Electronic money, electronic use right, charging system, information processing apparatus, and reproducing method and reproduction control method of contents data

• US 7,346,582 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2000
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Inokuchi, Tatsuya, Sako, Yoichiro, Tokoro, Mario, Kijima, Kaoru
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, MARY DA ZHI WANG
• Application Number:
  US09/913,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20020128937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,645 Days
• Field of Search: 705 50- 59, 705 64- 68, 713160-168, 380201-203, 707 9- 10, 726 1- 10, 726 26- 33
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1078 Logging; Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/088 Usage controlling of secret information, e.g. techniques for restricting cryptographic keys to pre-authorized uses, different access levels, validity of crypto-period, different key- or password length, or different strong and weak cryptographic algorithms network architectures or network communication protocols for using time-dependent keys in a packet data network H04L63/068
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying

Abstract

A system for providing the right to use and reproduce contents data involving so-called electronic money, whereby when compressed and/or encrypted contents data is reproduced, a security for electronic money or an electronic use right is checked, if the electronic money or the electronic use right is invalid as a result of the security check, the reproduction of the contents data is stopped, and if the electronic money or the electronic use right is valid as a result of the security check, the contents data is reproduced and the electronic money or the electronic use right is consumed.

Claims

1. A reproducing method of contents data, comprising the steps of:

checking a security for an electronic use right when compressed and/or encrypted contents data is to be reproduced;

preventing reproduction of said contents data when said electronic use right is invalid as a result of the checked security; and

reproducing said contents data and consuming said electronic use right when said electronic use right is valid as a result of the checked security;

wherein said electronic use right includes a header, a valid start date, an encryption type, listening rights data, an error correction code, and a software for decoding encryption;

the electronic use right is consumed by subtracting an amount from the listening rights data based on a charge condition found in subordinate data associated with said contents data.

2. The reproducing method of contents data according to claim 1, wherein, when said electronic use right is valid as a result of the checked security, determining whether there is sufficient listening rights data for reproducing said contents data.

3. The reproducing method of contents data according to claim 1, wherein said electronic use right further includes an encryption software.

4. The reproducing method of contents data according to claim 1, wherein when said electronic use right is invalid as a result of the checked security, a management organization for managing said electronic use right is notified.

5. The reproducing method of contents data according to claim 1, further comprising a step of restoring said electronic use right by replacement with a new electronic use right and transmitting a reproduction history of the reproduced contents data to a management organization for managing said electronic use right.

6. A reproducing method of contents data, comprising the steps of:

checking a security for an electronic use right that is used in a charging process that is executed when compressed and/or encrypted contents data is to be reproduced;

preventing reproduction of said contents data when said electronic use right is invalid as a result of the checked security; and

reproducing said contents data and performing the charging process based on said electronic use right, when said electronic use right is valid as a result of the checked security;

wherein said electronic use right includes a header, a valid start date, an encryption type, listening rights data, an error correction code, and a software for decoding encryption;

the charging process is performed by subtracting an amount from the listening rights data based on a charge condition found in subordinate data associated with said contents data.

7. The reproducing method of contents data according to claim 6, wherein, when said electronic use right is valid as a result of the checked security, determining whether there is sufficient listening rights data for reproducing said contents.

8. The reproducing method of contents data according to claim 6, wherein when said electronic use right is invalid, a management organization for managing said electronic use right is notified.

9. The reproducing method of contents data according to claim 6, further comprising a step of restoring said electronic use right by replacement with a new electronic use right.

10. A reproduction control method comprising the steps of:

storing an electronic use right purchased from a management organization into a memory in a player;

checking a security for said electronic use right that is used in a charging process which is executed when compressed and/or encrypted contents data is to be reproduced by the player;

preventing reproduction of said contents data when said electronic use right is invalid as a result of the checked security; and

reproducing said contents data and executing the charging process based on said electronic use right, when said electronic use right is valid as a result of the checked security;

wherein said electronic use right includes a header, a valid start date, an encryption type, listening rights data, an error correction code, and an encryption software;

the charging process is performed by subtracting an amount from the listening rights data based on a charge condition found in subordinate data associated with said contents data.

11. The reproduction control method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of restoring said electronic use right by replacement with a new electronic use right.

12. The reproduction control method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of restoring said electronic use right by replacement with a new electronic use right and transmitting a reproduction history of the reproduced contents data to said management organization for managing said electronic use right.

13. The reproduction control method according to claim 12, wherein when said reproduction history exceeds a predetermined permission amount, said management organization inhibits reproduction of the contents data by said player.