Media contents distribution system and method

• US 8,171,072 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Munetsugu, Toshihiko, Nishitani, Kazuhiro, Kajimoto, Kazuo, Iwata, Yoshiaki, Tanikawa, Kentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN, FRANTZ B
• Application Number:
  US13/173,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20110258289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/203, 709/200, 709/201, 348/E5.006, 726/6, 726/7, 705/34, 705/52, 705/412
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/818 OS software
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A server stores a media content and an execution program for processing the media content, and determines a usage rule for the media content to be transmitted to a terminal. The server distributes the usage rule, the media content, and the execution program to the terminal. The terminal stores the distributed usage rule, media content, and execution program. The terminal executes the stored execution program and processes the stored media content within the bounds of the usage rule as stored. The server may perform a billing process in accordance with the determined usage rule, or select and distribute a media content or an execution program in accordance with the processing ability of the terminal or a state of communications. Moreover, the server may distribute, in addition to the execution program, middleware for constructing an operating environment for the execution program.

Claims

1. A terminal for receiving a content, an execution program, and a usage rule for the content, from a server, via a communication network, the terminal comprising:

a reception unit operable to receive a content, an execution program, and a usage rule for the content, from a server, via a communication network;

a storage unit operable to store the content, the execution program, and the usage rule which are received by the reception unit;

a control unit operable to, at a time of using the content, permit use of the content within bounds of the usage rule; and

a processing unit operable to execute the execution program stored in the storage unit to process the content stored in the storage unit,

wherein the usage rule is incorporated in the execution program,

wherein the control unit determines whether or not use of the content is permitted by executing a module included in the execution program, and

wherein the execution program checks with the control unit whether or not use of the content is permitted, when a request for using the content received by the reception unit is accepted, and processes the content only when use of the content is permitted.

2. A method used by a terminal for receiving a content, an execution program, and a usage rule for the content, from a server, via a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a content, an execution program, and a usage rule for the content, from a server, via a communication network;

storing the content, the execution program, and the usage rule which are received by the receiving step;

controlling, at a time of using the content, permitting use of the content within bounds of the usage rule; and

executing the execution program stored in the storing step and processing the content stored in the storing step,

wherein the usage rule is incorporated in the execution program,

wherein whether or not use of the content is permitted is determined by executing a module included in the execution program in the controlling step, and

wherein, upon acceptance of a request for using the content received by the receiving step, the execution program processes the content only when use of the content is permitted in the controlling step.

3. A contents distribution system for distributing a content via a communication network, the contents distribution system comprising:

a server; and

a terminal,

wherein the server comprises;

a server-side storage unit operable to store an execution program for processing at least the content; and

a transmission unit operable to transmit, to the terminal, the content, the execution program, and a usage rule for the content,

wherein the terminal comprises;

a reception unit operable to receive the content, the execution program, and the usage rule from the server;

a terminal-side storage unit operable to store the content, the execution program, and the usage rule which are received by the reception unit;

a control unit operable to, at a time of using the content, permit use of the content within bounds of the usage rule; and

a processing unit operable to execute the execution program stored in the terminal-side storage unit to process the content stored in the terminal-side storage unit,

wherein the usage rule is incorporated in the execution program,

wherein the control unit determines whether or not use of the content is permitted, by executing a module included in the execution program, and

wherein the execution program checks with the control unit whether or not use of the content is permitted, when a request for using the content received by the reception unit is accepted, and processes the content only when use of the content is permitted.