Broadcasting method and broadcast receiver

• US 8,045,710 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUVAN, LEYNNA THANH
• Application Number:
  US12/216,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20080273705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 726/5, 726/13, 726 18- 19, 726/27, 726 30- 35, 713/150, 713/160, 713/165, 713/171, 713/179, 713/189, 713/193, 713/153, 710/1, 710 5- 7, 710/12, 710/28, 710/33, 710/36, 709201-203, 709/225, 709/232, 709/231, 709/238, 725/20, 725/25, 725/31, 725 62- 68, 725 87- 93, 725101-105, 725/110, 725114-118, 725134-148, 725/151, 348/211.3, 348/536, 455 39- 413, 455/343.3, 455/343.4, 455/3.03, 455/407, 455/26.1, 455/91, 380/1, 380200-202, 380/228, 380/241, 380/255, 380278-279
• US Class Current: 380/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/16 on playing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A broadcasting method and a broadcast receiver whereby contents are first distributed only for storage so that the stored contents are later played back in a time period predetermined by the distributing party, the contents being encrypted for protection against unauthorized reproduction in any time period other than the intended one. A content is transmitted together with a begin store command in a first time period for storage onto a storage medium at the receiving side. In a time period subsequent to the first time period, a play command is broadcast so as to get the content retrieved from storage for playback. The content should preferably be encrypted. The encrypted content is decrypted and played back using a decryption key transmitted along with the play command in the second time period. The decryption key is deleted the moment the decryption process is terminated.

Claims

1. A distributing method comprising the step of:

distributing encrypted contents from a distributing side wherein the encrypted contents are encrypted by the distributing side and the encrypted contents are stored into a storage medium at a receiving side; and

distributing a play command with a decryption key at a time after distributing the encrypted contents to cause the encrypted contents to be played, wherein the time at which the play command and decryption key are distributed is predetermined by the distributing side and the decryption key is stored into a memory at a receiving side;

wherein, upon receiving the play command, the receiving side causes the encrypted contents to be retrieved from the storage medium and the decrypted using the decryption key is used to produce decrypted contents, and wherein the decrypted contents are outputted and the decryption key is deleted from the memory when output of the decrypted contents is finished,

wherein the encrypted contents are distributed with a first identifier identifying the encrypted contents, and

wherein the play command is distributed with a second identifier identifying the first identifier to indicate the encrypted contents to be retrieved from the storage medium for output.

2. A distributing method according to claim 1, wherein the encrypted contents distributed in a first time period include an end store command for terminating the storing of the contents into the storage medium.

3. A distributing receiver comprising:

a receiving unit which receives encrypted contents, which are encrypted by a distributing side, and which is distributed from the distributing side, and receives a play command with a decryption key at a time after distributing the encrypted contents to cause the encrypted contents to be played, wherein the time at which the play command and the decryption key are distributed is predetermined by the distributing side;

a storage medium which stores the encrypted contents;

a memory which stores the decryption key;

a processor which stores the encrypted contents into the storage medium, stores the decryption key into the memory, retrieves the encrypted contents from the storage medium in accordance with the play command, decrypts the encrypted contents by using the decryption key stored in the memory, outputs decrypted contents, and deletes the decryption key from the memory when output of the decrypted contents is finished,

wherein the encrypted contents are distributed with a first identifier identifying the encrypted contents, and

wherein the play command is distributed with a second identifier identifying the first identifier to indicate the encrypted contents to be retrieved from the storage medium for output.

4. The distributing receiver according to claim 3, wherein the encrypted contents distributed in a first time period include an end store command for terminating the storing of the contents into the storage medium.

5. The distributing receiver according to claim 4, wherein the processor terminates the storing of the encrypted contents into the storage medium at a time when the end store command is received.

6. The distributing receiver according to claim 3, wherein the processor finds a store start command and stores the encrypted contents subsequent to the store start command into the storage medium.

7. The distributing receiver according to claim 4, wherein the processor finds a store start command and stores the encrypted contents subsequent to the store start command into the storage medium.

8. A distributing method comprising the step of:

distributing encrypted contents from a distributing side wherein the encrypted contents are encrypted by the distributing side and the encrypted contents are stored into a memory storage unit at a receiving side; and

distributing a play command with a decryption key at a time after distributing the encrypted contents to cause the encrypted contents to be played, wherein the time at which the play command and decryption key are distributed is predetermined by the distributing side and the decryption key is stored into the memory storage unit at a receiving side;

wherein, upon receiving the play command, the receiving side causes the encrypted contents to be retrieved from the memory storage unit and decrypted using the decryption key to produce decrypted contents, and wherein the decrypted contents are outputted and the decryption key is deleted from the memory storage unit when output of the decrypted contents is finished,

wherein the encrypted contents are distributed with a first identifier identifying the encrypted contents, and

wherein the play command is distributed with a second identifier identifying the first identifier to indicate the encrypted contents to be retrieved from the memory storage unit for output.

