CN101320582B - Control method, recording device, recording and reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a control method, a recording device, and a recording and reproducing device. In the case of recording a digital broadcast program that allows one-generation recording, it is possible to improve usability while performing copy control. The control method is a control method of a receiving device that receives digital content and copy control information of the digital content, when the received copy control information shows copy generation information that allows one generation of copying, when the recording medium is a removable recording medium , making the copying of the digital content prohibited and recording it, when the recording medium is a built-in recording medium in which the digital content is encrypted and recorded, when the received copy control information indicates that multiple copies cannot be performed, the digital content Recording is performed while copying is disabled, and when the received copy control information indicates that multiple copies are possible, the digital content is recorded in a copyable state where a predetermined number of copies can be performed.

Description

Control method, recording device, recording and reproducing device

technical field

The present invention relates to copy control of content.

Background technique

Regarding the above-mentioned technical field, in Patent Document 1, "When the information (Copy One Generation) that allows copying of only one generation is rewritten to the information that prohibits further copying (Copy NoMore), the usability at this time is improved", and the above-mentioned The content is a problem, and as a solution to it, it is described, "In a specified time after recording, only one generation of copy (Copy One Generation) is allowed to supplement the part where the recording was interrupted due to an accident during recording. And, on the medium Record two identical streams, use one for normal viewing, and move the other to another medium as needed and save it."

In addition, in relation to the above-mentioned technical field, Patent Document 2 takes "providing an apparatus and method capable of restricting the recording of digital information requiring copyright protection on a recording medium in a recording and reproducing apparatus" as the subject, and as its solution, It is described that "the recording and playback control circuit is configured to convert the information into converted digital information of a predetermined bit rate and the above-mentioned number of times of copying together with the information when the copy control information is information (Copy OneGeneration) that allows one-generation copying." When the information is recorded on the above-mentioned recording medium and the above-mentioned digital information or the above-mentioned converted digital information is moved to the recording medium of the recording device connected to the playback device, although it is prohibited to copy again (Copy No More) according to the copy control information, Reducing the possible number of times, updating the information on the number of times of duplication, and re-recording the digital information or the converted digital information signal, the copy control information and the information on the number of times of duplication in the recording medium at the same time, making the digital information signal or the converted digital information signal Information cannot be reproduced."

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-319227

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-114090

Contents of the invention

In recent years, with the popularization and distribution of digital contents (contents), there are various recording media, and the ways of viewing and listening to digital contents have also become various. For example, as digital broadcasting services expand, recording devices capable of recording digital broadcasting are also becoming popular. In such an environment, from the viewpoint of copyright protection, it is conceivable to control digital transmission and reception between a plurality of recording and playback devices or recording media by using copy control information.

Regarding the recording of digital broadcasting, the received digital broadcasting is recorded in the HDD (hard disk drive) built in the recording device, and when the digital broadcasting program is copy-free (Copy Free), it is copied from the HDD to another recording medium (such as an optical disc, In semiconductor memory, other HDD), when the digital broadcasting program is only allowed to record one generation (meaning that copying of the copied content (copying of more than two generations) is not allowed, that is, Copy One Generation), move from HDD to other recording media.

In the recording device of Patent Document 1, even if the program of the above-mentioned digital broadcast is CopyOne Generation, it can be copied within a predetermined time, so it can be supplemented when recording is interrupted.

However, in the recording device of Patent Document 1, if the predetermined time is exceeded, copying can be performed as in the prior art. For example, in a recording device that cannot record a program on HDD and copy from HDD to optical disc at the same time, if there are many programs to be recorded and the access to HDD is concentrated, it is considered that there may be a time period when copying from HDD to optical disc cannot be completed. The circumstances of the specified time.

In addition, regarding the control of the copy control information, it becomes complicated to determine whether or not to copy between arbitrary devices, and there is a problem that the usability of the user is reduced. With the digital information recording and reproducing method disclosed in Patent Document 2, the number of possible copies of digital information whose copy control information is Copy OnceGeneration is managed, and the possible number of copies is displayed to the user, thereby improving usability.

However, in the digital information recording and reproducing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, handling of a detachable recording medium, especially usability for the user is insufficient. It is not assumed that the recording of digital information, the result of copying, or copy control information and/or a plurality of digital data having different possible times of copying are stored in the recording medium, and there is no description about its control method. In this case, for example, when there are a plurality of digital data of the same content, there is a problem that digital data that can still be copied is deleted, and only digital data that cannot be copied again remains for the digital data.

Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an apparatus or method for implementing copy control and improving usability when recording a digital broadcast program that allows only one generation of recording (Copy One Generation) is provided.

Specifically, the present invention provides a control method for a receiving device that receives digital content and copy control information of the digital content. When the received copy control information indicates copy generation information that allows one generation of copying, the recording medium is When the recording medium is removable, the copying of the above-mentioned digital content is prohibited and recorded; when the recording medium is a built-in recording medium in which the digital content is locally encrypted and recorded, when the received copy control information indicates that multiple In the case of copying, the copying of the above-mentioned digital content is prohibited and recorded, and when the received copy control information indicates that a plurality of copies can be performed, recording is performed in a copyable state where a predetermined number of copies can be performed .

In addition, for example, a control method of a receiving device that receives digital content and copy control information of the digital content is provided. In the case of a recording medium subject to limited management, copying of the digital content is prohibited and recorded, and when the recording medium is a recording medium subject to the management of the limited number of copies, when the received copy control information indicates that multiple copies cannot be performed, The digital content is recorded while copying is disabled, and when the received copy control information indicates that multiple copies are possible, recording is performed in a copyable state where a predetermined number of copies are possible.

In addition, for example, a copy control method of a receiving device is provided, wherein the receiving device receives various copy control information for controlling digital content and copying of the digital content, and records the above digital content in a recorder based on the copy control information. In the medium, when the first information in the received copy control information indicates copy generation information that allows one-generation copying, and when the second information in the received copy control information indicates that copying with a limited number can be performed, the The digital content is recorded in a copyable state where a predetermined number of copies can be made, and if there is no indication that the limited number of copies is possible, the copying of the digital content is prohibited and only one is recorded.

Therefore, for example, the recording and reproducing apparatus has: a receiving unit that receives digital information including copy control information including copy generation management information and copyable number information; a plurality of detachable recording medium loading units A recording and reproducing unit, which records digital data on a recording medium installed in the loading unit according to a prescribed rule and reproduces the digital data; a copy control information processing unit, which performs copy control information processing. update; and the control unit, when moving data from the first recording medium to a detachable second recording medium different from the first recording medium, does not update the copy generation management information corresponding to the digital data, but copies The control information processing unit updates the copyable number information and moves the digital data.

In addition, for example, there is a recording/reproducing unit for writing digital information including copy control information including copy control information and copyable number information; and controlling When the copy generation management information is information indicating that only one generation of recording is allowed, the control unit records digital information and copyable number information on the recording medium, and when it indicates the summary of digital information recorded in the recording medium, it The control information is classified and represented.

In addition, for example, if a plurality of digital information having the same content as the number of times after copying management information and copyable number information are stored in the first recording medium, when digital information having a plurality of copyable numbers is stored from the second When a recording medium is copied to a second recording medium different from the first recording medium, the user is notified that there is digital information having the same content in the first recording medium.

The effect of the invention

According to the above method, it is possible to improve user convenience while performing copy control on content.

In addition, problems other than those described above, means for solving the problems, and effects are also shown in Examples described later.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a system.

FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of the receiving device 1 .

FIG. 3 shows an example of the structure of a content use descriptor as one piece of copy control information.

FIG. 4 shows an example of description of each information column of the content usage descriptor.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the structure of a digital copy control descriptor as one piece of copy control information.

Fig. 6 shows an example of information for controlling the number of copies.

FIG. 7 shows an example of receiving processing in the receiving device 3 for each information field of the content use descriptor transmitted from the transmitting device 1 .

FIG. 8 shows an example of operation of the transmission device 1 to protect program content by using copy control information.

FIG. 9 shows an example of control in the case where the receiving device 3 stores (records) program content using copy control information.

FIG. 10 shows a configuration example of the receiving device 3 .

FIG. 11 shows an example of a time stamped transport packet.

FIG. 12 shows an example in which program content is recorded on a recording medium.

FIG. 13 shows an example of creation processing of copy information and the number of copies of management information in the case of recording program content that allows one-generation copy.

Fig. 14 shows an example of processing for copying program content.

Fig. 15 shows an example of processing for moving program content.

FIG. 16 shows an example of a data structure of a recording medium capable of managing multiple copies.

FIG. 17 shows an example of creation processing of copy information and the number of copies of management information in the case of recording program content that allows one-generation copy.

Fig. 18 shows an example of connection between the receiving device and an external device.

FIG. 19 shows a configuration example of the receiving and reproducing unit 10 .

FIG. 20 shows a configuration example of the recording/playback control unit 154 .

Fig. 21 shows an example of a table managing copy control information.

Fig. 22 shows an example of a display screen.

Fig. 23 shows an example of copy control processing.

Fig. 24 shows an example of message display.

Fig. 25 shows an example of message display.

FIG. 26 shows an example of processing of copy reservation information records.

Fig. 27 shows an example of displaying a message.

Fig. 28 shows an example of copy control processing.

FIG. 29 shows another configuration example of the receiving, recording and reproducing unit 10 .

FIG. 30 shows a structural example of information on a detachable recording medium.

