FR2749683A1 - Information storage and supply arrangement for communication network - Google Patents

Abstract

The arrangement uses CD-ROM storage to provide access to large quantities of data which can be reproduced at high speed e.g. video images and audio information. The information is encrypted to control access. Decryption of the information requires that the controller (5) receives a suitable signal from an external information server (8) which will be controlled by the information provider. The information on the CD-ROM is accessible only after payment of a fee to the provider. The decrypted information is then delivered to a computer for presentation in the normal way.

Description

COMPONENT OF AN INFORMATION MEDIUM AND A
MEDIA CONSULTATION DEVICE
In terms of communication, the general public can have access to mass information, in an ordinary way, on the radio, in newspapers or magazines, etc., but also on communications networks, such as the network. Internet, or using material information carriers, a non-writable compact disk (CD-ROM) for example. The information available on the network or on CD-ROM is generally in the form of data usable using a computer or other consultation terminal.

 A user of this type of information means can in particular obtain, commercially, a CD-ROM containing information intended to be transmitted to him generally in the form of animated and sound images, and stored in the form of accessible and usable data. by a computer. The CD-ROM has the advantage of being able to contain a very large volume of data and to be consulted freely, as often as desired. On the other hand, its acquisition is necessarily accompanied by the granting of a license for permanent use, the cost of which considerably increases the purchase price.

 The user can also connect the computer to a communications network, of the Internet type, to which a plurality of information servers is connected. The information available on the Internet is universal, and the user can access it after downloading information in the form of data between one of the servers and the computer. Data can be saved by computer to memory for future reference. The user only pays here the cost of communication with the server, especially when downloading.

 The infrastructure of such a communications network, including in particular the switched telephone communication network, imposes a low speed for downloading the data carrying the information. In fact, the transfer over the network of moving images, requiring a considerable volume of data and consequently, an excessive communication time, proves to be practically impossible. In short, access to information on the network is universal, economical but limited to still images.

 Another means of information concerns pay television.

In this case, a television channel offers a plurality of information programs broadcast in real time, in the form of encrypted data, at high transmission speed, and over determined time slots. After transmission of a key between the television channel and a user decoder via the network, the user can choose to watch or record one of the programs currently being broadcast, and not pay, in certain cases , that depending on what he looks at. Such a system is certainly high-speed and economical, but offers only a limited choice of information accessible at a given time, the only information available being that being broadcast on one or other of the television channels. .

 Ultimately, the means of information of the prior art have both advantages and disadvantages.

 The present invention proposes to combine the advantages, without the disadvantages, of the prior art.

 To this end, the invention relates to a set of an information medium and a device for consulting the medium comprising means for accessing the information contained in the medium and means for connecting with an information server, characterized by the fact that the support contains information that is a priori inaccessible, and the consultation device includes means for making the information of the support accessible under the control of the server.

 Thanks to the invention, a user can acquire information using a medium, a CD-ROM for example, by paying only for a user license granted temporarily by the server.

 In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the medium contains information in the form of encrypted data, and the server is arranged to transmit a decryption key to the consultation device.

 Thanks to the key, the user has access to the support information.

 More preferably, the consultation device comprises memory means comprising a sealed memory intended to contain the decryption key.

 Thanks to this, the key is inaccessible, especially to the user, and the server can alone authorize its use.

 The memory means can also be arranged to erase the memory in order to limit access to information.

 The invention will be better understood using the following description of a preferred embodiment of the assembly of the invention, with reference to the single figure in which a functional block diagram of the preferred embodiment is represented. of the set, as well as an information server.

 The information medium 1, in this case a non-writable compact memory disk (CD-ROM), integrates a memory containing information in the form of data, for example a guitar lesson in animated and sound images.

 The stored data is encrypted, and needs to be decrypted in order to be accessible in clear.

The consultation device 2, here a computer includes:
a user-computer interface 3 here comprising a display screen, an input keyboard, and a loudspeaker;
a CD-ROM-computer interface 4, in this case a CD-ROM drive, containing a housing for receiving the CD-ROM 1 and a read head for the CD-ROM 1; and
a line interface 6, in this case a modem, for connecting the computer 2 to a communications network 7.

 The computer 2 also incorporates a control block 5, here a microprocessor capable of managing data, receiving instructions, and executing commands or programs, as well as a sealed memory 9 the content of which cannot be read. by the user, and intended to contain a data decryption key.

 The microprocessor 5 is connected to the user interfaces computer 3, CD-ROM - computer 4 and line 6, as well as to the memory 9, itself connected to the modem 6.

A consultation software is loaded into the microprocessor 5, and includes:
- a decryption program intended to make the data on the CD-ROM accessible and usable using the decryption key; and
a program which can erase the contents of the sealed memory 9 in order to secure access thereto.

 In order to consult the CD-ROM, to follow the guitar lesson still by way of example, the user introduces the CD-ROM into the receiving slot of the CD-ROM - computer 4 interface, and connects his computer to the network 7 to which an information server 8 is also connected.

 The microprocessor 5 can then address the server 8 for downloading the decryption key transmitted from the server 8 to the computer 2, via the network 7. The server 8 also transmits to the computer 2, instructions for limiting the use of the key by commanding the microprocessor 5 to execute the program for erasing the decryption key from the memory 9, beyond a period of use of the authorized key by the server 8.

 Using the decryption key, received via the modem 6 and stored in the memory 9, the microprocessor 5 can command the execution of the decryption program to decrypt the data from the CD-ROM read by the reader 4. The user can then start broadcasting the guitar lesson to the CD-ROM computer 3 interface.

 Regarding the erasure of the key, it could also be ordered after a limited number of visits to the CD-ROM.

 It could also be envisaged that the server transmits the instructions aimed at erasing the key from memory 9, not during the downloading of the key, but after the duration of consultation or the number of authorized consultations.

 In another embodiment of the invention, the consultation device is a decoder provided with a connector for connection to a television or to an ordinary computer, structurally similar to the consultation device described above, but not comprising a screen display, or speaker.

 The operation of the decoder is identical to that described above, the television or the computer used to broadcast the information.

Claims (4)

 1 - assembly of an information carrier (1) and of a device (2) for consulting the carrier (1) comprising means (3, 4, 5, 9) for accessing the information contained in the carrier and means (6) for connection with an information server (8), characterized in that the support (1) contains a priori inaccessible information, and the consultation device (2) comprises means (5, 9) to make the information of the support (1) accessible under the control of the server (8).  2 - assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support (1) contains information in the form of encrypted data, and the server (8) is arranged to transmit a decryption key to the consultation device (2).  3 - assembly according to claim 2, wherein the consultation device (2) comprises memory means (5, 9) comprising a memory (9) sealed intended to contain the decryption key.  4 - assembly according to claim 3, wherein the memory means (5, 9) are arranged to erase the memory (9), in order to limit access to information.