Transmitting second content data with reference for use with first content data

• US 7,542,571 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2001
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Asadu, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kimyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Paliwal, Yogesh
• Application Number:
  US10/380,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,820 Days
• Field of Search: 380/277, 705/51
• US Class Current: 380/277
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• 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 21/26613 for generating or managing keys in general key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• 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

Usage by second content of previously distributed first content, is permitted if the proper electronic signature is incorporated into predetermined data added to the second content. A secret key and a public key are generated for the first content. The public key is added to the first content which is transmitted. When the second content seeks to refer to the first content, an electronic signature, produced by employing the secret key, is requested and incorporated into predetermined data that is added to the second content. The second content with the predetermined data is transmitted. At the receiver, the public key which was added to the first content, is used in a collating process with the received electronic signature, and when the collation succeeds, the previously received first content stored at the receiver is used in accordance with instructions received with the second content.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for transmitting information via a network comprising:

key management means for generating and managing a secret key and a public key for a first content,

first transmission means for adding said public key to the first content and transmitting the first content with the added public key,

requesting means for requesting an electronic signature produced by employing said secret key; and

second transmission means for adding predetermined data incorporating said electronic signature to second content different from said first content and transmitting the second content to which said predetermined data is added, said predetermined data including a command to refer to the second content;

wherein said second content includes reference to said first content for use of said first content with said second content;

said key management means executing electronic signing only when it is judged that the reference to the first content by the second content does not infringe a predetermined right to the first content; and

wherein the predetermined data includes first content insertion start position information and insertion end position information and second content reference start position information and reference end position information, thereby identifying portions of said first content to be used with a reference portion of said second content.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising electronically-signed data acquisition means for acquiring the electronically signed data.

3. An information processing method for processing a first content and a second content that refers to and is different from the first content, comprising the steps of

generating a secret key and a public key for the first content,

adding the generated public key to the first content and transmitting the first content with the added public key,

requesting an electronic signature produced by employing the secret key;

adding predetermined data incorporating said electronic signature to the second content, said predetermined data including a command to refer to the first content, and

transmitting the second content to which said predetermined data is added,

wherein said second content includes reference to said first content for use of said first content with said second content, and

wherein the predetermined data includes first content insertion start position information and insertion end position information and second content reference start position information and reference end position information, thereby identifying portions of said first content to be used with a reference portion of said second content.

4. The information processing method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of

collating at a receiver, the electronic signature incorporated in the predetermined data added to the second content by employing the public key that had been added to the first content when the transmitted second content is received, and

processing and outputting by the receiver the first content based on an instruction in the received second content when collation succeeds.

5. A computer readable medium storing a program executed to process a first content and a second content that refers to and is different from the first content, the process comprising the steps of:

generating a secret key and a public key for the first content,

adding the generated public key to the first content and transmitting the first content with the added public key,

requesting an electronic signature produced by employing the secret key;

adding predetermined data incorporating said electronic signature to the second content, said predetermined data including a command to refer to the first content, and

transmitting the second content to which said predetermined data is added,

wherein said second content includes reference to said first content for use of said first content with said second content, and

wherein the predetermined data includes first content insertion start position information and insertion end position information and second content reference start position information and reference end position information, thereby identifying portions of said first content to be used with a reference portion of said second content.

6. The computer readable medium according to claim 5, wherein the program performs the further steps of:

collating the electronic signature incorporated in the predetermined data by employing a public key that had been added to the first content when the transmitted second content is received, and

processing and outputting the first content based on an instruction in the received second content when collation succeeds.