JP2006031780A - Information recording medium, recording method, access method, information recording apparatus, processing device, program and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the illegal use of recorded contents without increasing costs. <P>SOLUTION: Information on an available space of an optical disk is recorded in a program area of an optical disk (step 527). Since the available spaces of the optical disks are not always equal even if the optical disks are of the same types, when an original optical disk is fully copied to the other information recording medium, contents recorded on the other information recording medium are the same as contents recorded on the original optical disk but the available space are not always coincident with one another. Then, it can be discriminated based on information relating to the available space whether the optical disk is original or not, and the illegal use of recorded contents can be prevented without increasing costs as a result. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an information recording medium, a recording method, an access method, an information recording apparatus, a processing apparatus, a program, and a recording medium. More specifically, the present invention relates to an information recording medium having a data area in which user data is recorded. The present invention relates to a recording method and information recording apparatus for recording information, an access method and processing apparatus for recording or reproducing information on an information recording medium, a program used in the information recording apparatus and processing apparatus, and a recording medium on which the program is recorded.

  In recent years, personal computers (hereinafter referred to as “personal computers”) have come to be widely used not only in companies but also in general households, as their functions are improved and prices are reduced. As an information recording medium having a large recording capacity, an optical disk such as a CD (compact disc) has attracted attention. Along with the reduction in price, an optical disk apparatus as an information recording apparatus using the optical disk as an information recording medium is a personal computer. It became popular as one of the peripheral devices.

  As a result, the user can record information on a CD-R (CD-recordable) or CD-RW (CD-rewritable) using an optical disk device, for example, for backup of a purchased CD-ROM or the like. It has become extremely easy for users to create their own discs. However, since it can be easily backed up, unauthorized copying is possible, and information such as music, movies, photos, and computer software (hereinafter collectively referred to as “content”) is written on a CD-ROM or the like. In other words, it has caused a great deal of damage to content makers that are commercially available on package media. In view of this, various copy protection methods have been devised in order to prevent unauthorized copying and unauthorized use of content (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Patent Document 1 discloses a so-called unauthorized use prevention method for a hybrid disk having a read-only area (ROM area) and a writable area (RAM area). However, according to the unauthorized use prevention method disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is determined whether the content is illegally copied based on the boundary between the ROM area and the RAM area. There is a disadvantage that it cannot be applied to an information recording medium other than a disc. In addition, since data overwriting is performed to detect the presence or absence of a boundary, there is a possibility that the data recorded on the original disc may not be reproducible depending on the type of the disc.

JP-A-6-349064

  The present invention has been made under such circumstances, and a first object of the present invention is to provide an information recording medium capable of preventing unauthorized use of recorded content without increasing the cost. There is.

  A second object of the present invention is to provide a recording method and an information recording apparatus capable of preventing unauthorized use of contents recorded on an information recording medium without increasing the cost. is there.

  A third object of the present invention is to provide an access method and a processing apparatus capable of preventing unauthorized use of content without increasing the cost.

  A fourth object of the present invention is a program that can be executed by a computer for controlling an information recording apparatus and a processing apparatus, and that can prevent unauthorized use of content without increasing costs. Is to provide a recording medium on which is recorded.

  The invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that in an information recording medium having a data area in which user data is recorded, information relating to the free space of the data area is recorded either inside or outside the data area. An information recording medium.

  According to this, information on the free capacity of the data area is recorded either inside or outside the data area. This information regarding the free space is determined by the amount of information already recorded in the data area and the size of the data area. By the way, in general, the size of a data area in an information recording medium is not necessarily the same even in the same type of information recording medium. For example, when an entire original information recording medium (hereinafter also referred to as “original recording medium” for convenience) is copied to another information recording medium (hereinafter also referred to as “copy recording medium” for convenience), the information is recorded on the copy recording medium. However, the free space in the data area in the copy recording medium does not necessarily match the free space in the data area in the original recording medium. Therefore, it is possible to discriminate between the original recording medium and the copy recording medium based on the information regarding the free space in the data area. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unauthorized use of recorded content without resulting in an increase in cost.

  In this case, as in the information recording medium according to claim 2, the information relating to the free space can be recorded in the data area.

  In each of the information recording media described in the first and second aspects, as in the information recording medium described in the third aspect, the information regarding the free space can be recorded as a file.

  In this case, the file may further include information including a date when the file was created or updated.

  In this case, the information including the date can be encrypted as in the information recording medium according to claim 5.

  In each of the information recording media according to the first to fifth aspects, as with the information recording medium according to the sixth aspect, the information regarding the free space can be encrypted.

  Each information recording medium according to any one of the first to sixth aspects may further include a read-only area separately from the data area, like the information recording medium according to the seventh aspect.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording method for recording information on an information recording medium, including a step of recording information on a free space in the information recording medium on the information recording medium.

  According to this, information relating to the free space in the information recording medium is recorded on the information recording medium. The information regarding the free space is determined by the amount of information already recorded on the information recording medium and the recording capacity of the information recording medium. By the way, in general, the recording capacity of information recording media is not necessarily the same even for the same type of information recording media. For example, when an entire original recording medium is copied to a copy recording medium, the content recorded on the copy recording medium is the same as the content recorded on the original recording medium, but the free capacity of the copy recording medium and the original It does not necessarily match the free capacity of the recording medium. Therefore, it is possible to discriminate between the original recording medium and the copy recording medium based on the information regarding the free space. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unauthorized use of the content recorded on the information recording medium without resulting in an increase in cost.

