JP3167527B2 - Media information delivery system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a media information distribution system for distributing media information such as music, video and programs via a public network or a dedicated network such as a telecommunications network or a cable broadcasting network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a CD or the like on which music information is recorded or a cassette on which game software is recorded is manufactured at a factory, sold to stores and retail stores, and sold at stores. However, recently, as the bandwidth and speed of communication transmission lines have increased, information has been directly transferred to users via communication lines.
Systems aimed at reducing sales and service costs are gradually being rolled out. For example, a system called communication karaoke is a system in which music information for karaoke is converted into a MIDI signal by a center device, sent to a karaoke box via a communication line, and reproduced on the spot as karaoke music. According to this, it is not necessary to hold a large amount of LD for karaoke in the karaoke box side as in the past,
In addition, the size of the karaoke apparatus itself can be reduced, and it is expected as a promising system in terms of effective use of space. Recently, in the United States, there has been reported a proposal for a system in which music information is transferred to a store via a communication line, and a CD is created and sold on the spot.

However, when media information such as music information is provided through a communication line, the copyright may not be sufficiently protected. For example, if a karaoke box or a retailer could illegally or freely copy any number of media information obtained via a communication line, it would not be possible to reliably collect copyright fees. Can not.

[0004]

In such a system for providing media information through a communication line, it is possible to reduce the selling cost and the service cost, but the copyright is not sufficiently protected. there were.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a media information delivery system capable of sufficiently protecting copyright in a system for delivering media information via a communication line.

More specifically, there is provided a media information delivery system capable of reliably collecting a copyright fee when media information is delivered from a center device to a terminal and the media information is recorded on a storage medium such as a CD. To provide.

Further, when media information is delivered from a center device to a terminal and the media information is recorded on a plurality of storage media such as CDs, a media which can reliably collect a copyright fee according to the number of recorded media. An object of the present invention is to provide an information delivery system.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a media information delivery system for delivering media information from a center device to a terminal, wherein the center device transmits the media information to the terminal. Storage means for storing, first receiving means for receiving a delivery request for media information from the terminal, and search means for searching the storage means for media information corresponding to the delivery request received by the first receiving means And first transmission means for transmitting the media information retrieved by the retrieval means to the terminal, wherein the terminal selects media information to be requested for delivery, and media selected by the selection means. A second transmitting means for transmitting an information delivery request to the center device; and a second transmitting means for receiving media information transmitted from the center device. Communication means, a determination means for determining whether or not the storage medium on which the media information is recorded is a proper storage medium, and the second reception means only for the storage medium determined to be a proper storage medium by the determination means. And recording means for recording the media information received by the device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a media information delivery system for delivering media information from a center device to a terminal, wherein the center device stores storage media for storing the media information, and delivers media information from the terminal. First receiving means for receiving the request and the recording information of the storage medium; searching means for searching the storage means for media information corresponding to the delivery request received by the first receiving means; Determining means for determining whether or not the storage medium is a legitimate storage medium based on the recording information of the storage medium received by the means; and the search means only when the determination means determines that the storage medium is a legitimate storage medium. First transmission means for transmitting the searched media information to the terminal, wherein the terminal selects media information to be requested for delivery; and A second transmission unit for transmitting to the center device a delivery request for the media information selected by the selection unit and recording information of the storage medium for determining whether the storage medium is a legitimate storage medium; A second receiving means for receiving the media information transmitted from the center device, and a recording means for recording the media information received by the second receiving means on the storage medium.

[0010]

According to the present invention, the terminal or the center device determines whether the storage medium is a legitimate storage medium and records media information only on the storage medium determined to be a legitimate storage medium. Will be collected.

