Moving image distribution system, moving image dividing system, moving image distribution program, moving image dividing program, and recording medium storing moving image distribution program and/or moving image dividing program

• US 7,559,070 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Global Point Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Global Point Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Saito, Hideo, Nakamura, Jun, Arakawa, Yutaka, Ono, Shingo, Kato, Seiya, Kozhevnikov, Sergey, Hiramoto, Kazuhiro, Matsuda, Takuro, Togo, Jun, Sei, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; John W
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANCE, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US10/565,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20060195702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 725/93, 725 32- 36, 725/31, 380/210, 380/211
• US Class Current: 725/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23476 by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2389 Multiplex stream processing, e.g. multiplex stream encrypting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4385 Multiplex stream processing, e.g. multiplex stream decrypting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44055 by partially decrypting, e.g. decrypting a video stream that has been partially encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/631 Multimode Transmission, e.g. transmitting basic layers and enhancement layers of the content over different transmission paths or transmitting with different error corrections, different keys or with different transmission protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 7/167 Systems rendering the television signal unintelligible and subsequently intelligible
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A moving image distribution system, wherein the user can view content moving images at no charge, and the provider of the content moving images can prevent a drain of the moving image contents and can protect the copy right thereof, as a copy right holder, without fail. The moving images are divided, along a time axis, into two master and slave nonreproducible moving image files. The slave moving image file (small file) is encrypted based on CM file data in which a predetermined CM element has been incorporated. In response to a reproduction request of a user terminal that possesses the master moving image file (main file) in advance, the slave moving image file is distributed with the CM moving images to the user terminal via a network line such as the Internet.

Claims

1. A moving image distribution system for distributing a prespecified moving image to a user terminal connected to the system via a network, said system comprising:

a moving image dividing unit for dividing said moving image into two not-reproducible moving image files along the time axis;

an encrypting unit for encrypting one of the divided moving image files by CM file data separated from the moving image and selected as desired, said CM file data including a prespecified CM element incorporated therein;

a moving image distributing unit for distributing to the user terminal one of the encrypted moving image file with the CM file data in response to a request for reproduction from the user terminal previously storing therein the other divided moving image file; and

a reproducing unit for decrypting the encrypted moving image file and the other divided moving image file distributed to the user terminal by using the CM file data and reproducing the decrypted files.

2. The moving image distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said moving image dividing unit compresses data for the moving image file so that a total of file capacities of the two moving image files is smaller than a file capacity for the moving image, and also divides the moving image so that a file capacity of said main moving image file is larger than that of said slave moving image file.

3. The moving image distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said encrypting unit computes an exclusive logical sum of a data bit array for said CM file and a data bit array for said divided moving image file and encrypts for encrypting said moving image file.

4. The moving image distribution system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a user information storing section for storing therein various types of user information concerning users including service providers, users, moving image contents providers, and sponsors; and

a user certifying engine for certifying access to said service provider server based on said user information, wherein said moving image dividing unit acknowledges a demand for dividing said moving image only when a user is authenticated as the service provider or the moving image contents provider by said user certifying engine.

5. The moving image distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said reproducing unit comprises a decoder for decoding said main moving image file and said slave moving image file both not-reproducible to said reproducible moving image, and a decrypting unit for decrypting one of said encrypted moving image files together with the CM file again by executing the exclusive logical sum processing, and

said reproducing unit decrypts said CM file and said moving image files by said decrypting unit after checking that the said CM file has been reproduced, and starts up said decoder to decode said main moving image file and said slave moving image file to said reproducible moving image.

6. The moving image distribution system according to claim 5, wherein said service provider server comprises a reproducing unit storing section for storing therein said reproducing unit, and executes a processing procedure comprising a searching step of searching, when a demand for reproduction of said main moving image file is received from said user terminal, whether said reproducing unit is present on said user terminal or not, and said reproducing unit is distributed to said user terminal when it is determined in the searching step that there is no reproducing unit on said user terminal.

7. The moving image distribution system according to claim 5, wherein said reproducing unit further comprises a user information storing section for storing therein user information concerning said user, and distributes said user information to said user information storing section in said service provider server in response to a demand from an user certifying engine.

8. The moving image distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said moving image files do not include the CM file data, and said one of the divided moving image files is encrypted by the CM file data not included in the moving image files.

9. A moving image distribution system for distributing a prespecified moving image to a user terminal connected to the system via a network,

said system having a service provider server comprising a moving image dividing unit for dividing said moving image into two not-reproducible moving image files including a main moving image file and a slave moving image file along a time axis;

a main moving image file storing section for storing therein said main moving image file;

a slave moving image file storing section for storing therein said slave moving image file;

a CM file storing section for storing therein a CM file including a prespecified CM element incorporated therein; and

an encrypting unit for encrypting either one of said main moving image file and said slave moving image file by CM file data stored in the CM file storing section and selected as desired,

wherein said service provider server receives a demand for distributing said moving image from said user terminal, summons said main moving image file corresponding to said moving image from said main moving image file storing section, and distributes said main moving image file to the user terminal,

said service provider server receives a demand for reproducing said main moving image file from said user terminal, summons said slave moving image file corresponding to said main moving image file and said CM file from said slave moving image file storing section and said CM file storing section, encrypts said slave moving image file by said CM file data, and distributes the encrypted slave moving image file to said user terminal together with said CM file, and

said user terminal decrypts two of said distributed moving image files and said CM file with a prespecified reproducing unit and reproduces said moving image files.