  In this case, as in the recording method according to claim 9, the information recording medium has a data area in which user data is recorded, and in the recording step, the information regarding the free space is stored in the data area. It can be recorded.

  In each of the recording methods according to the eighth and ninth aspects, as in the recording method according to the tenth aspect, in the recording step, the information regarding the free space can be recorded as a file.

  In this case, it is possible to further include a step of adding information including a date when the file is created or updated to the file as in the recording method according to claim 11.

  In this case, as in the recording method according to claim 12, prior to the step of adding to the file, the method further includes a step of encrypting information including the date, and the step of adding to the file includes the encryption. The information including the recorded date can be added to the file.

  13. Each recording method according to claim 8, wherein the information regarding the free space is encrypted prior to the step of recording the information regarding the free space on the information recording medium as in the recording method according to claim 13. In the step of recording the information on the free space on the information recording medium, the encrypted information on the free space can be recorded on the information recording medium.

  In each of the recording methods according to claims 8 to 13, as in the recording method according to claim 14, the information recording medium may further have a read-only area.

  The invention according to claim 15 is an access method for recording or reproducing information to or from an information recording medium, and determining whether or not information relating to the free capacity of the information recording medium is recorded on the information recording medium And a step of comparing the information regarding the free space with the actual free space in the information recording medium when the information regarding the free space is recorded as a result of the determination.

  According to this, when information is recorded on or reproduced from the information recording medium, it is determined whether or not information related to the free capacity of the information recording medium is recorded on the information recording medium. When information is recorded, the information regarding the free space is compared with the actual free space on the information recording medium. By the way, in general, the recording capacity of information recording media is not necessarily the same even for the same type of information recording media. For example, when an entire original recording medium is copied to a copy recording medium, the content recorded on the copy recording medium is the same as the content recorded on the original recording medium, but the free capacity of the copy recording medium and the original It does not necessarily match the free capacity of the recording medium. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the information recording medium is an original recording medium or a copy recording medium by comparing the information regarding the free capacity recorded on the information recording medium with the actual free capacity. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent unauthorized use of content without resulting in an increase in cost.

  In this case, as in the access method according to claim 16, in the comparing step, the information recording medium is an original when the information regarding the free space matches the actual free space. It can be.

  17. In each of the access methods according to claim 15 and 16, as in the access method according to claim 17, when the comparison results indicate that the information regarding the free space matches the actual free space, the information The method may further include a step of permitting recording or reproduction on the recording medium.

  In this case, as in the access method according to claim 18, when information is recorded on the information recording medium and the free capacity of the information recording medium changes, the method further includes a step of updating information on the free capacity. It can be.

The invention according to claim 19 is an information recording apparatus for recording information on an information recording medium,
An information recording apparatus comprising: an acquisition unit configured to acquire information related to a free capacity of an information recording medium; and a recording unit configured to record information related to the free capacity on the information recording medium.

  According to this, the information relating to the free space of the information recording medium acquired by the acquisition means is recorded on the information recording medium by the recording means. The information regarding the free space is determined by the amount of information already recorded on the information recording medium and the recording capacity of the information recording medium. By the way, in general, the recording capacity of information recording media is not necessarily the same even for the same type of information recording media. For example, when an entire original recording medium is copied to a copy recording medium, the content recorded on the copy recording medium is the same as the content recorded on the original recording medium, but the free capacity of the copy recording medium and the original It does not necessarily match the free capacity of the recording medium. Therefore, it is possible to discriminate between the original recording medium and the copy recording medium based on the information regarding the free space. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unauthorized use of content without resulting in an increase in cost.

  In this case, as in the information recording apparatus according to claim 20, the information recording medium has a data area in which user data is recorded, and the recording means records information on the free space in the data area. You can do that.

  In each of the information recording apparatuses according to the nineteenth and twentieth aspects, as in the information recording apparatus according to the twenty-first aspect, the recording unit can record the information regarding the free space as a file.

  In this case, as in the information recording apparatus according to the twenty-second aspect, the recording unit can further add information including a date when the file was created or updated to the file.

  In this case, as in the information recording apparatus according to claim 23, the recording means can encrypt the information including the date and add it to the file.

  Each information recording device according to any one of claims 19 to 23, wherein the recording means encrypts information relating to the free space and records the information on the information recording medium, as in the information recording device according to claim 24. can do.

  In each of the information recording apparatuses according to the nineteenth to twenty-fourth aspects, as in the information recording apparatus according to the twenty-fifth aspect, the information recording medium may further include a read-only area.

  The invention as set forth in claim 26 is a processing apparatus for recording or reproducing information on an information recording medium, and judges whether or not information relating to a free capacity of the information recording medium is recorded on the information recording medium. And means for comparing the information regarding the free space with the actual free space in the information recording medium when the information regarding the free space is recorded as a result of the determination. .