[0011]

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

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a media information delivery system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the system shown in the figure, a terminal 12 having a media information storage means 37b and a terminal 11 having no media information storage means are connected to the center apparatus 10 via a communication line 13.
The center device 10 includes a media information storage unit 21. The media information such as music, audio, video, and text stored in the media information storage means 21 is delivered to the terminals 11 and 12 via the communication line 13. In terminals 11 and 12,
The delivered media information is recorded on a storage medium 14 such as a CD, and the storage medium 14 is given to the user. Communication line 1
As 3, for example, an ISDN public network or a cable broadcasting network such as CATV can be used.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the center device 10. The center device 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a media information storage unit 21 that stores media information including at least one of music, audio, video, and characters, and a search that searches for and extracts media information from the media information storage unit 21. Extracting means 22, a communication means 23 for receiving the media information delivery request from the terminal, and transmitting the media information extracted by the search and extracting means 22 to the terminal; delivery information relating to the media information delivered to the terminal; A media information management table 25 for storing management information of media information stored in the media information storage means 21 in a table format, and a management means 24 for managing the media information management table 25 are provided. Media information storage means 2
For example, a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk or a ROM, or a volatile storage medium such as a RAM is used for 1.
The communication means 23 has a buffer function for absorbing a difference between a transmission speed to the communication line 13 and a reading speed from the media information storage means 21 when transmitting the media information to the communication line 13.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the media information management table 25. A unique media information ID 51 for identifying each piece of media information is assigned to each piece of media information. As the media information ID, for example, in the case of music information, a worldwide common code such as an international recording code (ISRC) is used. In the media information management table 25 shown in FIG. 3, for each media information ID, the title 52 of the media information, the storage location (address) 55 of the media information in the media information storage means 21, and the block size indicating the size of the stored data 56, priority 5
7. Information about the recording of media information for each terminal (terminal recording information) 53 and the total number of recordings 54 of media information in all terminals are recorded. In the terminal record information 53, each terminal is managed by attaching a unique terminal ID. In the terminal recording information 53, the number of times of recording of the media information and the latest recording date and time are described for each terminal (terminal ID).
In the example of FIG. 3, the media information of MID3 is TID
Recorded three times on one terminal. Also, the latest recording date and time, that is, the third recording is March 12, 1994.
It shows that it was performed at 15:00. The latest recording date and time is used, for example, for determining the priority 57. For example, even when the number of times of recording is large, if the latest recording date and time is old (for music information, for example, a past hit song), the priority is low. The priority order 57 is determined based on the issue date of the media information (for example, the release date of the music), the total number of recordings of all terminals, the latest recording date and time, and the like. The priority is set higher for media information having a new issue date, media information having a large number of recordings in the terminal, or media information that the center apparatus intentionally records in the terminal. The priority 57 can be used as an evaluation standard when the terminal stores media information. For example, media information that is frequently used is sent to the terminal in advance, and communication with the terminal is reduced, and communication according to traffic (for example, media information is sent to the terminal when traffic is low). However, the use frequency at that time is evaluated using the priority information. More specifically, media information with high priority is regarded as media information with high use frequency, and is transmitted to the terminal in advance. The priority 57 is used when media information must be discarded from the media information storage unit 21. Specifically, when the storage capacity of the media information exceeds the limit in the media information storage means 21 and the media information must be discarded, the media information is sequentially discarded from the one with the lowest priority 57.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of the terminal 11 having no media information storage means shown in FIG. The terminal 11 shown in FIG. 1 includes a communication unit 33 that transmits a delivery request for desired media information to the center device 10 and receives the media information transmitted from the center device 10, and a management unit that manages the media information. 31; a media information management table 32 listing media information that can be provided to the user; a recording unit 34 for storing the media information on a storage medium such as a CD; a selection information input unit 35; Medium identification means 36 for identifying whether the storage medium is a suitable storage medium. The recording unit 34 has a buffer function for absorbing a difference between the information transfer speed of the communication line and the recording speed of the recording unit 34 when receiving and recording the media information. As a storage medium on which the recording unit 34 records,
In addition to CDs, there are DATs, MDs (mini disks), LDs (laser disks), MOs (magneto-optical disks), cassette tapes, RAM cassettes, IC memories, and the like. The selection information input means 35 serves as a user interface with the user, and is used to display guidance such as an operation procedure of the system and a menu for selecting media information, and to input information necessary for selecting media information. . Medium identification means 3
Reference numeral 6 has a function for identifying whether or not a storage medium such as a CD on which media information is to be recorded is an authorized storage medium. The purpose of this is to ensure that the CD
This is because only copying of media information is permitted, and copying to a CD not authorized by a predetermined organization is prohibited. There are various methods for identifying whether or not the medium is a legitimate storage medium. For example, in the case of a CD, a specific code is written in a specific area in advance and sold. In the case of a CD, the specific area in which the specific code is written is, for example, an area for user data in the logical format of the CD recommended by ISO / IEC10149 shown in FIG. Even when a DAT, MD (mini disk), LD (laser disk), MO (magneto-optical disk), cassette tape, RAM cassette, IC memory, or the like other than a CD is used as a storage medium, the above-described CD can be used. As in the case, a specific code may be written in a specific area according to each storage medium.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a procedure for delivering information between the terminal and the center device. The user uses the selection information input means 35 on the terminal side to select desired media information according to a predetermined operation procedure. Media information that can be selected by the user is described in the media information management table 32, and the media information ID and title indicating the type of media information are downloaded in advance from the center device.
The selection information input unit 35 transfers the selection information selected by the user to the management unit 31 as information for uniquely specifying media information such as a media information ID or a title. When a storage medium is set in the recording means 34, the medium identification means 36 searches a predetermined area to read a code and determines whether or not the code matches a specific code. If the storage medium is determined to be a legitimate storage medium,
This is notified to the management means 31. The management means 31
Upon receiving this notification, the information (delivery request) related to the corresponding media information is transmitted to the center device via the communication device 33 based on the selection information (71 in FIG. 6). When the medium identification unit 36 determines that the storage medium is a storage medium other than the regular storage medium, the management unit 31 does not make a delivery request to the center device. As a result, no media information is recorded on a storage medium other than the regular storage medium. When the center device receives the delivery request from the terminal by the communication means 23,
The delivery request is transferred to the management means 24.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a format of a delivery request transmitted from the terminal to the center device. The delivery request shown in the figure includes a terminal ID of the transmission source of the delivery request, a media information ID of media information desired by the user, a request date and time, and an ID for specifying the user as an option (for example, the type and number of a credit card). Is described. The management means 24 examines the ID of the delivery request and determines a predetermined ID.
Others refuse to deliver media information to the terminal.
The management unit 24 refers to the media information management table 25 shown in FIG. 3 to notify the storage location and address, and instructs the search and extraction unit 22 to extract the corresponding media information. The 25 terminal record information 53 and the like are updated. For example, when a delivery request for the media information of MID2 is received from the terminal of TID1, the storage count of the corresponding terminal record information 53 is updated and the latest recording date and time are set. The search and extraction unit 22 extracts the media information corresponding to the instruction of the management unit 24 from the media information storage unit 21 and transfers it to the communication unit 23. The communication unit 23 transmits the media information to the terminal that has requested the delivery (72 in FIG. 6).

