JP2008016039A - Data receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a data receiver capable of control such as use promotion of providing information, by adding data of adding control information to a providing information body, to the providing information. <P>SOLUTION: This transmitting-receiving system provides multi-media digital information including a video, an image and voice for a user by using a communication broadcasting means. The data receiver is connected to a network, to receive an information unit composed of an information body and ancillary data provided by the communication broadcasting means. Thus, the information transmitted by data from an information provider via a communication connecting part, is checked on the content of the ancillary data by a use management part, and indication is sent to an information using part in response to its ancillary data, and the information is used. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention provides multimedia digital information, such as copyrights, to users via a broadcast communication network, and protects the rights such as copyrights and protects provided information, while providing various information to users. The present invention relates to a data receiving apparatus having an information format and a control method that enable a provision form.

In recent years, various information services have been provided and used via broadcast communication networks. For example, there are a fax information service using a telephone line network, a video service using a CATV network, an internet service using a computer network, and the like. The data consisting of these information services, when the information provision and use contract between the user and the information provider is completed, the information to be provided is sent as the data in the form of almost raw information, Copyright protection and information protection depend heavily on the common sense of users. Since the provision of information provision and usage contracts, copyright protection and information protection, and the use of information bodies exist independently, they involve various problems for advanced information services ( For example, see Patent Document 1).
JP-A-7-221751

  As described above, in the conventional information service, the process from the information service contract to the provision of information and the use of the information is not performed in an integrated structure. There have been problems such as the inability to properly manage the use of the provided information including unauthorized copying, the inability to monitor and control including the maintenance of the information provided by the provider, and the inability to control the provided information.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a first object of the present invention is to provide transmission data in addition to provided information in addition to the information main body to be provided. It is an object of the present invention to provide a data receiving apparatus capable of promoting the use of information or controlling the unauthorized use and the prevention of unauthorized copying.

  A second object of the present invention is to provide a data receiving apparatus that enables strict user management of information to be provided and that can correctly perform management of use of the provided information body.

  A third object of the present invention is to provide a data receiving apparatus capable of managing and controlling information provided to a user by an information provider.

  A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a data receiving apparatus capable of presenting various information bodies so that a person in an information user position can be an information provider.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a data transmission / reception system for providing multimedia digital information including video / image / audio, etc. to users using communication broadcasting means. A communication connection unit that receives data, an information use unit that provides the information body to a user, and a use management unit that instructs the information use unit to provide the information body by the user based on the attached data; It is summarized as follows.

  With this configuration, the information transmitted from the information provider via the communication connection unit is checked for the contents of the attached data by the usage management unit, and an instruction is sent to the information using unit according to the attached data to use the information. Is done.

  In the present invention, in the data receiving apparatus as described above, as a storage device or a file device that stores the information body received by the communication connection unit, and a use medium of the information body sent via the information use unit The terminal peripheral unit is further provided.

  With this configuration, the information transmitted from the information provider via the communication connection unit is checked for whether or not storage is permitted as a file, and if the storage is not permitted, the information body is controlled. Are stored in the storage device. The information body part transferred subsequent to the body information area and the additional data is sent to the terminal peripheral unit via the information use part without being stored in the storage device or file device, and is used in online real-time or interactive use. Or it is provided to the user in the form of information playback. In this case, the use form of information is defined by the attached data stored in the storage device, and the use management unit, information use unit, and terminal peripheral unit control the information provision correctly based on the rule.

  The attached data includes various information. First, it includes at least one of encryption information describing the presence / absence of encryption of the information body, an encryption method, and an encryption key. Second, it includes lifetime information that defines the lifetime in which the information body can be used. Third, it includes information type information describing the type of information body. Fourth, it includes designation information indicating whether or not the information body can be transferred to the external network. Fifth, it includes printout information that defines whether or not to permit the information body to be printed out. Sixth, user information that defines who can use the information body is included. Seventh, falsification preventing information for preventing falsification of the information body is included. Eighth, it includes copyright information indicating whether or not there is a copyright claim for the information body.

  By including the various information as described above, the attached data can prevent eavesdropping and tampering by others, and authorized users are allowed to use the information for a predetermined period of time. Service can be received.

  In the present invention, the usage management unit controls the location usage unit so that the information body can be used only when the input user ID matches the user information, or when tampering is detected. , And a function of invalidating the altered information body and its associated data.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, only a predetermined user can use the information, and in order to check whether the usage purpose and usage form of the user match the conditions specified by the information provider. The entire data receiving device is controlled, and when the usage is correct, the information body is sequentially read from the file device, and information is provided to the user at the terminal peripheral unit via the information utilization unit.

