JP2009181651A - Video recording/reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain a protection of user's privacy in a video recording/reproducing device by restricting the reproduction of content data being video-recorded on a recording medium which is connected with a main body of device. <P>SOLUTION: A hard disk recorder (video recording/reproducing device) includes: an HDD (recording medium) removable from the main body of device; a writing section for video recording the content data; a reading section for reproducing the content data; a memory for storing a serial number of HDD; and a control microcomputer. The control microcomputer acquires (#1) the serial number from the HDD being connected and determines (#2) whether a serial number same as the acquired serial number exists in the serial numbers being stored in the memory. When the same serial number exists in the serial numbers being stored in the memory (YES on #3), a password authenticating screen is displayed (#4) for carrying out a user's authentication, and when the user's authentication is succeeded (YES on #5), the video recording and playback of the content data are permitted(#6). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording / reproducing apparatus provided with a recording medium detachably connected to the apparatus main body, specifically, a removable HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a recording / playback apparatus including a removable HDD that is detachably connected to an apparatus main body has been widely used as a recording medium for recording content data such as a television program. In such a recording / playback apparatus, it is possible to add a new HDD by removing the HDD connected to the apparatus main body and replacing it with another one.

  By the way, in the conventional recording / playback apparatus as described above, playback of content data recorded on a recording medium connected to the apparatus is performed without limitation. Therefore, when an HDD in which desired content data is recorded by a certain user is taken out by another user, the content data recorded in the HDD may be viewed by other users, and the user's privacy may be infringed.

In Patent Document 1, as an authentication system for a removable recording medium, a personal computer (PC) can authenticate the HDD based on its unique data, and the audio system can cancel this authentication. A system is disclosed. However, this system is made in order to use a removable recording medium in a plurality of PCs, and does not solve the infringement of the user's privacy in the recording / playback apparatus described above. Patent documents 2 to 5 are disclosed as patent documents disclosing devices in which various serial numbers or device keys are stored in a nonvolatile memory.
JP 2005-235303 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 04-168554 Japanese Patent No. 2593844 JP 2000-141830 A JP 2004-355688 A

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and can restrict the reproduction of content data recorded on a recording medium connected to the apparatus main body, thereby protecting the user's privacy. An object is to provide a recording / playback apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 includes a recording medium in which content data such as a television program is recorded, removably connected to the apparatus main body, and a recording unit for recording the content data on the recording medium. A recording / reproducing apparatus comprising a reproducing means for reproducing the content data recorded by the recording means and a control means for controlling each part of the apparatus, further comprising a storage means for storing a serial number of the recording medium; The means determines whether or not the serial number stored in the storage means has the same serial number as the recording medium connected to the apparatus main body, and if there is the same serial number, The reproduction means permits reproduction of the content data recorded on the recording medium.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the control means includes a serial number that is the same as a recording medium connected to the apparatus main body, among the serial numbers stored in the storage means. If not, the recording medium is initialized and the serial number of the recording medium is written in the storage means.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, when the control unit initializes a recording medium connected to the apparatus body, the control unit records and reproduces content data on the recording medium. If the user is requested to set a password for restriction, and the serial number stored in the storage means has the same serial number as the recording medium connected to the main body, the password When the authentication is successful, reproduction of the content data recorded on the recording medium by the reproducing unit and recording of the content data on the recording medium by the recording unit are permitted. .

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the second or third aspect, the number of serial numbers stored in the storage unit is preset when the control unit writes the serial number in the storage unit. Whether or not the limit value exceeds the limit value. If the limit value is exceeded, the user selects whether or not to execute the process for adding the recording medium, and the process is performed according to the selected result. It is determined whether or not to execute.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the serial number stored in the storage means includes the same serial number as the recording medium connected to the apparatus main body, the recording means records the recording medium on the recording medium. Playback of the content data is permitted. Therefore, even when this recording medium is taken out by another user, the contents of the content data recorded on the recording medium can be prevented from being viewed by other users, and the user's privacy can be protected. Can do.

  According to the invention of claim 2, the recording medium is initialized when the stored serial number does not have the same serial number as the recording medium connected to the apparatus main body. All recorded content data is erased, and the contents of the content data can be more reliably prevented from being viewed by other users.

  According to the invention of claim 3, when the stored serial number has the same serial number as the recording medium connected to the apparatus main body, the user authentication is performed by the password, and the authentication is successful. At this time, the reproduction of the content data recorded on the recording medium by the reproducing means is permitted. Therefore, even when another user uses the apparatus, the content data is not viewed by other users. Furthermore, when this authentication is successful, recording of the content data onto the recording medium by the recording means is permitted. Therefore, when other users use the apparatus, the content data recorded on the recording medium is not recorded. Will not be overwritten and erased by other users.

  According to the invention of claim 4, when executing processing for adding a recording medium, the user is requested to input personal information such as name and address, and two-way communication with the apparatus is possible. By instructing the management computer to extract the input information and the serial number of the recording medium to be added and send it to the management computer, the location of the taken-out recording medium can be searched.