Fig. 31 shows an example of a display screen.

FIG. 32 shows another configuration example of the receiving, recording and reproducing unit 10 .

Detailed ways

Next, examples (Examples) of preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. This embodiment mainly relates to the processing of information that allows one generation of duplication.

(system)

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the system of this embodiment. An example is shown in which information is transmitted and received by broadcasting and recorded and reproduced. However, it is not limited to broadcasting, and may be VOD by communication, which is collectively referred to as sending.

1 is a transmitting device installed in an information providing station such as a broadcasting station, 2 is a relay device installed in a relay station, a broadcast satellite, etc., 3 is a receiving device installed in a user's home, etc., and 10 is a receiving device built in the receiving device 3. Record reproduction section. In the receiving, recording and reproducing unit 10, broadcast information can be recorded and reproduced.

The transmitting device 1 transmits modulated signal radio waves through the relay device 2 . For example, transmission by cable, transmission by telephone line, transmission by terrestrial broadcasting, etc. can be used. As will be described later, the signal wave received by the receiver 3 is demodulated into an information signal, and then recorded as a signal suitable for recording as necessary. And, when receiving device 3 built-in display, the user can use this display to carry out viewing and listening to the video and audio that represent information signal, when receiving device 3 does not have built-in display, the user can connect receiving device 3 and the display not shown in figure and Video and sound for viewing and listening.

(sending device)

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the transmission device 1 in the system of FIG. 1 .

11 is a signal source generating unit, 12 is an encoding unit for compressing by the MPEG method, 13 is a scrambling unit, 14 is a modulation unit, 15 is a transmitting antenna, and 16 is a management information adding unit. In order to transmit information such as audio and video generated by the signal source generating unit 11 composed of a camera, recording and reproducing device, etc., the data volume is compressed in the encoding unit 12 so that it can be transmitted with a smaller occupied bandwidth. If necessary, transmission encryption is performed in the scrambler 13 so that only specific viewers can view and listen. After being modulated by the modulating unit 14 into a signal suitable for transmission, the radio wave is transmitted from the transmitting antenna 15 to the relay device 2 . At this time, information such as copy control information and the current time are given to the management information giving unit 16 as information for controlling copying.

Furthermore, a plurality of pieces of information are often multiplexed in one radio wave by methods such as time division and spectrum spreading. In order to simplify the description, although it is not described in FIG. 2 , in fact, in this case, there are multiple signal source generation units 11 and a system of encoding units 12, and between the encoding unit 12 and the scrambling unit 13, a pair-to-many A multiplexing unit (multiplexing unit) that multiplexes information.

(copy control information)

The copy control information is information for controlling restrictions such as the possibility of copying and the number of times of copying, and is provided, for example, by the management information providing unit 16 . Contains content utilization descriptor (contentavailability descriptor) and digital copy control descriptor (digital copy control descriptor), etc.

Fig. 8 shows an example of operations for protecting program content by using copy control information.

"Available" means that the transmission side can select the content corresponding to each service system as a generation restriction using the digital copy control information. For example, if it is "pay-per-view (pay-per-view)", it means that any digital copy control information can be used. On the other hand, if it is "broadcasting with monthly payment", it means that the sending side cannot "Do Not Copy" Cases.

The so-called "package/single item" refers to the case of customizing and signing multiple channels together in paid broadcasting as a package contract, and the case of signing for each channel as an individual contract.

"Other than the above" includes, for example, "a program that is not a paid broadcast and does not involve content protection".

FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of a content use descriptor which is one of copy control information. The content usage descriptor is generated and given by the management information giving unit 16, for example, and the information is stored in PSI (Program Specific Information) (for example, PMT (Program Map Table), etc.) or SI (Service Information) (for example, EIT ( Event Information Table), or SDT (Service Description Table), etc.) and sent.

The content use descriptor is configured (transmitted) when describing control information related to storage (recording) and output of the program. This means that when the 1-bit information column of digital_recording_control_mode (digital copy mode bit) is "1", even if the digital_recording_control_data of the digital copy control descriptor described in FIG. It is recorded as "capable of copying with limited number". When it is "0", it cannot be recorded as "copying with limited number possible".

Furthermore, when the program is targeted for output protection, it is necessary to configure (send) a content use descriptor. The output protection is to protect the output of the high-speed digital interface of the "unrestricted copyable" content using the output protection bit (encryption_mode) of the content use descriptor. In other words, although encryption is performed at the time of output using a digital interface and copying to a recording medium, there are no restrictions on the number of times and generations of copying. It is virtually impossible to resend to the Internet. Also known as "copy free with output protection", or EPN (encryption plus non-assertion).

Also, when the digital copy control information of the program is "capable of one-generation copying" and not "capable of number-limited copying", it must be placed (transmitted).

FIG. 4 shows an example of description contents of each information column of the content use descriptor.

"OxDE" indicating a content usage descriptor is described in "descriptor_tag". In "descriptor_length", the descriptor length of the content use descriptor is described. In "digital_recording_control_mode", "0" is described when the digital copy control information is "capable of one-generation copying" and not "capable of number-limited copying". "1" is described when the digital copy control information is "capable of one-generation copying" and "capable of number-limited copying".

In "encryption_mode", "0" is described when the digital copy control information is "duplicate without restriction" and the high-speed digital interface output is protected.

"retention_mode" is a temporary storage control bit, and writing "0" indicates that even if "digital_recording_control_mode" (digital duplication control information) of the digital duplication control descriptor is "copy prohibited", it can be temporarily stored. "retention_state" indicates the allowable time for temporary storage, and the description "111" indicates that storage is possible for 1 hour and 30 minutes. In addition, "image_constraint_token", "retention_state", and "encryption_mode" are "1" by default. Regarding the restriction on the number of copies of the content that can be copied with a limited number of copies, including the copy source and copy destination, the total number of copies is limited to 10. When there is a function of recording to removable media and a function of moving output via a high-speed digital interface, these are also included and restricted. Specifically, for example, the number of copies is limited or copying is prohibited (re-copying is prohibited) for the content of the copy source and the copy destination, except for analog video, audio output, and digital audio output. It is also possible to move the content of the copy source or the copy destination if it is within the above restrictions. However, content that is used only for the purpose of content management, such as thumbnail images, is not included in copying.

Each information column will be described below in FIG. 7 as processing on the receiving side.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the structure of a digital copy control descriptor as one piece of copy control information. The digital copy control descriptor is generated and added by, for example, the management information providing unit 16, and this information is included in PSI (for example, PMT, etc.) or SI (for example, EIT, or SDT, etc.) of MPEG-TS and transmitted.

The digital copy control descriptor indicates information for controlling the number of copies in the 2-bit information field of "digital_recording_control_data" (digital copy control information).

Fig. 6 shows an example of digital copy control information. Digital copy control information, when it is "00", it means that it can be copied without restriction; when it is "01", it means it is defined by the broadcasting unit; when it is "10", it means that it can be copied for one generation; when it is "11", it means Copying is prohibited. Here, "one-generation copying" means that although a received broadcast signal can be recorded (first-generation copy), the broadcast signal cannot be copied (copy) after recording.

The content use descriptor in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is also called copy number limit information, and the digital copy control information in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 is called copy generation limit information.

(receiving device)

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the receiving device 3 in the system of FIG. 1 . In FIG. 10, the locations where the lines representing the flow of information, PCRs, etc. intersect are not touched. However, the parts with black dots are in contact, indicating that they branch from there.

The receiving device 3 is a receiving device that receives digital broadcasts or IP (Internet Protocol) broadcasts via a network and performs recording and reproduction. As an image compression technology, the case of processing a signal encoded by the MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) method and multiplexed by the MPEG2_TS method will be described.

The receiving device 3 includes a receiving, recording and reproducing unit 10, a control unit 114 (for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit: central processing unit)), and a user interface unit 115 (for example, as an input device, a keyboard, a mouse, or a remote controller, etc.).

In this configuration example, each part is described as a hardware element, but a part may be realized by software. Furthermore, it can also be applied to sending or receiving video content, audio content, etc. to a specific user such as VOD (Video On Demand) via the network. These are collectively referred to as transmission information.

The control unit 114 is connected to various parts of the receiving device (including the receiving recording and reproducing unit 10 ) through the bus unit, and controls the operation of the receiving device as a whole. In addition, various command signals are received from the user via a remote controller of the user interface unit 115 , and various components connected via the bus unit are controlled based on the command signals to execute various processes.

Receiving record reproducing section 10 comprises: tuner decoding section 101, selection section 102, separation/extraction section 103 (such as demultiplexer), input buffer section 104, decoding section 105 (such as MPEG decoder), network interface section 106 , buffer management unit 107, clock reproduction unit 108, time stamp comparison/output unit 109, time stamp addition unit 110, read unit 111, write unit 112, built-in recording medium 113, output unit 116, fixed clock generation unit 117 ( such as a crystal oscillator), a content management information creation unit 119, and a content management information analysis unit 120.

The built-in recording medium 113 (also referred to as a first recording medium), and the removable recording medium 118 (also referred to as a second recording medium) are, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, etc., and can be randomly accessed. medium.

The output unit 116 is a display unit such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a PDP (Plasma Display Panel), an audio output unit such as a speaker, or outputs analog or digital video data to other display devices/ HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) output terminal for audio data, etc. The output unit 116 reproduces the decoded video/audio using a display unit/audio output unit serving as an output device. Alternatively, video/audio content data or the like is output to another display device or the like through an output terminal (for example, HDMI).

