JPH10161937A - Access control method, and information utilizing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To flexibly set the utilization conditions or price, to contents to change the utilization method or price with the passage of time. SOLUTION: Information 104 showing the execution enable period set for each class of utilization is added to contents 106 to be enciphered and distributed. When a request to utilize the contents 106 is generated, at a user terminal 200, whether it is time to permit the use of these contents 106 at present or not is judged while referring to the information 104 added to the enciphered contents 106. When permitting the user, the enciphered contents 106 are deciphered and target processing is performed. Thus, concerning the contents 106 to change its utilization purpose or value with the passage of time, its utilization conditions or price can be flexibly set.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an access control method for controlling an access right when using electronically distributed information and an information using apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Information including contents such as newspapers, magazines, programs, videos, audio data and the like has been distributed electronically via the Internet or satellite data communication or via a recording medium such as a CD-ROM. .

[0003] However, since electronic content can be copied without deterioration, there is a problem of illegal copying in which a user copies content that has been legally obtained and sells or uses it for those who do not have the right to use it. Has become. In particular, in the case of a sales form in which the user charges only when acquiring the content, once the content is handed to the user, the content can be freely copied after that, so The only way to restrict such illegal copying is by law. However, in this kind of legal means, it took a lot of time and money to find the fraud and recover the lost profits, and in many cases, illegal copies were overlooked .

[0004] Therefore, a "pay-per-view" (pay-per-view) system in which a user is charged every time a user uses content.
view) "scheme was proposed. In the pay-per-view system, even the contents at hand of the user must not be freely usable. For this reason, the content is distributed after being encrypted. Then, for example, a scheme is adopted in which storage in a decrypted state is prohibited, the decryption is performed each time it is used, and a fee is charged when decrypted. In such a case, in order to use the content, it is necessary to break the encryption every time, so that it is always possible to charge.

Hereinafter, an example of a system to which the conventional pay-per-view system is applied will be described with reference to FIG.

First, a content is encrypted by an information provider (for example, an information providing server) 1000, and information on usage conditions such as an encryption method, a price, whether or not printing is possible, and whether or not storage is possible is added to the encrypted content 1006. Condition part 10 including
04 is added to create information 1002 to be distributed. This information 1002 is stored in the network or CD-RO
The data is distributed to the user terminal 2000 via M or the like, and is stored in the storage unit 2002 prior to use.

In the user terminal 2000, when an operation request such as display, printing, and saving is given from the user, first,
The condition determination unit 2004 determines the condition unit 1004 of the information 1002.
To determine whether or not the requested purpose of use is possible, and if permitted, issues an operation instruction. Then, the decryption unit 2006, in accordance with this instruction, transmits the encrypted content 100
6 is decrypted. Thereafter, the decrypted content is displayed on the display device 2030 by the display processing unit 2008, printed by the printing device 2040 by the print processing unit 2010, or stored in the external storage device 2050 by the storage processing unit 2012. On the other hand, when the operation is not permitted, the condition determining unit 2004 does not issue an operation instruction (or issues an operation prohibition instruction), and the requested operation is rejected.

[0008] When the encrypted content 1006 is used, the decryption is always performed. For example, a fee is charged based on the decryption performed by the decryption unit 2006. As a specific billing method, a method of uploading the usage record collected by the user terminal 2000 to the information provider 1000 and billing it collectively at a later date, or a method of using a prepaid card or the like on the user terminal 2000 side, etc. There is.

[0009]

By the way, in the above-mentioned system, information such as printing and saving described in the condition part 1004 of the information 1002 is in an alternative form. That is, by setting whether or not printing or saving is possible, the access right when using printing or saving is controlled. The price information is also a fixed price. This is because conventional systems do not take into account the value of information and changes over time in the form of use. In other words, the conventional system is suitable for content such as a movie or a novel in which the value of information does not change much even when many people use it whenever they like.