  According to this, when information is recorded on or reproduced from the information recording medium, it is judged by the judging means whether information relating to the free space of the information recording medium is recorded on the information recording medium. As a result of the determination, when information relating to the free space is recorded, the information relating to the free space and the actual free space on the information recording medium are compared by the comparison means. By the way, in general, the recording capacity of information recording media is not necessarily the same even for the same type of information recording media. For example, when an entire original recording medium is copied to a copy recording medium, the content recorded on the copy recording medium is the same as the content recorded on the original recording medium, but the free capacity of the copy recording medium and the original It does not necessarily match the free capacity of the recording medium. In this case, it is possible to know whether the information recording medium is the original recording medium or the copy recording medium by comparing the information regarding the free capacity recorded on the information recording medium with the actual free capacity. . Therefore, as a result, unauthorized use of the content can be prevented.

  In this case, as in the processing device according to claim 27, when the information relating to the free space recorded on the information recording medium matches the actual free space, the comparing means is configured to record the information recording medium. Can be assumed to be original.

  In each of the processing devices according to claims 26 and 27, as in the processing device according to claim 28, when the information regarding the free space matches the actual free space as a result of the comparison, the information Control means for permitting recording or reproduction with respect to the recording medium may be further provided.

  In this case, as in the processing device according to claim 29, when information is recorded on the information recording medium and the free capacity of the information recording medium changes, update means for updating information on the free capacity is further provided. It can be.

  The invention according to claim 30 is a program used in an information recording apparatus for recording information on an information recording medium, and the information recording apparatus includes a procedure for recording information on a free capacity of the information recording medium on the information recording medium. This program is executed by the control computer.

  According to this, when the program of the present invention is loaded into a predetermined memory and the head address thereof is set in the program counter, the control computer of the information recording apparatus transmits information on the free space of the information recording medium to the information recording medium. Record on media. That is, according to the program of the present invention, it is possible to cause the control computer of the information recording apparatus to execute the recording method according to the eighth aspect of the invention, and as a result, the information can be recorded without increasing the cost. It is possible to prevent unauthorized use of the content recorded on the recording medium.

  The invention according to claim 31 is a program used in a processing apparatus for recording or reproducing information on an information recording medium, and whether or not information on a free capacity of the information recording medium is recorded on the information recording medium. And a procedure for comparing the information regarding the free space with the actual free space in the information recording medium when the information regarding the free space is recorded as a result of the determination. This program is executed by the control computer.

  According to this, when the program of the present invention is loaded into a predetermined memory and the head address thereof is set in the program counter, the control computer of the processing device stores information on the free space of the information recording medium in the information recording medium. Is recorded, and as a result of the determination, if information on the free space is recorded, the information on the free space is compared with the actual free space on the information recording medium. That is, according to the program of the present invention, it is possible to cause the computer for controlling the processing apparatus to execute the access method according to the invention described in claim 15, and as a result, without incurring an increase in cost, Unauthorized use can be prevented.

  In this case, as in the program according to claim 32, when the information on the free space matches the actual free space as a result of the comparison, a procedure for permitting recording or reproduction on the information recording medium is provided. The control computer can be further executed.

  In this case, as in the program according to claim 33, when information is recorded on the information recording medium and the free capacity of the information recording medium changes, a procedure for updating the information on the free capacity is performed by the control computer. Can be further executed.

  A thirty-fourth aspect of the invention is a computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to any one of the thirty to thirty-third aspects is recorded.

  According to this, since the program according to any one of claims 30 to 33 is recorded, it is possible to prevent unauthorized use of the content without causing an increase in cost by causing the computer to execute the program. Is possible.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an optical disc apparatus 20 as an information recording apparatus and processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  An optical disk apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 1 includes a spindle motor 22 for rotating and driving an optical disk 15 as an information recording medium according to an embodiment of the present invention, an optical pickup apparatus 23, and the optical pickup apparatus 23 in the sledge direction. A seek motor 21 for driving, a laser control circuit 24, an encoder 25, a drive control circuit 26, a reproduction signal processing circuit 28, a buffer RAM 34, a buffer manager 37, an interface 38, a flash memory 39, a CPU 40, a RAM 41, and the like are provided. Note that the arrows in FIG. 1 indicate the flow of typical signals and information, and do not represent the entire connection relationship of each block.

  The interface 38 is a bidirectional communication interface with a host device 90 (for example, a personal computer), and is a standard interface such as ATAPI (AT Attachment Packet Interface), SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), and USB (Universal Serial Bus). It is compliant.

  The buffer RAM 34 temporarily stores data to be recorded on the optical disc 15 (recording data), data reproduced from the optical disc 15 (reproduction data), and the like. Data input / output to / from the buffer RAM 34 is managed by the buffer manager 37.

  The optical pickup device 23 is a device for condensing laser light on the recording surface of the optical disc 15 and receiving reflected light from the recording surface. The optical pickup device 23 includes a semiconductor laser and an objective lens, and guides the light beam emitted from the semiconductor laser to the recording surface of the optical disc 15 and guides the return light beam reflected by the recording surface to a predetermined light receiving position. The light receiving device is arranged at the light receiving position and receives the return light beam, and a drive system (focusing actuator and tracking actuator) (both not shown). The light receiver has a plurality of light receiving elements (or light receiving regions), and a signal corresponding to the amount of light received by each is output to the reproduction signal processing circuit 28.