  A hard disk recorder according to an embodiment of the present invention (recording / playback apparatus in claims, hereinafter referred to as a recorder) will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an appearance of a television system including a recorder 1 capable of recording a television program (hereinafter referred to as a TV program) and a television 2 connected to the recorder 1. Here, the recorder 1 and the television 2 are connected via a transmission cable 3.

  The television 2 includes a display 21 that displays video and a speaker 22 that outputs audio. Based on a signal transmitted from the recorder 1 via the transmission cable 3, a video of a TV program recorded by the recorder 1 Various messages are output to the display 21 and the sound of the TV program is output to the speaker 22.

  FIG. 2 shows the internal configuration of the recorder 1. The recorder 1 includes a tuner 11 for receiving a TV program, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive, a recording medium in claims) 12 on which content data such as a TV program received by the tuner 11 is recorded, and an HDD 12 as the recorder 1. An interface 13 for connecting to the main body, an operation unit 14 operated by a user, and a transmission cable 3 are connected, and an input / output unit 15 for inputting and outputting TV program broadcast signals and various control signals to the television 2. With.

  The recorder 1 also controls a writing unit (recording unit) 16 for writing content data to the HDD 12, a reading unit (reproducing unit) 17 for reading content data recorded on the HDD 12, and each unit of the recorder 1. A control microcomputer (control means) 18 and a memory (storage means) 19 for storing an operation program of the control microcomputer 18 and various data are provided.

  The HDD 12 is a removable HDD that can be detached from the main body of the recorder 1, and is connected to the interface 13 by a dedicated connector (not shown) so as to be connected only to a recorder of the same model as the recorder 1. The HDD 12 is assigned a serial number that is a unique number for each product, and this serial number is stored in a storage area of the HDD 12. The interface 13 includes a plurality of ports (not shown) for connecting the connectors, and a new HDD 12 can be newly added.

  The operation unit 14 includes a power button for turning on the power of the recorder 1, a numeric keypad and direction keys for performing various settings related to the HDD 12 connected (connected) to the main body of the recorder 1. The memory 19 stores the serial number of the HDD 12 connected to the main body in the user area in the storage area. Here, the number of serial numbers that can be stored in the memory 19 is determined by a limit value set by the manufacturer when the recorder 1 is manufactured, and this limit value limits the number of HDDs 12 that can be used by the main body of the recorder 1. . Further, the memory 19 stores a password for restricting recording and reproduction of content data to be described later.

  The control microcomputer 18 determines whether or not the serial number stored in the memory 19 has the same serial number as the connected HDD 12. Based on the determination result, the control microcomputer 18 records the content data on the connected HDD 12 using the writing unit 16 and reproduces the content data recorded on the connected HDD 12 using the reading unit 17. (Hereinafter referred to as recording and playback of content data). Further, the control microcomputer 18 requests the user to set a password for restricting the recording and reproduction of the content data, and controls the recording and reproduction of the content data based on the result of user authentication based on this password. The control microcomputer 18 has a function of initializing the connected HDD 12, writing the serial number of the connected HDD 12 in the memory 19, and processing for adding the HDD 12.

  Next, control processing of the control microcomputer 18 for the HDD 12 being connected in the recorder 1 configured as described above will be described. FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of the control process. Here, it is assumed that a start command for executing the control process is output from the HDD 12 to the control microcomputer 18 when the user operates the operation unit 14 to turn on the power. First, the control microcomputer 18 acquires the serial number from the connected HDD 12 (# 1), and whether the serial number stored in the memory 19 has the same serial number as the acquired serial number or not. Is determined (# 2). Here, the serial number stored in the memory 19 is written in the process of # 14 described later.

  As a result of the above determination, the case where there is the same serial number as the acquired serial number (YES in # 3) will be described. In this case, the control microcomputer 18 displays a password authentication screen for user authentication on the display 21 of the television 2 (# 4). Here, the password is set in the process of # 11 described later. When the user operates the operation unit 14 to input a password and the input password matches the set password, that is, when the user authentication is successful (YES in # 5), the control microcomputer 18 Data recording and playback are permitted (# 6), and this control process is terminated. It should be noted that when this control process ends, the password authentication screen is closed, and in the following, various screens are also closed. On the other hand, when the input password does not match the set password, that is, when the user authentication is not successful (NO in # 5), the present control process is terminated without permitting the recording and reproduction of the content data.

  Next, a case where there is no serial number that is the same as the acquired serial number as a result of the determination (# 2 processing) (NO in # 3) will be described. In this case, the control microcomputer 18 causes the display 21 to display an HDD initialization screen for allowing the user to select whether or not to initialize the HDD 12 (# 7). When the user operates the operation unit 14 to select initialization of the HDD 12 (YES in # 8), the control microcomputer 18 initializes the HDD 12 (# 9). On the other hand, when the user does not select to initialize the HDD 12 (NO in # 8), the control microcomputer 18 ends this control process.

  After initializing the HDD 12 (processing of # 9), the control microcomputer 18 displays a password setting screen for setting a password used for user authentication on the display 21 (# 10), and the user operates the operation unit 14. By registering the input password in the memory 19, the password is set (# 11).