However, even if an attempt is made to apply pay-per-view to articles whose value changes with the passage of time, such as articles in newspapers and magazines, the above-described system for controlling access rights is not suitable. This is because articles in newspapers and magazines need to have the property of “transmitting” the event that occurred at the time of publication, and the property of “recording” past events after a certain period of time. This is because the value as information and the purpose of use change in a relatively short period of time.

[0011] As described above, the conventional pay-per-
In a system that uses the view method, changes in the value and use of information over time are not taken into account, and for items such as newspaper and magazine articles that change in value and purpose of use in a relatively short period of time, It was not possible to flexibly set prices and restrictions on usage conditions.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an access control method and an information use apparatus that can flexibly set use conditions and prices for contents whose use purpose and value change with time. The purpose is to:

[0013]

According to one aspect of the present invention, means for storing information including predetermined encoded first data and application time information indicating a period during which the data can be used. A decoding unit for performing a process of decoding the first data in the storage unit; and a decoding unit for executing a process requested by a user using the second data decoded by the decoding unit. Processing means; and means for controlling the decoding means and the processing means to operate in accordance with the application time information in the storage means when there is a request for processing from a user. An information utilization device is provided.

In the information utilizing apparatus, the control means determines whether a current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used when a request for processing is received from a user. May be provided. At this time, the control unit controls the processing unit to operate when the determination unit determines that the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used. In addition, the information use device, when the determination unit determines that the current time does not correspond to the time at which the first data can be used, sets the time to the time at which the first data can be used. The apparatus may further include means for holding the stopped state of the processing means until the time reaches the predetermined time.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided means for storing information including first data subjected to predetermined encoding and application time information indicating a period during which the first data can be used, A plurality of decoding means for performing a process of decoding the first data in the storage means, and a user request provided by using the decoded second data provided in correspondence with the plurality of decoding means. A plurality of processing means for executing various types of processing, and when there is a request for processing from a user, by referring to the application time information in the storage means, the current time can be changed to the first data. Means for determining whether or not the time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used; and a request for the processing when the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used. To decryption means and processing means corresponding to Information utilization apparatus, characterized by comprising a means for issuing an instruction is provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided means for storing information including first data subjected to predetermined encoding and application time information indicating a period during which the first data can be used; Decoding means for decoding the first data in the storage means, data storage means for storing the second data decoded by the decoding means, and data stored in the data storage means A plurality of processing means for executing various processings requested by the user using the second data, and referring to the application time information in the storage means when there is a processing request from the user. Means for judging whether or not the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used, and the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used by the judging means. If it is determined that Not stored the second data in the serial data storage means, issues an operation instruction to the processing unit corresponding to the request of the decoding means and the processing, whereas,
If the second data is stored in the data storage means, there is provided an information utilization apparatus comprising means for issuing an operation instruction to a processing means corresponding to the processing request.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided means for storing information including first data subjected to predetermined encoding and application time information indicating a period in which the first data can be used, A plurality of decoding means for performing a process of decoding the first data in the storage means, and a user request provided by using the decoded second data provided in correspondence with the plurality of decoding means. A plurality of processing means for executing various types of processing, and when there is a request for processing from a user, by referring to the application time information in the storage means, the current time can be changed to the first data. Means for determining whether or not the time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used; and a request for the processing when the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used. To decryption means and processing means corresponding to Means for issuing an instruction, and when the discriminating means determines that the current time does not correspond to a time at which the first data can be used, until the time at which the first data can be used is reached. Means for preventing output of the operation instruction during the period.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided means for storing information including first data subjected to predetermined encoding and application time information indicating a period during which the first data can be used; Decoding means for decoding the first data in the storage means, data storage means for storing the second data decoded by the decoding means, and data stored in the data storage means A plurality of processing means for executing various processings requested by the user using the second data, and referring to the application time information in the storage means when there is a processing request from the user. Means for judging whether or not the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used, and the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used by the judging means. If it is determined that Not stored the second data in the serial data storage means, issues an operation instruction to the processing unit corresponding to the request of the decoding means and the processing, whereas,