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a transfer format for transferring media information. As shown in the figure, in addition to the media information main body 43, the destination terminal ID 41 and the media information ID 4 are used so that the terminal can uniquely specify the media information.
2 etc. are included. The terminal transfers the media information received by the communication device 33 to the recording unit 34 and records the media information on a recording medium such as a CD.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration of a center device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The center device shown in the figure differs from the center device shown in FIG. 2 in that a medium identification means 26 is added. In this embodiment, the record information (a unique code written in a specific area) of the storage medium read by the recording means 34 on the terminal side is sent to the center device shown in FIG. In the center device, the medium identification means 26 determines whether or not the storage medium is an authorized storage medium based on the received recording information. If it is determined that the storage medium is a legitimate storage medium, the media information corresponding to the delivery request is transferred to the terminal. If it is determined that the storage medium is not an authorized storage medium, the transfer of the media information to the terminal is refused. The terminal records the received media information on the storage medium by the recording means 34. In the present embodiment, each terminal does not need to have the medium identification means, and the configuration of the terminal can be simplified.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the terminal 12 having the media information storage device 37. Terminal 12 shown in FIG.
Are the search and extraction means 37a and the media information storage means 37
It differs from the terminal shown in FIG. 4 in that b is added. The media information storage unit 37b stores the media information sent from the center device via the communication unit 33. The search and extraction unit 37a searches for necessary media information from the media information stored in the media information information storage unit 37b. The buffer function of the recording means 34 absorbs the speed difference between the media information when the media information is read from the media information storage means 37b and recorded on the storage medium. In the terminal 12 having the media information storage device 37b, media information expected to be requested by the user or frequently used media information is obtained in advance from the center device and held in the media information storage means 37b, and the user receives As soon as there is a request, it can be read from the media information storage means 37b, transferred to the recording means 34, and stored in a storage medium. If there is no corresponding media information in the media information storage means 37b in response to a request from the user, a request is made to the center device, and the media information obtained via the communication line is transmitted to the media information storage means 37a via the storage search means 37a. The information is stored in the storage means 37b, and the media information obtained via the communication line is transferred to the recording means 34 and stored in the storage medium. Therefore, the media information storage means 37
In the case of the terminal 12 having “b”, it is not necessary to have frequently used media information or the like transferred from the center device each time. Therefore, communication costs can be reduced,
In addition, it is possible to improve the responsiveness of being able to immediately respond to a request from a user. However, if the terminal is capable of storing media information, any number of media information can be freely copied without being managed by the center device, and there is a possibility that a copyright fee may not be collected. As described above, the medium identification means 36 determines whether the storage medium is a legitimate storage medium and records the media information only on the storage medium determined to be a legitimate storage medium. Even if it is possible to accumulate the copyright fee, it is possible to reliably collect the copyright fee.