The tuner and decoding unit 101 receives a digital broadcast signal transmitted from the transmitter 1 through a broadcast transmission network such as wireless (satellite, terrestrial) or cable. A user operation unit such as a remote control of the user interface unit 115 and the control unit 114 perform channel selection and wave detection processing based on the frequency of a specified physical or virtual channel. Then, the MPEG2-TS (Transport Stream: Transport Stream) after digital demodulation and error correction processing is output to the selection unit 102.

The selection unit 102 performs selection processing of three inputs and one output under the control of the control unit 114 , and outputs the output to the separation/extraction unit 103 .

The separation/extraction unit 103 separates and extracts the transport packet of the channel (program) designated by the user operation unit such as a remote controller of the user interface unit 115 and the control unit 114 from the input MPEG2-TS, and then separates and extracts the transport packet of the separated and extracted The output is sent to the time stamp adding unit 110 . Furthermore, the separation/extraction unit 103 separates and extracts PES (Packetized Elementary Stream) or ES (Elementary Stream) of video and audio from the transmission packet of the channel (program) designated by the user operation unit such as a remote controller of the user interface unit 115 and the control unit 114. Stream), and then output to the input buffer 104.

The ES refers to the respective contents of compressed and coded image and audio data, and the PES refers to the contents obtained by dividing the image ES or audio ES into appropriate sizes and packetizing them. Then, the separation/extraction unit 103 extracts PCR (Program Clock Reference) from the transmission packet of the channel (program) specified by the user operation unit such as a remote controller of the user interface unit 115 and the control unit 114, and outputs it to the clock reproduction unit 108.

The separation/extraction unit 103 detects the channel recorded in the built-in recording medium 113 or the removable medium 118 from the transmission packet of the channel (program) specified by the user operation unit such as a remote control of the user interface unit 115 and the control unit 114. The title of (program) or the start/end date and time of the program, the copy generation control information, and the information indicating whether or not to copy multiple copies are further prepared as a data key and sent to the content management information creation unit 119 . The date and time indicating the start/end of the title or program, copy generation control information, and information indicating whether or not to allow multiple copies are included in, for example, PSI or SI information of MPEG-TS and sent from the transmission device 1 .

The input buffer unit 104 temporarily stores the video/audio PES or ES from the separation/extraction unit 103 . The decoding unit 105 performs a DTS (Decoding Time Stamp)/PTS (Presentation Time Stamp) corresponding to the PES or ES stored in the input buffer unit 104 and the STC (System Time Clock) count value from the clock reproduction unit 108. Compare and obtain the decoding and display time, fetch and decode the video/audio PES or ES stored in the buffer unit 104 , and then output the decoded video/audio to the output unit 116 .

The buffer management unit 107 monitors the amount of transport packets in the input buffer unit 104 that have not been processed by the decoding unit 105, and controls the reading start and stop of the reading unit 111 based on the amount.

The clock reproducing unit 108 reproduces, for example, the system clock of the receiving device that matches the system clock and frequency of the encoding/multiplexing unit of the transmitting device 1 (not shown) by using PCR. The reproduced system clock is output to the STC counter inside the clock reproducing unit 108, the time stamp adding unit 110, and the like. Then, the STC count value of the STC counter operating according to the reproduced system clock is output to the decoding unit 105 .

The time stamp adding unit 110 generates time stamps from, for example, the system clock reproduced by the clock reproducing unit 108 or a counter operated by a crystal oscillator not shown, and adds them to the transport packets separated and extracted by the separation/extraction unit 103, respectively. The time stamp is then sent to the writing unit 112.

FIG. 11 shows a configuration example of a time stamped transport packet. A 188-bit transport packet (TSP) in the MPEG format has a 4-bit time stamp (for example, the time when the receiving device received the transport packet) is added to the header of the packet to form a 192-bit packet. The time stamp information when the transport packet arrives is kept in the time stamp. The TS in the MPEG format is composed of a first 4-bit header and a 184-bit payload (or an adaptation field (Adaptation Field)) following the header.

The content management information production unit (content information production unit) 119 based on the date and time of the start/end of the title or program from the separation/extraction unit 103, copy generation control information, and copy number control information (information indicating whether or not to copy a plurality of copies) ), key information to create management information, and then send it to the writing unit 112. The copy generation control information and the number of copy control information may receive the content use descriptor and the digital copy control descriptor described in FIGS. Produce new information based on this information.

The writing unit 112 performs a process of recording management information and encrypted data in the built-in recording medium 113 or the removable recording medium 118. The key information in the above-mentioned management information is encrypted data obtained by encrypting the transmission packet to which the time stamp adding unit 110 has added the time stamp. As a result, a stream with encrypted data is stored in the built-in recording medium 113 or the removable recording medium 118 as a data file or as two or more fragmented data files divided into two or more fragment data files. (In other words, the video/audio data of a certain program content or downloaded content) is encrypted data that has been encrypted in a transmission packet to which a plurality of time stamps are added.

In addition, the time stamp can also be understood as time information related to the time position of the transport packet to which the stamp is added. For example, it can also be understood as the time when the transport packet from the separation/extraction unit 103 is input to the time stamp adding unit 110, or the time difference from a certain transport packet (for example, the preceding or the first transport packet) as a reference. . As described above, this time stamp is different from the time stamp (eg, PCR, DTS, PTS) contained in advance in the transport packet.

FIG. 12 shows an example in which program content is recorded on the built-in recording medium 113 or the removable recording medium 118 .

For each program content, management information indicating the content of the program content and data (video and audio, etc.) that are the substance of the program content are recorded in the management information area 501 and the data area 502, respectively. In the management information, for example, the file number 503 indicating the title of the program content, the date and time 504 indicating the start/end date and time of the program, the head address and record size 505 of the data area, copy information 507, and the number of copies are recorded. 508, key information 506 and so on. The program content is written in the data area 502 from an address corresponding to the head address 505 recorded in the management information area 501 . Each time the program content is newly recorded, recording file number 1, file number 2..., file number n, recording management information, and program content are sequentially recorded.

The copy information 507 is copy generation control information included in the management information created by the content management information creation unit 119. For example, consider specifying the following content with a 2-bit signal,

00 = able to copy (Copy Free)

10＝Allow one generation of records (Copy One Generation)

11 = Copy Never.

In this case, for the program content recorded in "Copy One Generation" in the receiving device 3, the content that has been copied once with 01=Copy One Generation is defined as being unable to be copied again (No More Copies). The designation method may be operated in the same way as the digital copy control information described in FIG. 6 , or it may be operated independently in the receiving device 3 .

The number of copies 508 is copy number control information included in the management information created by the content management information creation unit 119 . The number of copies 508 is information created based on copy generation control information received by the content management information creation unit 119 from the separation/extraction unit 103 and information indicating whether multiple copies can be performed. When the copy generation control information allows the recording of one generation (CopyOne Generation) and the information indicating whether multiple copies can be performed is "Yes", record the program content as "No More Copies", in the same or different format in the same or different format A different recording medium stores information indicating the number of copies allowed to be copied. For example, inputting "9" indicates that nine copies are permitted. This value can be determined according to the specification. On the other hand, when the copy generation control information allows the recording of one generation (Copy One Generation) and the information indicating whether multiple copies can be performed is "No", the program content is recorded as "No MoreCopies" as an indication for making it For information on the number of copies permitted to be copied, "0" (meaning that copying is not permitted) is input.

Furthermore, as the data of the entity that recorded the program content of "Copy One Generation" as the program content of "No More Copies", that is, the copy generation control information and The information indicating whether or not multiple copies can be performed is not changed.

In addition, in order to prevent the copy information 507, the number of copies 508, and the key information 506 from being illegally modified, for example, they are encrypted.

Returning to the description of FIG. 10, the content management information analysis unit 120 reads out the management information stored in the built-in recording medium 113 or the removable recording medium 118 through the reading unit 111, and analyzes the content of the management information. When the program content in the built-in recording medium 113 or the removable recording medium 118 is reproduced, copied, or moved, the title of the program content or the start/end date and time of the program, copy information, number of copies, etc. are transmitted to the control unit 114 , so that program content can be selected through a user operation unit such as a remote controller of the user interface unit 115 and the control unit 114 . Then, key information for decrypting encrypted data is read out and sent to the reading unit 111 .

The readout unit 111 is controlled by the buffer management unit 107 or the control unit 114, and reads management information from the built-in storage medium 113 or the removable storage medium 118, and then sends it to the content management information analysis unit 120, and reads out the management information from the built-in storage medium 113 or the removable storage medium 118. The removable recording medium 118 sequentially reads the encrypted data, and outputs the time stamped transport packet, in which the encrypted data is decrypted and time stamped, to the time stamp comparison/output unit 109 based on the key transmitted from the content management information analysis unit 120 .

The time stamp comparison/output unit 109 compares the count value of the counter operated by the fixed clock reproducing unit 117 such as a crystal oscillator with the time stamp of the transport packet read by the reading unit 111 and added with a time stamp, and when they match , the time stamp is deleted (removed) from the transport packet, and is output to the selection unit 102 and the network interface unit 106 . In addition, when the buffer management unit 107 monitors the remaining amount of the input buffer unit 104 and controls the reading unit 111 according to the amount as described above, the time stamp may be deleted from the transport packet without comparing the count value and the time stamp. Then, it is output to the selection unit 102 and the network interface unit 106 . In particular, it is preferable to output in this way during playback other than normal playback (1x playback).

