JP2004129288A - Information recording apparatus and method, information reproducing system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To conserve copyright in an appropriate manner, when reproducing digital data. <P>SOLUTION: AV (audio visual) data recorded in a loaded a soft tape and protection information, that quantifies whether the reproduction of the AV data is inhibited are output to a control part 5 from the record reproduction part 3 of a digital VCR (digital video cassette recorder) 1 and from a protection information readout part 4, respectively. Data output from the control part 5 is input to the control part 6 of a digital VCR 2 via a cable. These data are provided to a record reproduction part 8. Moreover, the reproduction permission information of a tape loaded in the digital VCR 2 is readout by a reproduction permission information read part 7. The digital VCR 2 records the AV data provided from the digital VCR 1, based on the protection information and reproduction permission information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

The present invention relates to an information recording apparatus and method, and an information duplicating system and method that can easily control recording or dubbing of a digital signal supplied from a television station or a digital VCR, for example.

In a conventional analog VCR soft tape, a copyright protection signal composed of a plurality of pairs of a synchronization pulse and a positive pulse is loaded in a V blanking period of a television signal for copyright protection, and recording is performed by this signal. The AGC of the side VCR is disturbed so that dubbing cannot be performed. That is, when a soft tape is dubbed illegally, the dubbed tape is recorded in an unreproducible state, and as a result, copyright is protected.

ＶBy the way, a VCR that encodes video data and audio data and records and reproduces it has been put to practical use. Examples of this are a component type D1 and a composite type D2 in a digital VCR for business use. As a digital VCR for consumer use, an image compression type has been researched and developed. For example, in a consumer digital VCR, signals that are not directly related to an image, such as a V blanking period and an H blanking period, are not recorded. That is, only the signal of the real image portion is extracted and recorded after compression. At the time of reproduction, the image data is subjected to a process reverse to that at the time of recording, and a non-recorded V blanking period or H blanking period is finally added and output as a composite video signal.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an AV system when dubbing a soft tape to a blank tape using a digital VCR. In FIG. 10, when the soft tape 101 is reproduced by the reproducing VCR 102, digital data (hereinafter, referred to as AV data) recorded on the soft tape 101 is supplied to the recording VCR 104 via the cable 103. A blank tape 105 is loaded in the recording-side VCR 104. When dubbing a soft tape recorded by the compression method used in a consumer digital VCR, only the data of the actual image portion is recorded on the tape as described above. Therefore, in recording or dubbing a signal using a digital VCR, the copyright cannot be properly protected unlike an analog VCR.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an information recording apparatus and an information recording apparatus capable of easily controlling permission / prohibition when recording or dubbing a digital signal from a television station or a digital VCR. A method, an information duplication system and a method are provided.

The present invention relates to an information recording apparatus in which a recording medium for recording digital data from a broadcasting station is loaded, wherein first auxiliary data associated with the recording medium and indicating a protection level of the recording medium and transmitted from the broadcasting station. The protection level indicated by the first auxiliary data and the second auxiliary data indicate based on the second auxiliary data present in the digital data to be recorded and indicating the protection level of the recording medium for recording the digital data. An information recording apparatus characterized in that whether to permit recording on a recording medium is controlled in accordance with a relationship with a protection level.

According to the present invention, there is provided an information recording method in which a recording medium for recording digital data from a broadcasting station is loaded, the first auxiliary data associated with the recording medium and indicating a protection level of the recording medium, and the broadcasting station. Protection level indicated by the first auxiliary data and second auxiliary data based on the second auxiliary data present in the digital data transmitted from the storage medium and indicating the protection level of the recording medium for recording the digital data. The information recording method is characterized in that whether or not recording on a recording medium is permitted is controlled in accordance with the relationship with the protection level indicated by.