As shown in FIG. 11, an encryption means 26 and a key generation means 27 are added to the center device, and a decryption means 39 is added to the terminal as shown in FIG. The present invention can also be applied to a system that distributes data from a terminal to a terminal. Here, according to the configuration of the center device shown in FIG. 11, when transferring media information to the terminal, the media information is encrypted by the encryption unit 26 using the encryption key generated by the key generation unit 27, and is transmitted to the communication line. Send out. Thereby, there is an advantage that it is possible to protect against information leakage on the communication line. The media information encrypted and sent from the center device to the terminal shown in FIG. 12 is stored in the media information storage means 37b while being encrypted. The media information accumulated in the media information accumulating unit 37b is returned to the media information before being encrypted by the decrypting unit 39, and then transferred to the recording unit 34 and recorded on the storage medium. Also, the media information storage means 37 has already been set.
When recording the media information stored in b, the corresponding media information is read out by the retrieval / extraction unit 37a, transferred to the decryption unit 39, returned to the media information before being encrypted, and then transferred to the recording unit 34. And recorded on a storage medium. For the decryption of the media information in the decryption means 39, a method of having the center device transfer a decryption key, a method of obtaining information relating to the generation of an encryption key in the center device and generating a decryption key at a terminal, and the like are applied.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the delivery request or the recording information is transferred to the center device every time when recording on the storage medium by the terminal, but the recording information is managed by the terminal as shown in FIG. However, even when the recording information is transmitted from the terminal to the center device in response to a request from the center device,
Also, the present invention can be applied to a case where recording information is transmitted at a predetermined time or a predetermined time interval on the terminal side instead of a request from the center device. Here, the media information management table shown in FIG. 13 is similar to the media information management table of the center device shown in FIG. In the case of music information, a universal code such as an international recording code (ISRC) is used as the media information ID shown in FIG. The media information management table shown in FIG. 13 includes, for each media information ID, a title 52 of the media information, a storage location (address) 55 of the media information in the media information storage means 37, and a block size 56 indicating the size of the stored data. , The latest recording date and time 58, and the presence or absence of accumulation
9, the number of recordings 60 and the like are recorded. In this way, the number of times of recording of media information and the latest recording date and time are managed for each terminal, and this management information is collectively reported to the center device. This makes it possible to reduce the processing load on the center device side as compared with the case where the delivery information is managed each time. Further, the exchange of communication with the center device can be reduced, and the communication cost can be reduced.