  The reproduction signal processing circuit 28 acquires a servo signal (such as a focus error signal and a track error signal), address information, a synchronization signal, and an RF signal based on the output signal of the light receiver. The servo signal obtained here is output to the drive control circuit 26, the address information is output to the CPU 40, and the synchronization signal is output to the encoder 25, the drive control circuit 26, and the like. Further, the reproduction signal processing circuit 28 performs decoding processing, error detection processing, and the like on the RF signal. When an error is detected, the reproduction signal processing circuit 28 performs error correction processing, and then plays back the buffer via the buffer manager 37 as reproduction data. Store in the RAM 34. The reproduction data stored in the buffer RAM 34 is transferred to the host device 90 in units of sectors.

  The drive control circuit 26 generates a drive signal for the tracking actuator for correcting the positional deviation of the objective lens in the tracking direction based on the track error signal from the reproduction signal processing circuit 28, and based on the focus error signal. Thus, a driving signal for the focusing actuator for correcting the focus shift of the objective lens is generated. Each drive signal generated here is output to the optical pickup device 23. Thereby, tracking control and focus control are performed. The drive control circuit 26 generates a drive signal for driving the seek motor 21 and a drive signal for driving the spindle motor 22 based on an instruction from the CPU 40. Each drive signal is output to the seek motor 21 and the spindle motor 22, respectively.

  The flash memory 39 stores various programs including a program according to the present invention described by codes decodable by the CPU 40, recording conditions including recording power and recording strategy information, and emission characteristics of the semiconductor laser. Yes.

  The encoder 25 takes out the recording data stored in the buffer RAM 34 through the buffer manager 37 based on an instruction from the CPU 40, modulates the data, adds an error correction code, and the like, and writes a signal to the optical disc 15. Is generated. The write signal generated here is output to the laser control circuit 24.

  The laser control circuit 24 controls the light emission power of a semiconductor laser constituting the optical pickup device 23. For example, during recording, a laser control circuit 24 generates a drive signal for the semiconductor laser based on the write signal, the recording conditions, the light emission characteristics of the semiconductor laser, and the like.

  The CPU 40 controls the operation of each unit according to a program stored in the flash memory 39 and saves data necessary for control in the RAM 41 and the buffer RAM 34.

  The optical disk 15 has physical properties equivalent to those of a CD-type information recording medium as an example, and as shown in FIG. 2 as an example, a read-only area (hereinafter referred to as “ROM section”) in which content is recorded. And a region where data can be additionally written as a data region (hereinafter also referred to as “RAM unit”). Here, information is recorded by the multi-session method, and the ROM section is the first session. Further, as shown in FIG. 3 as an example, the RAM section includes a lead-in area (Lead-In Area), a program area (Program Area), a lead-out area (Lead-Out Area), and the like. Two sessions are formed. As an example, as shown in FIG. 4, the last sector of the program area includes a file (hereinafter, abbreviated as “free capacity information”) including information on the free capacity of the RAM portion of the optical disk 15 as file data (hereinafter referred to as “free capacity information”). (Also called “free space file”). Here, the last sector of the program area includes synchronization information (Sync), header information (Header), data (Data), error detection code (Error Detection Code: EDC), error correction code (Error Correction Code: ECC), and It is composed of blanks, and the free capacity file is included in the data. Further, the free capacity file further includes, as file data, information relating to the date and time when this free capacity file was created or updated (hereinafter also referred to as “date and time information”). This date / time information is further recorded in the file management information area as one of the file management information related to the free capacity file. Furthermore, the free capacity file is encrypted. That is, both the free space information and the date / time information are encrypted. In addition, although the file encryption method currently used generally is used for encryption of an empty capacity file, it does not specifically limit. For example, a file encryption method corresponding to the importance of content may be used. Further, it is assumed that a decryption key used for decrypting the free capacity file is recorded on the optical disc 15.

《Playback processing》
Next, processing when the optical disc apparatus 20 configured as described above receives a reproduction request command from the host apparatus 90 will be described with reference to FIG. The flowchart in FIG. 5 corresponds to a series of processing algorithms executed by the CPU 40.

  When a playback request command for requesting playback of content is received from the host device 90, the start address of a program corresponding to the flowchart of FIG. 5 (hereinafter referred to as “playback processing program”) is set in the program counter of the CPU 40, and playback processing starts. To do.

  In the first step 401, it is determined whether or not a free capacity file is recorded on the optical disc 15. Here, since a free capacity file is recorded in the last sector of the program area of the second session, the determination here is affirmed, and the routine proceeds to step 403.

  In this step 403, the free capacity file is read from the optical disk 15, decrypted using the decryption key, and then the file data is stored in the RAM 41.

  In the next step 405, free capacity information is extracted from the file data stored in the RAM 41. Then, the free space indicated by the free space information (hereinafter, also referred to as “first free space” for convenience) is acquired.

  In the next step 407, the actual free capacity of the RAM section of the optical disk 15 (hereinafter also referred to as “second free capacity” for convenience) is acquired.

  In the next step 409, it is determined whether or not the first free capacity and the second free capacity are the same. If the first free capacity and the second free capacity are the same, the determination here is affirmed and the routine proceeds to step 411.

  In this step 411, date information (hereinafter also referred to as “first date information” for convenience) is extracted from the file data stored in the RAM 41.

  In the next step 413, the date and time information of the free capacity file (hereinafter also referred to as “second date and time information” for convenience) is obtained from the file management information.

  In the next step 415, it is determined whether or not the first date information and the second date information match each other. If the first date and time information and the second date and time information match each other, the determination here is affirmed and the routine proceeds to step 417.

