Digital signal recording/reproducing apparatus, receiving apparatus

• US 8,346,061 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2006
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshiura, Hiroshi, Okamoto, Hiroo, Kimura, Hiroyuki, Matsumura, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): ATALA, JAMIE JO
• Application Number:
  US11/400,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20060188233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,461 Days
• Field of Search: 386 45- 46, 386125-126
• US Class Current: 386/252
• 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 20/00746 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific number
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0084 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific time or date

Abstract

The digital signal recording/reproducing apparatus inputs a digital signal having a control flag as to a temporary copy permission, and records the digital signal temporarily into a recording medium in accordance with conditions in the control flag, then reproducing the digital signal temporarily from the recording medium in accordance with the conditions in the control flag. The recording/reproducing of the temporary copy is permitted, depending on the following conditions: The recording medium'"'"'s type, the reproducing point-in-time, the reproducing time-period, and the reproducing frequency. With this method employed, even in a program permitting no recording, the temporary recording/reproducing is permitted under a condition of being limited to the time-shift recording on the receiving side.

Claims

1. A digital signal recording/reproducing apparatus for recording an inputted digital signal into a recording medium and reproducing said digital signal from said recording medium, comprising:

a recording circuit for recording said digital signal into said recording medium, a control flag being added to said inputted digital signal;

a reproducing circuit for reproducing said digital signal from said recording medium; and

a detecting/controlling circuit for detecting said control flag and controlling said recording circuit and reproducing circuit, wherein said control flag includes a copy restriction configured to restrict copying of said digital signal,

wherein said detecting/controlling circuit causes said digital signal to be recorded into said recording medium even though said control flag indicates the copy restriction.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a new control flag is added to said digital signal when said inputted digital signal is recorded into said recording medium, and said digital signal is reproduced in accordance with a condition of said new control flag when said digital signal is reproduced from said recording medium.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control flag includes a recording medium flag indicative of information relative to a type of said recording medium to be permitted a recording, and the recording is permitted when said recording medium is a recording medium specified by said recording medium flag.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control flag includes a reproducing time flag indicative of information relative to a time to be permitted a reproduction, and a reproduction from said recording medium is permitted prior to the time indicated on said reproducing time flag.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control flag includes a reproducing time-period flag indicative of information relative to a time period to be permitted a reproduction, and the reproduction from said recording medium is permitted within the time period indicated on said time-period flag.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control flag includes a reproducing frequency flag indicative of information relative to a frequency to be permitted a reproduction, and the reproduction from said recording medium is permitted within the frequency indicated on said reproducing frequency flag.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control flag includes a recording medium flag indicative of information relative to a type of a recording medium to be permitted a reproduction, and the reproduction is permitted when said recording medium is a recording medium specified by said recording medium flag.

8. A digital signal receiving apparatus for receiving a transmitted digital signal and outputting the digital signal to a recording/reproducing apparatus, comprising a detecting/controlling circuit for detecting a control flag and controlling said recording/reproducing apparatus, said control flag being added to said received digital signal, wherein said control flag includes a copy restriction configured to restrict copying of said digital signal,

wherein said detecting/controlling circuit causes said digital signal to be recorded into said recording medium by said recording/reproducing apparatus even though said control flag indicates the copy restriction.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said detecting/controlling circuit controls a reproduction from said recording medium in accordance with a condition of said control flag.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said detecting/controlling circuit adds a new control flag to said digital signal when said inputted digital signal is recorded into said recording medium, and performs a reproduction in accordance with a condition of said new control flag.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control flag includes a recording medium flag indicative of information relative to a type of said recording medium to be permitted a recording, and said detecting/controlling circuit permits the recording when said recording medium is a recording medium specified by said recording medium flag.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control flag includes a reproducing time flag indicative of information relative to a time to be permitted a reproduction, and said detecting/controlling circuit permits the reproduction from said recording medium prior to the time indicated on said reproducing time flag.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control flag includes a reproducing time-period flag indicative of information relative to a time period to be permitted a reproduction, and said detecting/controlling circuit permits the reproduction from said recording medium within the time period indicated on said time-period flag.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control flag includes a reproducing frequency flag indicative of information relative to a frequency to be permitted a reproduction, and said detecting/controlling circuit permits the reproduction from said recording medium within the frequency indicated on said reproducing frequency flag.

15. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control flag includes a recording medium flag indicative of information relative to a type of a recording medium to be permitted a reproduction, and said detecting/controlling circuit permits the reproduction when said recording medium is a recording medium specified by said recording medium flag.