The network interface unit 106 is connected to other devices (recorder, display, personal computer, etc. inside the house, or server, etc. outside the house) as output destinations/input sources via lines (IEEE1304 cable, LAN cable, wireless, etc.). Then, the time stamp comparison/output unit 109 receives the transmission packets of video/audio etc. after the time stamp has been deleted, converts these transmission packets into a format conforming to the respective transmission standards through the line, and then outputs them to other devices as output destinations. . In addition, data such as video and audio are input from other devices as input sources through the line in a format conforming to the respective transmission standards, converted into transport packets, and output to the selection unit 102 . However, there may be a plurality of network interface units 106 .

(Reception and recording processing related to copy control information)

A detailed example of the processing of the receiving device 3 sent from the transmitting device 1 and related to the copy control information described in FIGS. 3 to 6 will be described.

FIG. 7 shows an example of processing performed by the receiving device 3 on each information column of the content usage descriptor.

If "descriptor_tag" is "0xDE", it is determined that the descriptor is a content utilization descriptor. According to "descriptor_length", it is judged as the descriptor length of the content descriptor. If "digital_recording_control_mode" is "1", when the digital copy control information is "capable of copying one generation", it is determined that it is an object of "capable of copying with limited number". If it is '0', when the digital copy control information is "one-generation copying is possible", it is judged not to be "capable of number-limited copying". Regarding "image_constraint_token", even if it is an arbitrary value, it is judged that the resolution of the image signal output is not restricted. Regarding "retention_mode", it is judged that temporary storage is possible even if it is an arbitrary value. Regarding "retention_state", even if it is an arbitrary value, it is judged that the temporary storage allowable time is 1 hour and 30 minutes. If "encryption_mode" is '1', when the digital copy control information is "copying without restriction", it is judged that the high-speed digital interface output is not protected. If it is '0', when the digital copy control information is "copying without restriction", it is judged that the high-speed digital interface output is protected.

Also, when the content usage descriptor is not configured (sent) for some reason, each information field can be interpreted as the following values. digital_recording_control_mode='1', image_constraint_token='1', retention_mode='0', retention_state='111', encryption_mode='1'.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the control of storing (recording) program content by the receiving device 3 using the copy control information.

Regarding the content shown in FIG. 9, for example, when storing program content, when the digital_recording_control_data of the digital copy control descriptor is '10' and "one-generation copy is possible", the copy control information on the recording medium is set to "re-copy prohibited". ” and store it. However, when the digital_recording_control_mode is '1', it is stored as "copying with limited number possible". Also, when storing as "re-copy prohibited", the value of digital_recording_control_data of the digital copy control descriptor does not need to be changed.

Also, when the digital_recording_control_data of the digital copy control descriptor is '10' and "one-generation copy is possible", multiple copies cannot be generated. However, storage in areas not accessible to users for backup purposes is excluded. In addition, the above-mentioned restrictions are set for each broadcast receiving unit, and when there are a plurality of broadcast receiving units, the above-mentioned restrictions are implemented for each broadcast receiving unit.

As for the number-limited copy, N copies can be generated from the program content stored as "number-limited copy possible". The N value can be determined according to specifications, for example. When copying is output via the high-speed digital interface, it is only necessary to perform copying as long as the number of copies to be generated can be determined by using the shift function. For example, the interface is IEEE1394, and it is possible to recognize that the input destination is a device conforming to the DTCP standard. However, the generated copy is set to "re-copy prohibited" or an equivalent state thereto.

In addition, when reproducing and outputting the program content stored as "capable of limited number of copies", in the high-speed digital interface, the processing of No More Copies stipulated in DTCP (Digital Transmission Content Protection: Digital Transmission Content Protection) is performed and output. For analog video output and digital audio output, it can be output as "one-generation copy possible". Regarding the limit on the number of copies of the content that can be copied with a limited number of copies, including the source of copying and the destination of copying, the total number of copies is limited to less than 10. Also, when there is a recording function to a removable recording medium, or a moving function output via a high-speed digital interface, it is limited to include these functions. Specifically, for example, regarding the content of the copy source and copy destination, in addition to analog video, audio output, and digital audio output, the number of copies is limited or copying is prohibited (re-copy prohibition). It is also possible to move the content of the copy source or copy destination if it is within the above restrictions.

Also, content that is used only for content management purposes such as thumbnails is not included in the copy. The content used for the purpose of content management may be content using audio information or subtitle information, for example, in addition to thumbnails created from video information.

FIG. 18 is a diagram for understanding the restriction on the number of copies described above, and shows the receiving device 3 , the network interface unit 106 , the built-in recording medium 113 , the removable recording medium 118 , the recording device 121 , and the recording device 122 . The recording device 121 is connected to IEEE1394 via the network interface unit 106, for example, and uses DTCP as a copyright protection method. The recording device 122 is connected to a wired LAN or a wireless LAN through the network interface unit 106, for example, and uses DTCP-IP (Digital Transmission Content Protection over Internet Protocol) as a copyright protection method. For example, when connected in the above-mentioned manner, the contents of "capable of copying with a limited number" received from the broadcast must be stored in the built-in recording medium 113, removable recording medium 118, recording device 121, and device 122.

In this case, for example, it is recorded in the following manner, the content in the state of being able to copy four is recorded in the built-in recording medium 113, the content in the state of being able to be copied in two is recorded in the removable recording medium 118, and the content in the state of being able to be copied is recorded in the recording device 121. Content in a state where one copy can be made, and the content in a state where one copy can be recorded is recorded in the recording device 122 . When receiving a broadcast and recording it, it may be recorded in the built-in recording medium 113, the removable recording medium 118, the recording device 121, and the recording device 122 at the same time in such a manner as to achieve the above-mentioned number, or it may be recorded only in the built-in recording medium at first. 113, and then copied to the removable recording medium 118, the recording device 121, and the recording device 122.

As described above, it is possible to perform multiple copies of the recorded program content that allows copy one generation without being limited to time, which has the effect of improving usability. In addition, since the same program can be simultaneously recorded on a plurality of recording media or recording devices when receiving broadcasts for recording, the user-friendliness is improved and content protection is also achieved.

In addition, although the case where the above-mentioned recording devices 121 and 122 are respectively connected via IEEE1394 and LAN has been described, they are not limited to IEEE1394 and LAN, and may be connected via other connection methods.

When the recording medium is a removable recording medium, there are other restrictions including FIG. 9 . Regarding digital recording of program content to a removable recording medium, in digital recording of TV, data service, or digital recording of audio service, the digital_recording_control_data of the digital copy control descriptor is '10' and the reception "copying of one generation" is received When recording the content of the program, no more than 3 copies are allowed even if the received content is the first generation (for example, when receiving and recording a broadcast, it is not allowed to record to more than 3 recording media at the same time). This value (three or more are illustrated) can be determined according to specifications, for example. Also, multiple copies of one generation with the same record format are not generated. However, storage in areas not accessible to users for backup purposes is excluded. Furthermore, recording restrictions on digital recording media are set for each broadcast receiving unit, and when there are multiple broadcast receiving units, the above-mentioned restrictions are implemented for each broadcast receiving unit. When the receiving device is equipped with a recording method not compatible with digital_recording_control_mode, for program content whose copy_control_type of the digital copy control descriptor is '01' and digital_recording_control_data is '10', regardless of the value of digital_recording_control_mode of the content use descriptor, it is treated as " capable of one generation of replication" is recorded.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for creating copy information and the number of copies of the management information when the receiving device 3 records program content that allows one-generation copying (Copy One Generation).

Based on the copy generation control information from the separation/extraction unit 103 and the information indicating whether multiple copies can be performed, the content management information creation unit 119 recognizes that "copy one generation is allowed (Copy One Generation)" and adds a copy indicating whether it can be performed or not. For the program content of the information of a plurality of copies, "01" (SA01) is input into the copy information of the management information as no more copies, that is, no more copies (No More Copies).

For example, it is notified from the control unit 114 to the content management information creation unit 119 whether the recording medium on which the program content is recorded is a built-in recording medium or a removable recording medium (SA02).

In the case of a removable recording medium, for example, "0" is input in the number of copies of the management information, and the copying of the content is disabled, but the content can be moved (SA04). Furthermore, the relation to the above-described operation that does not allow three or more copies is, for example, the above-mentioned copy control at the time of receiving broadcast and recording (when generating the first-generation copy). It is the duplication control after recording on the recording medium (after the generation of duplication of the first generation), that is, the two differ in the above point.

In the case of built-in, the content management information creation unit 119 judges whether the information indicating whether multiple copies can be performed is "possible" or "no".

If it is "No", for example, "0" is input in the number of copies of the management information, and the copying of the program content is disabled, but it can be moved (SA04). Of course, it can also be deleted.

When it is "possible", "N" is input in the number of copies of the management information, and N copies of the program content are enabled (SA05).

As described above, setting the recorded program contents of the copy one generation (Copy One Generation) into a state where a plurality of copies can be made at any time has the effect of improving usability. Moreover, it is judged whether multiple copies can be performed according to whether the recording medium is built-in or removable, and thus, when it is built-in, as described above, the program content is encrypted, and the key information, copy information, The number of copies, programs, etc. are also encrypted, so that unauthorized tampering can be prevented. On the other hand, when it is removable, various management methods are conceivable, and because it may not be possible to manage when it is built in as described above, it is also considered that unauthorized tampering cannot be avoided. Thereby, the user's convenience can be improved, and at the same time, there is an effect of realizing the protection of the content.