  Next, the control microcomputer 18 determines whether or not the number of serial numbers stored in the memory 19 exceeds a preset limit value (# 12). If the limit value is not exceeded (NO in # 13) as a result of the above determination (# 12 processing), the control microcomputer 18 writes the serial number of the HDD 12 in the memory 19 (# 14) and ends this control processing. . On the other hand, if the limit value is exceeded (YES in # 13), the control microcomputer 18 causes the display 21 to display an update process screen for allowing the user to select whether or not to execute an update process for adding the HDD 12. (# 15).

  This update process is a process for updating the limit value, and in the DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) standard, it is a process of inserting a paid card into an interface (CI) common to this standard. When the user selects to execute the update process by operating the operation unit 14 (YES in # 16), the control microcomputer 18 updates the limit value (# 17) and stores the serial number of the HDD 12 in the memory 19. Write (# 14), this control process is terminated. On the other hand, when the user does not select to execute the update process (NO in # 16), the control microcomputer 18 ends this control process.

  As described above, according to the recorder 1 according to the present embodiment, when the serial number stored in the memory 19 has the same serial number as that of the HDD 12 connected to the main body of the recorder 1, the reading unit 17 The reproduction of the content data recorded on the HDD 12 is permitted. Therefore, even when this HDD 12 is taken out by another user, the content data recorded in the HDD 12 can be prevented from being viewed by other users, and the user's privacy can be protected. . Further, when the serial number stored in the memory 19 does not have the same serial number as the HDD 12 connected to the recorder 1 main body, the HDD 12 is initialized, so the content data recorded in the HDD 12 Are all erased, and the contents of the content data can be more reliably prevented from being viewed by other users.

  Further, when the serial number stored in the memory 19 includes the same serial number as that of the HDD 12 connected to the recorder 1, the user authentication is performed using a password. The reproduction of the content data recorded on the HDD 12 by 17 is permitted. Therefore, even if another user uses the recorder 1, the content data is not viewed by other users. Further, when the authentication is successful, the recording of content data to the HDD 12 by the writing unit 16 is permitted. Therefore, when another user uses the recorder 1, the content data recorded on the HDD 12 is overwritten. Will not be erased.

  Further, when executing the update process, the user is requested to input personal information such as name and address, and the input information is added to the HDD 12 to be added from a management computer capable of two-way communication with the recorder 1. The location of the HDD 12 taken out can be retrieved by instructing the recorder 1 to extract the serial number of the HDD and send it to the management computer.

  In addition, this invention is not restricted to the structure of the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible in the range which does not change the meaning of invention. For example, a display unit including a liquid crystal display may be provided in the recorder main body, and a setting screen such as a password authentication screen or an HDD initialization screen may be displayed on the display unit. Further, a function for prohibiting recording and reproduction of a specific channel or TV program may be provided by the parental lock function. In addition, the HDD is accommodated in a case dedicated to the recorder, and an HDD slot for inserting the HDD accommodated in the case is provided in the recorder so that the HDD is connected only to a recorder of the same model as the recorder. It may be configured as follows.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a television system including a hard disk recorder and a television according to an embodiment of the present invention. The block diagram which shows the said hard-disk recorder. 6 is a flowchart showing control processing of a control microcomputer for the HDD in the hard disk recorder.

Explanation of symbols

1 Hard disk recorder (recording / playback device)
12 HDD (recording medium)
16 Writing section (recording means)
17 Reading unit (reproduction means)
18 Microcomputer for control (control means)
19 Memory (memory means)

Claims (4)

A recording medium in which content data such as a television program is recorded and removably connected to the apparatus main body,
Recording means for recording content data on the recording medium;
Playback means for playing back the content data recorded by the recording means;
In a recording / playback apparatus comprising control means for controlling each part of the apparatus,
Further comprising storage means for storing the serial number of the recording medium,
The control means includes
In the serial number stored in the storage means, determine whether there is the same serial number as the recording medium connected to the apparatus body,
A recording / reproducing apparatus, which permits reproduction of content data recorded on the recording medium by the reproducing means when there is an identical serial number. The control means includes
When the serial number stored in the storage means does not have the same serial number as the recording medium connected to the apparatus main body, the recording medium is initialized and the storage means 2. The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a serial number is written. The control means includes
When initializing a recording medium connected to the apparatus body, the user is requested to set a password for restricting recording and reproduction of content data to the recording medium,
When the serial number stored in the storage means has the same serial number as the recording medium connected to the apparatus main body, user authentication is performed using the password, and when the authentication is successful, the reproduction is performed. 3. The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein reproduction of content data recorded on the recording medium by the means and recording of content data on the recording medium by the recording means are permitted. The control means includes
When writing the serial number in the storage means, determine whether the number of serial numbers stored in the storage means exceeds a preset limit value;
When a limit value is exceeded, the user is allowed to select whether or not to execute processing for adding the recording medium, and whether or not to execute the processing is determined according to the selected result. The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

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