If the second data is stored in the data storage means, a means for issuing an operation instruction to the processing means corresponding to the processing request, and the determination means determines that the current time is the first time.
Means for preventing the output of the operation instruction until the time when the first data can be used is reached when it is determined that the time does not correspond to the time when the data can be used. An information utilization device characterized by the following.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information access control method applied to an information utilizing apparatus having a storage unit for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding. When there is a request for processing from a user, application time information indicating a period during which the first data can be used, which is added to the first data in the storage unit, is extracted. According to an information access control method, the first data in the storage unit is decoded according to the application time information, and a process requested by a user is executed using the decoded second data. Provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information access control method applied to an information utilizing apparatus having a storage unit for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding. Performing a process of decoding the first data in the storage unit, performing a process requested by a user by using the second data decoded by the decoding process, and In some cases, by referring to the application time information indicating the period during which the first data can be used, which is added to the first data in the storage unit, the current time can be changed to the first time. It is determined whether or not the time corresponds to a time at which the data can be used. If the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used, the processing requested by the user is performed. Characterized by performing That information access control method is provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information access control method applied to an information utilizing apparatus having a storage unit for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding. Performing decryption processing of the first data in the storage means, storing second data decrypted by the decryption processing, and requesting a user using the stored second data. When the user requests processing, refer to the application time information added to the first data in the storage unit and indicating the period in which the first data can be used. By doing so, it is determined whether or not the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used, and if the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used, If it is determined, If the data is not stored,
Executing the decoding process and the process corresponding to the request from the user, while executing the process corresponding to the request from the user if the second data is stored. An information access control method is provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information access control method applied to an information utilizing apparatus having a storage unit for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding. Performing a process of decoding the first data in the storage unit, performing a process requested by a user by using the second data decoded by the decoding process, and In some cases, by referring to the application time information indicating the period during which the first data can be used, which is added to the first data in the storage unit, the current time can be changed to the first time. It is determined whether or not the time corresponds to a time at which data can be used. If it is determined that the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used, the decoding process and In response to the request from the user Executing a corresponding process, and when it is determined by the determination that the current time does not correspond to the time at which the first data can be used, until the time at which the first data can be used is reached. During the period, the information access control method is characterized in that the execution of the decoding process and the process corresponding to the request from the user are stopped.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information access control method applied to an information utilizing apparatus having a storage means for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding. Performing decryption processing of the first data in the storage means, storing second data decrypted by the decryption processing, and requesting a user using the stored second data. When the user requests processing, refer to the application time information added to the first data in the storage unit and indicating the period in which the first data can be used. By doing so, it is determined whether or not the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used, and if the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used, If it is determined, If the data is not stored,
Performing the decryption process and the process corresponding to the request from the user, while performing the process corresponding to the request from the user if the second data is stored;
