JP2000155734A - Approval method and information recording medium using the use approval method, and information transmission and/or reception method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently and speedily reuse information which was used before. SOLUTION: This approval method for using information 17 having use conditions set optionally when content information 23 is used and approval information 21 regarding charging based upon the use conditions updates only the use conditions 27 and/or approval information 21 when the use of the content information 23 is approved and the use conditions expire or the content information 23 is reused under different use conditions.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for licensing information when using the information, an information recording medium using the method, a method for transmitting and / or receiving information, and an apparatus for transmitting and / or receiving information. It is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various information (hereinafter, referred to as content data) has been distributed due to the development of the so-called multimedia industry. These content data are transmitted, for example, by wireless communication such as a communication satellite, CATV (Cable)
The information is distributed by an information distribution service (hereinafter, referred to as a service) using wired communication such as a television or the Internet. One example of this service is EMD (Electric) that distributes electronic music information.
Music Distribution) and the like. In this service, a predetermined charge is made in accordance with the content data distributed by a predetermined charging system, and the content data and its associated permission information (for example, the number of views / pay per view, the number of copies / pay per copy) and the like. Is distributed together with the content data. In a conventional service, content data is transmitted in a predetermined format to a receiving user (hereinafter simply referred to as a user).

In a conventional charging system, charging information is presented based on usage conditions such as a viewing period of the content data, the number of times of viewing, whether or not copying is possible, or a limitation on the number of times of copying. In a conventional charging system, if the user approves the charging information based on the usage conditions, the license information and the content data are distributed (hereinafter, also referred to as download) to the user.

[0004]

However, at the time of this download, the user thinks that it is enough to watch once, but there is a case where the user wants to view the content again later. In this case, in the conventional information transmission and / or reception method, the license information and the content data are newly downloaded. At this time, in the billing system, there is a case where only the difference needs to be paid in addition to a case where the entire amount has to be paid. On the other hand, the content data is always downloaded again. Therefore, re-downloading just because the license information is different even though the content data is the same is a heavy burden in a system handling a large amount of content, for example, and efficient content data distribution is required. could not.

Accordingly, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and enables a user to use content information that has been used once again efficiently and quickly, and an information recording medium using the method. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information transmission and / or reception method and an information transmission and / or reception device.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided an information processing system comprising: a use condition which is arbitrarily set when using content information; and information having permission information regarding charging based on the use condition. A method for licensing the content information after the expiration of the use condition or when reusing the content information under a different use condition. And / or a license method that updates only the license information.

[0007] According to the above configuration, the permission information when using the content information is information on the use condition of the content information and the charging based on the use condition. If you have previously received a license to use the content information under arbitrarily set usage conditions or charging under the usage conditions, and you want to use the content information again after the usage conditions expire or under different usage conditions In, only the usage conditions and / or the license information are updated. Therefore, if the use permission of the content information has been obtained in the past under the use condition of the content information or the charging under the use condition, and the use condition has expired or the content information is used again under a different use condition, Can be used without acquiring the content information again.

[0008]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are preferred specific examples of the present invention,
Although various technically preferable limits are given, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these modes unless otherwise specified in the following description.

[0009] In the following description, a “user who reuses” means a person who has used content data for which usage conditions have been set in the past at least once. Indicates a person who wishes to change and use it halfway. "Content" refers to the content of information to be distributed (audio information, video information, game information, book information, or a combination thereof, such as music information, image information, game software, electronic book information, or any one of them). Combination), and “content data (information)” refers to data of content to be distributed.
In the following description, “transmission and / or reception” of information is also referred to as “transmission / reception”. Therefore, the preferred embodiment of the present invention can be applied not only to transmission and reception but also to transmission or reception only.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information transmitting / receiving apparatus 1 in which a usage licensing method as a preferred embodiment of the present invention is applied to an information transmitting and / or receiving method. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a data format of transmission data 17 transmitted by the information transmitting / receiving device 1 of FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another configuration example of the data format of the use condition information 27 of the transmission data 17 in FIG. The information transmission / reception device 1 is an information distribution system (information transmission system) such as an electronic music distribution service. For example, the information transmission device 9 and the license / billing information management device 13
(Hereinafter, abbreviated as billing system 13), user 5 having information receiving device 11, communication satellite 15, and communication medium 19. Note that the billing system 13 may be configured to perform communication with the information transmitting device 9 without being included in the content provider 3.

