Remote control of VCR with electronic mail

• US 7,376,843 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• 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): Moazzami; Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang; Daniel L
• Application Number:
  US10/991,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 380200-202, 713239-242, 713/189, 713200-202
• 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 configured to control a video recording device physically separate from the reception device, the reception device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an electronic mail transmitted through a network by a sender;

a first extractor configured to extract encrypted certification information inserted in said electronic mail received by said receiver;

a second extractor configured to extract a control command inserted in said electronic mail received by said receiver, said extracted control command being configured to control 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;

a decrypting element configured to decrypt said certification information extracted by said first extractor using a public key;

a certifying element configured to certify whether the sender of said electronic mail is an authorized user by referencing the certification information decrypted by said decrypting element;

a determining element configured to determine if the control command extracted by the second extractor is seeking an operation time duplicating one already reserved and informing the sender by electronic mail if so;

a store configured to store said control command extracted by said second extractor if said sender of said electronic mail has been certified by said certifying element to be an authorized user and if the determining element determines there is no duplicated operation time request; and

a controller configured to control 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 store.

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

3. A reception device 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.

4. A transmitting/reception system configured to control a video recording device physically separate therefrom, the transmitting/reception system comprising:

a transmitter side arrangement including,

an electronic mail generator configured to generate at least a portion of an electronic mail,

an encrypter configured to encrypt predetermined information,

a first adder configured to add the information encrypted by said encrypter to said electronic mail generated by said electronic mail generator as certification information,

a second adder configured to add a control command to said electronic mail to control a reservation function of the video recording device to reserve an operation time thereof,

a transmitter configured to transmit said electronic mail with said certification information added by said first adder and said control command added by said second adder through a network,

a transmitter side receiver configured to receive 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; and

a reception side arrangement including,

a reception side receiver configured to receive said transmitted electronic mail through the network at a location of the video recording device,

a first extractor configured to extract said certification information from said electronic mail received by said reception side receiver,

a second extractor configured to extract said control command from said electronic mail received by said reception side receiver,

a decrypter configured to decrypt said certification information extracted by said first extractor using a public key,

a certifier configured to certify whether a sender of said electronic mail is an authorized user by referencing said certification information decrypted by said decrypter,

a determining element configured to determine if the control command extracted by the second extractor 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 by the second extractor is seeking an operation time duplicating one already entered,

a store configured to store said control command extracted by said second extractor if said sender of said electronic mail has been certified by said certifier to be an authorized user and if the determining element determines there is no duplicated operation time request, and

a controller configured to control said reservation function of the video recording device to reserve an operation time thereof based on said control command stored in said store.