If it is determined by the determination that the current time does not correspond to the time at which the first data can be used, the decoding of the decoding is performed until the time at which the first data can be used is reached. An information access control method is provided in which the execution of a process and a process corresponding to a request from the user are stopped.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for performing information access control in an information utilizing apparatus having storage means for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding. Is a recording medium on which
It performs a process of decoding the first data in the storage unit, stores the second data decoded by the decoding process, and requests the user using the stored second data. Perform processing, and when there is a processing request from the user, refer to application time information added to the first data in the storage unit and indicating a period in which the first data can be used. By doing so, the current time is
It is determined whether the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used. If the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used, the second data is determined. If the second data is not stored, the decoding process and the process corresponding to the request from the user are executed. On the other hand, if the second data is stored, the process corresponding to the request from the user is executed. There is provided a recording medium storing a program for executing the execution.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for performing information access control in an information utilizing apparatus having storage means for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding. Is a recording medium on which
A process of decoding the first data in the storage unit is performed, a process requested by a user is performed using the second data decoded by the decoding process, and there is a request of a process from the user. In this case, by referring to application time information added to the first data in the storage means and indicating a period in which the first data can be used, the current time can be changed to the first data. It is determined whether or not the time corresponds to a time at which the first time can be used.
A storage medium storing a program for executing a process requested by a user when it is determined that the time corresponds to a time when the data can be used.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for performing information access control in an information using apparatus having storage means for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding. Is a recording medium on which
It performs a process of decoding the first data in the storage unit, stores the second data decoded by the decoding process, and requests the user using the stored second data. Perform processing, and when there is a processing request from the user, refer to application time information added to the first data in the storage unit and indicating a period in which the first data can be used. By doing so, the current time is
It is determined whether the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used. If the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used, the second data is determined. If the second data is not stored, the decoding process and the process corresponding to the request from the user are executed. On the other hand, if the second data is stored, the process corresponding to the request from the user is executed. There is provided a recording medium storing a program for executing the execution.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for performing information access control in an information utilizing apparatus having storage means for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding. Is a recording medium on which
A process of decoding the first data in the storage unit is performed, a process requested by a user is performed using the second data decoded by the decoding process, and there is a request of a process from the user. In this case, by referring to application time information added to the first data in the storage means and indicating a period in which the first data can be used, the current time can be changed to the first data. It is determined whether or not the time corresponds to a time at which the first time can be used.
When it is determined that the data can be used, the decoding process and the process corresponding to the request from the user are performed, and the determination indicates that the current time is equal to the usage of the first data. If it is determined that the time does not correspond to the time at which the first data can be used, the decoding process and the process corresponding to the request from the user are executed until the time at which the first data can be used is reached. There is provided a recording medium characterized by storing a program for executing a holding state.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for performing information access control in an information using apparatus having storage means for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding. Is a recording medium on which
It performs a process of decoding the first data in the storage unit, stores the second data decoded by the decoding process, and requests the user using the stored second data. Perform processing, and when there is a processing request from the user, refer to application time information added to the first data in the storage unit and indicating a period in which the first data can be used. By doing so, the current time is
It is determined whether the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used. If the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used, the second data is determined. If the second data is not stored, the decoding process and the process corresponding to the request from the user are executed. On the other hand, if the second data is stored, the process corresponding to the request from the user is executed. Executing, if it is determined by the determination that the current time does not correspond to the time at which the first data can be used, the time until the time at which the first data can be used is reached; There is provided a recording medium storing a program for executing a process of decoding and a process of executing a process corresponding to a request from the user in a state where execution of the process is stopped.

