Reproducing apparatus and information distribution system

• US 7,500,271 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2004
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mayama, Ichiro, Yamada, Eiichi, Shitara, Teruyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Simitoski; Michael J
• Application Number:
  US10/869,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20050007925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• Field of Search: 713/189, 713/193, 380/201, 705/51, 705/57, 726/27, 726/31
• US Class Current: 726/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• 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: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing

Abstract

An object of the invention is to make it possible to move data that is coded and managed for copyright protection after evaluating an encryption key and permitting its movement based on a result of the evaluation, as well as to make it possible to copy data that is recorded in a server to a terminal apparatus and cause the terminal apparatus itself to reproduce the data and, where a terminal apparatus is connected to the server, render data on the server reproducible.

Claims

1. An information distribution system comprising:

a server apparatus being connected to a terminal apparatus for supplying coded main data to the terminal apparatus, the server apparatus including;

memory means for recording at least one coded main data; and

transmitting means for transmitting to the terminal apparatus the coded main data that is read out from the memory means; and

the terminal apparatus for decoding and reproducing coded main data including;

receiving means for receiving the coded main data that is transmitted from the transmitting means of the server apparatus;

recording means for recording the coded main data;

decoding means for decoding the coded main data that is one of received by the receiving means and recorded in the recording means;

judging means for judging whether the terminal apparatus is connected to the server apparatus;

control means for controlling the decoding means to decode the coded main data received by the receiving means when the judging means judges that the terminal apparatus is connected to the server apparatus, and for controlling the decoding means to decode the coded main data recorded in the recording means when the judging means judges that the terminal apparatus is not connected to the server apparatus;

coding means for coding the main data, wherein the control means causes the coding means to encode the main data and causes the server apparatus to record the coded main data resulting therefrom; and

storing means for storing a key that is used when the coding means encodes the main data and used when the decoding means decodes the coded main data,

wherein the coding means encodes the main data by using the key stored in the storing means, and the decoding means decodes the coded main data by using the key stored in the storing means.

2. The information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal apparatus further comprises attaching and detaching means for attaching the recording means to the terminal apparatus in a detachable manner.

3. The information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the key that is stored in the storing means is unique to the terminal apparatus.

4. The information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal apparatus further comprises reproducing means for reproducing decoded main data.

5. The information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein:

the terminal apparatus further comprises transmitting means for transmitting decoded main data produced by the decoding means; and

the server apparatus further comprises receiving means for receiving the decoded main data, and reproducing means for reproducing the decoded main data received by the receiving means,

whereby the server apparatus reproduces the main data decoded by the terminal apparatus.

6. The information distribution system according to claim 5, wherein the decoded main data that is transmitted from the transmitting means of the terminal apparatus is an audio signal.

7. The information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the recording means of the terminal apparatus is a nonvolatile memory.

8. The information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the memory means of the server apparatus is a hard disk drive.