The information transmitting device 9 distributes transmission data 17 (information) in which predetermined information described below, including so-called content such as music, for example, is converted to data, to the user 5 via, for example, a communication satellite 15 described later. It is a device for performing. Transmission data 17 transmitted by the information transmission device 9 is charged by a charging system 13 described later.

The data format of the transmission data 17 is as follows:
For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, the license information includes a license information header 21a, license information 21 having billing information 22, a content data header 23a, and content data 23. The permission information header 21a is header data for controlling the permission information 21. The data format of the license information 21 is
As shown in FIG. 2B, the content data ID (IDent
information 25, usage condition information 27, and an error correction code 29. Content data ID 25
Is an identifier of the content data 23, for example, identification data determined so as not to be duplicated in all the content data. Content data ID 25
If the content is music information, for example, an international standard identification code (ISRC) (International S
Standard Recording Code) or the like may be used.

The use condition information 27 stores, for example, information on use conditions that can be arbitrarily selected by the user 5 when using the content data 23. This usage condition information 2
7 is, for example, viewing restriction information 27a, viewing frequency information 27b, viewing expiration information 27c, and viewing period information 27 as shown in FIG.
d, copy information 27e, number of copies 27f, copy expiration information 27g, and copy period information 27h can be arbitrarily combined and selected.

In addition, the viewing expiration information 27c in FIG.
The viewing period information 27d can be used any number of times during the set period, or the set number of times can be used only during this period. The copy information 27e indicates, for example, “1” indicates that copying is possible and “0” indicates that copying is not possible. The copy frequency 27f is, for example, a counter for recording the number of copies. The copy expiration date information 27g indicates, for example, a copy expiration date. The copy period information 27h indicates, for example, a copy available period.

In FIG. 2, as the usage condition information 27, the user 5 sets, for example, viewing restriction information 27a, viewing frequency information 27b, copy information 27e, and copy frequency information 27f. The viewing restriction information 27a indicates, for example, “1” when viewing is possible and “0” when viewing is not possible (for example, purchase only). The number-of-viewings information 27b indicates, for example, the number of times the viewer can view. The copy information 27e indicates, for example, “1” when copying is possible and “0” when copying is not possible. The copy count information 27f indicates, for example, the number of copies that can be made. The error correction code 29 is a code for correcting an error in the data of the license information 21. The error correction code 29 is, for example, a BCH (Bose-Choundhuri-BCH) as a type of error correction code that divides the transmission data 17 into fixed lengths and adds a parity bit, which is a redundant bit.
(Hocqueng Code) code.

The billing information 22 includes the transmitted transmission data 1
7 is data for charging the user 5 based on the usage condition information 27 of FIG. The billing information 22 is created by the billing system 13. As an example of the billing amount of the billing information 22, for example, each usage condition information 27 as shown in FIG.
Is determined to correspond to the charge amount. Therefore, when the user 5 receives the transmission data 17, a charge as shown in FIG. 3, for example, is made.

For example, when the user 5 wants to use the content data 23 again only for the first download, only the difference amount is calculated based on the use condition specified at that time. You will be charged.
Here, when the user 5 tries to use the content data 23 again, the information transmitting / receiving device 1 does not transmit the content data 23 to the user 5 again,
By updating only the usage condition information 27 and / or the permission information 21 held together with the content data 23,
The user 5 can use the content data 23.

By doing so, the information transmitting / receiving device 1
Does not need to transmit the content data 23 to the user 5 again when the user 5 wants to use the content data 23 again, so that the user 5 does not need the time required for re-downloading and can use the content data 23 quickly. .