According to another aspect of the present invention, information including first data that has been subjected to predetermined encoding and application time information is obtained, and the first data is obtained in accordance with the application time information. , And a predetermined process is executed.

In addition to the various solutions described above, the following solutions are also conceivable.

That is, according to one aspect of the present invention, encrypted and distributed contents (eg, newspapers, magazines,
In an access control method for controlling an operation in which a program, video, audio) is decrypted and used (for example, displayed, printed, stored) by an information using device (for example, a user terminal device or a server), the encrypted Information indicating an executable period set for each usage type is added to the distributed content, and the information using device, when a request to use the content occurs,
An access control method is provided wherein the process is executed only when execution of a process of a requested use type is permitted with reference to the information added to the encrypted content.

According to another aspect of the present invention, encrypted and distributed contents (eg, newspapers, magazines, programs, videos, audios) are used by information-using devices (eg, user terminal devices or servers). In the access control method for controlling operations decrypted and used (for example, display, print, and save), the executable period set for each use type is assigned to the content distributed in an encrypted manner. In the case where a request to use the content occurs, the information use device is permitted to execute the process of the requested use type with reference to the information added to the encrypted content. Only when the execution is performed, and when the execution of the processing of the requested use type is not permitted, the execution of the processing is performed after a predetermined period has elapsed. If it is allowed, wait until the execution of the process is allowed, the access control method characterized by executing the process is provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, encrypted and distributed content (eg, newspaper, magazine, program, video, audio) is decrypted and used (eg, displayed, printed, stored). Content storage means for storing encrypted content to which information indicating an executable period set for each usage type is added, in an information using apparatus (for example, a user terminal device or a server) which performs Clock information output means for outputting a request, and when a request to use the content is given, the information corresponding to the requested use type among the information added to the encrypted content stored in the encrypted content storage means And the time information output from the clock information output means, to determine whether the requested use type is executable, Only when it is determined that the capacity and control means for issuing an execution instruction for executing the process, only when the execution instruction is given from the control unit,
There is provided an information utilizing apparatus comprising: processing means for executing a predetermined process.

According to another aspect of the present invention, encrypted and distributed content (eg, newspaper, magazine, program, video, audio) is decrypted and used (eg, displayed, printed, stored). Content storage means for storing encrypted content to which information indicating an executable period set for each usage type is added, in an information using apparatus (for example, a user terminal device or a server) which performs Clock information output means for outputting a request, and when a request to use the content is given, the information corresponding to the requested use type among the information added to the encrypted content stored in the encrypted content storage means And based on the time information output from the clock information output means, determine whether the requested use type is executable, and execute Only when it is determined that the process is executable, an execution instruction for executing the process is issued, and when it is determined that the requested use type is not executable, if the process becomes executable after a predetermined period elapses, A control unit that waits until the process becomes executable and issues an execution instruction to execute the process, and a process that executes a predetermined process only when the execution instruction is given from the control unit And an information utilization device characterized by comprising:

The "coding / decoding" used in the above description
Means "encryption / decoding" and "encryption /
It may include the meaning of "decryption (encrypt / decrypt)". Further, “data” used in the above description may include the meaning of “content”.

[0036]

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

<First Embodiment> First, a first embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 shows a basic configuration of a system according to this embodiment.

Information provider (for example, information providing server) 1
The information 102 distributed to the user terminal 200 from 00 is
It includes a condition part 104 and the encrypted content 106. The condition unit 104 includes information on the encryption method, information on the price, and application time information describing the usable period for each purpose of use. The application time information includes display permission information, print permission information, and storage permission information in the related art.

It should be noted that the condition unit 104 includes the user terminal 200
Is added in a form that cannot be tampered with.

For example, by adding information such as an electronic signature to the condition unit 104, it is possible to check whether or not tampering has been performed. If tampering is detected in this check, by stopping all subsequent access processing, unauthorized access to the content due to tampering of the condition unit 104 can be prevented.

Checking for falsification by the electronic signature is as follows:
For example, this is realized by adding information obtained by encrypting the condition unit 104 with a secret key to the condition unit 104, and decrypting the information with the public key at the user terminal 300 to perform comparison. In this comparison, if they match, it is understood that the data has not been tampered with.

For details of the method of checking for tampering, see “Applied Cryptography,” Second Edition, Bru
ce Schneier, Jhon Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN-0-471-11
709-9 ".

The information 102 is distributed from an information provider (for example, an information providing server) 100 to the user terminal 200 via a network or satellite data communication or via a recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

The user terminal 200 stores the information 102 in the storage unit 202 by using a receiving device for network or satellite data communication or a CD-ROM drive device.

It is assumed that information is managed by attaching an identifier.

Here, the application time information will be described.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the application time information. This example is application time information represented in a table format for each function. In this example, there is no limitation on the application time of the display function, and the decrypted data can be printed after 0:00 on September 12, 1996,
This indicates that the decrypted data can be stored after 0:00 on September 14, 1996.

FIG. 3 shows another example of the application time information. This example is a table in which information having the same contents as in FIG. 2 is rearranged by date and time. Applicability of each function is indicated by ×.

