Universal multimedia optic disc player and its application for revocable copy protection

• US 8,265,456 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2008
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Zou, Han, Yu, Hong Heather
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Huy T
• Application Number:
  US12/263,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20090285548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 386/252
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/122 involving the detection of an identification or authentication mark record carriers indicating unauthorised or prior use G11B23/28
• 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 20/00659 involving a control step which is implemented as an executable file stored on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/211 Discs having both read-only and rewritable or recordable areas containing application data; Partial ROM media
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

The media player employs an operating system that supports a virtual machine into which auto-run playback programs may be loaded and run. The auto run playback program is stored on the media containing the program content, such as on an optical disc medium. When the medium is inserted in the player, the auto run playback program automatically launches and is thereafter used to access playback the media content. Support for legacy media is provided to allow the player to playback compact discs and DVD discs that were manufactured without the auto run playback program.

Claims

1. A content player comprising:

a processor having an interface through which an auto-run playback program and content are delivered to the processor from a non-transitory machine-readable medium;

signal processing circuitry coupled to said processor and having an output port for coupling to a media presentation device;

a memory coupled to said processor and having a data structure defined therein;

said data structure implemented by said processor and comprising a virtual machine for hosting said auto-run playback program obtained from the non-transitory machine-readable medium;

the auto-run playback program being operable to provide control instructions to said processor to cause said processor to access content from the non-transitory machine-readable medium and supply the content to said signal processing circuitry for output to the media presentation device; and

the content including copy protection data and the auto-run playback program being operable to read the copy protection data to effect copy protection of the content.

2. The content player of claim 1 wherein

the auto-run playback program effects the copy protection by altering a media playback procedure.

3. The content player of claim 1 wherein the non-transitory machine-readable medium is coupled by computer network to the Internet through which the auto-run playback program and the content are delivered from media source to the non-transitory machine-readable medium.

4. A method of processing content, said method comprising:

storing an auto-run playback program and the content in a non-transitory machine-readable medium coupled to a playback system having a processor;

loading said auto-run playback program into said playback system for access by said processor;

using the processor to execute the auto-run playback program obtained from the non-transitory machine-readable medium;

using the executing auto-run playback program to access the content and supply the content to a media presentation device coupled to the playback system; and

reading copy protection data included in the content by the auto-run playback program to effect copy protection of the content.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein,

the auto-run playback program effects the copy protection by altering a media playback procedure.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the non-transitory machine-readable medium is coupled by computer network to the Internet through which the auto-run playback program and the content are delivered from media source to the non-transitory machine-readable medium.

7. A program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium for use in a content player having an associated processor, said program comprising:

computer-executable program code operable to cause the processor of the content player to;

load an auto-run playback program obtained from said non-transitory computer readable medium into memory associated with said processor;

host the auto-run playback program obtained from the non-transitory computer-readable medium by a virtual machine implemented by the processor in the content player;

use said loaded auto-run playback program to access content from the non-transitory computer-readable medium and supply the content to a media presentation device coupled to the content player; and

read copy protection data included in the content by the auto-run playback program to effect copy protection of the content.

8. The program of claim 7 wherein,

the auto-run playback program effects the copy protection by altering a media playback procedure.

9. The program of claim 7 wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is coupled by computer network to the Internet through which the auto-run playback program and the content are delivered from media source to the non-transitory machine-readable medium.

10. A device for use in a content player, said device comprising a processor operable to cause the content player to:

load an auto-run playback program from a non-volatile machine-readable medium into the content player,

host the auto-run playback program obtained from the non-volatile machine-readable medium by a virtual machine included in the content player,

use said loaded auto-run playback program to access content from the non-volatile machine-readable medium and supply the content to a media presentation device coupled to the content player, and

read copy protection data included in the content by the auto-run playback program to effect copy protection of the content.

11. The processing device of claim 10 wherein,

the auto-run playback program effects the copy protection by altering a media playback procedure.

12. The processing device of claim 10 wherein the non-transitory machine-readable medium is coupled by computer network to the Internet through which the auto-run playback program and the content are delivered from media source to the non-transitory machine-readable medium.