JP2000293574A - Digital contents transmitting/receiving system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To guarantee rightful person's exercise of valid right concerned in digital contents. SOLUTION: Digital contents stored in a sales server 1a are ciphered contents ciphered by a contents producer's cipher key e.g. and in which charging information recording the charge of the contents and the payment destination of the charge is padded. In the case of copying read contents, contents reading software 13 included in a reading client 3a copies the ciphered contents in which the charging information is padded. Even at the time of receiving the copied ciphered contents in addition to the ciphered contents from the server 1a, the software 13 extracts the charging information and executes a settlement procedure for reading the contents. Then the software 13 requests the reading key for deciphering the contents to the server 1a, receives the reading key from the server 1a and deciphers the ciphered contents by using the received reading key.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for transmitting / receiving digital contents such as pictures and music through a network between a plurality of information processing apparatuses.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A method of selling digital contents (contents) such as pictures and music includes a method in which a right holder of the contents sells a recording medium such as a CD or an MO recording the contents, and a server which holds the contents. Is connected to a client of a user who has concluded a sales contract with the right holder through a network, and the client downloads the content.

[0003]

By the way, the content obtained by the above method can be copied,
In addition, since the charging information is not added to the content, there is a problem in that the copied content can be viewed from the client by another client free of charge or at a price lower than a normal charging amount. There is also a problem that the user who is a sales contract party described above copies contents purchased from a right holder and sells it illegally to another user. Due to such a situation, the rightful exercise of the right holder (exercise of copyright) with respect to the content has been prevented.

[0004] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to ensure the rightful exercise of rights by digital rights holders.

[0005]

A digital content transmission / reception system according to a first aspect of the present invention provides an environment for transmitting digital content held by a first information processing device to a second information processing device via a network. A first information processing apparatus that reads the given digital content and billing information and embeds and holds the corresponding billing information in each digital content;
The second information processing device transmits digital content corresponding to the transmission request from the second information processing device, and receives a notification from the second information processing device that the processing procedure related to the billing information has been completed. Means for permitting digital content to be read by the user.

According to the above configuration, when the second information processing device notifies that the processing procedure relating to the billing information has been completed, the second information processing device is permitted to read the digital content. Therefore, it is possible to guarantee the right holder's rightful exercise of the digital content.

In a preferred embodiment according to the first aspect of the present invention, the digital content includes billing information and an electronic signature of the right holder of the digital content, and is encrypted with the right holder's encryption key. Information. The above-described embodiment further includes means for holding a viewing key for decrypting the given digital content encryption information. The viewing key corresponds to the encryption key. The read permission unit transmits, to the second information processing apparatus, a browsing key corresponding to the digital content requested to be transmitted as read permission when the above-described notification is received from the second information processing apparatus.

[0008] The first information processing device is, for example, a server or a client that holds one or a plurality of digital contents, and the second information processing device is, for example, one or a plurality of clients that request transmission of digital contents. .

A digital content transmission / reception system according to a second aspect of the present invention is applied to an environment in which digital content held by a first information processing device is transmitted to a second information processing device via a network. The second information processing device, in response to a transmission request, extracts billing information from digital content including the billing information received from the first information processing device, and executes a predetermined processing procedure based on the billing information. Means for notifying the first information processing apparatus at the end thereof, means for copying received digital content while including billing information in response to a given copy command, and Means for executing digital content reading processing based on the reading permission given from the first information processing apparatus.

According to the above configuration, the received digital content is copied while including the billing information in accordance with the given copy command.
Even if the information processing device receives the information, the reading permission cannot be obtained unless the user of the second information processing device executes the processing procedure related to the billing information. Therefore, the rightful exercise of the right by the right holder with respect to the digital content can be guaranteed.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment according to the second aspect of the present invention, the digital content is information encrypted with the encryption key of the right holder, including the billing information and the electronic signature of the right holder of the digital content. is there. The reading process of the digital content is performed using a viewing key provided by the first information processing apparatus for decrypting the encrypted information of the digital content.

