Content utilization management method corresponding to network transfer, program, and content transfer system

• US 7,912,952 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2004
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Morino, Harumi, Mizutani, Mika
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, GUANG W
• Application Number:
  US10/847,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20050228858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,499 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-225, 705/2, 700/10, 700/20, 713/170
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system estimates accessibility on the basis of information of a requesting device and digital rights management information of content when a utilization request of the content is raised through a network. In a device including a hard disk for storing a plurality of content files and having a networking function for transmitting the content file to other device, a utilization condition and a utilization state are so managed as to correspond to the content file and when a utilization request of a content file is made, utilizability of the content file is judged from a utilization object in the utilization request and from information of a transmitting device of the utilization request. When utilization is not judged as possible, a report is made to the transmitting device of the utilization request to the effect that the content file cannot be utilized.

Claims

1. A content transferring method in a content transferring system including at least a first content management device and a second content management device, each including a storage device storing contents and having a networking function of transmitting and receiving a content to and from another device through a network, comprising the steps of:

looking up a list of contents of the second content management device connected to said network by the first content management device;

transmitting a content utilization request from the first content management device to the second content management device having a content designated from said content list;

looking up content management information corresponding to the designated content, and judging whether or not said designated content is transmissible to the first content management device by the second content management device;

in accordance with selection information defining relationship among content types, digital rights management information, and contents transfer methods to determine how to transfer a content, selecting a file transfer method when there is no digital right information for the designated content and transferring the designated content is not being performed, and selecting a streaming transfer method when there is digital right information for the designated content and storing the designated content in the first content management device is prohibited or transferring the designated content is being performed, the file transfer method being a method of burst-transferring content, the streaming transfer method being a method of performing a real time content transferring process;

notifying from the second content management device to the first content management device that selecting the file transfer method or the streaming transfer method has been made and the designated content can be used;

performing in the first content management device an authentication process with the second content management device and a digital rights management security setting, and notifying from the first content management device to the second content management device that the digital rights management security setting is completed; and

in the second content management device, when the streaming transfer method is selected to transmit the content comprising a plurality of packets to the first content management device, defining a number of packets to be transferred per unit time based on a counter value showing play timing information contained in the packets, and splitting the content into the defined number of the packets such that transmission of the content is performed by transmitting the defined number of the packets to the first content management device.

2. A content management apparatus having a storage device for storing content and a network interface,

the content management apparatus comprising:

a file transfer module for burst-transferring the content through the network interface;

a streaming processing module for controlling a processing path to process the content to or from the storage device; and

a content management module,

wherein the streaming processing module is configured to;

select a cipher library, a file system and a network processing module depending on a user request, and link the selected library, file system and processing module and create a processing path; and

when sending the content comprising a plurality of packets to the network interface, define a number of packets to be transferred per unit time following a present time in the content based on a counter value showing play timing information contained in the packets, and split the content into the defined number of the packets, and transfer the defined number of the packets to maintain transmission rate using the created processing path,

wherein the content management module is configured to;

determine whether or not the content can be used by another apparatus in accordance with at least one of digital right management information and intended use for the designated content,

in accordance with selection information defining relationship among content types, digital rights management information, and contents transfer methods to determine how to transfer a content, select the file transfer module to transfer the content when there is no digital right information for the content and transferring the content is not being performed, and select the streaming processing module to transfer the content when there is digital right information for the content and storing the content in the another apparatus is prohibited or transferring the content is being performed;

notify the another apparatus of how to transfer the designated content.

3. A content transferring method for a content management apparatus having a storage device for storing a content, a network interface and a codec function, the content transferring method comprising the steps of:

referring to selection information defining relationship among content types, digital rights management information, and contents transfer methods to determine how to transfer a content;

selecting a file transfer method when there is no digital right information for the designated content and transferring the designated content is not being performed, and selecting a streaming transfer method when there is digital right information for the designated content and storing the designated content in the first content management device is prohibited or transferring the designated content is being performed, the file transfer method being a method of burst-transferring content, the streaming transfer method being a method of performing a real time content transferring process, wherein;

when receiving a request of remote-playback through the network interface, judging whether or not a designated content is utilizable based on a utilization condition and copy control information defined under digital rights of each content;

when the copy control information shows prohibition from storing the designated content in a remote storage, when remote-playback before completion of transferring has started, or when other network transferring or local-playback or record processing is in execution, the streaming transfer method is selected in accordance with the selection information;

a necessary cipher library, a file system and a network processing module are selected depending on the request, and the selected cipher library, file system and processing module are linked, and a processing path is created; and

a number of packets to be transferred per unit time following a present time is defined in the content comprising a plurality of packets, based on a counter value showing play timing information contained in the packets, the content is split into the defined number of the packets, and the defined number of the packets is transferred to maintain transmission rate using the processing path.

4. A content management apparatus including a network interface for communicating with another apparatus through a network, a storage device for storing a plurality of contents, and selection information defining relationship among content types, digital rights management information, and contents transfer methods to determine how to transfer a content, the content management apparatus comprising:

a processing collaborator, implemented by executing a program stored in a memory device in the content management apparatus, for receiving a content request from the another apparatus through the network;

a content management portion, implemented by executing a program stored in the memory device in the content management apparatus,

wherein the content management portion;

copies control information of a content designated by the content request,

determines whether or not the content can be used by the another apparatus in accordance with at least one of digital right management information and intended use for the designated content,

when the content can be used by another apparatus, determines whether or not the content can be accessed through a network,

when the content can be accessed through the network, determines whether transfer of the content is not being performed and whether use of the content is not prohibited, and

when the transfer of the content is not being performed and the use of the content is not prohibited, selects a file transfer method if the content does not have the digital right management information, or a streaming transfer method if the content has the digital right management information, the file transfer method being a method of burst-transferring a content, the streaming transfer method being a method of performing a real time content transferring process, and

in response to the selection of the first transfer method and the streaming transfer method performed by the content management portion, notifies the another apparatus that the selection of one of the file transfer method and the streaming transfer method has been made; and

a digital rights management portion, implemented by executing a program stored in the memory device in the content management apparatus, for establishing an encryption communication path between the content management apparatus and the another apparatus,

wherein the content management portion reads the content from the storage device and transfers the read content to the another apparatus.

5. The content management apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a streaming processing portion, operable in response to the streaming transfer method, for dividing the content to be transferred into a plurality of packets in accordance with an amount of a counter value as play timing information included in the content.