(Copy processing related to user control information)

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for copying program content in the receiving device 3 .

When the copy information of the management information is "01" (No More Copies), and the number of copies is "N" (N≠0) when copying the program content, it is monitored whether the copy process has ended (SB01).

When it has ended, input "N-1" (N≠0) in the number of copies of the management information of the copy source recording medium, so that the copy of the program content can be carried out in N-1 state, and the copy destination record Enter "01" (No More Copies) in the copy information of the management information of the medium to make it a state of prohibiting further copying, and input "0" in the number of copies of the management information to make the copy of the program content impossible but possible Status of moving (SB04).

When it has not ended, it is monitored whether the copy processing has been interrupted (SB02).

When it has not been interrupted, it is monitored whether the copy processing has ended (SB01).

When it has been interrupted, input "N-1" (N≠0) in the copy number of the management information of the copy source recording medium, so that the copy of the program content can be carried out in N-1 state, when the copy destination record When the medium is capable of recording multiple times, the program content in the middle of copying is deleted (SB03). However, in the case of a recording medium that can only be recorded once, the erasure process is not performed because erasure is not possible.

By adopting the above method, it is possible to reliably perform copy proxy management of the program content to be copied. In addition, even if the copy process is interrupted for some reason, unnecessary program content does not remain for the purpose of copying, so labor and time for erasing can be saved and usability can be improved. In addition, regarding the above-mentioned erasure, data on the recording medium may be physically erased, or management information may be erased so that the data on the recording medium exists but cannot be used for reproduction (indirect erasure).

(Move processing related to copy control information)

Fig. 15 is a flow chart showing the steps of moving the program contents of the receiving apparatus in the embodiment.

When the copy information of the move management information is "01" (No More Copies) and the number of copies is "0", it is monitored whether the move process has ended (SC01).

When it is finished, delete the program content of the recording medium of the moving source and the management information related to the program content, input "01" (No More Copies) into the copy information of the management information of the moving destination recording medium, and become prohibition of replaying In the copying state, enter "0" in the number of copies in the management information, although the copying of the program content cannot be performed, but the moving state can be performed.

When it is not finished, it is monitored whether the movement process has been interrupted (SC02).

When there is no interruption, it is monitored whether the movement process has ended (SC01).

When it has been interrupted, save the part of the program content that has not been moved to the recording medium of the copy destination during the movement of the source recording medium, and the management information related to the program content. The content of the program makes it impossible to reproduce. Save the program content in the process of moving the recording medium of the moving destination, enter "01" (No More Copies) in the copy information of the management information to make it a state of prohibiting further copying, and then enter "01" (No More Copies) in the number of copies of the management information 0", the program content cannot be copied but moved (SC03).

By adopting the above method, it is possible to reliably perform copy proxy management of program content for moving purposes. And, even if the interruption of the movement process occurs for some reason, because the program content is stored in each of the recording medium of the movement source and the movement destination, the program content cannot be viewed and listened to due to the interruption, so it has the advantages of improving usability. Convenience effect. In addition, regarding the above-mentioned erasure, data on the recording medium may be physically erased, or management information may be erased so that the data on the recording medium exists but cannot be used for reproduction (indirect erasure).

In addition, in the above description, the recording medium of the copy destination or the transfer destination is a recording medium capable of being managed to prohibit re-copying (No More Copies). When it cannot be managed, copying or moving processing is prohibited.

In addition, in the above description, although the case of the program content transmitted from the broadcasting station was demonstrated, it can also be applied to the program content transmitted from the program content provider etc., for example.

In addition, a removable recording medium refers to a recording medium that can be detached from a receiving device, has an independent form, and can also be played back by a device having another playback function.

In addition, the so-called moving refers to the case where the program content is moved by making the "No More Copies (No More Copies)" program content recorded in the recording medium unreproducible after copying to another recording medium. Here, "disabled playback" refers to a situation in which playback is rendered impossible by erasure of the program content itself, erasure of encryption key, erasure of management information, or the like. During the migration process, it is preferable that no program content exceeding 1 minute exists in a reproducible state at both the migration source and destination.

In the above description, for the program content that is "allowing copy one generation (Copy One Generation)" and the information indicating whether multiple copies are possible is "Yes", whether multiple copies can be judged depends on whether the recording medium is built-in or not. It can be performed on a removable basis, but it is also possible to use a recording medium that can manage multiple copies or a recording medium that cannot manage multiple copies. Here, the so-called recording medium capable of managing multiple copies refers to, for example, the recording medium described in FIG. 506 (may also include other file number 503, date and time 504, head address of data area, record size 505, etc.) to be managed so that it will not be tampered with illegally.

FIG. 16 shows a configuration example of a recording medium (secure removable medium) capable of managing the aforementioned multiple copies (also referred to as copy number control, number-controlled copy). It is a structure in which a general area accessible to the user and a tamper-resistant area inaccessible to the user are both included in one recording medium. The confidential information stored in the tamper-resistant area can be accessed only when authentication is confirmed between the device capable of handling the recording medium and the authentication process, thereby enabling management of the confidential information. By storing and managing information such as the copy information 507, the number of copies 508, and the key information 506 in the tamper-resistant area, unauthorized tampering can be prevented.

On the other hand, a recording medium that cannot manage multiple copies refers to a recording medium in which the information on copy information 507, number of copies 508, and key information 506 (may also include other The file number 503, date and time 504, the head address of the data area, the record size 505, etc.) are managed in such a way that they cannot be tampered with illegally.

Fig. 17 shows copy information and the number of copies of the management information when recording a program content that allows one-generation copy (Copy One Generation) by referring to a recording medium capable of managing multiple copies and a recording medium that cannot perform the management. Flowchart of an example of making steps. The difference from Fig. 13 is SD02. Furthermore, it may be combined with FIG. 13, and SD02 may be executed, for example, when it is "movable" in SA02.

For example, the control unit 114 determines whether the recording medium recording the program content is a recording medium capable of managing multiple copies or a recording medium that cannot manage multiple copies, and notifies the content management information creation unit 119 (SD02).

In the case of a recording medium that cannot manage multiple copies, for example, "0" is entered in the number of copies of the management information, so that the program content cannot be copied but can be moved (SD04).

When it is a recording medium capable of managing multiple copies, the content management information creation unit 119 judges whether the information indicating the availability of multiple copies is "possible" or "no" (SD03), and if it is "No", For example, "0" is input in the number of copies of the management information, so that the program content cannot be copied but can be moved (SD04). When it is "possible", "N" is input in the number of copies of the management information so that N copies of the program content can be made (SD05).

By adopting the above method, it is possible to perform multiple copies of the recorded program content allowing one generation of copying (Copy One Generation) without time limitation, thereby improving the convenience of use. In addition, whether or not multiple copies are allowed is determined by whether the recording medium is a recording medium capable of managing multiple copies or a recording medium that is not capable of managing multiple copies. The managed recording medium performs multiple copies, and the protection of the program content becomes more reliable.

In the above description, when the digital copy control information is "capable of copying one generation", if "digital_recording_control_mode" is '1', it is judged as the object of "capable of copying with limited number", and if "digital_recording_control_mode" is ' 0' means that it is judged that it is not the object of "copying with a limited number of copies". Although the above content has been described, for example, the judgment of '0' and '1' may be reversed according to the situation of the broadcasting station system. .

That is, when the digital copy control information is "capable of copying one generation", if "digital_recording_control_mode" is '0', it is judged as an object of "capable of copying with limited number", and if "digital_recording_control_mode" is '1', it is judged It does not apply to "Copy with limited number". Similarly, the meanings of the values indicated by other descriptors may be changed to different settings depending on the situation.

In addition, it is preferable that the meaning of the value indicated by each descriptor such as the value of "digital_recording_control_mode" be determined as one meaning by standardization.

In addition, the names of the content use descriptor and the digital copy control descriptor ('digital_recording_control_mode', 'digital_recording_control_data', etc.) do not have to be the names in the embodiments, and other names may be used.

(receiving device(2))

FIG. 19 shows a configuration example of a recording and reproducing device 150 as an example of the receiving recording and reproducing unit 10 in the receiving device 3 . It may be a device having only one of recording and reproducing functions.

151 is an input terminal for receiving digital data such as radio waves from the relay device 2 . 152 is a receiving unit that performs frequency conversion, modulation operation, error correction, etc. on the digital data received from the input terminal 151, and separates the bit stream in one multiplexed transponder into packets of video data, audio data, and the like. 153 is a video and audio information processing unit, which decodes video data and audio data. 154 is a recording/playback control unit that controls recording or playback to a recording medium, and FIG. 20 shows an example of a more detailed internal configuration of this module. 155 is, for example, a recording medium for recording digital data such as a hard disk drive. 156 is a display control unit for generating output data based on video, audio data, and display data of various application interfaces (IF). For example, the video data processed by the video/audio processing unit 153 is scaled as necessary, and image data prepared separately by the recording/reproducing device 150 such as an operation interface and still images are superimposed on the video data to generate a display image. 157 is an output terminal, and transfers the generated data to a display device such as a liquid crystal panel for display, for example. 158 is the remote controller IF when the user operates the remote controller. 159 is an input terminal, and is a light receiving part which receives the signal from a remote controller. 160 is an operation unit, for example, a group of buttons for performing operations such as recording and playback are disposed, and is used for the user to control the recording and playback device 150 by directly operating the buttons. 161 is a control unit that controls the operation of the recording and reproducing device 150, and is composed of, for example, a CPU. 162 is a nonvolatile memory for recording information. 163 is a system bus for data communication between modules connected to the control unit 161 .