The content data header 23a is identification information indicating the beginning of the content data 23 and indicating the type and data length of the content data 23. The content data 23 is data as described above,
For example, data such as audio information and image information may be used.

The charging system 13 is a system for charging the content data 23 according to the usage conditions of the content data 23 used by the user. The billing system 13 transmits information on the billing based on the usage condition desired by the user 5 (billing information 22) to the user 5 in addition to the communication data 17. Further, for example, when receiving a request from the user 5 who reuses the content data 23 to want to use the content data 23 again, the billing system 13
Without transmitting the content data 23, for example, the license information 21
Only to the user 5.

The information receiving device 11 is a device for receiving the transmission data 17 transmitted by the information transmitting device 9 as shown in FIG. The information receiving device 11 transmits the transmission data 1
For example, predetermined software is provided for analyzing the information 7 and displaying billing information and usage conditions, and for separating and using the content data 23.

The communication satellite 15 is a communication satellite for relaying when transmitting the transmission data 17 transmitted from the information transmitting device 9 to the information receiving device 11. The communication satellite 15
Any communication medium that can relay the communication data 17 may be used, regardless of wireless communication or wired communication, as long as the communication medium can relay the communication data 17. The communication satellite 15 is, for example, a BS (Broadcasting Satellite).
e) and CS (Communication Satel)
lite) It is a communication satellite or the like for satellite broadcasting, and may be a terrestrial broadcasting communication facility, a predetermined communication cable or the Internet instead.

The communication medium 19 indicates a communication medium such as a telephone line, the Internet, or a combination thereof. The communication medium 19 is a communication medium for distributing a key or the like for decrypting the content data 23 between the charging system 13 and the information receiving apparatus 11 if the content data 23 is encrypted data.

The information transmitting / receiving apparatus 1 has the above-described configuration, and its operation will be described next with reference to FIGS. The user 5 is a person who wants to acquire the content data 23 held by the content service provider 3, for example, as shown in FIG. The user 5 requests the content service provider 3 to use the content data 23.
Make a request to As shown in FIG. 4, the information transmitting device 9 sends the user 5
Is presented with a usage fee (charge amount) under selectable usage conditions (step ST1). The user 5 selects a desired use condition (step ST2). Information transmission device 9
Transmits the transmission data 17 as shown in FIG. 2B to the user 5, assuming that the user 5 has selected the use condition information 27 as shown in FIG.
3).

Next, the content service provider 3
Is the accounting information 22 based on the usage conditions desired by the user 5.
Is transmitted to the charging center 4. The charging center 4 transmits, for example, a key for decrypting the encrypted content data 23 to the user 5 (step ST4). The user 5 can decrypt the content data 23 with the key. The user 5 pays the usage fee for the content data 23 to the charging center 4 (step ST5).

The user 5 has used the content data 23 of the use conditions described above within the range of the use conditions, and has expired the use conditions. In this state, although the user 5 cannot use the content data 23, the content data 23 exists at hand.

The user 5 later transmits the content data 2
I want to use 3 and the content service provider 3
Licensed for. The information transmitting device 9 transmits the communication data 1 having a data format, for example, as shown in FIG.
7 is transmitted to the user 5, and the usage condition information 27 and / or the license information 21 attached to the content data 23 held by the user 5 are updated (step ST6). Here, the above-described communication data 17 is not a data frame including the content data 23 as shown in FIG. 2A, but data obtained by removing the content data header 23a and the content data 23 from the communication data 17 of FIG. Frame.
Therefore, the data to be transmitted does not include the content data 23 and the like.

The user 5 pays an additional fee to the content service provider 3 (step ST7). Thus, the user 5 can use the content data 23 again.

It should be noted here that the content data 23 is not transmitted to the user 5. That is,
The information transmission device 9 transmits the transmission data 1 having a small data size.
7 need only be transmitted, and there is no need to transmit the content data 23 having a large data size.

