US 7,752,433 B2Granted

Content-duplication management system, apparatus and method, playback apparatus and method, and computer program

AssigneePanasonic Corporation

InventorsHiroki Yamauchi, Yuusaku Ohta, Masaya Miyazaki, Natsume Matsuzaki, Toshihisa Abe

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Abstract

A content management system formed from a playback apparatus that requests and plays content, and a content management apparatus that manages duplication and deletion of content. The playback apparatus notifies group information of the playback apparatus to the content management apparatus, acquires information from the content management apparatus showing whether requests are permitted, and duplicates/deletes content. By judging whether the playback apparatus belongs to a group, and notifying whether a duplication request is permitted or rejected, based on in-group and out-group remaining numbers that show the remaining number of duplications permitted of apparatuses in-group and out-group, respectively, the content management apparatus relaxes restrictions on in-group content duplication as compared with out-group content duplication, and thus improves convenience for users in a home network, while protecting the rights of copyright holders, with respect to content duplication and usage.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A content duplication management apparatus that manages content duplications performed on an apparatus, comprising:

a request receiving unit configured to receive, from the apparatus, a management request indicating one of a duplication request for duplicating a content or a deletion request for deleting the content;
a management unit configured to execute the management request received from said request receiving unit in order of arrival;
a holding unit configured to hold duplication restriction information indicating a number of permitted content duplications, wherein
said management unit,
(1) when the management request that has been received first among the management requests that have not been executed is the deletion request, adds a predetermined value to the number of permitted content duplications, and
(2) when the management request that has been received first is the duplication request and
(i) if the number indicated by the duplication restriction information is greater than the predetermined value, duplicates the content for the apparatus, and subtracts the predetermined value from the number indicated by the duplication restriction information,
(ii) if the number indicated by the duplication restriction information is less than the predetermined value, rejects the duplication request, and
(iii) if the number indicated by the duplication restriction information is less than the predetermined value and the deletion request exists subsequent to the duplication request, executes, on an exceptional basis, the deletion request prior to the duplication request, and adds the predetermined value to the number indicated by the duplication restriction information,
wherein
said management unit,
(1) when the management request is the duplication request and the apparatus is fudged to belong to a predetermined group, and
(i) if the in-group remaining number is not zero, duplicates the content for the apparatus, and subtracts the predetermined value from the in-group remaining number, and
(ii) if the in-group remaining number is zero, rejects the management request, and
(2) when the management request is the duplication request and the apparatus is judged to not to belong to the predetermined group, and
(i) if the out-group remaining number is not zero, duplicates the content for the apparatus, and subtracts the predetermined value from the out-group remaining number, and
(ii) if the out-group remaining number is zero, rejects the management request.

14 more elements

A content duplication management method for managing content duplications performed on an apparatus, comprising:

a request receiving step of receiving, from the apparatus, a management request indicating one of a duplication request for duplicating a content or a deletion request for deleting the content;
a management step of executing the management request received from a request receiving unit in order of arrival;
a holding step of holding duplication restriction information indicating a number of permitted content duplications, wherein
in the management step,
(1) when the management request that has been received first among the management requests that have not been executed is the deletion request, a predetermined value is added to the number of permitted content duplications, and
(2) when the management request that has been received first is the duplication request and
(i) if the number indicated by the duplication restriction information is greater than the predetermined value, the content is duplicated for the apparatus, the predetermined value is subtracted from the number indicated by the duplication restriction information,
(ii) if the number indicated by the duplication restriction information is less than the predetermined value, the duplication request is rejected, and
(iii) if the number indicated by the duplication restriction information is less than the predetermined value and the deletion request exists subsequent to the duplication request, the deletion request is executed on an exceptional basis prior to the duplication request, and the predetermined value is added to the number indicated by the duplication restriction information, and
wherein
the management step,
(1) when the management request is the duplication request and the apparatus is fudged to belong to a predetermined group, and
(i) if the in-group remaining number is not zero, duplicates the content for the apparatus, and subtracts the predetermined value from the in-group remaining number, and
(ii) if the in-group remaining number is zero, rejects the management request, and
(2) when the management request is the duplication request and the apparatus is fudged to not to belong to the predetermined group, and
(i) if the out-group remaining number is not zero, duplicates the content for the apparatus, and subtracts the predetermined value from the out-group remaining number, and
(ii) if the out-group remaining number is zero, rejects the management request.

14 more elements

A content duplication management system comprising an apparatus and a content duplication management apparatus that manages content duplications performed on the apparatus connected to a network,

said content duplication management apparatus including:
a request receiving unit configured to receive, from said apparatus, a management request indicating one of a duplication request for duplicating a content or a deletion request for deleting the content;
a management unit configured to execute the management request received from said request receiving unit in order of arrival;
a holding unit configured to hold duplication restriction information indicating a number of permitted content duplications, wherein
said management unit,
(1) when the management request that has been received first among the management requests that have not been executed is the deletion request, adds a predetermined value to the number of permitted content duplications, and
(2) when the management request that has been received first is the duplication request and
(i) if the number indicated by the duplication restriction information is greater than the predetermined value, duplicates the content for the apparatus, and subtracts the predetermined value from the number indicated by the duplication restriction information,
(ii) if the number indicated by the duplication restriction information is less than the predetermined value, rejects the duplication request, and
(iii) if the number indicated by the duplication restriction information is less than the predetermined value and the deletion request exists subsequent to the duplication request, executes, on an exceptional basis, the deletion request prior to the duplication request, and adds the predetermined value to the number indicated by the duplication restriction information,
wherein
said management step,
(1) when the management request is the duplication request and the apparatus is judged to belong to a predetermined group, and
(i) if the in-group remaining number is not zero, duplicates the content for the apparatus, and subtracts the predetermined value from the in-group remaining number, and
(ii) if the in-group remaining number is zero, rejects the management request, and
(2) when the management request is the duplication request and the apparatus is judged to not to belong to the predetermined group, and
(i) if the out-group remaining number is not zero, duplicates the content for the apparatus, and subtracts the predetermined value from the out-group remaining number, and
(ii) if the out-group remaining number is zero, rejects the management request.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/649,624Filed 28 Aug 2003
Priority: JP 2002-24921528 Aug 2002
Published: US 2004/0103303 A127 May 2004
Granted: 6 Jul 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

G11B 20/0021
Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy: involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or…
G11B 20/00086
Signal processing not specific to the method of recording or reproducing; Circuits therefor: circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction…
G11B 20/00195
Involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised devices recording or reproducing contents to/from a record carrier: using a device…
G11B 20/00224
The cryptographic key used for encryption and/or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from the record carrier being read from a…:…