Further, the present invention relates to an information duplication system for duplicating digital data received from a broadcasting station recorded on a first recording medium to a second recording medium, wherein the information duplication system comprises a second recording medium. And a first auxiliary data indicating the protection level of the second recording medium and a protection level associated with the digital data and indicating the protection level of the second recording medium for recording the digital data. Controlling whether or not to permit recording on the second recording medium in accordance with the relationship between the protection level indicated by the first auxiliary data and the protection level indicated by the second auxiliary data, based on the second auxiliary data An information duplication system characterized in that:

Further, the present invention relates to an information duplication method for duplicating digital data received from a broadcasting station recorded on a first recording medium onto a second recording medium, wherein the information duplication system comprises a second recording medium. And a first auxiliary data indicating the protection level of the second recording medium and a protection level associated with the digital data and indicating the protection level of the second recording medium for recording the digital data. Controlling whether to permit recording on the second recording medium in accordance with the relationship between the protection level indicated by the first auxiliary data and the protection level indicated by the second auxiliary data based on the second auxiliary data An information duplication method characterized in that:

(4) The AV data and the protection information of the AV data are output from the digital VCR 1 to the digital VCR 2. In the digital VCR 2, the protection information is determined. Further, the copy permission information of the tape loaded in the digital VCR 2 is read. The digital VCR 2 records the digital data supplied from the digital VCR 1 based on the protection information and the copy permission information.

According to the present invention, by using the protection information and the copy permission information, permission / prohibition when recording or dubbing digital data can be easily controlled. Therefore, the copyright of the data can be appropriately protected. Further, by using stepwise protection information, the copyright can be further strictly protected. Further, in television broadcasting, even if an image can be watched on a television or a monitor, recording of the image can be controlled. Further, when recording or dubbing, by recording the protection information of the original data together with the data, the same protection / duplication permission can be maintained even when dubbing the dubbed content again.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an AV system when dubbing AV data using a digital VCR. Reference numeral 1 denotes a reproduction side digital VCR (hereinafter, referred to as a reproduction device). The AV data and the protection information recorded on the soft tape loaded in the reproducing device 1 are output to the recording side digital VCR 2 (hereinafter, referred to as a recording device). Note that the protection information is present in digital data of a soft tape loaded in the playback device 1 or in digital television (hereinafter, referred to as DTV) data transmitted from a broadcasting station described later. Indicates whether dubbing is permitted (permission / prohibition) for the device, and is transmitted together with AV data or DTV data. Instead of always sending the protection information, the protection information may be sent when dubbing is prohibited, and the protection information may not be sent when dubbing is allowed.

(4) The copy permission information is recorded in advance on the blank tape loaded in the recorder 2. The copy permission information is information indicating whether the blank tape can record AV data or DTV data. For example, the copyright can be properly protected by recording the copy permission information indicating that the copy is permitted on the blank tape on the manufacturer side. For example, when the protection information is not supplied from the playback device 1 side, or when copy-protected protection information is supplied from the playback device 1 side, no copyright is applied to the playback AV data, and a blank Dubbing can be performed regardless of the copy permission information recorded on the tape. On the other hand, if the reproduction information is supplied from the reproducing device 1, the reproduction AV data is copyrighted. In this case, the copy permission information is important. That is, when duplication permission information indicating duplication is recorded on a blank tape, dubbing cannot be performed. Conversely, if duplication permission information is recorded, dubbing can be performed.

FIG. 2 is a table showing the relationship between protection information and copy permission information and copy permission / prohibition. As described above, when the protection information is not sent from the reproduction-side medium or when copy-protected protection information is sent, regardless of the copy permission information of the recording-side medium, the AV data or DTV data can be duplicated. Further, when protection information of copy prohibition is sent from the reproduction side medium, and there is no copy permission information on the recording side medium or when there is copy permission information of copy prohibition, the copy is prohibited. On the other hand, even if the copy-protection protection information is sent from the reproduction-side medium, AV data and DTV data can be copied if copy-permitted copy permission information is present on the recording-side medium. If copying is not possible, the user is notified of the fact using, for example, an OSD (On Screen Display) display on a monitor.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the principle of a digital VCR. In the reproducing device 1 shown in FIG. 3A, the recording / reproducing unit 3 reproduces the AV data recorded on the loaded soft tape and outputs it to the control unit 5. The protection information read unit 4 reads the protection information recorded in advance on the soft tape and outputs the protection information to the control unit 5. The control unit 5 outputs AV data and protection information.