  The usage management unit also checks the information form, whether encryption is necessary, whether usage logs are required, user authentication, checking and control of usage purposes, information survivability and information disposal conditions, log management during use, information Management and control such as tamper detection is performed, and in the case of unauthorized use etc. where the conditions do not match, an instruction to prohibit information provision is issued to the information utilization unit. The information utilization unit functions under the management of the utilization management unit, decryption processing of encrypted information, reproduction control according to the type of information such as video information and audio information, and information according to the information utilization level such as image quality Conversion, information synthesis of multiple areas, superimpose processing, etc. are performed. Also, terminal control, device control at the time of printout and copying, and information conversion are performed.

  The gist of the present invention is to further include a copyright information management unit for managing copyright information. For this reason, the copyright information management unit controls the information usage unit based on the copyright information to determine whether a usage method that infringes copyright, portrait right, etc. has been made. Verification is performed to match, and processing such as usage restriction or billing is performed as necessary.

  The data receiving device may further include an information generating unit connected between the terminal peripheral unit and the file device. By the information generating unit, the original original information having no additional data is provided. Thus, the information generation unit can automatically generate a framework of the area additional data string, and create a new information framework that can provide one information service unit with additional data in the storage device. The information generation unit generates an information format equivalent to that handled by the system, and the user of the processing apparatus can transmit information created by the information generation unit as an information provider to others via the network. To. Furthermore, in this case, copying or falsification of information can be prohibited, users can be restricted, and information can be secured by encryption.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to manage a method of using a piece of information provided to a user, and use each piece of information by a user who has been determined and in an appropriate usage form.

  According to the present invention, a piece of information provided to a user can be composed of information of a large number of copyright holders, and the information is divided into a number of areas with different copyright information and processing, and each Since different usage conditions can be set for each area, it is possible to provide information according to the usage status of the user or perform billing processing.

  In addition, it is possible to manage the information provided by the information provider, and it is possible to provide information with peace of mind because operation management such as usage status management, unauthorized usage management (prevention or detection), information maintenance, etc. is performed on the provided information Detailed user designation, prohibition or permission of partial copy or printout, setting of method for each part, provision of information according to information quality to be used, information service for expiration date setting, information on the number of times of use Various service forms are possible according to the service of information providers and users such as services.

  In addition, a variety of data can be provided such that even the end information user can become an information provider, and information can be provided through the network with the use conditions attached to the information that he has or created. The effect that it can receive is acquired.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the data receiving apparatus according to the first embodiment of this invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the data receiving device is provided with a communication connecting unit 2 connected to the outside world such as a network N to which information is provided, and a control unit 3 that controls the operation of the entire data receiving device. An area management unit 4 that manages and controls which divided areas of information are used in real time; a copyright information management unit 5 that manages and controls information related to copyright; A usage management unit 6 that manages and controls usage, a storage device 7 and a file device 8 that store information provided via the communication connection unit, and information that controls management of the information body when the user uses the information It comprises a utilization unit 9 and a terminal peripheral unit 10 that presents information provided from the information utilization unit to the user. As the network N, there are various data transmission broadcasting communication lines such as a telephone line, a facsimile line, a data line, the Internet, a LAN, and satellite broadcasting. The control unit 3 uses a CPU, and various programs and a microprocessor are incorporated so that various data can be received. The terminal peripheral unit 10 includes a keyboard and a display, and a CRT display terminal, a personal computer, a workstation, or other devices such as a printer that can input commands and output and display data are used. The data receiving device in the form has a function as an operation / display output means.

  FIG. 2 shows the configuration of one information service unit 20 provided by an information provider. N from a divided main body information area (1) 27 to main body information area (N) 28 provided from the outside. An information body 24 composed of a plurality of areas, and additional data 23 composed of N area additional data from area additional data (1) 25 to area additional data (N) 26 corresponding to the respective body information areas; The area data 22 having the address pointer of the additional data 23 and the attribute data 21 indicating the overall attributes of the information body 24 are configured.

  FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the area data 22 of FIG. Each of region data 32 composed of region data (1) 30 to region data (N) 31 includes a start address pointer 33 and an end address pointer 34 of the corresponding region additional data, and connection information (1) 35. To connection information (k) 36.