9. A distributing method according to claim 8, wherein the encrypted contents distributed in a first time period include an end store command for terminating the storing of the contents into the memory storage unit.

10. A distributing receiver comprising:

a receiving unit which receives encrypted contents, which are encrypted by a distributing side, and which is distributed from the distributing side, and receives a play command with a decryption key at a time after distributing the encrypted contents to cause the encrypted contents to be played, wherein that time at which the play command and decryption key are distributed is predetermined by the distributing side;

a memory storage unit which stores the encrypted contents and the decryption key;

a processor which stores the encrypted contents into the memory storage unit, stores the decryption key into the memory storage unit, retrieves the encrypted contents from the memory storage unit in accordance with the play command, decrypts the encrypted contents by using the decryption key stored in the memory storage unit, outputs decrypted contents, and deletes the decryption key from the memory storage unit when output of the decrypted contents is finished,

wherein the encrypted contents are distributed with a first identifier identifying the encrypted contents, and

wherein the play command is distributed with a second identifier identifying the first identifier to indicate the encrypted contents to be retrieved from the memory storage unit for output.

11. The distributing receiver according to claim 10, wherein the encrypted contents distributed in a first time period include an end store command for terminating the storing of the contents into the memory storage unit.

12. The distributing receiver according to claim 11, wherein the processor terminates the storing of the encrypted contents into the memory storage unit at a time when the end store command is received.

13. The distributing receiver according to claim 10, wherein the processor finds a store start command and stores the encrypted contents subsequent to the store start command into the memory storage unit.

14. The distributing receiver according to claim 11, wherein the processor finds a store start command and stores the encrypted contents subsequent to the store start command into the memory storage unit.

15. A distributing method comprising the step of:

distributing encrypted contents from a distributing side wherein the encrypted contents are encrypted by the distributing side and the encrypted contents are stored into a storage medium at a receiving side; and

distributing a decryption key at a time after distributing the encrypted contents, wherein the time at which the decryption key is distributed is predetermined by the distributing side and the decryption key is stored into a memory at a receiving side;

wherein the decryption key is used to produce decrypted contents, and wherein the decrypted contents are outputted and the decryption key is deleted from the memory after the decrypted contents are outputted,

wherein the encrypted contents are distributed with a first identifier identifying the encrypted contents, and

wherein the decryption key is distributed with a second identifier identifying the first identifier to indicate the encrypted contents to be outputted from the storage medium.

16. A distributing receiver comprising:

a receiving unit which receives encrypted contents, which are encrypted by a distributing side, and which is distributed from the distributing side, and receives a decryption key at a time after distributing the encrypted contents, wherein the time at which the decryption key is distributed is predetermined by the distributing side;

a storage medium which stores the encrypted contents;

a memory which stores the decryption key;

a processor which stores the encrypted contents into the storage medium, stores the decryption key into the memory, decrypts the encrypted contents by using the decryption key stored in the memory, outputs decrypted contents, and deletes the decryption key from the memory after the decrypted contents are outputted,

wherein the encrypted contents are distributed with a first identifier identifying the encrypted contents, and

wherein the decryption key is distributed with a second identifier identifying the first identifier to indicate the encrypted contents to be outputted from the storage medium.

17. A distributing method comprising the step of:

distributing encrypted contents from a distributing side wherein the encrypted contents are encrypted by the distributing side and the encrypted contents are stored into a memory storage unit at a receiving side; and

distributing a decryption key at a time after distributing the encrypted contents, wherein the time at which the decryption key is distributed is predetermined by the distributing side and the decryption key is stored into the memory storage unit at a receiving side;

wherein the decryption key is used to produce decrypted contents, and wherein the decrypted contents are outputted and the decryption key is deleted from the memory storage unit after the decrypted contents are outputted,

wherein the encrypted contents are distributed with a first identifier identifying the encrypted contents, and

wherein the decryption key is distributed with a second identifier identifying the first identifier to indicate the encrypted contents to be outputted from the memory storage unit.

18. A distributing receiver comprising:

a receiving unit which receives encrypted contents, which are encrypted by a distributing side, and which is distributed from the distributing side, and receives a decryption key at a time after distributing the encrypted contents, wherein that time at which the decryption key is distributed is predetermined by the distributing side;

a memory storage unit which stores the encrypted contents and the decryption key;

a processor which stores the encrypted contents into the memory storage unit, stores the decryption key into the memory storage unit, retrieves the encrypted contents from the memory storage unit, decrypts the encrypted contents by using the decryption key stored in the memory storage unit, outputs decrypted contents, and deletes the decryption key from the memory storage unit after the decrypted contents are outputted,

wherein the encrypted contents are distributed with a first identifier identifying the encrypted contents, and

wherein the decryption key is distributed with a second identifier identifying the first identifier to indicate the encrypted contents to be outputted from the memory storage unit.