ＡＶ In the recorder 2 shown in FIG. 3B, the AV data and the protection information transmitted from the player 1 via the cable are received by the controller 6. AV data and protection information are supplied from the control unit 6 to the recording / reproducing unit 8.

When the protection information indicating that copying is permitted is output from the control unit 6 to the recording / reproducing unit 8 or when there is no protection information, regardless of the copy permission information of the blank tape loaded in the recording device 2, the reproduction device 1 enables the recording apparatus 2 to record the AV data reproduced.

On the other hand, when the protection information indicating duplication prohibition is output from the control unit 6 to the recording / reproducing unit 8, the duplication permission information reading unit 7 reads out whether duplication permission information is recorded on the loaded blank tape, and The result is output to the control unit 6. The control section 6 outputs a copy permission signal to the recording / reproducing section 8 based on the supplied copy permission information. More specifically, if there is no copy permission information, or if copy permission information indicating copy prohibition is output from the copy permission information reading unit 7 to the control unit 6, data cannot be copied. On the other hand, when the copy permission information indicating that the copy is permitted is output to the control unit 6, the data can be copied.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a digital VCR when recording DTV data. In FIG. 4, the digital VCR includes an input / output selector 11, a tuner unit 12, a recording / reproducing device 13 loaded with a blank tape (not shown), a controller 14, and a power supply circuit 15. The DTV data is received by the tuner unit 12. The tuner unit 12 receives DTV data and protection information indicating permission / prohibition of duplication. The protection information is sent to the controller 14. When the protection information indicating that copying is permitted is supplied, the controller 14 outputs a control signal indicating that recording is possible to the recording / reproducing device 13. When the protection information is not supplied from the tuner unit 12 to the controller 14, a control signal indicating that the DTV data can be recorded is supplied to the recording / reproducing device 13 regardless of the copy permission information.

On the other hand, when protection information indicating duplication is supplied from the tuner unit 12 to the controller 14, the controller 14 reads duplication permission information of the blank tape. If the copy permission information indicates that recording is possible, the DTV data can be copied. Conversely, if the copy permission information indicates that recording is prohibited, copying cannot be performed.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a digital VCR when dubbing AV data of a soft tape loaded in another digital VCR. 5, the same components as those shown in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Digital data and protection information from another digital VCR (not shown) are supplied to the signal processing device 16 via the input / output selector 11. The protection information is supplied from the signal processing device 16 to the controller 14. The controller 14 outputs a control signal indicating whether or not AV data can be dubbed to the recording / reproducing device 13 based on the protection information supplied from the signal processing device 16. In the case where there is no protection information or in the case of copy-enabled protection information, dubbing is possible regardless of the copy permission information.

On the other hand, when the copy-protection protection information is supplied to the controller 14, a control signal for reading the copy permission information of the blank tape loaded in the recording / reproducing device 13 is supplied from the controller 14 to the recording / reproducing device 13. Is done. If copy permission information indicating that copying is permitted is recorded, this information is output from the recording / reproducing device 13 to the controller 14. This allows dubbing. On the other hand, if the copy permission information supplied to the controller 14 indicates prohibition, dubbing is not possible.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a method for recording (storing) or adding the above-described copy permission information and protection information to a soft tape or a blank tape. In FIG. 6A, a storage element such as a ROM or a RAM is built in a tape cassette. Copy permission information or protection information is stored in this storage element. When a tape cassette is loaded in a device, the data of the recording element is read by the device. In FIG. 6B, the device determines whether or not the tape cassette has copy permission information or protection information based on the state of the detection holes provided in the tape cassette. In FIG. 6C, whether or not there is copy permission information or protection information is determined by the device determining the barcode provided on the tape cassette. In FIG. 6D, a track of the recording permission information or the protection information is provided at a predetermined position on the tape (for example, in the longitudinal direction of the upper part of the tape), and the duplication permission information or the protection information is recorded in advance in the entire tape or in a part of the tape. ing. The copy permission information and the protection information recorded on this track are read by a read-only fixed head provided on the device side. As described above, in the digital VCR, by reading the recording permission information in the storage element, detecting the state of the detection hole, recognizing the barcode, or reading the track dedicated to the recording permission information, the copy permission information of the loaded soft tape is read. And protection information are read. Then, it is determined whether or not recording or dubbing can be performed on the loaded blank tape.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between protection information and duplication permission information when recording DTV data. In addition, please refer to FIG. 2 for the following description (FIGS. 7 and 8).

