Content distribution with content tagging and third party verification

• US 7,496,669 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2001
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hirayama, Tomoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Application Number:
  US09/810,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,899 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/203, 709/223, 709/225, 709/229, 709/228, 709/217, 709/227, 455/186.1, 455/176.1
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/15 on receiving information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/16 on playing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

An apparatus transfers the title of content to an ID-assigning unit which assigns an ID to the content and transmits the content ID to a broadcasting unit via a tagging unit. A broadcasting apparatus then broadcasts the content ID and a receiver extracts the content ID from a received signal and transfers the content ID to a verification unit which determines whether or not the content ID received from a reception functional unit matches a stored content ID. If the content ID received from the reception unit matches a stored content ID, user information of the receiver is transmitted to a privacy-guarding unit. The privacy-guarding unit searches privacy-guarding items and, in accordance with a result of the search, only necessary user information presented by the verification unit is transmitted to a provider unit.

Claims

1. A content distribution system, comprising:

a content distributing apparatus configured to distribute content;

a receiving apparatus configured to receive the distributed content; and

a server, wherein the server includes

means for acquiring a name of a radio broadcast station and a title of content presented by the radio broadcast station;

means for generating a radio broadcast station ID and a content ID for identifying the content based on the information acquired by the means for acquiring, wherein the generated radio broadcast station ID and content ID are different from the acquired name of a radio broadcast station and title of content;

means for storing the radio broadcast station ID and the content ID by associating the radio broadcast station ID with the content ID; and

means for transmitting the radio broadcast station ID and the content ID stored in the means for storing to a second information processing apparatus in response to a request from the second information processing apparatus through a network, and transmitting the radio broadcast station ID and the content ID stored in the means for storing to a third information processing apparatus which generates a tag code based on the received information and broadcasts the tag code to a plurality of receiver apparatuses,

wherein the means for acquiring acquires a validity-condition concerning validity of presentation of the content from the radio broadcast station,

the means for storing stores the validity-condition by associating the validity-condition with the radio broadcast station ID and the content ID,

the means for transmitting transmits the validity-condition to the second information processing apparatus, and

the second information processing apparatus, that is different from the receiving apparatus, receives another content ID from the receiving apparatus and checks whether the another content ID from the receiving apparatus is same as the content ID stored in the storage means.

2. The content distribution system of claim 1, wherein said validity-condition includes additional information added by a user receiving data including said radio broadcast station ID and said content ID.

3. The content distribution system of claim 1, wherein said validity-condition is a deadline for accepting a response.

4. The content distribution system of claim 1, wherein said validity-condition is an age restriction.

5. The content distribution system of claim 1, wherein said validity-condition is an adult category.

6. The content distribution system of claim 1, wherein said validity-condition is a registered person.

7. The content distribution system of claim 1, wherein said validity-condition is an area restriction.

8. The content distribution system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for identifying a content provider'"'"'s network address corresponding to a provider ID supplied by a fourth information processing apparatus on the basis of the information in the means for storing.

9. A method for distributing content in a system including a content distributing apparatus configured to distribute content, a receiving apparatus configured to receive the distributed content, and a server, the method comprising:

acquiring, at the server, a name of a radio broadcast station and a title of content presented by the radio broadcast station;

generating, at the server, a radio broadcast station ID and a content ID for identifying the content based on the acquired information, wherein the generated radio broadcast station ID and content ID are different from the acquired name of a radio broadcast station and title of content;

storing, at the server, the radio broadcast station ID and the content ID by associating the radio broadcast station ID with the content ID;

transmitting the radio broadcast station ID and the content ID stored at the server to a second information processing apparatus in response to a request from the second information processing apparatus through a network;

transmitting the radio broadcast station ID and the content ID stored in the server to a third information processing apparatus which generates a tag code based on the received information and broadcasts the tag code to a plurality of receiver apparatuses;

acquiring, at the server, a validity-condition concerning validity of presentation of the content from the radio broadcast station;

storing, at the server, the validity-condition by associating the validity-condition with the radio broadcast station ID and the content ID;

transmitting, from the server, the validity-condition to the second information processing apparatus, and

receiving, at the second information processing apparatus, that is different from the receiving apparatus, another content ID from the receiving apparatus and checking whether the another content ID from the receiving apparatus is same as the content ID stored at the server.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said validity-condition includes additional information added by a user receiving data including said radio broadcast station ID and said content ID.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said validity-condition is a deadline for accepting a response.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said validity condition is an age restriction.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said validity-condition is an adult category.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said validity condition is a registered person.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said validity condition is an area restriction.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying a content provider'"'"'s network address corresponding to a provider ID supplied by a fourth information processing apparatus on the basis of the information stored in the server.