Content reproduction apparatus

• US 8,140,675 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yokota, Kaoru, Ohmori, Motoji, Morioka, Koichi, Ishihara, Hideshi, Tatebayashi, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zuniga, Jackie
• Application Number:
  US10/580,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20070092081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,647 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-226, 380277-286
• US Class Current: 709/225
• 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: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing

Abstract

A content reproduction apparatus (1) which reproduces digital contents, and includes a device key storage unit (110) holding a device key (110a) specific to the content reproduction apparatus (1) in a manner that does not allow access from outside the content reproduction apparatus (1). The content reproduction apparatus (1), also includes a device ID storage unit (19) holding device key index information (19a) that is in a one-to-one association with a device key (110a), an instruction code receiving unit (14a) receiving an instruction code to output index information, a device key index information obtainment processing unit (10a) outputting, to outside, the device key index information (19a) stored in the device ID storage unit (19) based on the instruction, and a device key index information output processing unit (11a).

Claims

1. A content reproduction apparatus which reproduces a digital content, the content reproduction apparatus comprising:

a secret information storage unit including a memory operable to store a device key, the device key corresponding to the content reproduction apparatus, and the device key being stored in the secret information storage unit such that the device key cannot be accessed from outside of the content reproduction apparatus;

a cryptographic processing unit operable to decrypt an encrypted digital content corresponding to the digital content, the encrypted digital content being encrypted using the device key stored in the secret information storage unit;

an index information storage unit operable to store index information, the index information indicating the device key stored in the secret information storage unit, and the index information being stored in the index information storage unit such that the index information is accessed from outside of the content reproduction apparatus;

a video output unit operable to connect to a display apparatus that is distinct from the content reproduction apparatus;

a user identification information transmission unit operable to transmit user identification information to a user authentication server located outside of the content reproduction apparatus, the user authentication server performing user authentication based on the user identification information received from the user identification information transmission unit, and the user authentication server transmitting an instruction for outputting the index information from the index information storage unit, based on a result of the authentication performed by the user authentication server;

an instruction receiving unit operable to receive, from the user authentication server, the instruction for outputting the index information from the index information storage unit;

a video processing unit operable to convert the index information stored in the index information storage unit into a data format that is displayable on a screen of the display apparatus; and

an index information output unit operable to output, via the video output unit, only the index information converted by the video processing unit to cause the display apparatus to display the index information converted by the video processing unit, the index information converted by the video processing unit being output to the display apparatus based on the instruction received by the instruction receiving unit.

2. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the index information stored in the index information storage unit is encrypted according to a predetermined cryptographic method, and

wherein the index information output unit includes:

a decryption unit operable to decrypt, based on the instruction, the encrypted index information stored in the index information storage unit according to the predetermined cryptographic method; and

an output unit operable to output the index information decrypted by the decryption unit to the display apparatus.

3. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the index information stored in the index information storage unit is encrypted according to a predetermined cryptographic method, and

wherein the index information output unit outputs, based on the instruction, the encrypted index information stored in the index information storage unit to the display apparatus.

4. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an authentication data storage unit operable to store authentication data that is obtained by performing a predetermined conversion on the index information.

5. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the instruction receiving unit reads a program for executing the instruction, the program being read from a removable recording medium on which the program is recorded, and

wherein the index information output unit outputs the index information stored in the index information storage unit to the display apparatus, the index information being output by executing the read program.

6. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein on the recording medium, a unique identification number is recorded,

wherein the instruction receiving unit reads the program and the identification number from the removable recording medium on which the program is recorded, and

wherein the index information output unit outputs, to the display apparatus, the index information stored in the index information storage unit, the index information being output by executing the read program only when the identification number satisfies a predetermined condition.

7. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the instruction receiving unit is operable to receive the instruction from a communication terminal via a computer network.

8. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the instruction receiving unit is operable to receive the instruction from a debug apparatus connected to the content reproduction apparatus.

9. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the index information stored in the index information storage unit is encrypted according to a predetermined cryptographic method, and

wherein the display apparatus displays the encrypted index information.