The use conditions of the above-mentioned license information 21 can be updated not only when they expire, but also during use. More specifically, with reference to FIG. 5, the user 5 may use a usage condition (viewing restriction information 27a) as shown in FIG.
Once, viewing count information 27b10 times, copy information 27e
Is "1 (indicating that copying is permitted)" and the copy number information 27f
When the content data 23 is viewed five times and copied once, the viewing number information 2 shown in FIG.
7b is reduced to 5 times, and the copy number information 27f is reduced to 0 times. In this state, when the user 5 has the content service provider 3 transmit and receive the transmission data 17 as shown in FIG. 5C, the content data 23 at hand of the user 5 can be copied two more times. Become.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the license information 21 for using the content data 23 includes the use condition of the content data 23 and the information 22 about the charging based on the use condition as shown in FIG. The user has previously received a license to use the content data 23 under arbitrarily set use conditions or billing under the use conditions, and the content data 23 is expired after the use conditions expire or under different use conditions. When reusing, only the use condition information 27 and / or the license information 21 are updated. Therefore, the use permission of the content data 23 has been obtained in the past under the use condition of the content data 23 and the charging under the use condition, and the use condition is expired or the content data 23 is reused under a different use condition. In this case, the content data 23 can be used without acquiring it again. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user can efficiently and quickly use the content information that has been used once when he / she wants to use the content information again.

Application Example FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an information recording medium 50 using a license method as a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The information recording medium 50 includes, for example, a content information unit 52 (first storage unit) for recording content data on the information recording surface thereof and a license information unit 54 (first storage unit) in which license information relating to charging based on the usage conditions is stored. 2 storage means). An example of the information recording medium 50 is an MD (Mini Disc) or the like,
For example, it is a package medium for storing and selling contents such as music information. The content information section 52
For example, a read-only information storage unit. License information section 5
Reference numeral 4 denotes a rewritable information storage unit, for example.

The content data stored in the content information section 52 has an ID (IDe) for distinguishing each content data.
In the license information section 54, an identifier for each content is also provided. Therefore, the information recording medium 50 can manage the license information for each content. The information recording medium 50 stores, for example, predetermined content data. This content data is provided with permission information on billing and usage conditions at the time of use. An identifier is added to this permission information for each content data as described above. Note that, for reading and rewriting of these information (content data and permission information), for example, predetermined software or a reading and rewriting device is used.

The information recording medium 50 is configured as described above. Next, a method of licensing the information will be described. The user is a person who has acquired the information recording medium 50 in the past. The content information section 52 of the information recording medium 50 stores predetermined content data. The license information section 54 of the information recording medium 50 is loaded with license information relating to charging at the time of use and usage conditions (such as the above-described restrictions on the number of times of use). The user cannot use the content data by using the content data only when the use condition expires.

The user wants to use the content data stored in the information recording medium 50 again. For example, the user brings the information recording medium 50 to a predetermined institution or the like that grants a license (for example, the information recording medium 50 may be processed by remote processing, on the Internet, or the like) to have the license information updated. At this time, the content data stored in the content information section 52 of the information recording medium 50 is left as it is, and is not deleted. The above-mentioned update is, for example, updating the usage condition information and / or the license information of the license information unit 54 regarding the additional charge as a price in response to newly using the content data under a predetermined usage condition.

Updating of the above-mentioned permission information may be performed even when the user has not expired the use condition of the content data of the information recording medium 50.

According to such an information recording medium 50, the user can change the use condition after the use condition of the content data acquired in the past expires or when the use condition has not expired but change the use condition in the middle. If so, the information recording medium 5
The content data stored in the 0 content information section 52 can be used without obtaining it again. Therefore, the content data on the information recording medium 50 can be used by the user by resetting the usage conditions and the like any number of times.
In addition, according to the information recording medium 50, it is possible to reset important usage conditions and permission information as charging targets, so that efficient charging management can be performed.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The above-described information transmitting device 9, license / billing information management device 13, and information receiving device 11 can realize the above-described functions even if they are, for example, computers. The above-described information transmission / reception method and information transmission / reception device have been described on the assumption that communication data 17 is transmitted, but the present invention can be similarly applied to a case where data is uploaded from a predetermined terminal device. The above license method can be applied to not only a disc-shaped information recording medium but also an information recording medium for storing information. If the information recording medium 50 is, for example, a semiconductor storage element, the content information section 52 is, for example, R
OM (Read Only Memory) or the like, and the license information section 54 is, for example, a PROM (Programmab
le Read Only Memory) and RAM
(Random Access Memory) or the like.