  In this step 417, the optical disk 15 is regarded as an original, and reproduction is permitted. Thus, as described above, the reproduction data is acquired by the reproduction signal processing circuit 28 based on the output signal of the optical pickup device 23, stored in the buffer RAM 34, and then transferred to the host device 90 in units of sectors.

  In the next step 419, it is determined whether or not the reproduction of the designated content is completed. If the reproduction is not completed, the determination here is denied, and it is determined whether or not the reproduction is completed again after a predetermined time elapses. That is, it waits until the reproduction of the designated content is completed. When the reproduction of the specified content is completed, the determination here is affirmed and the reproduction process is terminated.

  In step 409, if the first free capacity information and the second free capacity are different from each other, the determination in step 409 is denied and the process proceeds to step 421. In this step 421, the optical disk 15 is regarded as having been illegally copied, and the upper device 90 is notified that reproduction is impossible. Then, the reproduction process ends. That is, the designated content is not reproduced.

  If the first date and time information and the second date and time information are different from each other in step 415, the determination in step 415 is denied and the process proceeds to step 421. That is, the designated content is not reproduced.

  In this way, it is possible to determine whether the optical disk 15 is an original or an illegally copied one based on the free space information and the date / time information. If it is illegally copied, unauthorized reproduction can be substantially prevented by not permitting reproduction.

  If no free capacity file is recorded on the optical disk 15 in step 401, the determination in step 401 is denied and the process proceeds to step 421. That is, the optical disk 15 is regarded as an illegally copied disk, and reproduction of designated content is prohibited.

<Recording process>
Next, processing when the optical disk apparatus 20 configured as described above receives a user data recording request command from the host apparatus 90 to the optical disk 15 will be described with reference to FIG. The flowchart in FIG. 6 corresponds to a series of processing algorithms executed by the CPU 40.

  When a recording request command is received from the host device 90, the start address of a program corresponding to the flowchart of FIG. 6 (hereinafter referred to as “recording processing program”) is set in the program counter of the CPU 40, and the recording process starts. Note that writing to the optical disk 15 is performed via the encoder 25, the laser control circuit 24, the optical pickup device 23, and the like. The user data requested to be recorded is recorded as the third session.

  In the first step 501, it is determined whether or not a free capacity file is recorded on the optical disk 15. Here, since a free capacity file is recorded in the last sector of the program area of the second session, the determination here is affirmed, and the routine proceeds to step 503.

  In steps 503 to 507, processing similar to that in steps 403 to 407 is performed.

  In the next step 509, it is determined whether or not the first free capacity information and the second free capacity are the same. If the first free space information and the second free space are the same, the determination here is affirmed and the process proceeds to step 511.

  In steps 511 and 513, processing similar to that in steps 411 and 413 is performed.

  In the next step 515, it is determined whether or not the first date information and the second date information match each other. If the first date and time information and the second date and time information match each other, the determination here is affirmed and the routine proceeds to step 517.

  In this step 517, the free capacity of the RAM part of the optical disk 15 after recording is calculated. Here, the free space after the user data and the free space file are recorded is calculated.

  In the next step 519, the free capacity file is updated based on the calculated free capacity.

  In the next step 521, the update date / time information of the free capacity file is added to the free capacity file.

  In the next step 523, the updated free capacity file is encrypted.

  In the next step 525, the encrypted free capacity file is added to the recording data together with the decryption key. Here, the updated free capacity file is added to the position corresponding to the last sector of the program area in the third session. Since there is a lower limit on the size of the program area, dummy data may be inserted between the recording data and the updated free capacity file when the amount of recording data is small.

  In the next step 527, recording is permitted.

  In the next step 529, it is determined whether or not user data recording is completed. If the recording of user data is not completed, the determination here is denied, and it is determined whether or not the recording of user data is completed again after a predetermined time has elapsed. That is, it waits until the recording of user data is completed. When the recording of the user data is completed, the determination here is affirmed, and the routine proceeds to step 531. Here, as shown in FIG. 7 as an example, the updated free capacity file is recorded in the last sector of the program area of the third session.

  In the next step 531, the upper apparatus 90 is notified of the recording completion. Then, the recording process ends.

  If the first free capacity information and the second free capacity are different from each other in step 509, the determination in step 509 is denied and the process proceeds to step 533. In this step 533, the optical disk 15 is considered to have been illegally copied, and the higher-level device 90 is notified that recording is impossible. Then, the recording process ends. That is, user data is not recorded.

  If the first date and time information and the second date and time information are different from each other in step 515, the determination in step 515 is denied and the process proceeds to step 533. That is, user data is not recorded.

  In this way, it is possible to determine whether the optical disk 15 is an original or an illegally copied one based on the free space information and the date / time information. And if it is illegally copied, unauthorized copying can be substantially prevented by not permitting recording.

  If no free capacity file is recorded on the optical disk 15 in step 501, the determination in step 501 is denied and the process proceeds to step 533. That is, the optical disk 15 is regarded as being illegally copied, and recording of user data is prohibited.

