License management method and content processing system
AssigneesSony Corporation, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
InventorsTsunehisa Kazawa, Kenjiro Komaki, Akihiko Kusumoto, Kaoru Morishita, Motoki Kobayashi
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Abstract
A content distribution system includes a content distribution server and a portable game terminal. The content distribution server retains a first license for comprehensively permitting the use of multiple digital contents and issues to the portable game terminal a second license for individually permitting the use of a digital content selected by a user from among the multiple digital contents. The portable game terminal retains the second license and permits the use of the selected digital content if it is within the license period of the second license at the time.
Claims7
A content processing system, comprising:
- a license management apparatus including a communications unit configured to transmit and receive data over a network;
- and
- a content processing apparatus including a communications unit configured to transmit and receive data over the network such that the content processing apparatus is configured to connect to, and disconnect from the license management apparatus over the network,
- the license management apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory containing a computer program that is executed by the at least one processor to cause the license management apparatus to implement the following:
- a first license retaining unit configured to retain the information of a first license, the first license comprehensively permitting the use of a plurality of digital content items by the content processing apparatus and specifying an end point of a license period for such use;
- and
- a second license issuing unit configured to issue a second license to the content processing apparatus, the second license individually permitting the use of a specific digital content item selected by a user of the content processing apparatus from among the plurality of digital content items and specifying the end point of a license period in accordance with the end point of the license period specified by the first license, wherein the second license issuing unit transmits the second license to the content processing apparatus over the network,
- the content processing apparatus including at least one further processor and at least one further memory, the at least one further memory containing a further computer program that is executed by the at least one further processor to cause the content processing apparatus to implement the following:
- a second license retaining unit configured to retain the information of the second license;
- and
- a content processing unit configured to determine whether or not to permit the use of the selected digital content item with reference to the license period specified by the second license.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.