{Circle around (7)} As shown in FIG. 7A, if there is no protection information in the transmitted DTV data and there is no copy permission information on the blank tape loaded in the recording device, recording is permitted.

As shown in FIG. 7B, when the transmitted DTV data contains copy protection information and the blank tape loaded in the recorder does not have copy permission information, the recording is prohibited. If there is copy-permitted protection information and no copy permission information, recording is permitted.

As shown in FIG. 7C, when there is no protection information in the transmitted DTV data and there is copy permission information indicating that copying or prohibition of copying is possible on the blank tape loaded in the recording device, recording is permitted. .

{Circle over (4)} As shown in FIG. 7D, there are four cases where there is protection information in the transmitted digital data and there is copy permission information on the blank tape of the recorder.

First, if there is copy-protected protection information and there is copy-prohibited copy permission information, recording is prohibited. Secondly and thirdly, if there is a copy-permitted protection signal and there is copy-permitted or copy-prohibited copy permission information, recording is permitted. Fourth, if there is copy-protected protection information and there is copy-permitted copy permission information, recording is permitted. In FIG. 7D, when the recording is permitted, the protection information is recorded together with the DTV data, so that the same protection and duplication permission can be maintained even when the recorded content is dubbed.

FIG. 8 shows a system diagram when dubbing is performed using a digital VCR.

In FIG. 8A, when a medium without protection information (a video tape or the like shot by oneself) is loaded in the playback device, dubbing is permitted regardless of the copy permission information of the medium (blank tape) loaded in the recording device. .

In FIG. 8B, if a media (soft tape or the like) with copy-protected protection information is loaded in the playback device and a blank tape without copy permission information is loaded in the recording device, dubbing is disabled.

In FIG. 8C, when a medium without protection information is loaded in the playback device and a blank tape having copy permission information (permission or inhibition) is loaded in the recording device, dubbing is permitted.

ＤIn FIG. 8D, there are four cases in which a medium with protection information (duplication permitted or prohibited) is loaded in a playback device and a blank tape having duplication permission information (recording permitted or prohibited) is loaded in a recording device.

First, if there is copy-protected protection information and there is copy-prohibited copy permission information, dubbing is prohibited. Second and third, when there is a copy-protected protection signal and there is copy-permitted or copy-prohibited copy permission information, dubbing is permitted. Fourth, if there is copy-protected protection information and there is copy-permitted copy permission information, dubbing is permitted. In FIG. 8D, when dubbing is possible, by dubbing the protection information together with the digital data, the same protection and duplication permission can be maintained even when dubbing the dubbed content again.

FIG. 9 is a system diagram when dubbing is performed by a digital VCR using two levels of protected information. In this case, by providing the protection information with a step (level), dubbing of the blank tape can be prohibited even if the copy permission information is added to the blank tape loaded in the recording machine.

As shown in FIG. 9A, when a medium having protection information level 1 is loaded into a playback device, and a medium (blank tape) without copy permission information is loaded into a recording device, dubbing is disabled. As shown in FIG. 9B, when the medium having the protection information level 2 is loaded in the reproducing apparatus, and the medium without the copy permission information is loaded in the recording apparatus, dubbing is disabled. As shown in FIG. 9C, when a medium having protection information level 1 is loaded in a playback device, and a medium with copy permission information (recordable) is loaded in a recording device, dubbing is permitted. In this case, the protection information is recorded on the blank tape together with the digital data. Thus, when dubbing to another medium, the same protection and copy permission can be maintained. As shown in FIG. 9D, when the medium having the protection information level 2 is loaded in the playback device, and the medium with copy permission information is loaded in the recording device, dubbing is disabled.