10. A content reproduction system which reproduces a digital content, the content reproduction system comprising:

a content reproduction apparatus which reproduces the digital content; and

a user authentication server which performs user authentication,

wherein the content reproduction apparatus includes;

a secret information storage unit including a memory operable to store a device key, the device key corresponding to the content reproduction apparatus, and the device key being stored in the secret information storage unit such that the device key cannot be accessed from outside of the content reproduction apparatus;

a cryptographic processing unit operable to decrypt an encrypted digital content corresponding to the digital content, the encrypted digital content being encrypted using the device key stored in the secret information storage unit;

an index information storage unit operable to store index information, the index information indicating the device key stored in the secret information storage unit, and the index information being stored in the index information storage unit such that the index information is accessed from outside of the content reproduction apparatus;

a video output unit operable to connect to a display apparatus that is distinct from the content reproduction apparatus;

a user identification information transmission unit operable to transmit user identification information to the user authentication server;

an instruction receiving unit operable to receive, from the user authentication server, an instruction for outputting the index information from the index information storage unit;

a video processing unit operable to convert the index information stored in the index information storage unit into a data format that is displayable on a screen of the display apparatus; and

an index information output unit operable to output, via the video output unit, only the index information converted by the video processing unit, the index information converted by the video processing unit being output to the display apparatus based on the instruction received by the instruction receiving unit, and

wherein the user authentication server includes;

a user authentication unit operable to perform user authentication based on the user identification information received from the content reproduction apparatus; and

an instruction transmission unit operable to transmit the instruction to the content reproduction apparatus, based on a result of the authentication performed by the user authentication unit.

11. A method for controlling a content reproduction apparatus, the content reproduction apparatus storing a device key that corresponds to the content reproduction apparatus, the device key being stored in the content reproduction apparatus such that the device key cannot be accessed from outside of the content reproduction apparatus, the content reproduction apparatus decrypting an encrypted digital content using the stored device key to reproduce a digital content, the content reproduction apparatus storing index information that indicates the stored device key, and the index information being stored in the content reproduction apparatus such that the index information is accessed from outside of the content reproduction apparatus, and the content reproduction apparatus being connected to a display apparatus that is distinct from the content reproduction apparatus, the method comprising:

transmitting user identification information to a user authentication server located outside of the content reproduction apparatus, the user authentication server performing user authentication based on the user identification information received from the transmitting of the user identification information, and the user authentication server performing transmitting of an instruction for outputting the index information stored by an index information storage unit of the content reproduction apparatus, based on a result of the authentication performed by the user authentication server;

receiving, from the user authentication server, the instruction for outputting the index information from the index information storage unit of the content reproduction apparatus;

converting the stored index information into a data format that is displayable on a screen of the display apparatus, the stored index information being converted based on the received instruction; and

outputting only the converted index information to the display apparatus to cause the display apparatus to display the index information converted by the video processing unit.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon, the program being used in a content reproduction apparatus, the content reproduction apparatus storing a device key that corresponds to the content reproduction apparatus, the device key being stored in the content reproduction apparatus such that the device key cannot be accessed from outside of the content reproduction apparatus, the content reproduction apparatus decrypting an encrypted digital content using the stored device key to reproduce a digital content, the content reproduction apparatus storing index information that indicates the stored device key, and the index information being stored in the content reproduction apparatus such that the index information is accessed from outside of the content reproduction apparatus, the content reproduction apparatus being connected to a display apparatus that is distinct from the content reproduction apparatus, and the program causing the content reproduction apparatus to execute a method comprising:

transmitting user identification information to a user authentication server located outside of the content reproduction apparatus, the user authentication server performing user authentication based on the user identification information received from the transmitting of the user identification information, and the user authentication server performing transmitting of an instruction for outputting the index information stored by an index information storage unit of the content reproduction apparatus, based on a result of the authentication performed by the user authentication server;

receiving, from the user authentication server, the instruction for outputting the index information from the index information storage unit of the content reproduction apparatus;

converting the stored index information into a data format that is displayable on a screen of the display apparatus, the stored index information being converted based on the received instruction; and

outputting only the converted index information to the display apparatus to cause the display apparatus to display the index information converted by the video processing unit.