  FIG. 4 shows details of the N area additional data from the area additional data (1) 25 to the area additional data (N) 26 constituting the additional data 23 in FIG. 2, taking the i-th area additional data 40 as an example. The structure of the functions 41-68 is shown.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. Of the information as one information service unit sent from the information provider via the communication connection unit 2 connected to the network, the attribute data 21, the area data 22, and the additional data 23 are taken into the storage device 7. . The attribute data 21 indicates whether or not the information body 24 can be stored in the storage device. If storage is permitted, all of the information body 24 including the information body 24 sent subsequent to the additional data 23 is included. Information is stored in the storage device 7 or the file device 8. If the storage is not permitted, the information usage is a flow-based usage in real time, so that the information body 24 is transferred directly from the communication connection unit 2 to the information usage unit 9. The control unit 3 and the area management unit 4 grasp the area of the information body being executed in real time while monitoring the transferred information body and the area data 22 and additional data 23 stored in the storage device 7, and apply The area additional data in the additional data 23 is specified. The control unit 3, the copyright information management unit 5, and the usage management unit 6 refer to the specified area additional data 40, and information on the information body 24 transferred to the information usage unit 9 according to the detailed functions 41 to 68. The information is transferred to the terminal peripheral unit 10 while controlling the information, and the information service is provided to the user.

  When storage is permitted in the storage device, after all information is once stored in the storage device or file device, the attribute data 21 and the area data 22 are added according to an instruction from the control unit 3 when the user uses the information. Data 23 is loaded into the storage device 7. The information body 24 called from the file device under the control of the control unit 3 and the area management unit 4 is sequentially transferred to the information use unit 9, but the subsequent operations are the same as described above. In this case, however, storage-type information can be used, and the information providing sequence can be freely controlled. The connection information 35 in the area data 32 designates an area to be executed next to the area currently being executed, and execution of playback of the information body proceeds in accordance with this execution order. Since one area data 32 has a plurality (k in this embodiment) of connection information, k execution sequences can be set for the information body. With this function, for example, if the information body is a movie, the scene to be cut out is divided and set, and if these divided areas are connected by the j-th connection information to create a demo sequence, the j-th connection is made to the user. By selecting the sequence, even a paid movie can be provided as a PR free of charge. If the information body is a learning drill for education, etc., n courses are prepared from advanced to basic depending on the ability level of the students, and this is programmed as a connection information sequence. If there is a part whose contents cannot be understood, an effective drill can be created and provided from one information body so that the student can receive detailed explanation and learning by moving the course to the beginner's course at that time.

  Next, functions and operations of the area additional data 40 will be described. The area additional data 40 is composed of body information area (i) start address 41 and other auxiliary information 68 as element function information. The area additional data of the area currently being executed is stored in the storage device 7, element function information related to the area is stored in the area management unit 4, and element function information related to the copyright is used in the copyright information management unit 5 for information use. The element function information concerned is interpreted, managed and controlled by the use management unit 6. Body information area (i) The start address 41 and the same end address 42 indicate the i-th body information area of the information body 24, and the following element function information is applied to this area.

  The usage mode information 43 defines whether the use of the information in the area is paid or free, and in the case of payment, the charging process is performed while referring to the copyright information 44, the ownership information / usage right information 45, and the charging information 55. I do. The copyright information 44 includes all of a plurality of copyrights and author information related to the area, and is referred to when performing copyright right processing. The ownership / use right information 45 describes all of the plurality of ownership and owner information and use right and use right information related to the area, and is referred to when performing the ownership process or the use right process. . The portrait right information 46 includes information necessary for the processing of the portrait right related to the area, and is referred to at the time of right processing associated with the portrait right. The presence form information 47 is information that the information body in the area has been sold to the user, a copy copied by the user, a loaned product from an information provider or the like, or a self-produced item created by the user himself / herself. It is prescribed. In cooperation with the ownership / usage right information 45, it is defined whether the user has purchased including the ownership or only the usage right. If the usage conditions are not stipulated again, usage within the scope of social common sense is allowed depending on the form of this information. For example, application of serial copy management for private use. The rules for own crops are to ensure freedom of editing and tampering in the process of generating information by themselves, because in the network society all members of the society are information senders and information providers. When this information is provided to a third party, the item of own crop is naturally deleted and transferred.

