US 2003/0172317 A1 · Information processor and maintenance service system for the same

Abstract

An information processing device, wherein a set-top box (102) that houses a removable hard disk device (101) is connected to a monitor (103), and the set-top box (102) comprises a host unit (201) and a hard disk device (101). The host unit (201) comprises an HDD interface controller (202), a user interface controller (209), and the like. The HDD interface controller (202) comprises a removal control unit (213), a locking mechanism (212), and the like. The removal control unit (213) controls removal of the hard disk device (101) with consideration for copyright protection. The locking mechanism (212) anchors the hard disk device (101) such that the hard disk device (101) cannot easily be removed from the set-top box (102), and releases the lock solely on the basis of the instructions of the removal control unit (213).

Claims10

Dependent claims

An information processing device comprising a removable recording/playback device incorporated therein, further comprising:

locking means for disabling the removal of the recording/playback device;
command-issuing means for issuing a command for authorizing removal of the recording/playback device;
and
judgment means for judging whether the removal is authorized or disabled on the basis of the command response,
wherein when the judgement means authorizes the removal, the removal of the recording/playback device is enabled by instructing the locking means to release the lock.

2 more elements

An information processing device comprising a removable recording/playback device incorporated therein, the information processing device further comprising:

command-issuing means for notifying the recording/playback device of a host ID that is specific to the information processing device,
wherein the recording/playback device comprises means for retaining a issued host ID, and a content recording management table for managing a content ID specific to the content for each piece of recorded content, a host ID for the information processing device that has instructed a write routine for the content, and content effective flag information for indicating whether the currently connected information processing device is able to access the content, so that the recording/playback device compares the host ID issued after system reset and the host ID in the management table, sets the content effective flag to an enabled state for consistent entries, and thereby authorizes an access from the information processing device.

A maintenance service system, obtained by mutually coupling an information processing device comprising a removable recording/playback device incorporated therein, a management center for the recording/playback device, and a service provider for providing content,

wherein the recording/playback device has a device ID specific to the recording/playback device;
wherein the management center authorizes removal of the recording/playback device when it is judged that replacement is required, as the result of failure diagnostic for the recording/playback device, and certify that the replacement has been performed properly by managing the correspondence between the device ID of the newly installed recording/playback device following removal and the device ID prior to removal;
and
wherein the service provider redelivers the content retained by the recording/playback device prior to removal to the recording/playback device following removal, on the basis of the certification.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Information processor and maintenance service system for the same

Life of this patent

Information processor and maintenance service system for the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10