[0012] A digital content transmission / reception method according to a third aspect of the present invention is applied to an environment in which digital content held by a first information processing device is transmitted to a second information processing device via a network. A first process in which the first information processing device reads the digital content and the billing information, and embeds and holds the billing information corresponding to each digital content; and a process in which the first information processing device reads the requested digital content. A second process of transmitting digital content to the second information processing device and permitting the second information processing device to read the digital content in response to the notification of the end of the processing procedure of the billing information from the second information processing device; , Second
A third process in which the information processing apparatus extracts the billing information from the digital content including the billing information received from the first information processing apparatus, and a second processing procedure in which the second information processing apparatus performs a predetermined processing procedure based on the billing information. And a fourth step of notifying the first information processing apparatus at the end thereof, and
A fifth step in which the second information processing apparatus executes a reading process of the digital content based on the reading permission given from the first information processing apparatus by the notification.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment according to the third aspect of the present invention, when a copy command is given, the second information processing device includes the digital content received in response to the copy command, including billing information. There is further provided a sixth step of copying as it is.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program medium provided by a first information processing apparatus in an environment in which digital content held by the first information processing apparatus is transmitted to a second information processing apparatus via a network. Means for reading the obtained digital content and billing information, embedding and holding the corresponding billing information in each digital content, and transmitting the digital content corresponding to the transmission request from the second information processing apparatus; A means for permitting the second information processing apparatus to read the digital content when a notification indicating that the processing procedure relating to the billing information has been completed is received from the second information processing apparatus. Computer-readable computer programs for operating a computer as each means Carrying.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program medium wherein the second information processing apparatus transmits the digital content held by the first information processing apparatus to the second information processing apparatus via a network. Means for extracting the billing information from the digital content including the billing information received from the first information processing device in response to the request, executing a predetermined processing procedure based on the billing information, and notifying the user at the end thereof. Means for notifying the first information processing device, means for copying received digital content while including billing information in response to a given copy command,
Means for executing a digital content reading process based on the read permission given by the first information processing device in response to the notification described above. The program is carried in a computer-readable manner.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a digital content transmission / reception system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

This system includes a plurality of content sales servers (sales servers) 1a (up to 1n) and a plurality of content browsing clients (clients) 3a, 3b (up to 3).
n) and a network 5.

The sales server 1a (〜1n) holds one or a plurality of contents and sells the contents to the clients 3a, 3b (〜3n) through the network 5. Clients 3a, 3b (up to 3n) are sales servers 1a (up to 1
A process for browsing desired content downloaded from n) through the network 5 is performed. In FIG. 1, for convenience of illustration and description, reference numeral 1 is used for the sales server.
Only one device with a is described, and only two devices with reference numerals 3a and 3b are described for clients. Hereinafter, the configurations of the sales server 1a and the clients 3a and 3b will be described.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the internal configuration of the above-mentioned sales server 1a.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sales server 1a includes a content storage section (storage section) 7, a content browsing key storage section (browsing key storage section) 9, a content and browsing key input control section (input control section). ) 10 and charging information embedding section (embedding section)
11 and a content and browsing key output control unit (output control unit) 12.

The storage section 7 includes an input control section 10 and an embedding section 1.
1, various contents, such as pictures and music, which are produced by the content creator and have the charging information embedded therein, are encrypted by an encryption key prepared by the content creator as described later (that is, , As encrypted content). The storage unit 7 provides the output control unit 12 with contents corresponding to the content transmission request from the output control unit 12 from among the stored various contents.

The browsing key storage unit 9 stores a content browsing key (browsing key) given through the input control unit 10 and stores a browsing key in response to a browsing key transmission request from the output control unit 12 to the output control unit 12. Give to.