  The encryption information 48 includes designation of the presence / absence of encryption of the body information in the area, and information such as an encryption method and an encryption key when the information is encrypted. Since the encryption method and key can be changed for each area, the encryption level can be changed depending on the importance level, and the copyright holder and the information provider can use their own encryption. The encrypted information 48 is transferred to the information using unit 9 and used when the main body information is decrypted. The discard process information 49 defines the discard process when the information in the area becomes unnecessary. Disposal processing occurs when there is a discard instruction, when the use period of information defined by the lifetime information 54 has expired, and when there has been unauthorized use by a user. In the discarding process, meaningless information is rewritten in the area where the information exists and erased without a trace. If there is an information return designation in the disposal processing information 49, the information is sent back to the provider prior to disposal. The purpose of the return is to confirm that no information has been tampered with and to obtain the usage status. If a discard notification is specified in the discard processing information 49, a discard notification is sent to the post-discard information provider.

  The usage log information 50 is used to specify whether or not to log the usage status when the information in the area is used, and to specify a notification destination. Logs of date / use time / use time / use purpose are recorded in the area of other auxiliary information 68. This log record is intended to be provided to copyright holders, information providers and users as billing confirmation, information provider marketing information, and usage confirmation information. A log is also taken when unauthorized access occurs. The usage information notification 51 specifies whether or not to issue a usage notification to the copyright owner, the information provider, and the user when the information in the area is used, and the timing of issuing the notification. For example, if a month end notification is specified, the monthly usage status is notified at the end of each month based on the usage log information. By using such a system for notifying usage status, it is possible to prevent unauthorized use and unauthorized access.

  The use space definition 52 specifies a space in which the information can be used. As the space designation, the user can use the device number designation of the available terminal, server name designation, network name designation, location information by GPS information, location information by network address, regional information by telephone number, regional information by address, etc. The use of information is not permitted when the location is outside the specified space. This prevents information from being used or accessed illegally from a remote location, thereby ensuring information security. For example, it can also be used to prevent outside leakage of home information and outside leakage of privacy information. Conventional network systems were closed to companies and organizations, so it was not necessary to give much consideration to security against external intrusions. However, in the age of the advanced information society, networks are assumed to be open. It is necessary to strengthen the guard against access. The protection of information according to the usage space regulations is a proposal for such a purpose.

  The information level 53 is a regulation regarding sound quality represented by the number of bits in the case of sound, and video quality represented by resolution and aspect ratio in the case of video. When producing the source of the information to be provided, the quality should be as high as possible. When the network is distributed and provided, the user is charged according to the quality provided, or the network distribution is provided with high quality. This realizes a quality billing system in which billing is performed according to the quality level of the terminal used at the time of use. It is expensive when information is used in a high-vision large home theater, and when a small video device is used as a medium on a desk, even the same information can be charged cheaply. In the control of information quality, the control unit 3 recognizes the information level of the terminal peripheral unit 10 to be used, the control unit 6 selects information level control information according to the information level 53, and the information level 53 The control information is transferred to the information use unit 9 and the information use unit 9 converts the information quality.

  The lifetime information 54 defines how long the main body information of the area can be used in the user's system. The regulation can be specified as one-time use, N-time use, when to specify a period of time, when it can be used until there is an instruction from the information provider, it can be used permanently, and it is valid until the user disposes it. When the specified condition ends, the discard process is performed and the information body is lost. In the conventional information service system, any information sent to the user side cannot be controlled and managed without leaving the information provider. For this reason, it was not possible to provide important information or costly information to users. However, if information usage and information collection are performed correctly using the proposed lifetime information, a new information service will be provided. Is possible. For example, if you borrow a movie through the network, like a rental video, and automatically discard it after a specified number of days, or if you have three families who want to see the movie network By setting the disposal processing information 49, the usage log information 50, and the lifetime information 54 together, it is possible to realize an information service or the like that can be used regardless of the time limit until it is used three times.

  The billing information 55 is a regulation relating to billing, and defines details about a billing method, a usage amount, a payment destination, and a payment method for each billing target content. The copyright information management unit 5 performs billing processing with reference to the billing information 55. In the conventional network information service, only a rough charge such as how much for a movie or how much for one set of document information can be made. However, according to the present invention, the charge can be set for each charge target content in units of areas. For example, a detailed billing service can be realized by copying only the theme music of a scene of a movie, or by printing out only a table or figure in a specific page of a document information service. In addition, even if the copyright holder and the information provider differ depending on the area and the charging method and amount are different, the charging service for each right holder can be freely performed.

