender of said electronic mail is an authorized user;

determining if the control command extracted in the second extracting step is seeking an operation time duplicating one already reserved and informing the sender by electronic mail if it is;

storing, if said sender of said electronic mail has been certified in said certifying step to be an authorized user and if the determining step determines there is no duplicated operation time request, said control command extracted in said second extracting step; and

controlling said reservation function of said video recording device so as to reserve the operation time thereof based on said control command stored in said storing step.

5. A transmitting/reception system for controlling a video recording device physically separate therefrom, the transmitting/reception system comprising:

input means for generating at least a portion of an electronic mail;

encrypting means for encrypting predetermined information;

first addition means for adding, as certification information, the information encrypted by said encrypting means to said electronic mail generated by said input means;

second addition means for adding a control command to said electronic mail to control a reservation function of the video recording device to reserve an operation time thereof;

transmission means for transmitting through a network said electronic mail with said certification information added by said first addition means and said control command added by said second addition means;

receiving means for receiving an electronic mail indication from the network that no requested operation time has been entered when there is an overlap of the requested operation time with any previously entered operation times;

reception means for receiving said transmitted electronic mail through the network at a location of the video recording device;

first extraction means for extracting said certification information from said electronic mail received by said reception means;

second extraction means for extracting said control command from said electronic mail received by said extraction means;

decrypting means for decrypting said certification information extracted by said first extraction means;

certifying means for certifying, by referencing said certification information decrypted by said decrypting means, whether a sender of said electronic mail is an authorized user;

means for determining if the control command extracted by the second extracting means is seeking an operation time duplicating one already reserved and transmitting an electronic mail on the network indicating that no reservation has been entered because the control command extracted in the second extracting step is seeking an operation time duplicating one already entered;

storing means for storing, if said sender of said electronic mail has been certified by said certifying means to be an authorized user and if the means for determining determines there is no duplicated operation time request, said control command extracted by said second extracting means; and

control means for controlling said reservation function of the video recording device to reserve an operation time thereof based on said control command stored in said storing means.

6. A transmitting/reception method for controlling a video recording device performed without using interior components of the video recording device, the transmitting/reception method, comprising the steps of:

inputting information to generate at least a portion of an electronic mail;

encrypting predetermined information;

a first adding step of adding, as certification information, information encrypted in said encrypting step to said electronic mail generated in said inputting step;

a second adding step of adding to said electronic mail a control command to control a reservation function of the video recording device to reserve an operation time thereof;

transmitting through a network said electronic mail with said certification information added in said first adding step and said control command added in said second adding step;

and receiving an electronic mail indication from the network that no reservation for the requested operation time has been made when there is an overlap of the requested operation time with any previously entered operation times;

receiving said transmitted electronic mail from the network at a location of the video recording device;

a first extracting step of extracting said certification information from said received electronic mail;

a second extracting step of extracting said control command from said received electronic mail;

decrypting said certification information extracted in said first extracting step;

certifying, by referencing said certification information decrypted in said decrypting step, whether a sender of said electronic mail is an authorized user;

determining if the control command extracted in the second extracting step is seeking an operation time duplicating one already reserved and transmitting an electronic mail on the network indicating that no reservation has been made because the control command extracted in the second extracting step is seeking a duplicate operation time of one already reserved;

storing, if said sender of said electronic mail has been certified in said certifying step to be an authorized user, and if the determining step determines there is no duplicated operation time request, said control command extracted in said second extracting step; and

controlling said reservation function of the video recording device to reserve an operation time thereof based on said control command stored in said storing step.