Further, the present invention can be applied to a system for confirming whether a center device is a legitimate terminal using a terminal monitoring signal as shown in FIG. The signal shown in FIG. 14 is used to determine whether or not a terminal is a legitimate terminal on the premise that the center device transmits media information to the terminal. Whether the terminal is a legitimate terminal is determined as follows. For example, as shown in FIG. 14A, a signal including an inquiry signal including a TID for identifying a terminal and a specific pattern is transmitted from the center device to the terminal, and the center device waits for a response from the terminal. If it ’s a legitimate device,
For example, as shown in FIG.
D, an arrangement is made to return a signal including a response signal having a specific pattern and a status signal indicating the state of the terminal. If the terminal is not an authorized terminal, the delivery of the requested media information is rejected. For non-authorized devices,
Such a signal format and a method of creating the signal cannot be known, and a terminal attempting to obtain illegal information can be easily excluded. As a specific method of creating an inquiry signal and a response signal, a method of comparing the input to the same secret function between the center device and the terminal as an inquiry signal and comparing the output as a response signal, and a method of encrypting with a cryptographic function There are several mechanisms such as a method of combining a query signal with date and time and a random number to generate a different response signal each time. Such exchange of the terminal monitoring signal format may be performed periodically, for example, once a day at 12:00 am or every other hour. By performing the processing periodically as described above, the exchange between the center device and the terminal can be further reduced and the processing can be simplified. Further, such exchange of the terminal monitoring signal may be performed as a pre-process each time there is a media information delivery request from the terminal to the center device.
In this case, an unauthorized terminal can be more reliably excluded as compared with a case where a terminal monitoring signal is regularly exchanged.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Copyright can be reliably protected. That is, when media information is delivered from the center device to the terminal and the media information is recorded on a storage medium such as a CD, a copyright fee can be reliably collected. Also, when media information is delivered from the center device to the terminal and the media information is recorded on a plurality of storage media such as CDs, it is possible to reliably collect a copyright fee according to the number of recordings.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a media information delivery system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a center device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a media information management table illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a terminal having no storage means shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a logical format diagram of a CD recommended by ISO / IEC10149.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an information delivery procedure between a terminal and a center device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a format of a media information delivery request according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a transfer format of media information according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration of a center device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a terminal having the storage means shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a center device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a media information management table of a terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a terminal monitoring signal format according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Center apparatus, 13 ... Communication line, 11, 12 ... Terminal, 21 ... Media information storage means, 22 ... Search and extraction means, 23 ... Communication means, 24 ... Management means, 25 ... Media information management table, 26 ... Media identification Means 31, management means 32, media information management table 33, communication means 34, recording means 35, selection information input means 36
Medium identification means.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Akiki Yahata 3-1-1 Asahigaoka, Hino-shi, Tokyo Inside the Hino Plant, Toshiba Corporation (72) Inventor Ikuro Koyanagizu 1-1-6 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Japan Within Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Yoshiyoshi Yamanaka 1-6-1 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Mitsuhiro Inagaki 1-1-6, Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (56) References JP-A-7-273758 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G11B 20/10 G06F 13/00 H04L 12/22

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A media information delivery system for delivering media information from a center device to a terminal, the center device comprising: storage means for storing the media information; and a first means for receiving a media information delivery request from the terminal. Receiving means; searching means for searching the storage means for media information corresponding to the delivery request received by the first receiving means; and first means for transmitting the media information searched by the searching means to the terminal. Transmitting means, wherein the terminal selects media information to be requested for delivery; second transmitting means for transmitting a delivery request for the media information selected by the selecting means to the center device; Second receiving means for receiving the media information transmitted from the device, and a storage medium on which the media information is recorded is a regular storage Discriminating means for discriminating whether it is a body or not, and recording means for recording the media information received by the second receiving means only on the storage medium determined to be a legitimate storage medium by the discriminating means. Characterized media information delivery system. 2. A media information delivery system for delivering media information from a center device to a terminal, the center device comprising: a storage unit for storing the media information; a delivery request for media information from the terminal and recording information of a storage medium. Receiving means for receiving, from the storage means, media information corresponding to the delivery request received by the first receiving means, and a storage medium received by the first receiving means Discriminating means for discriminating whether or not this storage medium is a legitimate storage medium based on the recorded information of the above. First transmitting means for transmitting to the terminal, the terminal comprising: selecting means for selecting media information to be requested for delivery; and A second transmission unit for transmitting a delivery request of the selected media information and recording information of the storage medium for determining whether the storage medium is a legitimate storage medium to the center device; and transmitting from the center device. A media information delivery system comprising: a second receiving unit that receives the received media information; and a recording unit that records the media information received by the second receiving unit on the storage medium.