  User information 56 defines a user. If the user of information wants to perform strict user management regarding the use of the provided information, the user of the information registers the user at the time of application for information provision, or if the information provider specifies the user and provides an information service, the user information 56 Users are specified and information is provided. The user information 56 is referenced and managed by the use management unit 6 and control information is sent to the information use unit 9 for area-level user management. For example, when a bank sends a bank letter including PR etc. to a customer every month, the balance of the deposits of all the households is delivered at the same time. If specified by the information 56, even if each family sees the same bank letter, it is possible to provide a service in which only the balance table of the deposit balance table can be viewed. In addition, if the life period information 54 designates discard after use once, it can be reassured in terms of maintaining confidentiality because it can be given a function such as discarding its own deposit balance table after the person sees it. According to this area-level user regulation, it is possible to provide a service in which the same information is provided to a large number of users while maintaining the confidentiality of each individual user.

  The usage condition information 57 can prohibit the use of information if conditions that can be used in advance are set when the information of the area is used, and the conditions are not met. There are two ways to set the use condition information 57. One is for the information provider to set and provide the use condition information, and the other is to store the use condition information in the user system. Is the case. The use condition information 57 is referenced and managed by the use management unit 6 and control information is given to the information use unit 9 to perform information provision control. One example of the case where the former information provider gives usage conditions is to set one area for scenes that you do not want to show to young people, such as sex or violence scenes in movie information services, and use that area. By specifying an adult as a condition, when a user 20 years or younger watches the movie, the problematic scene is skipped and played back. As an example of attaching the use condition when the latter user installs, as a condition that can be used in an information service of a game in which a child is engrossed, for example, a time permitting use such as from 1 pm to 6 pm on Saturday Can be used to prevent children from hitting the game indefinitely. The use condition information 57 is an invention that is effective when it is desired to partially restrict or control the use in the information service.

  The copy permission / inhibition information 58 defines whether or not copying of the body information of the area is permitted. If copying is prohibited here, the user cannot copy the body information of the area. The use management unit 6 references and manages the copy permission / inhibition information 58, and the control information is sent to the information use unit 9 to control copying. For example, if there is a part that is difficult to be copied by the user in the document information, if the area is set and copying is prohibited, the information of the prohibited area will not be saved even if the user makes a whole copy Allows partial control of copying such as removal from copying. The copy condition information 59 defines a copy condition when copying is permitted by the copy permission / inhibition information 58. One rule of the copy condition is a condition regarding the target copy medium. For example, it is possible to perform control such that copying to a device that becomes a digital copy is not permitted, but copying to a device that is an analog copy target is permitted. The second rule of the copy condition specifies whether to copy not only the information body but also the area additional data 40. As a result, the child information obtained by copying the attribute of the original information body can be inherited. User restrictions and billing can also be applied to the copied material, and it is possible to inherit the prohibition of transfer to the network and the prohibition of reprocessing to the copied material. In this case, it is used together with attribute inheritance 60 described later. The third rule defines who can copy. By specifying users, third parties cannot perform copy operations. The fourth rule is related to copy usage. Copying is allowed only once, but no further grandchild copy is allowed, or it is set in combination with lifetime information 54, usage space rule 52, and attribute information 60. It is possible to allow a copy by specifying a time limit for using an object or specifying a space where the object can be used. Such copy conditions are identified and managed by the use management unit 6, and control information is sent to the information use unit for copy control.

  The attribute inheritance 60 functions to inherit a copy of the attribute of the information body. When the attribute genetic copy is designated by the copy condition information 59, it is defined which item of the region additional data 40 is inherited and which item is updated. For example, if information items related to copyright and charging are inherited, copyright protection and correct billing processing are inherited even if the copied material is used, and information related to copying is inherited. If so, correct copy control is performed even for the copy. For example, in the case of performing serial copy management that allows child copying, it is possible to change the existence form information 47 of the area additional data 40 added to the copy to a copy and set the copy permission / inhibition information 58 to copy prohibition. Reachable. As described above, the control using the attribute gene 60 enables a managed information service such as information maintenance and prevention of unauthorized use while having a very high degree of freedom. The information type 61 stipulates the type of main body information in the area, and is a stipulation on types of character information, image information, audio information, video information, etc., and a method necessary for information reproduction such as an information compression method. Recognized by the usage management unit 6, the control information is sent to the information usage unit 9 and used for reproducing the main body information. By performing such information type control for each area, information can be obtained from various information sources, and an information body can be constructed by combining the information. For example, the main body information can be constructed by mixing MPEG1 video information, MPEG2 video information, and uncompressed video information.