FIG. 20 shows a configuration example of the recording/playback control unit 154 .

201 is an input/output terminal, which is connected to the system bus 163 and transmits control signals. 202 is an input terminal for inputting digital data including video data and audio data recorded on the recording medium. 203 is a copy control information processing unit, which analyzes the copy control information included in the digital data, and updates accordingly. 204 is an encryption unit that encrypts input digital data using, for example, key information transmitted from the control unit 161 . 205 is a recording control unit that issues a command for recording on a recording medium and performs processing such as transfer of digital data. 206 is an output terminal connected to a recording medium. 207 is an input terminal for inputting reproduced digital data from a recording medium. 208 is a reproduction control unit that issues a command to the recording medium to reproduce desired digital data. 209 is a decoding unit that decodes the read encrypted digital data using, for example, key information transmitted from the control unit 161 . 210 is an output terminal, which outputs decoded digital data. 211 is a system bus, which is a system bus for performing data communication between the modules connected to the control unit.

The copy control information processed by the copy control information processing section 203 includes, for example, copy generation management information and duplicatable number information. The copy generation management information is, for example, considered to be specified by the following 2-bit signal: 11 Prohibit copying (Copy-never) , 01 can not be copied again after recording (No-more-copies), 10 can only record one generation (Copy-one-generation) 00 can copy (Copy-free). The copyable number information is specified by an integer of 0 or more, and it is considered that the copyable number can be specified.

When digital data is stored in the recording medium 155, the control unit 162 performs control based on, for example, a digital copy control descriptor and a content use descriptor included in the digital data. The digital copy control descriptor is composed of, for example, copy control type and digital recording control data, and the content use descriptor is represented by a signal composed of, for example, an encryption mode and a digital recording control mode. The control unit 162 instructs to update the copy control information of the digital data stored in the copy control information processing unit 203 according to the values of these descriptors, and instructs the encryption unit 204 to perform encryption or not.

FIG. 21 shows an example of the copy control information recording area 301 held in the recording medium 155. As shown in FIG. 302 denotes a program ID which represents a summary of digital data. The unit of summarization is, for example, the range from the beginning to the end of a broadcast program or copy control information in the same program. 303 indicates the date and time when the program and copy control information were recorded. In 304, address information indicating where the data is recorded on the recording medium 155 is indicated. 305 represents copy generation management information of the digital data. 306 represents information on the number of copies that can be made of the digital data.

For example, in this recording and reproducing apparatus, the output terminal is connected to the recording and reproducing control unit 154, or a set of recording and reproducing control unit and output terminal is prepared separately. When outputting the digital data recorded in the recording medium 155, the control unit 161 controls The copy control information in the digital data and the output interface update the copy control information of the properly copied digital data and instruct to update the copy control information of the data output to the copy control information processing unit 203, and Instructs the decoding unit 209 to perform or not to perform decoding.

For example, when duplicating the generation management information in the recording medium 155 as No-more-copies and the digital data whose copy number information is 8 is copied to other recording media, no matter whether the duplication is successful or not, the original digital data The copy generation management information is updated to No-more-copies, and the copy number information is updated to 7. Rewriting of copy control information of digital data copied to a different recording medium depends on the output interface. For example, if the output is to a removable recording medium that can be randomly accessed, such as a Blu-ray disc, semiconductor memory, magnetic disc, optical disc, or optical disc, the output will be No-more-copies, and if it is output through a high-speed digital interface, the copy will be The generation management information is output as No-more-copies, and if it is an analog video output, for example, copy generation management information is output as Copy-one-generation.

In the recording/reproducing device 150 having the above configuration, it is conceivable to transfer No-more-copies digital data to the recording/reproducing device 150 from another recording/reproducing device or another recording medium that supports movement of digital data. At this time, there are cases where the digital data whose copy control information is Copy-one-generation and the digital data whose copy control information is No-more-copies and whose contents are equivalent (for example, the titles of programs match) in the recording and reproducing apparatus 150 may exist. is stored in the recording medium 155. In this case, since the user of the recording/reproducing apparatus 150 cannot directly recognize the copy control information, confusion is caused.

In addition, the so-called content-equivalent programs refer to, for example, programs recorded in different device recordings but broadcast on the same date and time, or broadcast programs and rebroadcast programs, and the like. Whether or not the program is an equivalent program is determined using, for example, the title of the program, program number, channel, date and time of broadcast, broadcast area, etc. as identification information. The length (time) of the program, the analysis result of the content of the program (video and audio data), and the like may be added to the determination elements of equivalence. The above-mentioned case where the contents are equivalent is also expressed as a case where the contents of the programs overlap. With regard to its detection, in the judgment of equivalence, these pieces of information do not have to be completely consistent, and it can be judged as equivalent (or not) if at least part of them (such as titles) are consistent.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, FIG. 22 shows an example in which a list of digital data recorded on a recording medium is classified and displayed for each copy control information.

In Fig. 22(a), 401 is a display screen. At 402, a list of recorded data is displayed for the name of the desired recording medium. In 403, for example, categories of numerical data such as folder names are displayed. At 404 , a list of data corresponding to the category specified at 403 among the digital data recorded on the recording medium specified at 402 is displayed. For example, if the user selects "All" in the classification of 403 through a prescribed operation, then in 404, the data recorded in the above-mentioned recording medium will be displayed step by step. data of this folder.

In FIG. 22( b ), instead of displaying the folder name classification at 403 , the classification based on the copy generation management information is displayed at 405 . At this time, in step 404, data corresponding to the copy generation management information specified in step 405 is displayed in a list. For example, if the user selects "Copyable" in the category of 405 through the specified operation, only the data whose copy generation management information is "Copy-free" will be displayed in 404. one-generation copy), then in 404, the data whose copy generation management information is Copy-one-generation is displayed. At this time, it is also possible to display the data whose copy generation management information is No-more-copies and the number of copies that can be copied is a positive number in the category of "can be copied once", and the copy generation management information is Copy-one- generation and the data that can be copied 0 times is displayed in the category of "prohibited from copying". In addition, when displaying, information on the number of possible copies of each data may be displayed together with the data name.

According to the user's predetermined operation using the remote control or the predetermined operation using the operation unit 160, the control unit 161 controls the display of the classification using the file structure shown in FIG. Toggle the display of the type of copy control information.

As described above, by displaying the digital data when a plurality of copy control information is mixed, the digital data corresponding to the copy control information can be grasped easily, and the usability of the user can be improved.

The same effect can be obtained also in the process of judging whether copying is possible as analog data in the above embodiment. For example, in FIG. 22(b), for the classification of the copy control information, the division of "simulated copying" and "simulated copying not possible" is set in 405, and the programs corresponding to each status (status) are listed in the area of 304. show. Alternatively, the user may switch the classification display by a predetermined operation, and display only the copy control information related to the analog copy in a list.

Consider a case where data is copied when digital data having equivalent content but different copy control information exists in the recording medium 155 .

Fig. 23 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation for copying data whose copy generation management information is Copy-one-generation. In principle, the processing subject of the flowchart is the control unit 161 .

When the user selects data to be copied, in S501, the control unit 161 acquires copy control information of the selected data, and proceeds to S502. In S502, it is judged whether copying can be performed or not according to the copyable number information. If the copyable number information is 0, go to S503, if not 0, go to S504. In S503, the information of the content that cannot be copied is displayed and the process ends. In S504, the control unit 161 searches for content data equivalent to the data specified to be copied. The information used for retrieval includes, for example, a program name, recording time, and the like. If there is a program with content equivalent to the result of the above search, go to S507 from S505, and go to S506 if not. In S506, the specified data is copied by a predetermined method, and the process ends. After obtaining the copy generation management information and copyable number information of the retrieved data in S507, the process proceeds to S508. In S508, it is judged whether the copy generation management information is No_more_copies, if yes, go to S511, if not, go to S509. The copy generation management information of the retrieved data in S509 is Copy-one-generation, and it is confirmed whether the copyable quantity information is less than the designated data. If less, go to S511, and if more, go to S510. In S510, the same as in S506, the user copies the designated data and ends the process. In S511, the user is notified of the presence of digital data having different copy control information, and then the processing ends. In addition, at this time, the data may be copied and moved automatically, and the data specified by the user may be stored in the recording medium 155 as it is. In addition, when a plurality of matching data are found by the search in S505, the processing from S507 to S509 may be performed in a loop until S511.

FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram showing an example of information displayed in S511. 501 is a display screen. 502 is display information. 503 is a button for the user to confirm the information, for example, to return to the original application by pressing a predetermined operation such as a decision key on the remote controller.

Through the control described above, when there is digital data with equivalent content and different copy control information, the user realizes that there is different data when displaying the information at S511, and can perform desired operations.

Even if the data specified by the user is, for example, information whose copy generation control information is No-more-copies and the number of copies that can be copied is a positive number, the same effect can be obtained by similarly searching for data with different copy control information but equivalent content .