10. The moving image distribution system according to claim 9, wherein said service provider server furthermore comprises a CM file summoning unit for summoning said CM file from said CM file storing section based on said user information, and said CM file summoning unit selects a CM file demanded by the user from the CM file storing section based on the user information and provides the CM file to said encrypting unit.

11. A moving image distribution system for distributing a prespecified moving image to a user terminal connected to the system via a network, said system comprising:

a moving image contents provider server having said moving image,

a sponsor server having a CM file with a prespecified advertisement element therein, and

a service provider server having a moving image dividing unit for dividing said moving image into two not-reproducible moving image files including a main moving image file and a slave moving image file along a time axis,

said moving image contents provider server having a main moving image file storing section for storing the main moving image file obtained after division by said moving image dividing unit,

said service provider server having a slave moving image file storing section for storing therein the slave moving image file obtained after division by said moving image dividing unit, an encrypting unit for encrypting either one of said main moving image file and said slave moving image file by CM file data separated from the main moving image file and the slave moving image file and selected as desired, and a CM file storing section for storing therein said CM moving image distributed from the sponsor server,

wherein said moving image contents provider server receives a demand for transmitting said moving image from said user terminal, summons said main moving image file corresponding to said moving image from said main moving image file storing section, and distributes said main moving image file to said user terminal,

said service provider server receives a demand for reproducing said main moving image file from said user terminal and summons said slave moving image file corresponding to said main moving image file and said CM file from said slave moving image file storing section of said service provider server and said CM file storing section, and said service provider further encrypts said slave moving image file through said encrypting unit by the selected CM file data, and distributes the encrypted slave moving image file to said user terminal together with said CM file, and

said user terminal decrypts two of the distributed moving image files and said CM file by a prespecified reproducing unit and reproduces said moving image files.

12. A computer-readable medium encoded with a moving image distribution program for a moving image distribution system to distribute a prespecified moving image to a user terminal via a network, said program comprising:

a moving image dividing step of dividing said moving image into two not-reproducible moving image files along the time axis;

an encrypting step of encrypting one of said divided two moving image files by CM file data separated from the moving image and selected as desired, said CM file data including a prespecified CM element incorporated therein;

a moving image distributing step of distributing, in response to a demand for reproduction from said user terminal previously storing therein the other of the moving image files, or the one of said moving image files with said CM file to said user terminal,

a decrypting step for decrypting said two moving image files distributed to said user terminal by said CM file data, and

a reproducing step for reproducing said decrypted two moving image files.

13. A recording medium, comprising the moving image dividing program according to claim 12.

14. A moving image distribution system for distributing a prespecified moving image to a user terminal connected to the system via a network, said system comprising:

a service provider server, wherein said service provider server comprises;

a moving image dividing unit for dividing a moving image distributed from a moving image contents provider into two not-reproducible moving image files including a main moving image file and a slave moving image file along a time axis,

an encrypting unit for encrypting either one of the divided moving image files by said moving image dividing unit by CM file data separated from the moving image and selected as desired, said CM file data being distributed from a sponsor, and

a moving image distributing unit for distributing either one of the encrypted moving image files to said user terminal together with said CM file,

wherein said service provider server distributes said moving image file with said CM file to said user terminal and also presents a CM advertisement fee associated with distribution of said moving image file to said sponsor.

15. A moving image distribution system for distributing a prespecified moving image to a user terminal connected to the system via a network, said system comprising:

a moving image contents provider server storing therein said moving image;

a sponsor server storing therein a CM file with a prespecified advertisement element therein; and

a service provider server having;

a moving image dividing unit for dividing said moving image into two not-reproducible moving image files including a main moving image file and a slave moving image file along a time axis; and

an encrypting unit for encrypting either one of the divided moving image files by said moving image dividing unit by CM file data separated from the moving image and selected as desired, said CM file data being distributed from said sponsor; and

a moving image distributing unit for distributing said either one of the encrypted moving image files to said user terminal together with said CM file,

wherein said service provider server further comprises a CM management engine including;

a counting section for counting number of times of distribution of either one or both of said main and slave moving image files;

a CM distribution managing section for managing log data for distribution of said CM file distributed together with said moving image file; and

a CM information preparing section for computing distribution information for said CM file according to the number of times of distribution of said CM file and the distribution log data; and

said counting section counts the number of times of distribution of said distributed moving image contents in response to a demand for distribution from said user terminal;

said CM information preparing section summons the number of times of counting from said counting section, and said distribution data from said CM distribution managing section at the same time, and prepares CM distribution information from said number of times of counting and the distribution data and notifies said moving image contents provider and/or said sponsor server of said CM distribution information.