  The user confirmation necessity information 62 is recording and control of confirmation ID when it is necessary to confirm the user when using the information. This is used when a higher-order ID of the user is input to ensure high security or when a sales contract is authenticated. In either case, the usage management unit 6 performs control that cannot proceed to the next step unless correct input is confirmed. The network re-transmission availability 63 regulates whether or not the user can re-transfer information provided as an information service to the network. If the transfer is permitted, the user may retransfer the information body to the network, but if the transfer is not permitted, the user cannot retransfer the information to the network. For example, it is preferable to notify as many people as possible in the case of a catalog or PR material. In such a case, it is possible to designate retransfer. However, in the case of information set with a copyright, it must be prohibited from being re-transferred over the network, so that it is treated as a re-transfer rejected. Since whether or not to allow network retransfer 63 is recognized and controlled by the communication connection unit 2, designation information indicating whether or not to retransfer cannot pass through the communication connection unit. In addition to controlling whether or not the entire body information can be re-transferred, it can be specified for each area of the body information. By making the re-transfer impossible, it is possible to control to prevent the special price from being known to a third party.

  The printout information 64 defines whether or not printout is possible. Information once printed on paper is inevitably copied from paper to paper using another copier or the like. For this reason, information that is difficult to circulate at the paper level specifies whether or not to print out. In this case as well, since the area is designated, partial printout of the document can be prohibited. By using it together with the attribute gene 60, even if the information body is copied and transferred to another medium, the printout on the medium is prohibited and the safety of the information is ensured. The printout information 64 is recognized and managed by the use management unit 6, and control information is passed to the information use unit 9 to perform printout control. The rework information 65 defines whether or not the information provided as the information service may be processed by the user. In the case of copyrighted information, falsification of the information is infringed on the rights and is prohibited. The main body information prohibited from being reprocessed cannot be loaded into the storage device alone except when properly used for permitted information use. Further, other information cannot be written in the area of the file device or the storage device in which the information for which rework is prohibited by the rework information 65 is recorded. The rework information 65 is recognized by the use management unit, and the control unit 3 and the region management unit 4 control the rework prevention.

  The resale information 66 defines whether the user can resell information provided by the information service. A network society is a society in which any of the end users can sell information with a price attached to their information. It must be prevented that information obtained from other places, not self-made information, can be easily sold to a third party. For this reason, when resale is prohibited by the resale information 66, the contents of the area additional data 40 cannot be changed. As a result, the usage environment, conditions, billing method, copyright information, etc. set by the provider of this information cannot be changed, so that the user cannot use this information as his / her sales target. For malicious unauthorized use such as reselling information of others, rework information 65, network transfer availability 63, copy availability information 58, user information 56, usage space rules 52, disposal information 49, encryption information 48, etc. With this combination, various types of safety keys can be applied, so that the right information can be protected with high security and unauthorized use can be prevented.

  The falsification prevention information 67 is generated by giving information such as a sum check for detecting falsification to each of the main body information and the area additional data 40 of this area. In particular, falsification of the area additional data 40 leads to unauthorized use. In this case, information discard processing is performed. The other auxiliary information 68 is used for operation of storage of area usage log information and time information for controlling execution of the area.

  As described above, in this system, the content of the area additional data 40, that is, the maintenance of the information service, charging, and the information service by the combination of the function from the main body information area (i) start address 41 to the other auxiliary information 68, It is possible to realize various information services by adding many layers of security to prevent unauthorized use.

  The control unit 3 instructs the region management unit 4 and the usage management unit 6 to synthesize region information when a combination display of a plurality of regions is necessary due to an instruction from the user or the like. The use management unit 6 issues a composite control instruction for a plurality of regions to the information use unit 9, and the region management unit 4 reads the region addition data 40 for the plurality of regions determined into the storage device 7, and stores the region addition data 40 in the storage device 7. While referring to the usage management unit, the main body information of a plurality of areas is sequentially read. The read information is sent to the terminal peripheral unit 10 for presentation to the user while performing the synthesis process determined by the information utilization unit 9. For example, in a 1 hour movie consisting of 100 scenes and 100 areas, if a search mode is created and a 20-screen movie is reduced and displayed on the display at a time, a 1 hour movie is only 1 or 2 minutes by switching 5 times. You can check with In addition, when the information is a document, if one page and one area are set, a plurality of areas can be displayed on one screen and efficient image search can be performed. In any case, since playback of each area is performed according to the area additional data 40, an area that does not meet the usage conditions is not displayed.