Next, consider a case in which data is deleted when digital data having equivalent content and different copy control information exists in the recording medium 155 . When the user deletes a piece of data whose copy generation management information is Copy-one-generation, it is confirmed whether there is any data whose content is equivalent and whose copy information is different in the same steps as from S505 to S509.

FIG. 25 shows a display example of an example of information. As a result, when there is digital data whose content is equivalent and whose copy control information is different, there is data whose content is equivalent and whose copy information is different. Information to urge deletion of data that can be used in a narrower range (for example, the copy generation management information is No-more-copies, the number of copies that can be copied is small, etc.). 701 is a display screen. 702 is display information. 703 and 704 are buttons for the user to designate a desired operation. When 703 is selected, the user deletes the specified data, and when 704 is selected, the user-specified data is not deleted. After selecting 704, the user can delete data with different copy control information in another way. Through the above-mentioned control, when digital data with equivalent content and different copy control information exists in one recording medium, data with a large number of copies will not be erroneously deleted, and user-friendliness can be improved. In addition, in a recording/playback device having a function of automatically deleting recorded data, if content with a small number of copies that can be copied is preferentially deleted at the time of deletion, usability can be further improved.

Next, a method of improving usability when multiple people use the recording/reproducing device 150 is considered.

FIG. 26 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the user-reserved copy process of the recording/playback device 150 .

Assume that a user considers to copy a certain data whose copyable number is a positive number. In S801, the user selects a program to be copied. In S802, the user registers a name capable of identifying the user himself through any method, and then proceeds to S803. The registration method includes, for example, a method of inputting through a soft keyboard operated by a remote control, and a method of connecting a keyboard to the recording/playback device to input characters. In S803, the user sets the predetermined number of copies to be performed by any method, and then proceeds to S804. In S804, it is judged whether the number set in S803 is valid. That is, it is checked whether the total of the copyable quantity information and the previously reserved quantity is exceeded, and if it is not exceeded, the process proceeds to S805, and if it exceeds, the process proceeds to S806. In S805, the content that can be reserved, and the inputted name (the name of the person who made the reservation. It may be a serial number or the like) and the number of times are displayed on the screen, and then the process proceeds to S807. Since the setting of the number of times inputted in S804 cannot be performed in S806, a message notifying this is displayed, and then the process proceeds to S803 to urge to set the number of times again. In S807, the user commits to perform reservation setting after seeing the confirmation screen displayed in S805. If yes, proceed to S808, and if not, the control unit 161 discards a series of input data, and ends the process. In S808, the control unit 161 records the copy reservation information on the recording medium 155 according to a predetermined format.

FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram showing an example of information displayed in S806. 901 denotes a display screen. 902 represents an example of information. 903 represents a button selected by the user.

Furthermore, even if the copy reservation information is recorded in the nonvolatile recording medium 162, the same effects as those of the present embodiment can be obtained.

FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing an example of copy control using the set copy reservation information.

Let the recording/playback device 150 have a method capable of recognizing the current user name in some way. In S1001 the user designates a program to be copied. Copy reservation information is attached to the designated program through the above-mentioned steps. In S1002, the control unit 162 acquires copy control information and copy reservation information of the designated program, and proceeds to S1003. When there is copy reservation information of the user in the copy reservation information in S1003, go to S1004, and if not, go to S1006. Copying of the specified program is executed in S1004, and then proceeds to S1005. In S1005, 1 is subtracted from the copyable number of copied programs, and 1 is subtracted from the user's reserved copy number, and the process ends. At this time, it may be judged whether or not copying has been completed normally, and a notification message may be displayed. In S1006, it is judged whether there is copy reservation information of other users, and whether it is less than the copyable number. If less, go to S1007, if it is 0, go to S1009. In S1007, the designated program is copied in the same manner as in S1005, and then the process proceeds to S1008. In S1008, 1 is subtracted from the copyable number, and the process ends. At this time, a message notifying whether copying has been completed may also be displayed. In S1009, information about content that cannot be copied due to reservation is displayed, and the process ends. In this case, which user has reserved how many copies may be displayed based on the copy reservation information.

Through the above-mentioned control, the data that the user wants to copy in the future is accidentally copied by other users, so the copyable number information becomes 0, and it is possible to prevent the situation where copying cannot be performed, so that usability can be improved.

Alternatively, if the recording/playback device 150 does not have a method for identifying the current user, instead of step S1006, display copy reservation information, and let the user determine whether to copy or not.

Next, consider a case where digital data recorded on the recording medium 155 is irreversibly edited, for example, by division, in the recording/reproducing device 150 . When the copyable number information of the digital data that the user wishes to edit is a positive number, the digital data is copied inside the recording medium 155, and the data whose copy generation management information is No-more-copies is copied, and then copied data to edit. As a result, even if the editing fails, or if the editing result is unconvincing but cannot be restored to its original state, if the original copyable number information is a positive number of data, it can be edited again, and the improvement can be improved. Ease of use.

Next, consider the function of recording automatically based on the copy control information in the recording/reproducing device 150 . When the recording/playback device 150 receives a broadcast, it also receives digital data (EPG data, etc., also referred to as program guide information) in which future broadcast schedules are described in order to display an electronic program table. Then, when the digital data whose copyable number information has been reduced is stored in the recording medium 155, if it is detected from the future broadcast schedule that the data equivalent to the digital data and content is sent, then automatically perform Schedule a recording. When the video recording is successful, the previously stored digital data is discarded. Judgment on the reduction is arbitrarily performed, for example, the judgment is made on the condition that the copyable number information is less than 3 times. These processes only need to be executed by the control unit 161, and are also referred to as a broadcast plan analyzing unit especially for a part detected from the broadcast plan.

Through the above-mentioned embodiment, the content of the same program content can increase the copy number information from the user (in fact, it does not increase, and the number of times that can be copied is returned to the default value by re-recording the same program), which can improve Ease of use.

(receiving device(3))

FIG. 29 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the recording and reproducing device 1100 .

1101 is a slot (slot: also referred to as a detachable unit) into which a detachable recording medium can be mounted. 1102 is a detachable recording medium that records in the same recording format as the recording medium 155 . 1103 is a switch for selecting which of the recording medium 155 and the detachable recording medium 1102 data is output to or which data is input to the recording/playback control unit 154 . Although only one switch is described in FIG. 29 , it is conceivable to prepare different switches for input and output. Alternatively, a configuration may be considered in which separate recording and reproduction control units are provided for the recording medium 155 and the detachable recording medium 1102 .

FIG. 30 shows an example of a preferable data structure of a detachable recording medium 1102 (for example, a removable hard disk). 1201 is a management area that cannot be accessed by users. Privacy can be maintained by storing key data for encrypting and recording digital data in the data recording area 1202 in the management area. 1202 is a data recording area where the user can access internal data through predetermined operations. In 1201 key data is recorded. In 1202, data such as video, audio data, and still image data, and information reproduction data for identifying key information corresponding to each data in the data recording area are recorded. In such a detachable recording medium 1102, it is also possible to collectively record copy control information in the management area.

The aforementioned FIG. 16 shows an example of a preferable data structure of the recording medium of FIG. 30 in another form. This recording medium (also referred to as a secure removable medium) is also referred to as a recording medium capable of copy control. The replication control here includes the management of multiple replications (also known as replication number management, replication number control, and number control replication) and/or the management of replicated generations (also known as replication generation management, replication generation control , generation control replication). A common area accessible by the user and a tamper-resistant area inaccessible to the user are both included in one recording medium. Confidential information stored in the tamper-resistant area can be accessed only when authentication is confirmed through an authentication process with a device capable of manipulating the recording medium, thereby enabling management of the confidential information. The management area 1201 in FIG. 30 corresponds to a tamper-resistant area, and the data recording area 1202 corresponds to a general area.

In the recording and reproducing apparatus 1100 shown in FIG. 29, when the detachable recording medium 1102 is different from that shown in FIGS. 30 and 24, for example, the management information and program information shown in FIG. 21 may be illegally tampered with. , or a recording medium that cannot be controlled by copying (a recording medium that can cope with copying control, but is not recognized in standards, etc.), when recording data from the input terminal 151 When digital data is input, the control unit 161 records the copy generation management information as No-more-copies and the copyable number information as 0 in the copy control information processing unit 203 .

When copying or moving the digital data recorded on the recording medium 155 to this non-secure recording medium (recording medium 1102), control is performed as follows. For example, when the digital data whose copy number information (copy allowable number information) recorded in the recording medium 155 is a positive number is recorded on the detachable recording medium 1102, the decoding unit 209 of the recording playback control unit 154 Deciphering, for example, for the copy control generation management information in the copy control information processing part 203, make it No-more-copies unchanged, make the number of copyable information be 0 times, encrypt in the encryption part 204 and then output to the available The recording medium 1102 is loaded and unloaded. The control unit 161 transmits information necessary for generating an arbitrary key to the encryption unit 204, and the encryption unit 204 generates key data, and the recording control unit 205 records the data in the management area 1201 by using a command for writing to the management area. The key data. When copying, 1 is subtracted from the copyable number information of the digital data recorded on the recording medium 155 and updated. Copying cannot be performed when the copyable count is 0. When moving, the digital data recorded in the recording medium 155 is deleted. In this way, copyright protection can be realized also for a recording medium that cannot be copied and managed.

