Data processing apparatus and method for preventing unauthorized copying

• US 6,981,272 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2000
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hamada, Ichiro, Morinaga, Takeo
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, NGOC K
• Application Number:
  US09/646,589
• Time in Patent Office: 2,167 Days
• Field of Search: 380/201, 380/203, 386/94, 725/25, 725/30, 725/31, 725/100, 725/104, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 360/60
• US Class Current: 725/25
• 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: H04N 2005/91328 the copy protection signal being a copy management signal, e.g. a copy generation management signal [CGMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• 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 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• 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 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/167 Systems rendering the television signal unintelligible and subsequently intelligible
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals

Abstract

The present invention relates to a data processing system and method that control the outputs of a receiving apparatus depending upon a copy restriction code. The receiving apparatus determines whether the copy restriction code allows for one or no copies to be made and controls the outputs of the receiving apparatus accordingly.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of output terminals for outputting digital data, said digital data including predetermined copy control data;

a first format processing unit coupled to a first output terminal from among said plurality of output terminals for providing said digital signal in a first data format;

a second format processing unit coupled to a second output terminal from among said plurality of output terminals for providing said digital signal in a second data format;

one or more switches coupled to said first and second format processing units; and

a control means for controlling said one or more switches and each of said plurality of output terminals such that said digital data is selectively output from said first or second output terminal in said first or second data format according to said predetermined copy control data.

2. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means adds said predetermined copy control data to said digital data to be output from said first or second output terminal.

3. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined copy control data indicates whether said digital data can be copied.

4. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first data format conforms to the IEEE 1394 standard.

5. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second data format conforms to the IEC 958 standard.

6. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second data format comprises an optical output.

7. A data processing method, comprising:

conveying digital data to a plurality of outputs on an apparatus;

converting said digital data to a first or second data format based on a predetermined copy control data;

controlling each of said plurality of outputs such that said converted digital data is selectively output from only a specified one of said plurality of outputs in either said first or second data format according to said predetermined copy control data; and

adding said predetermined copy control data to said digital data to be output from said specified one of said plurality of outputs.

8. The data processing method according to claim 7, wherein said predetermined copy control data indicates whether said digital data can be copied.

9. The data processing method according to claim 7, wherein converting said digital data to a first data format comprises converting said digital data into an optical signal.

10. The data processing method according to claim 7, wherein converting said digital data to a first data format comprises converting said digital data into the IEC 958 data format.

11. The data processing method according to claim 7, wherein converting said digital data to a second data format comprises converting said digital data into the IEEE 1394 data format.