Here, the browsing key means that when the above-mentioned encrypted content is given to the clients 3a and 3b through the output control unit 12 as it is, by decrypting the encrypted content, the client 3
The keys a and 3b are necessary for enabling the content to be browsed (read). The viewing key is paired with the above-mentioned encryption key of the content creator and is provided by the content creator.

The input control unit 10 reads various contents, billing information and a browse key input by the content creator, and embeds the contents and billing information in the embedding unit 11.
To the storage unit 7 and the viewing key for the viewing key storage unit 9.
, Respectively.

When various contents and billing information are given through the input control unit 10, the embedding unit 11 associates each content with each billing information, and then associates each content with billing information corresponding to each content. Are respectively embedded, and each content in which the billing information is embedded is output to the storage unit 7.

The output control unit 12 includes clients 3a, 3
b, upon receiving a content transmission request transmitted through the network 5, the storage unit 7 is accessed to read out the content corresponding to the transmission request from among the contents in which the billing information is embedded, and to read the content corresponding to the transmission request. Is transmitted through the network 5 to the clients 3a and 3b that are the transmission sources of the data.

The output control unit 12 also controls the client 3
When receiving the browsing key transmission request transmitted through the network 5 from the client 3a, 3b, first, the client 3a, 3b
, Through the network 5 whether or not a settlement procedure (payment procedure) based on the billing information has been executed.
Then, only when the execution of the settlement procedure can be confirmed, the storage unit 9 is accessed to read out the browsing key corresponding to the transmission request from each of the browsing keys, and to read it out from the client 3a which is the transmission source of the request. , 3b through the network 5.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of content handled by the digital content transmitting / receiving system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The content shown in FIG. 3 is the content (encrypted content) stored in the storage unit 7 in an encrypted state, and the encrypted content 29 is, for example, a content creator as described above. Is encrypted with the above encryption key. In the encrypted content 29, charging information 27 for content browsing is embedded in the header portion thereof by, for example, “digital watermark” by the embedding unit 11 described above. In the billing information 27, for example, the content fee and the payee of the fee are recorded, and an electronic signature 31 is attached to prevent the billing information 27 itself from being tampered. The electronic signature 31 is attached to the billing information 27 by using, for example, the encryption key of the content creator.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the internal configuration of the client described above. Client 3a, 3b
Have the same internal configuration, FIG. 4 shows only the internal configuration of the client 3a.

The client 3a, as shown in FIG.
The content browsing software (browsing software) 13 is installed. This browsing software 13 is a client 3
a, a content requesting unit (requesting unit) 14, a content receiving unit 15, a billing information extracting unit (extracting unit) 17, a browsing procedure processing unit (processing unit) 19, a browsing key receiving unit 21, a content decrypting unit (decrypting). ) 23 and a content copy unit (copy unit) 24.

The request unit 14 requests the sales server 1a to transmit the content desired by the user via the network 5. The content receiving unit 15 is a service server 1
a transmitted from the network unit 5 to the request unit 14
And sends the encrypted content to the extracting unit 17, the decrypting unit 23, or the copying unit 24, respectively. The extracting unit 17 includes the receiving unit 1
The charging information is read from the encrypted content provided by the user 5. When the encrypted content is, for example, the encrypted content 29 shown in FIG. 3, the billing information 27 included in the encrypted content 29 is extracted by the extraction unit 17. The extracted charging information 27 is
To the processing unit 19. In the following description, the encrypted content 29 and the billing information 27 are taken as an example.

The processing section 19 reads the billing information 27 given from the extracting section 17 and uses several payment methods (for example, electronic money, credit payment, cash transfer, etc.) for the content fee recorded in the billing information 27. ) To allow the user to select a desired payment method and to perform a settlement procedure.
This settlement procedure corresponds to a procedure for browsing the encrypted content 29. When the procedure processing is completed, the processing unit 19 transmits the processing result together with the request for transmitting the viewing key to the sales server 1a shown in FIG.
To the output control unit 12. The browsing key receiving unit 21 receives a browsing key (a browsing key for decrypting the encrypted content 29) transmitted from the output control unit 12 through the network 5 in response to the transmission of the processing result or the like by the processing unit 19. Receive. Then, the browsing key is given to the decryption unit 23.