  The area additional data 40 is normally stored in the storage device 7 and is referred to and recognized by the use management unit 6 and the information body is controlled based on the data, but the user needs to know the contents of the area additional data 40. In response to an instruction from the control unit 3, the usage management unit 6 can transfer the control information to the information usage unit 9, edit the area additional data 40 in the storage device 7, and transfer / present it to the peripheral terminal unit. You can see the contents that users are allowed to use, such as copyright information, billing information, usage conditions, and copy conditions.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a data receiving apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the data receiving apparatus includes a communication connection unit 2 connected to the network N, a control unit 3, an area management unit 4, a copyright information management unit 5, and the like. , A usage management unit 6, a storage device 7 and a file device 8 that store various types of information, an information usage unit 9, and a terminal peripheral unit 10 that presents information to the user. And in this 2nd Embodiment, in addition to the said various function parts, the information production | generation part 11 is provided, and the user can create the information which a user himself uses with this system or provides to others. It has become. The information generation unit 11 is connected to the terminal peripheral unit 10 and is connected to the storage device 7 and the file device so that data can be written and read. Further, the information generation unit 11 is connected to the control unit 3 and is controlled in operation.

  In this configuration, the information generation unit 11 reads the original information body created by the user from the terminal peripheral unit 10 and creates the system according to the area setting when creating information that can be used by the user. A framework of one information service unit 20, attribute data 21, area data 22, additional data 23, information body 24, and additional area data 40 that conforms to the above is generated. As a result, the information user can become an information provider and provide information services to a third party so as to create and send an e-mail. Since copyright settings, usage condition settings, billing settings, copy control settings, and the like can be set, advanced information services can be provided even if the user is not an information providing service professional. It is possible for an individual store owner to provide information services or provide PR information to his / her customers, or to sell information held by an individual to an unspecified number of people who need it through a network. Of course, as described above, it is impossible to illegally use information obtained from others by illegally using it and sending it as its own information.

  As described above in each embodiment, in the present invention, in the network society in which all the owners of the terminal peripheral unit 10 connected to the network N are not only users of information but also providers of information. Realization is possible. According to the conventional technology, the information sent to users through broadcasting and networks is completely different from the moment of leaving the information provider in terms of protecting the rights of copyright holders, protecting information and preventing unauthorized use. Information services had to be performed in unmanageable situations. In addition, the method of creating a piece of information to be provided was simple, there was no complicated and diverse copyright holders and providers, and the information itself was created in a single format. The same applies to billing, and it was a simple price that was charged for each piece of information. However, in the multimedia era, it is considered difficult to develop further in terms of protecting various rights, protecting information, dealing with diversified information services, etc., in such a simple information provision format information service. . As described above, the present invention solves such various problems and has the following effects or advantages.

  First, a piece of information provided to a user can be composed of information of a large number of copyright holders. A piece of information is divided into a number of areas, and each divided area can have different copyright information and processing. Further, since different billing processing and usage condition settings can be performed for each area, billing processing according to the usage status of the user can be performed directly on the right holder. Furthermore, since information in different information formats such as encryption methods and compression methods for each area can be used as they are, information in a variety of information formats can be mixed as a whole piece of information. The entire information can be constructed using multimedia information as it is.

  Second, it is possible to manage the information provided to the user by the information provider. Operation management such as usage status management, unauthorized usage management, billing management, information maintenance, etc. is performed on the provided information, and the information provider can know this, so that information can be provided with peace of mind. Management of such information provided is essential from the viewpoint of protecting the rights of authors and providers, and it is important for the realization of an information service society to create a situation in which information providers can feel safe.

  Thirdly, unauthorized use can be prevented and detected. In the conventional information service, there is no fraud detection method for information use. This is because there has been no definition and monitoring of what is prohibited by proper use of the information provided. In the present invention, the information provider can set the usage status settings such as the correct usage range and what is allowed for each copyright information, with respect to the entire information consisting of a large number of copyright information. Usage status is managed. Use contrary to this can be detected as unauthorized use, warning the user, and in the worst case, information can be automatically discarded. For example, unauthorized use refers to usage from unauthorized spaces, unauthorized users, usage that violates usage conditions such as usage time and age, unauthorized copying of information, and alteration of information Retransfer of information to the network, printout of unauthorized information, etc.

  Fourth, as an effect born from the fact that information maintenance, unauthorized use prevention, correct use monitoring, and setting of use conditions are possible, it is possible to use a storage type of information on the user side. Just like borrowing a rental video and returning it when you have finished viewing it, borrow the information through the network, store it in your own files, use it when necessary, and automatically delete or return it when you are done It is possible to use borrowed information services.

  Fifth, it is possible to provide various information services. Detailed user designation, prohibition or permission of partial copy and printout, setting of charge amount and method for each part, charge system according to information quality to be used, information service for expiration date setting, information on the number of times of use A service form according to the service of the information provider or the user is possible.

