FR2908215A1 - SYSTEM FOR MANAGING RENTAL ACCESS BY A USER TO AUDIOPHONIC OR AUDIOVISUAL WORK - Google Patents

Abstract

This system for managing rental access by a user to an audio or audiovisual work is characterized in that it comprises: means (7, 8, 9) for writing to a digital user storage medium (10 ), a copy of the work in the form of a computer file and traceability information thereof - means (7) for retrieving this traceability and erasure information from the copy of the document work on the support (10) after passing through means (11) for access to it by the user; and- means (14) for comparative analysis of the written and retrieved traceability information in order to control the rental access to the work.

Description

The present invention relates to a rental access management system

  by a user to an audiophonic or audiovisual work. The rental services of audio or audiovisual works are now implemented from rental shops or rental terminals, in which users can select and rent for example a film. The user then selects the movie he wants to rent and in return, for example, a cassette or a DVD containing this film. After viewing the film, the user must then bring the cassette or DVD back to the store or terminal. However, it is conceivable that these rental services have a number of disadvantages, particularly in terms of their implementation. Indeed, it is first necessary to ensure the maintenance of 15 stores and / or distribution terminals. Furthermore, the supply of these stores or terminals in sufficient number of cassettes or DVDs also poses a number of problems and a user is not certain to obtain the work he wants to rent because of the limited number of media available in such a store or terminal.

The object of the invention is therefore to solve these problems. For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a system for managing rental access by a user to an audiophonic or audiovisual work, characterized in that it comprises: writing means on a digital storage medium 25; user, a copy of the work in the form of a computer file and traceability information thereof; means for retrieving this traceability and erasure information from the copy of the work on the medium after passing through means of access to it by the user; and 30 - means of comparative analysis of the traceability information written and retrieved in order to control the rental access to the work. According to other features of the invention: the writing means and the retrieval and erasing means are associated with means for forming a work rental server integrated into a rental center and comprising means for storage of a catalog of works and means for selecting one or more works by the user; - The center is integrated in a network of rental centers connected to the means of dissemination of works through an information transmission network; the means for broadcasting the works comprise a database for storing a catalog of works, means for encrypting these works using an encryption / decryption key provided at least in part by a server of keys, and the means of access to the work by the user include means for decrypting the works using at least a portion of encryption key / decryption of the work delivered by a key server; - The access means to the work comprise means for storing at least one other part of the encryption / decryption key; the center is adapted to write at least another part of the encryption / decryption key on the digital storage medium; the digital user storage medium is in the form of a rewritable digital disk; the digital storage medium is in the form of a rewritable semiconductor memory; and the digital user storage medium and the work access means are combined in one and the same apparatus. The invention will be better understood on reading the description which will follow, given solely by way of example, and with reference to the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1 represents a block diagram illustrating the structure and operation of a management system according to the invention; - Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the structure and operation of a storage medium used in the constitution of such a system.

2908215 3 It has indeed illustrated in Figure 1, a rental access management system by a user to a work audiophonic or audiovisual. In fact, in the remainder of the description, an exemplary embodiment more specifically related to an audiovisual work, such as for example a film, will be described. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in this FIG. 1, various audiovisual works, such as for example films, are stored in a database containing a catalog of works.

This database is designated by the general reference 1 in this figure. These works are for example provided by studios or others. In fact, this database is integrated into the dissemination means of this catalog of works, designated by the general reference 2 of this figure, which also include encryption means 3 of the works using for example keys encryption / decryption issued by a key server designated by the general reference 4. The encrypted works are then transmitted to a broadcast server of this catalog of works designated by the general reference 5.

In fact, this broadcast server 5 is for example connected to an information transmission network, designated by the general reference 6, for broadcasting this catalog of works to different rental centers designated by the general references 7, 8 and 9 in this figure. Different embodiments of this network can be envisaged in a conventional manner. These rental centers are for example in the form of rental terminals or rental points integrated in stores or other, distributed for example in a given territory. In fact, each rental center includes storage means of the catalog distributed in order to put the corresponding works in lease for the public.

2908215 4 This rental is then via a nomadic digital storage user support, designated by the general reference 10 in Figure 1. This user digital storage media can for example be present 5 in the form of a rewritable digital disk or a rewritable semiconductor memory or any other digital storage medium, on which information can be written and erased. For example, a key type support USE3 may be considered.

A user who wishes to rent for example a film, then connects the user digital storage medium for example 10, in the center for example 7. In a conventional manner, he selects the work or works he wants to rent and triggers the writing on the storage medium 10 a copy of the selected work or works, in the form of a computer file, and traceability information thereof and which may contain for example DRM information ( Digital Rights Management), in a conventional manner, for example allowing control of the conditions of access to the work and in particular the time during which the copy of the work is made available to the user. . Thus, for example, this information makes it possible to define, in a conventional manner, a limited time for making the copy of the work available to the user. This traceability information may be of any suitable format to ensure traceability of the renting and reading operation of the work. According to a particular embodiment, part of the encryption / decryption key can also be written by the center 7 in the digital storage medium 10. The user then has a digital storage medium 30 on which is stored a file of the work he rented. He can then transport this storage medium at home and connect it to means of access to this work, constituted for example by an appropriate reader designated by the general reference 11, connected to the reproduction means of the work such as for example, a television or monitor designated by the general reference 12. The reader 11 is in fact based on the use of an information processing unit making it possible to decrypt the computer file of the work stored on the medium For this purpose, it will be noted that this reader may be required to use, to decrypt this file, a part of key directly stored in this reader, associated or not with another key part stored on the digital storage medium. 10 by the center 7 and possibly another portion of key again, recovered through for example an information transmission network 13 from the server of keys 4 described previously. Of course other embodiments can be envisaged.