The decryption unit 23 receives the browsing key (that is, the encrypted content 2
9 is read, and the encrypted content 29 given from the content receiving unit 15 is decrypted using the browsing key. The decrypted content is output to, for example, the display of the client 3a, a printer as a peripheral device, or a speaker (none of which is shown). The copy unit 24 is for copying the above-described encrypted content 29 (that is, the encrypted content 29 in which the accounting information 27 is embedded) to a recording medium such as a CD or MO, an external storage device, or the like. .

The above-described content receiving unit 15
Not only the encrypted content 29 transmitted from the sales server 1a but also the encrypted content transmitted from another client 3b (.about.3n) or the like and copied by the copy unit 24 of those clients 3b (.about.3n). Also receive. Therefore, the encrypted content after copying
Naturally, billing information such as the billing information 27 shown in FIG. 3 and an electronic signature such as the digital signature 31 are embedded therein.

The browsing software 13 is free to browse the content once decrypted, and is not charged for the browsing.

According to the system described above, the content produced by the content creator is encrypted with the charging information embedded, and when copying the content provided by the right holder, the charging information is The content as it is embedded (ie, the encrypted content) is copied. Therefore, even if the content purchaser illegally copies the content, a fee will be charged when viewing (reading) the copied content, thereby preventing unauthorized copying of the content and protecting the rights of the person who has the right to the content. , Will be able to guarantee enough.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this is merely an example for explaining the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to this embodiment. The present invention can be implemented in other various forms. For example, the browsing key may be stored in an authentication server (authentication server) installed on the network. In this case, for example, the storage location of the viewing key is also recorded in the charging information, and the processing unit 19 requests the storage location to transmit the viewing key.

[0040]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to ensure that the rightful exercise of rights by digital rights holders is guaranteed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a digital content transmission / reception system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the internal configuration of the sales server shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of content handled by the system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing an internal configuration of the browsing client shown in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

1a (〜1n) Content sales server (sales server) 3a, 3b (〜3n) Content browsing client (client) 5 Network 7 Content storage unit (storage unit) 9 Content browsing key storage unit (browsing key storage unit) 10 Content and Browsing key input control unit (input control unit) 11 Charging information embedding unit (embedding unit) 12 Content and browsing key output control unit (output control unit) 13 Content browsing software (browsing software) 14 Content requesting unit (Requesting part) 15 Content receiving part 17 Charging information extracting part (extracting part) 19 Browsing procedure processing part (processing part) 21 Encryption key receiving part 23 Content decrypting part (Decrypting part) 24 Content copying part (Copying part) 27 Billing information 29 Encrypted content 31 Electronic signature

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 7/167 H04N 7/167 Z F-term (Reference) 5B017 AA03 AA06 BA07 BB03 BB07 BB10 CA16 5B049 AA05 BB11 CC05 CC36 DD05 FF02 FF03 FF04 FF06 FF09 GG04 GG07 GG10 5B089 GA11 GA21 JB03 JB05 JB06 KA15 KB12 KC28 KC53 KH30 5C064 BC01 BC16 BC17 BC20 BC22 BD01 BD07 BD13 CA18 CC02