On the other hand, the detachable recording medium 1102 has, for example, the data structure shown in FIG. 29 and FIG. 24, and the copy control information is recorded and managed in a management area that cannot be accessed by the user, so that the management shown in FIG. 21 There is little possibility that information, etc. will be tampered with illegally, and/or, when it is a recording medium that can cope with copy control (for example, a recording medium certified by a standard), it is possible to carry out and The recording medium 155 built in the recording and reproducing apparatus 1100 is subject to the same copy control (including copy generation management).

For example, when the digital data broadcast in Copy-one-generation, changed to No-more-copies, and recorded in the recording medium 155 is transferred to the secure recording medium (recording medium 1102), the recording/playback control unit 154 The copy generation management information is kept unchanged as No-more-copies, and the copyable number information (allowable copy number information) is kept as a positive number for recording. By employing such a configuration and control, even digital data recorded on the detachable recording medium 1102 can be protected, and the usability of the user close to the built-in recording medium can be improved.

In addition, when copying the digital data recorded in the recording medium 155 to the secure recording medium (recording medium 1102), the copy generation management information is kept as No-more-copies in the recording and reproduction control unit 154, and it is unchanged for copying The number information (permissible copy number information) is set to 0 and recorded.

In addition, when copying to a secure recording medium, the number of copies that can be copied may be reduced and recording may be performed with a positive number other than zero. Conversely, when moving to a secure recording medium, the copyable number information may be set to 0 and recorded.

In addition, in the recording/reproducing device 1100 , either a secure recording medium or a non-secure recording medium can be mounted in the slot 1101 . In this case, the control unit 161 checks whether the management area 1201 exists, whether authentication specified by standards, etc. recording medium. Then, based on this identification, the copy generation management information and copyable number information are recorded separately at the time of recording. In this way, even if the user owns both the secure recording medium and the non-secure recording medium, copyright protection and usability improvement can be simultaneously realized for the recording medium.

For example, FIG. 31 is an example of a screen showing a list of data recorded on a removable recording medium 1102 in the recording and reproducing device 1100 . In FIG. 31( a ), 1301 is a display screen. 1302 is a mark for selecting and displaying recorded data of the recording medium 155 , and 1303 is a mark for selecting and displaying recorded data of the removable recording medium 1102 . The user exclusively switches to the flag of 1302 through a prescribed operation. 1304 indicates, for example, classification of digital data such as file names. At 1305 , a list of data corresponding to the classification specified at 1304 among the digital data recorded on the recording medium specified at 1302 or 1303 is displayed. For example, if the user selects "All" in the category of 1304 through a prescribed operation, then in 1305, the data recorded in the above-mentioned recording medium will be sequentially displayed. If "folder 1" is specified, only the files classified by the user in advance will be displayed Folder data. In FIG. 31( b ), instead of displaying classifications based on folder names at 1304 , classifications based on copy generation management information are displayed at 1306 . At this time, at 1305, the data corresponding to the copy generation management information specified at 1306 is displayed in a list. For example, if the user selects "reproducible" in the category of 1306 through the specified operation, only data whose copy generation management information is Copy-free will be displayed in 1305. generation), then in step 1305, display the copy-one-generation data whose generation management information is Copy-one-generation. At this time, it can also be that the data whose copy generation management information is No-more-copies and the number of copies that can be copied is a positive number is displayed in the category of "can be copied once", and the copy generation management information is Copy-one-generation and can be copied. Data whose number of copies is 0 is displayed in the category of "prohibited from copying". In addition, when displaying, information on the number of possible copies of each data may be displayed together with the data name.

By the user's predetermined operation using the remote control or the user's predetermined operation using the operation part 160, the control part 161 uses the folder structure shown in FIG. 31 (a) to display and use the folder structure shown in FIG. Toggles the display of each category of replication control information.

Through the above processing, and by displaying the digital data when a plurality of copy control information is mixed with the detachable recording medium, it is possible to easily grasp the digital data that can cope with the copy control information, so the user's usability can be improved. convenience.

In addition, although the secure recording medium and the non-secure recording medium are not particularly distinguished in FIG. 31 , they may be distinguished and displayed. For example, a mark of a security recording medium or a non-secure recording medium may be provided on a mark in the same row as the mark 1302 or on a mark above or below it. Alternatively, a distinction between a secure recording medium and a non-secure recording medium may be displayed on the title of the digital data. In addition, folders, directories, and marks may be displayed for each recording medium, and whether the recording medium is a secure recording medium or a non-secure recording medium may be distinguished and displayed.

In addition, the list displayed at 1305 may be a thumbnail display as shown at 403 in FIG. 4 .

(receiving device(4))

FIG. 32 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the recording and reproducing device 1400 . 1402 is a digital interface, which encrypts and outputs digital data. 1403 is an output terminal, which is connected to, for example, a different recording and reproducing device or a network. 1401 is a control detection unit that detects copy control information of digital data.

When outputting from these interface 1402 and output terminal 1403, control is performed in the same manner as described in FIG. 29 as the case of copying or moving to a removable recording medium.

For example, consider a case where the digital data recorded on the recording medium 155 and whose copy generation control information is Copy-one-generation is moved through the interface 1402 and the output terminal 1403 .

For example, during migration to a secure recording medium, the copy control information is output while maintaining the copy-one-generation status and the copyable number as a positive number. On the other hand, during migration to a non-secure recording medium, the state of the copy control information is kept as No-more-copies (if it can cope with copy generation control, it can also be Copy-one-generation), and the number of copies that can be made is 0 for output.

In addition, in this configuration, digital data can be output from the output terminal 1403 and streamed on an external display device or recording device. In this case, the control unit 161 controls the detection unit 1401 to output the copy control information at the time of output as No-more-copies.

According to the above embodiments, it is possible to flexibly cope with copyright protection by separately using the copy control information for output depending on the output method of the recording/reproducing apparatus 1400 .

Claims (10)

1. A control method, which is a control method for receiving digital content and copy control information of the digital content, and recording the digital content into a receiving device of a recording medium according to the copy control information, characterized in that: When the received copy control information indicates copy generation information that allows copying of one generation, and the recording medium is not compatible with management of a limit on the number of copies, copying of the digital content is prohibited. and record, In the case where the received copy control information indicates copy generation information that allows one generation of copying, and the recording medium is a recording medium corresponding to the management of copy number limitation, it is judged whether the received copy control information indicates that it is possible performing multiple copies, when the received copy control information indicates that multiple copies cannot be performed, making the copying of the digital content prohibited and recording, when the received copy control information indicates that multiple copies are possible , making the digital content copyable up to a predetermined copyable number, and recording the digital content. 2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the received copy control information indicates that N copies can be made as the predetermined copyable number, when the digital content is copied from the recording medium corresponding to the management of the limit of the number of copies to another recording medium , when the copy process is interrupted before the end of the copy process, the digital content of the recording medium corresponding to the management of the limit of the number of copies will be updated to allow N-1 copies, and the digital content copied to other recording media Content erased. 3. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the received copy control information indicates that multiple copies cannot be performed, or when the received copy control information indicates that multiple copies can be performed but the number of copies is 0, when the slave and the copy When the recording medium corresponding to the management of the number limit copies the digital content to another recording medium, and when the migration process is interrupted before the migration process is completed, the part of the digital content that has been moved to the other recording medium is saved, and the A portion of the recording medium corresponding to the management of the limit on the number of copies stores the digital content that has not been moved to another recording medium. 4. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the recording medium is a removable recording medium, it is determined that the recording medium does not correspond to the management of the limit on the number of copies, When the recording medium is a built-in recording medium in which digital content is locally encrypted and recorded, it is determined to be a recording medium corresponding to the management of the limit on the number of copies. 5. The control method according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the received copy control information indicates that N copies can be made as the predetermined copyable number, when the digital content is copied from the built-in recording medium to another recording medium, before the copy process ends When the copy process is interrupted, the digital content of the built-in recording medium is updated so that N-1 copies can be performed, and the digital content copied to other recording media is deleted. 6. The control method according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the received copy control information indicates that a plurality of copies cannot be performed, or when the received copy control information indicates that a plurality of copies can be performed but the number of copies that can be copied is 0, when the When the digital content is copied from the medium to another recording medium, and the migration process is interrupted before the migration process is completed, the part of the digital content that has been moved to the other recording medium is saved, and the unused part is saved in the built-in recording medium. Portions of digital content moved to other recording media. 7. A control method, which is a control method of a receiving device that receives digital content and multiple copy control information that controls the copying of the digital content, and records the digital content to a recording medium according to the copy control information, It is characterized by: When the first information in the received copy control information indicates copy generation information that allows one generation of copying, and the second information in the received copy control information indicates that copying with a limited number of copies is allowed , the digital content can be made into a state that can be copied up to the number, and the digital content can be recorded, When the first information in the received copy control information indicates copy generation information that allows one generation of copying, and the second information in the received copy control information does not indicate that the number-limited copying can be performed, the number Copying of content is prohibited and only one recording is possible. 8. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: When there are multiple recording media, When the first information indicates copy generation information that allows copying of one generation, and the second information indicates that number-limited copying that allows multi-number copying is possible, for each of the plurality of recording media The total number of copyable contents of content is managed based on the allowable plural number. 9. The control method according to claim 8, characterized in that: When there are multiple recording media, If it is not indicated that the number-limited copying is possible, subsequent copying of the digital content is prohibited and recording is enabled. 10. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: Even in the case of number-limited copying indicating that a predetermined number of copies is allowed, when digital content is recorded to a removable recording medium, subsequent copying is prohibited and recorded.

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