  As is clear from the above description, in the optical disc apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment, the acquisition unit, the determination unit, the comparison unit, and the control unit are realized by the CPU 40 and the program executed by the CPU 40. That is, the acquisition means is realized by step 517 in FIG. 6, the determination means is realized by step 401 in FIG. 5 and step 501 in FIG. 6, and the comparison means is realized by steps 403 to 415 in FIG. 5 and steps 503 to 515 in FIG. The control means is realized by step 417 in FIG. 5 and step 527 in FIG.

  The optical pickup device 23, the laser control circuit 24, the encoder 25, the CPU 40, and a program (steps 519 to 527 in FIG. 6) executed by the CPU 40 realize a recording unit and an updating unit.

  It should be noted that at least a part of each means realized by processing according to the program by the CPU 40 may be configured by hardware, or all may be configured by hardware.

  In this embodiment, among the programs recorded in the flash memory 39 as a recording medium, the reproduction processing program and the recording processing program constitute the program according to the present invention. That is, a procedure for recording information on the free space of the information recording medium on the information recording medium is configured by a program corresponding to the processing of steps 517 to 527 in FIG. Further, a determination procedure is configured by a program corresponding to the process of step 401 in FIG. 5, a program corresponding to the process of step 501 in FIG. 6, and a program corresponding to the processes in steps 403 to 415 in FIG. The comparison procedure is configured by a program corresponding to the processing of steps 503 to 515. Further, a procedure to be permitted is configured by a program corresponding to the process of step 417 in FIG. 5 and a program corresponding to the process of step 527 in FIG. 6, and the procedure is updated by the program corresponding to the process in steps 519 to 527 of FIG. Is configured.

  Then, in the recording method according to the present invention by the process of step 527 in FIG. 6, a step of recording information relating to the free space in the information recording medium to the information recording medium is performed, and is added to the file by the process in step 521 of FIG. The process is being implemented. In addition, the encryption process is performed by the process of step 523 in FIG.

  5 is performed by the process of step 401 of FIG. 5 and the process of step 501 of FIG. 6, and the process of steps 403 to 415 of FIG. 5 and the processes of steps 503 to 515 of FIG. The process of comparing is performed by the process, the process of permitting is performed by the process of step 417 of FIG. 5 and the process of step 527 of FIG. 6, and the process of updating is performed by the process of steps 519 to 527 of FIG. .

  As described above, according to the optical disk apparatus (information recording apparatus and processing apparatus) according to the present embodiment, when there is a content reproduction request from the host apparatus 90, the program area (data area of the optical area) of the optical disk 15 (information recording medium). The free space file recorded in (part) is read, and the free space (first free space) indicated by the free space information included in the free space file matches the actual free space (second free space). At the same time, when the date and time information (first date and time information) included in the free space file matches the date and time information (second date and time information) in the file management information, the optical disc 15 is determined to be original, and the content information Playback is allowed. On the other hand, when the first free space and the second free space do not match, or when the first date and time information does not match the second date and time information, it is determined that the optical disk 15 has been illegally copied. , Playback of content is prohibited. As a result, regardless of the type of the optical disk, access to the optical disk on which the content is illegally copied can be surely prohibited. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unauthorized use of the content recorded in the original without incurring higher costs as a result.

  Further, when there is a user data recording request from the host device 90, the free capacity file recorded in the program area of the optical disc 15 is read, and the first free capacity and the second free capacity match, and the first When the date and time information matches the second date and time information, the optical disc 15 is determined to be original, and recording of user data is permitted. On the other hand, when the first free space and the second free space do not match, or when the first date and time information does not match the second date and time information, it is determined that the optical disk 15 has been illegally copied. User data recording is prohibited. Thereby, recording on an optical disc other than the original can be surely prohibited regardless of the type of the optical disc. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unauthorized copying of the content recorded in the original without incurring higher costs as a result.

  That is, in the present embodiment, in the recording process, information relating to the free space is recorded on the optical disc 15. For example, even if the entire optical disc 15 is copied to another information recording medium, the original is based on the information relating to the free space. It is possible to discriminate between the recording medium and the copied recording medium. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unauthorized copying and unauthorized use of recorded content without resulting in an increase in cost.

  Further, in the present embodiment, in order to check the validity of the disk 15 in response to a request for access to the optical disk 15, the information on the free capacity recorded on the optical disk 15 and the actual free capacity on the optical disk 15 are used. Thus, it is determined whether or not the optical disk 15 is an original. As a result, it is possible to prohibit access to unauthorized copies, and as a result, it is possible to prevent unauthorized use of recorded content without increasing costs.

  In this embodiment, when user data is recorded on the optical disk 15 and the free space changes, the free space file is updated. As a result, it is possible to quickly determine whether or not the optical disk 15 is an original for subsequent access requests. When the free capacity file is updated, the updated free capacity file is recorded on the optical disc 15. Thereby, even when the optical disk 15 is once ejected and set again, it is possible to quickly and correctly determine whether or not the optical disk 15 is the original.

  In the present embodiment, since the free space file is encrypted and recorded, it is possible to prevent falsification of the file data.

  Also, according to the optical disk 15 according to the present embodiment, since the information about the free space is recorded, for example, even if the entire optical disk 15 is copied to another information recording medium, the original information based on the information about the free space is used. It is possible to discriminate between the recording medium and the copied recording medium. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unauthorized use of recorded content without resulting in an increase in cost.

  Further, since the date and time information is added to the free capacity file recorded on the optical disc 15, it is possible to more accurately discriminate between the original recording medium and the copied recording medium. In the copied recording medium, the copy date and time information is recorded in the file management information area.