As described above, illegal dubbing is performed by providing two levels of protection information, setting the level 1 protection information at the same level as the copy permission information, and setting the level 2 protection information at a higher level than the copy permission information. Can be regulated.

In the above description, a tape is used as a recording medium. However, it goes without saying that the present invention can be realized by using a disk or the like.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an AV system when dubbing AV data using a digital VCR. 9 is a table showing a relationship between protection information and duplication permission information and duplication permission / prohibition. It is a principle block diagram of a digital VCR. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a digital VCR when recording digital TV data. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a digital VCR when dubbing is performed. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method for recording (storing) or adding copy permission information and protection information to a soft tape or a blank tape. FIG. 2 is a system diagram when recording digital TV data. FIG. 2 is a system diagram when dubbing is performed using a digital VCR. FIG. 2 is a system diagram in a case where dubbing is performed by a digital VCR using two levels of protected information. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an AV system when a soft tape is dubbed to a blank tape using a digital VCR.

Explanation of reference numerals

1 Digital VCR on playback side
2 Recording side digital VCR
3, 8 recording / reproducing unit 4 protected information reading unit 5, 6 control unit 7 duplication permission information reading unit

Claims (8)

In an information recording device in which a recording medium for recording digital data from a broadcasting station is loaded,
First auxiliary data associated with the recording medium and indicating the protection level of the recording medium, and the protection level of the recording medium for recording the digital data, present in the digital data transmitted from the broadcasting station. Based on the second auxiliary data indicating
An information recording apparatus that controls whether to permit recording on the recording medium according to a relationship between a protection level indicated by the first auxiliary data and a protection level indicated by the second auxiliary data. . 2. The information recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the recording on the recording medium is permitted, the second auxiliary data is recorded together with the digital data. An information recording method in which a recording medium for recording digital data from a broadcasting station is loaded,
First auxiliary data indicating the protection level of the recording medium and digital data transmitted from the broadcasting station, associated with the recording medium, and the protection level of the recording medium for recording the digital data. Based on the second auxiliary data indicating
An information recording method for controlling whether to permit recording on the recording medium according to a relationship between a protection level indicated by the first auxiliary data and a protection level indicated by the second auxiliary data. . 4. The information recording method according to claim 3, wherein when the recording on the recording medium is permitted, the second auxiliary data is recorded together with the digital data. An information copying system for copying digital data received from a broadcasting station recorded on a first recording medium to a second recording medium,
The information duplicating system records first auxiliary data associated with the second recording medium, the first auxiliary data indicating a protection level of the second recording medium, and the digital data associated with the digital data. Based on the second auxiliary data indicating the protection level of the second recording medium,
Controlling whether to permit recording on the second recording medium according to a relationship between a protection level indicated by the first auxiliary data and a protection level indicated by the second auxiliary data. Information replication system. 6. The information duplicating system according to claim 5, wherein when the recording on the recording medium is permitted, the second auxiliary data is recorded together with the digital data. An information duplication method for duplicating digital data received from a broadcasting station recorded on a first recording medium onto a second recording medium, comprising:
The information duplicating system records first auxiliary data associated with the second recording medium, the first auxiliary data indicating a protection level of the second recording medium, and the digital data associated with the digital data. Based on the second auxiliary data indicating the protection level of the second recording medium,
Controlling whether to permit recording on the second recording medium according to a relationship between a protection level indicated by the first auxiliary data and a protection level indicated by the second auxiliary data. Information duplication method. 8. The information duplication method according to claim 7, wherein when the recording on the recording medium is permitted, the second auxiliary data is recorded together with the digital data.

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