[0039]

As described above, according to the present invention,
When it is desired to reuse the once used content information, a usage licensing method that can be used efficiently and quickly, an information recording medium using this usage licensing method, an information transmission and / or reception method, and an information transmission and / or reception method Alternatively, a receiving device can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information transmitting / receiving apparatus in which a usage licensing method as a preferred embodiment of the present invention is applied to an information transmitting and / or receiving method.

FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of a data format of transmission data transmitted by the information transmitting / receiving apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another configuration example of the data format of the use condition information of the transmission data of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an operation example of the information transmitting / receiving device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of use condition information of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an information recording medium to which a usage licensing method as a preferred embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Information transmission / reception apparatus (information transmission and / or reception apparatus), 5 ... User, 11 ... Information reception apparatus, 17
... transmission data (information), 21 ... permission information, 23
... content data, 25 ... content data ID (identifier), 27 ... usage condition information, 27a ...
· Viewing restriction information (usage condition), 27b ··· Viewing number information (usage condition), 27c ··· Viewing time limit information (usage condition), 27d ··· Viewing period information (usage condition), 27e
... copy information (use conditions), 27f ... number of copies (use conditions), 27g ... copy expiration information (use conditions), 27h ... copy period information (use conditions), 52
... Content information section (first storage means), 54 ...
Permission information section (second storage means)

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Masayuki Obata 6-7-35 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside Sony Corporation (72) Inventor Shuichi Ito 6-35, Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside Sony Corporation (72) Inventor Kazuko Sakurai 6-35 Kita Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo F-term inside Sony Corporation (reference) 5B089 GA01 GA21 JA07 JA09 JA10 JB22 KA06 KA15 KC29 KC60 LB26

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A usage licensing method for using information having usage conditions arbitrarily set when using content information and permission information related to charging based on the usage conditions. In the case where a license has been received and the content information is used again after the use condition expires or under a different use condition, only the use condition and / or the license information are updated. License method. 2. Content information to be transmitted and / or received,
Information transmission for transmitting and / or receiving information including a use condition arbitrarily set when using the content information and permission information regarding charging based on the use condition with an arbitrary destination. And / or a receiving method, wherein a license for the content information is received, and the content information is transmitted and / or received to the other party and the content information is reused after the use condition expires or under a different use condition. In such a case, an information transmission and / or reception method characterized by updating only the use condition and / or the license information and not transmitting and / or receiving the content information again. 3. The information transmission and / or reception method according to claim 2, wherein the content information, the use condition, and / or the license information are encrypted. 4. Content information to be transmitted and / or received,
Information transmission for transmitting and / or receiving information including a use condition arbitrarily set when using the content information and permission information regarding charging based on the use condition with an arbitrary destination. And / or a receiving device, which receives a license for the content information, and transmits and / or receives the content information to the other party, and re-uses the content information after expiration of the usage condition or under a different usage condition. In such a case, the information transmitting and / or receiving apparatus is characterized in that only the use condition and / or the license information is updated and the content information is not transmitted and / or received again. 5. An information recording medium having content information, usage conditions arbitrarily set when the content information is used, and permission information regarding charging based on the usage conditions, wherein the usage of the content information is controlled. If the license is received and the content information is reused after the use condition expires or under a different use condition, only the use condition and / or the license information are updated. recoding media. 6. The information recording medium according to claim 5, wherein the accounting process is performed when rewriting the use condition and / or the license information. 7. A first storage unit for storing the content information provided with an identifier for each of the content information; and a use condition and / or the license information provided with the identifier for each of the content information. The information recording medium according to claim 5, further comprising: a second storage unit that stores the information. 8. The information recording medium according to claim 5, wherein the content information is read-only.