  Further, since the free space file recorded on the optical disk 15 is encrypted, it is possible to prevent falsification of the file data.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the optical disc 15 has physical properties equivalent to those of a CD-type information recording medium has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, physical properties equivalent to those of a DVD-type information recording medium are provided. It may have the same physical properties as the next-generation information recording medium corresponding to light having a wavelength of 405 nm.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the decryption key used for decrypting the free space file is recorded on the optical disc 15 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the user may input the decryption key via the host device 90. good. In the above embodiment, the validity of the decryption key is not confirmed when the free capacity file is decrypted, but the validity of the decryption key may be confirmed.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the case where a RAM part was an area | region which can be additionally written, not only this but a rewritable area | region may be sufficient. In this case, for example, a specific area for recording a free capacity file may be set in advance, and when the free capacity changes, the updated free capacity file may be overwritten on the specific area.

  Furthermore, although the case where the optical disk 15 is a hybrid disk having a ROM part and a RAM part has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and a disk having only a RAM part may be used. For example, it may be a commercially available CD-R or CD-RW. Of course, it may be any of DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD + R, DVD + RW, and a next-generation information recording medium corresponding to light having a wavelength of 405 nm. If the optical disc 15 is a DVD disc, a DVD recorder may be used as the information recording device and a DVD player may be used as the processing device.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the free space file is recorded in the last sector of the program area has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be recorded at the beginning of the program area, or may be recorded immediately after the data recorded in the program area.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the case where free capacity information was recorded as a file, it is not limited to this. However, in this case, since there is no file management information, determination based on date / time information is not performed (see FIGS. 8 and 9).

  In the above embodiment, the case where the free capacity file is encrypted and recorded on the optical disc 15 has been described. However, when the importance of the content is low or the possibility that the file data is falsified is small, the encryption is performed. It is not necessary. In this case, the decoding in steps 403 and 503 and the processing in step 523 are not required.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where it is determined that the optical disc 15 is not the original if the first date information and the second date information do not completely match has been described. For example, they may be regarded as matching.

  In the above embodiment, the case where date and time information is included in the free capacity file has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, information regarding the date when the free capacity file was created or updated is used instead of the date and time information. (Hereinafter also referred to as “date information”) may be included. In this case, in the steps 411 to 415, the steps 511 to 515, and the step 521, date information is used instead of date information.

  In the above embodiment, the optical disk 15 is determined to be original when the first free capacity and the second free capacity match and the first date information and the second date information match. For example, when the importance of the content is low, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 as an example, the optical disk 15 is immediately used when the first free capacity and the second free capacity match. May be determined to be original. Thereby, the time required for determination can be shortened. In this case, the date and time information may not be included in the free capacity file. 8 omits steps 411 to 415 in the flowchart of FIG. 5, and FIG. 9 omits steps 511 to 515 and step 521 in the flowchart of FIG.

  In the above embodiment, the case of recording by the multi-session method has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  In the above embodiment, the program according to the present invention is recorded in the flash memory 39, but is recorded in another recording medium (CD, magneto-optical disk, DVD, memory card, USB memory, flexible disk, etc.). May be. In this case, the program according to the present invention is loaded into the flash memory 39 via the playback device (or dedicated interface) corresponding to each recording medium. Further, the program according to the present invention may be transferred to the flash memory 39 via a network (LAN, intranet, Internet, etc.). In short, the program according to the present invention may be loaded into the flash memory 39.

  In the above embodiment, the program according to the present invention may be recorded in the ROM portion of the optical disc 15. In this case, when the optical disc 15 is set in the optical disc apparatus 20, the program according to the present invention is loaded from the optical disc 15 to the flash memory 39.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the optical pickup device includes one semiconductor laser has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, a plurality of semiconductor lasers that emit light beams having different wavelengths may be included. In this case, for example, at least one of a semiconductor laser that emits a light beam with a wavelength of about 405 nm, a semiconductor laser that emits a light beam with a wavelength of about 660 nm, and a semiconductor laser that emits a light beam with a wavelength of about 780 nm may be included. . That is, the optical disk apparatus may be an optical disk apparatus that supports a plurality of types of optical disks that conform to different standards. In this case, a free capacity file may be recorded on at least one of the optical disks.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the information recording medium is an optical disk has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In this case, an information recording apparatus corresponding to the information recording medium is used instead of the optical disk apparatus.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the processing device is the optical disk device 20 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the processing device may be composed of the optical disk device 20 and the host device 90. In this case, in the above-described embodiment, at least a part of each means realized by the CPU 40 may be realized by the host device 90.