Thus for example an apparatus combining the functions of storage, reading and / or reproduction can be envisaged. Once the film has been read and possibly after modification of information stored on the digital storage medium 10 by the reader 11, to indicate that the user has read this medium, the user can then use this support to go to rent another film from the center 7. For this purpose, during a new passage in the center, it connects again the user digital storage medium 10 to this host 7.

The host 7 is then adapted to detect that the film has been read and to retrieve the corresponding traceability information written on the medium 10 during the first pass of the user and to erase the copy of the work on this medium. . The support is then ready for a new lease operation.

Each center, such as, for example, the center 7, is also associated with means for analyzing the rental access to the works. These means are designated by the general reference 14 in this figure and in fact comprise an information processing unit which collects the traceability information written on the digital user media during the user's first pass through the user. center during the selection of the film and which retrieves this traceability information during the second passage of the user in the center, after the user has accessed the work, in order to establish comparative analysis information information traceability written and retrieved. This then makes it possible to control the rental access to the work by allowing a comparison of the traceability information written during the loading of the film on the support and retrieved before the deletion of the work thereof, indicating that the copy of the work has been returned or returned. This secure management system enables the operator implementing the rental network to guarantee to the managers of the works that they have been distributed and retrieved from the public 15 as part of a Vocation operation in the the rental center is adapted to write and erase on the medium, a copy of the work in the form of a computer file and to ensure that these writing and erasing operations have been carried out, thanks to the Traceability information written and retrieved.

FIG. 2 illustrates the various exchanges between a rental center such as the center 7 and a digital user storage medium such as the support 10. In fact, the center is equipped for example with a unit information processing system designated by the general reference 15 in this figure, associated for example with storage means of the catalog of works rented, designated by the general reference 16, and storage means or generation 17 for example traceability information of the work and possibly at least part of the encryption / decryption key of the corresponding file.

When connecting the support 10 to the information processing unit 15, man / machine interface means designated by the general reference 18 allow the user to select in the catalog 16, the work or works that he wants to rent.

Once this operation has been performed, the information processing unit 15 triggers the writing on the digital storage medium 10 of a copy of the selected work in the form of a computer file, for example encrypted, and traceability information thereof, as illustrated by arrows 19 and 20 in this figure. Part of the encryption / decryption key may also be written on the medium for example as shown in 21. The user can then recover the support 10 to bring it home and watch for example the film.

During a subsequent passage of the user in the center, when he reconnects the support 10 to the information processing unit 15, the latter retrieves the traceability information written during the previous passage, such as this is illustrated by the arrow 22, and triggers the deletion of the file of the work, as illustrated by the arrow 23.

Thus, it is possible to recover from the information processing unit 15 the written traceability information and the traceability information retrieved, which makes it possible by comparison to guarantee the rental operation and that the file of the work has been erased. FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram illustrating the operation of the access means to the work by the user. In this figure, the reader 11 and the storage medium 10 are recognized. The reader may be associated with means for storing part of the encryption / decryption key, these storage means being designated by the reference 24 in this figure. The reader can also be connected to the information transmission network 13 to retrieve another part of the key from the key server 4, as described above. In addition, the reader 11 is adapted to retrieve if necessary another portion of encryption / decryption key written by the center 7 in the storage medium 10, as illustrated by the arrow 25 in this figure.

With this information, the reader is then able to decrypt the computer file of the work, as illustrated by the arrow 26. After the user access operation to this work, the reader can also be adapted to write in the support 10 information i reading confirmation or to modify information already stored in it, which indicates that the work has been read. This operation is indicated by the arrow 27 in this FIG. 3. This information will then be used by the center 7 to find that the work has been read, to trigger its erasure and to establish the corresponding comparative information. Of course, other embodiments may be envisaged. It is understood that this system makes it possible to solve the maintenance and supply problems mentioned in connection with the state of the art.

Claims (9)

  1.- Management system for rental access by a user to a sound or audiovisual work, characterized in that it comprises: - means (7, 8, 9) for writing to a user digital storage medium ( 10), a copy of the work in the form of a computer file and traceability information thereof; means (7) for retrieving this traceability and deletion information from the copy of the work on the medium (10) after passing through means (11) for access to it by the user; and means (14) for comparative analysis of the written and retrieved traceability information in order to control the rental access to the work.   2. Management system according to claim 1, characterized in that the writing means and the retrieval and erasing means are associated with means for forming a work rental server (15, 16) integrated in a center. (7) rental and comprising storage means (16) of a catalog of works and means (18) of selection of one or more works by the user.   3. Management system according to claim 2, characterized in that the center (7) is integrated in a network of rental centers (7, 8, 9) connected to means (2) for broadcasting works through a network. information transmission network (6).   4. Management system according to claim 3, characterized in that the means (2) for broadcasting the works comprise a database (1) for storing a catalog of works, means (3) for encrypting these works using a key provided at least in part by a key server (4), and in that the means of access (11) to the work by the user include decryption means ( 11) works using at least a portion of the encryption / decryption key of the work delivered by a key server (4). 2908215 10   5. Management system according to claim 4, characterized in that the access means to the work (11) comprise means (24) for storing at least one other part of the encryption / decryption key. 5   6. Management system according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the center (7) is adapted to write at least another part of the encryption / decryption key on the digital storage medium (10).   7. Management system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the digital user storage medium (10) is in the form of a rewritable digital disk.   8. Management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the digital storage medium (10) is in the form of a rewritable semiconductor memory.   9. Management system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the user digital storage medium (10) and the access means to the work (11, 12) are combined in a single and same device.