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. In an environment in which digital content held by a first information processing device is transmitted to a second information processing device via a network, the first information processing device reads the given digital content and charging information. Means for embedding corresponding billing information in each digital content and holding the digital content; transmitting the digital content corresponding to the transmission request from the second information processing device; Means for permitting the second information processing apparatus to read the digital content when notified that the processing procedure related to the information has been completed. 2. The digital content sending / receiving device according to claim 1,
In the receiving system, the digital content includes the billing information and an electronic signature of a right holder related to the digital content, and is a digital content transmission / reception system that is information encrypted by an encryption key of the right holder. . 3. The digital content transmission / reception system according to claim 1, further comprising: means for holding a given browsing key for decrypting encrypted information of the digital content. Transmission / reception system. 4. The digital content sending / receiving device according to claim 3,
In the receiving system, the browsing key is a digital content transmitting / receiving system corresponding to the encryption key. 5. The digital content transmission / reception system according to claim 1, wherein said read permitting unit is configured to permit reading when said second information processing apparatus gives said notification. A digital content transmission / reception system for transmitting a browse key corresponding to the digital content requested to be transmitted to a second information processing apparatus. 6. The digital content transmission / reception system according to claim 1, wherein the first information processing device is a server or a client that holds one or a plurality of digital contents. A digital content transmission / reception system in which the second information processing device is one or a plurality of clients requesting transmission of the digital content. 7. An environment in which digital content held by a first information processing device is transmitted to a second information processing device via a network, wherein the second information processing device responds to a transmission request by the first information processing device. Means for extracting the billing information from the digital content including the billing information received from the information processing apparatus; executing a predetermined processing procedure on the basis of the billing information; Means for notifying the received digital content in accordance with the given copy instruction while including the billing information; and means for reading based on the read permission given from the first information processing apparatus by the notification. Means for performing a reading process of the digital content by a digital content transmitting / receiving system. 8. The digital content sending / receiving device according to claim 7,
In a receiving system, a digital content transmission / reception system, wherein the digital content is information encrypted by an encryption key of the right holder, the digital content including an electronic signature of a right holder of the digital content together with the billing information. 9. The digital content transmission / reception system according to claim 7, wherein the digital content reading processing is performed by using the digital content encryption information given from the first information processing apparatus. Digital content transmission / reception system performed using a browsing key for decryption. 10. In an environment in which digital content held by a first information processing device is transmitted to a second information processing device via a network, the first information processing device reads digital content and billing information, and A first step of embedding and holding charging information corresponding to the first information processing apparatus, the first information processing apparatus transmitting the requested digital content to the second information processing apparatus, and A second step of permitting the second information processing device to read the digital content in response to the notification of the end of the processing procedure of the accounting information; and a second information processing device receiving the digital content from the first information processing device. A third step of extracting the billing information from the digital content including the billing information obtained, and a second process performed by the second information processing apparatus based on the billing information. A fourth step of executing the continuation and notifying the first information processing apparatus at the end thereof, and reading the second information processing apparatus from the first information processing apparatus by the notification. A fifth step of executing the digital content reading process based on the permission. 11. The method for transmitting / receiving digital content according to claim 10, wherein the second information processing device is configured to:
A digital content transmission / reception method, further comprising a sixth step of copying the received digital content while including billing information in response to the copy instruction. 12. In an environment in which digital content held by a first information processing device is transmitted to a second information processing device via a network, the first information processing device reads the given digital content and billing information. Means for embedding corresponding billing information in each digital content and holding the digital content; transmitting the digital content corresponding to the transmission request from the second information processing device; Means for permitting the second information processing apparatus to read the digital content when notified that the processing procedure relating to the information has been completed, and operating a computer as the respective means in the digital content transmission / reception system comprising: Readable program medium carrying a computer program for causing . 13. An environment in which digital content held by a first information processing device is transmitted to a second information processing device via a network, wherein the second information processing device responds to a transmission request by the first information processing device. Means for extracting the billing information from the digital content including the billing information received from the information processing apparatus; executing a predetermined processing procedure on the basis of the billing information; Means for notifying the received digital content in accordance with the given copy instruction while including the billing information; and means for reading based on the read permission given from the first information processing apparatus by the notification. Means for performing a reading process of the digital content by a digital content sending / receiving system comprising: A computer readable program medium carrying a computer program for operating a computer.