Content-data processing apparatus, content-data processing method, content data management system and content data management method

• US 7,809,956 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2004
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Katsumata, Mitsuru, Ebihara, Munetake
• Primary Examiner(s): Korzuch; William R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Su; Sarah
• Application Number:
  US10/972,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20050105739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,170 Days
• Field of Search: 713/189, 713/193, 705/59, 726/26, 726/31
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• 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: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution

Abstract

In a music-content management system, a client handles three types of data, i.e., a file for encrypting content and storing the content, a key that encrypted the content, and a use condition description for each service in which the content is used. The file stores one type of content encryption system and one type of encrypted content. The file also stores information regarding use condition descriptions for respective services.

Claims

1. A content-data processing apparatus for processing content data, the content data contained in a file received through a network and/or from a storage medium, in accordance with a use condition description corresponding to a type of service, the content-data processing apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive the file transmitted to the content-data processing apparatus;

a data processor configured to process the content data by using the file for encrypting content, the file storing the encrypted content, a key that encrypted the content and existing use condition descriptions for transferring the content data in each of a broadcast-type service and a media-bind-type service, and configured to add information regarding additional use condition descriptions to the existing use condition descriptions for respective services to the file; and

a playback unit configured to play back the processed content data to a user.

2. The content-data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the file contains one type of content encryption system, one type of encrypted content, and multiple types of information regarding the use condition descriptions for each of the services.

3. The content-data processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the data processor is further configured to select information regarding a respective use condition description for a respective service that can be processed by the data processor from the multiple types of information regarding the use condition descriptions, the multiple types of information being stored in the file so as to correspond to the respective services.

4. The content-data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data processor is further configured to process each service, and the use condition description for each service comprises a content use condition description that is searchable from information regarding the use condition description for each service.

5. The content-data processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the data processor is further configured to process each service,

the use condition description for each service comprises information for determining the key that encrypted the content, and

the use condition for each service specifies a number of times the content data is allowed to be copied to a portable device.

6. The content-data processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the data processor is further configured to obtain the information regarding the use condition description for the service from the file, check the use condition description for the service from the information, determine the content encryption key from the use condition description for the service, and use the determined encryption key to decrypt the encrypted content.

7. The content-data processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the data processor is further configured to process each service, and the use condition description for each service comprises information for verification of integrity.

8. The content-data processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the data processor is further configured to obtain the information regarding the use condition description for the service from the file, check the integrity of the information regarding the use condition description, check the use condition description for the service, determine the content encryption key from the use condition description for the service, and use the determined encryption key to decrypt the encrypted content.

9. The content-data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data processor is further configured to execute, as the service, the broadcast-type service and a media-bind-type service.

10. The content-data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data processor is further configured to add further information regarding the use condition description to the file, when the data processor processes data that is transmitted to a data processing device that is external to the content-data processing apparatus.

11. The content-data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the playback unit includes an amplifier circuit and a headphone jack.

12. A content-data processing method executed by a content-data processing apparatus to process content data, the content data contained in a file received through a network and/or from a storage medium, in accordance with a use condition description corresponding to a type of service, the content-data processing method comprising:

receiving the file transmitted to the content-data processing apparatus;

processing the content data by using the file for encrypting content, the file storing the encrypted content, a key that encrypted the content, and existing use condition descriptions for transferring the content data in each of a broadcast-type service and a media-bind-type service;

adding information regarding additional use conditions for respective services to the existing use condition descriptions stored in the file by the content-data processing apparatus; and

playing back the processed content data to a user by a playback unit,

wherein the processing comprises obtaining information regarding the use condition description for each service from the file, checking the use condition description for the service from the information regarding the use condition description, determining the content encryption key from the use condition description for the service, and decrypting the encrypted content by using the encryption key.

13. The content-data processing method according to claim 12, wherein the processing step further comprises:

checking integrity of the information regarding the use condition description between the step of obtaining the information regarding the use condition description; and

checking the use condition description for the service from the information regarding the use condition description.

14. A content-data management system, comprising:

a content-data processing apparatus configured to process content data, received through a network and/or from a storage medium, in accordance with a use condition description corresponding to a type of service, the content-data processing apparatus including

a data processor configured to process the content data by using a file for encrypting content, the file storing the encrypted content, a key that encrypted the content, and existing use condition descriptions for transferring the content data in each of a broadcast-type service and a media-bind-type service, and configured to add information regarding additional use condition descriptions to the existing use condition descriptions for respective services to the file, and

a playback unit configured to play back the processed content data to a user;

a providing server configured to supply content data to the content-data processing apparatus through the network; and

a portable device configured to receive the content data from the content-data processing apparatus, the portable device including

a flash memory configured to store the received content data, and

an electronically erasable programmable ROM (BEPROM) configured to store a file allocation table (FAT) identifying storage locations in the flash memory storing the content data.

15. A content-data management method executed by a content-data management system that comprises a content-data processing apparatus configured to process content data, the content data contained in a file received through a network and/or from a storage medium, in accordance with a use condition description corresponding to a type of service and a providing server configured to supply content data to the content-data processing apparatus through the network, the content-data management method comprising:

receiving the file transmitted to the content-data processing apparatus;

processing the content data by using the file for encrypting content, the file storing the encrypted content, a key that encrypted the content, and existing use condition descriptions transferring the content data in each of a broadcast-type service and a media-bind-type service;

adding information regarding additional use conditions for respective services to the existing use condition descriptions stored in the file by the content-data processing apparatus; and

playing back the processed content data to a user by a playback unit included in the content-data processing apparatus,

wherein the processing comprises obtaining information regarding the use condition description for each service from the file, checking the use condition description for the service from the information regarding the use condition description, determining the content encryption key from the use condition description for the service, and decrypting the encrypted content by using the content encryption key.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a content-data processing program that causes a content-data processing apparatus to process content data, the content data contained in a file received through a network and/or from a storage medium, in accordance with a use condition description corresponding to a type of service, the content-data processing program comprising instructions for:

receiving the file transmitted to the content-data processing apparatus;

analyzing the content data by using the file containing encrypted content data, a key that encrypted the content data, and existing use condition descriptions for transferring the content data in each of a broadcast-type service and a media-bind-type service; and

adding new use condition description corresponding to the type of service, other than the existing use condition descriptions for the respective services, for a new service to the file; and

playing back the analyzed content data to a user by a playback unit included in the content-data processing apparatus.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing the content-data processing program according to claim 16, wherein the file contains one type of content encryption system, one type of encrypted content, and multiple types of information regarding the use condition descriptions for the respective services.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing the content-data processing program according to claim 16, wherein the use condition description for each service comprises a content use condition description that is searchable from information regarding the use condition description for each service, the use condition description being stored in the file.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing the content-data processing program according to claim 18, wherein the use condition description for each service further comprises information for determining the key that encrypted the content, and

the use condition for each service specifies a number of times the content data is allowed to be copied to a portable device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing the content-data processing program according to claim 19, wherein the information regarding the use condition description for the service is obtained from the file, the use condition description for the service is checked from the information, the content encryption key is determined from the use condition description for the service, and the determined encryption key is used to decrypt the encrypted content.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing the content-data processing program according to claim 20, wherein the use condition description for the service comprises information for verification of integrity.