  As described above, the information recording medium of the present invention is suitable for preventing unauthorized use of recorded content without increasing the cost. The recording method and information recording apparatus of the present invention are suitable for preventing unauthorized use of content recorded on an information recording medium without incurring an increase in cost. The access method and processing apparatus of the present invention are suitable for preventing unauthorized use of content without increasing costs. Further, the program and the storage medium of the present invention are suitable for preventing unauthorized use of content without causing an increase in cost to the control computer of the information recording apparatus and the processing apparatus.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an optical disc device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the optical disk which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the RAM part of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the area | region where a free capacity file is recorded. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a reproduction process in the optical disc apparatus of FIG. 1. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a recording process in the optical disc apparatus of FIG. 1. It is a figure for demonstrating the area | region where the updated free capacity file is recorded. 6 is a flowchart for explaining another example of the reproduction process in the optical disc apparatus of FIG. 1. 6 is a flowchart for explaining another example of recording processing in the optical disc apparatus of FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 ... Optical disk (information recording medium), 20 ... Optical disk apparatus (information recording device, processing apparatus), 23 ... Optical pick-up apparatus (a part of recording means, a part of update means), 24 ... Laser control circuit (a recording means) Part, part of update means) 25 ... Encoder (part of recording means, part of update means), 39 ... Flash memory (recording medium), 40 ... CPU (acquisition means, part of recording means, judgment) Means, comparison means, control means, part of update means).

Claims (34)

In an information recording medium having a data area in which user data is recorded,
An information recording medium characterized in that information relating to free space in the data area is recorded either inside or outside the data area.   The information recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the information regarding the free space is recorded in the data area.   The information recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the information relating to the free space is recorded as a file.   The information recording medium according to claim 3, wherein the file further includes information including a date when the file was created or updated.   The information recording medium according to claim 4, wherein the information including the date is encrypted.   The information recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the information regarding the free space is encrypted.   The information recording medium according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a read-only area separately from the data area. A recording method for recording information on an information recording medium,
A recording method comprising a step of recording information relating to a free space in an information recording medium on the information recording medium. The information recording medium has a data area in which user data is recorded,
9. The recording method according to claim 8, wherein in the recording step, the information regarding the free space is recorded in the data area.   10. The recording method according to claim 8, wherein in the recording step, the information regarding the free space is recorded as a file.   The recording method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of adding information including a date when the file was created or updated to the file. Prior to adding to the file, further comprising encrypting information including the date;
12. The recording method according to claim 11, wherein in the step of adding to the file, information including the encrypted date is added to the file. Prior to the step of recording the information on the free space on the information recording medium, further comprising the step of encrypting the information on the free space,
13. The step of recording the information regarding the free space on the information recording medium records the encrypted information regarding the free space on the information recording medium. Recording method.   The recording method according to claim 8, wherein the information recording medium further includes a read-only area. An access method for recording or reproducing information on an information recording medium,
Determining whether information relating to the free space of the information recording medium is recorded on the information recording medium;
A step of comparing the information relating to the free space and the actual free space on the information recording medium when information relating to the free space is recorded as a result of the determination;   16. The access method according to claim 15, wherein, in the comparing step, the information recording medium is an original when the information regarding the free space matches the actual free space.   17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, further comprising a step of permitting recording or reproduction with respect to the information recording medium when the information regarding the free space matches the actual free space as a result of the comparison. The access method described.   18. The access method according to claim 17, further comprising a step of updating information relating to the free capacity when information is recorded on the information recording medium and the free capacity of the information recording medium changes. An information recording apparatus for recording information on an information recording medium,
Obtaining means for obtaining information relating to the free capacity of the information recording medium;
An information recording apparatus comprising: recording means for recording information relating to the free space on the information recording medium. The information recording medium has a data area in which user data is recorded,
The information recording apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the recording unit records information relating to the free space in the data area.   21. The information recording apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the recording unit records information relating to the free space as a file.   The information recording apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the recording unit further adds information including a date when the file is created or updated to the file.   23. The information recording apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the recording unit encrypts information including the date and adds the information to the file.   The information recording apparatus according to any one of claims 19 to 23, wherein the recording unit encrypts information related to the free space and records the information on the information recording medium.   The information recording apparatus according to any one of claims 19 to 24, wherein the information recording medium further includes a read-only area. A processing device for recording or reproducing information on an information recording medium,
Determining means for determining whether or not information relating to the free space of the information recording medium is recorded on the information recording medium;
And a comparison unit that compares the information regarding the free space with the actual free space in the information recording medium when information regarding the free space is recorded as a result of the determination.   27. The information recording medium according to claim 26, wherein the comparison unit determines that the information recording medium is an original when the information regarding the free capacity recorded on the information recording medium matches the actual free capacity. The processing apparatus as described.   28. The control device according to claim 26, further comprising control means for permitting recording or reproduction with respect to the information recording medium when the information regarding the free space matches the actual free space as a result of the comparison. The processing apparatus as described in.   29. The processing apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising updating means for updating information relating to the free capacity when information is recorded on the information recording medium and the free capacity of the information recording medium changes. A program used in an information recording apparatus for recording information on an information recording medium,
A program for causing a control computer of the information recording apparatus to execute a procedure for recording information on a free capacity of the information recording medium on the information recording medium. A program used in a processing device for recording or reproducing information on an information recording medium,
A procedure for determining whether or not information relating to the free space of the information recording medium is recorded on the information recording medium;
If information regarding the free space is recorded as a result of the determination, a procedure for comparing the information regarding the free space with the actual free space on the information recording medium is executed in the control computer of the processing device. Program to make.   As a result of the comparison, when the information regarding the free space matches the actual free space, the control computer is further caused to execute a procedure for permitting recording or reproduction with respect to the information recording medium. The program according to claim 31.   The information is recorded on the information recording medium, and when the free space of the information recording medium changes, the control computer is further caused to execute a procedure for updating information on the free space. Program. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to any one of claims 30 to 33 is recorded.

Images