  Sixth, all terminal information users can be information providers. It is possible to provide and sell information through a network with a usage condition attached to the information it owns and a price attached. In order to enable such a system, infringement of copyright information by a third party such as the present invention needs to be detected and prevented, otherwise the copyrighted information is set through the network. This results in the fact that it is scattered.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a piece of information provided to a user can be composed of information of many copyright holders, and the information has different copyright information and processing in many areas. In addition, since it is possible to perform different charging processing and usage condition setting for each area, charging processing according to the usage status of the user can be directly performed on the right holder.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the data receiver which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention Configuration diagram of one information service unit provided by an information provider in the first embodiment Area data configuration diagram of areas constituting one information service unit in the first embodiment Additional data configuration diagram for controlling areas in the first embodiment The block diagram which shows the structure of the data receiver which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Communication connection part 3 Control part 4 Area management part 5 Copyright information management part 6 Usage management part 7 Storage device 8 File device 9 Information utilization part 10 Terminal peripheral part 11 Information generation part 20 Information service unit 21 Attribute data 22 Area data 23 additional data 24 information body 25, 26 area additional data 27, 28 body information area 30, 31, 32 area data 33 area additional data (i) start address 34 area additional data (i) end address 35, 36 connection information 40 area Additional data (i)
41 Main body information area (i) Start address 42 Main body information area (i) End address 43 Usage mode information 44 Copyright information 45 Ownership / use right information 46 Portrait right information 47 Presence form information 48 Encrypted information 49 Disposal processing information 50 Usage log information 51 Usage information notification 52 Usage space specification 53 Information level 54 Life time information 55 Billing information 56 User information 57 Usage condition information 58 Copy availability information 59 Copy condition information 60 Attribute inheritance 61 Information type 62 User confirmation necessity information 63 Network resendability 64 Printout information 65 Rework information 66 Resale information 67 Tampering prevention information

Claims (12)

A data receiving device that processes and outputs data based on information received through a network,
A communication connection for receiving information service data including content and attached data through a network;
A storage device for storing at least the content included in the information service data received by the communication connection unit;
A usage management unit that manages information related to information usage among the attached data included in the information service data, and outputs an instruction to provide the content based on the information related to information usage;
Based on the instruction from the usage management unit, an information usage unit that reads and outputs the content from the storage device;
Comprising
The attached data includes information indicating whether or not the content may be stored,
If storage is permitted, the content can be stored in the storage device;
When the storage is prohibited, the content is transferred to the information using unit without being stored in the storage device. The attached data includes encryption information for setting the presence / absence of encryption of the content, an encryption method, and an encryption key,
The data receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein use of the content in the information using unit is managed based on the encrypted information. The attached data includes lifetime information of the content,
The data receiving apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lifetime information defines at least one of the number of times the content can be used, a period of time during which the content can be used, and whether the content can be used permanently. . The attached data includes disposal processing information of the content,
The data reception according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the discard processing information defines a discard processing of the content when a usage period of the content has expired. apparatus. The attached data includes designation information indicating whether or not the content may be retransferred to the network,
5. The data receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication connection unit manages retransfer of the information main body to a network based on the designation information. The attached data includes usage mode information of the content,
The usage mode information specifies whether the use of the content is paid or free,
The data receiving apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the usage mode information indicates a charge, billing processing is performed. The ancillary data includes information defining an information level,
The data receiving apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the information defining the information level defines sound quality and / or video quality of the content. The attached data includes copy permission / prohibition information that defines whether or not the content can be copied,
The usage management unit controls the copying of the content in the information usage unit based on the copy permission information,
When copying is prohibited, copying of the content in the information using unit is prohibited,
The data receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when copying is permitted, copying of the content in the information using unit is permitted. The attached data further includes copy condition information;
The copy condition information is information for indicating a permitted copy method when copying of the content is permitted in the copy permission / inhibition information,
9. The data receiving apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the copy method includes at least a digital copy and an analog copy. The attached data further includes copy condition information;
9. The data receiving device according to claim 8, wherein the copy condition information defines the number of copies of the content. The content is composed of a plurality of areas,
The region management unit manages a region used in the information use unit among the plurality of regions of the content included in the information service data received by the communication connection unit, and is included in the information service data. The data receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein information related to the area to be used is managed in the attached data. The content is composed of a plurality of areas,
The data receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the attached data includes, for each area, information related to the area and information related to information use.

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