In addition to these, various forms of application time information can be considered.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4A, price information in which a predetermined price is set may be added to each time zone shown in the application time information of FIG.
Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, not only the price is set for each time zone, but also price information for which the price is set may be added for each purpose of use. This makes it possible to flexibly set content prices according to the time zone and the purpose of use.

In this embodiment, FIG. 2, FIG. 3 or FIG.
Or the application time information is the information 102
Is described in the condition section 104.

It should be noted that the information on whether or not printing is possible and the information on whether or not printing is possible in the condition section 104 can be omitted by substituting the application time information.

The condition determining unit 204 of the user terminal 200
When a user inputs an operation request for display, printing, saving, or the like, the application time information described in the condition unit 104 of the information 102 corresponding to the requested use purpose and the clock 206 are supplied. With reference to the time information (in the present embodiment, composed of date information and current time information), it is determined whether or not a predetermined process corresponding to the requested purpose of use can be executed (use of the content at that time is not possible). Is possible or not).

If it is determined that the condition can be executed, the condition judging unit 204 judges that the decoding unit 208, the decoding unit 212, and the decoding unit 21
The operation instruction is issued to the corresponding one of the six, and if it is not determined that the operation is executable, the operation instruction is not issued. Then, the portions corresponding to the respective purposes of use, that is, in the present embodiment, the decoding unit 208, the decoding unit 212, and the decoding unit 216 operate only when the operation instruction is issued by the condition determination unit 204.
A predetermined process is executed, and otherwise, no operation is performed.

It should be noted that the plaintext content obtained by each decryption unit cannot be accessed by any unit other than the processing unit uniquely corresponding to the decryption unit.

The above-described condition determination unit 204, clock 206, decoding unit 208, display processing unit 210, decoding unit 212, print processing unit 214, decoding unit 216, and storage processing unit 210 are realized by either software or hardware. It does not matter. Note that these elements are configured to be difficult for the user to modify. In addition, these elements may be formed integrally with one chip and sealed, for example, so that they cannot be attacked from the outside.

If the clock 206 is realized by hardware, an element initialized by the information providing side may be used, and the other elements may be disabled in order to prevent falsification from the outside.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of the processing in the user terminal of FIG.

At the user terminal 200, the display from the user,
When an operation request such as printing or saving is given, the condition determination unit 204 extracts the condition unit 104 of the information 102 to be used (step S11). In the condition section 104, information indicating whether or not the requested use purpose is permitted is set.
If it is not allowed, reject the request at this point.

The time information is extracted from the clock 206 (step S12).

The order of steps S11 and S12 may be reversed or may be executed in parallel.

Next, of the application time information described in the condition section 104, the one corresponding to the purpose of use (display, print, save, etc.) for which the operation is requested is compared with the time information, and the requested operation is determined. It is determined whether or not the current time is permitted (step S13).

If it is determined in step S14 that the operation is possible, an operation instruction is issued to the corresponding decoding unit to perform the operation (step S15). In the present embodiment, an instruction is issued to the decoding unit 208 for the display operation, to the decoding unit 212 for the printing operation, and to the decoding unit 216 for the storage operation.

In accordance with the instruction, the corresponding decryption unit decrypts the encrypted content 106, and the corresponding processing unit outputs the decrypted content to the corresponding device based on the decrypted content (step S16). For example, the plaintext content is displayed on the display device 230 by the display processing unit 208, printed by the printing device 240 by the print processing unit 214, or stored in the external storage device 250 by the storage processing unit 216.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S14 that the operation is prohibited, the condition determination unit 204 does not issue an operation instruction, and the operation request is rejected.

If it is determined in step S14 that the operation is prohibited, an operation disable instruction is issued from the condition determination unit 204, and in response to this, "the requested operation is prohibited at that time". Or a message including information on the time when it can be used may be displayed to notify the user.

As for billing, basically, the same technology as in the past may be used.

According to the present embodiment as described above, it is possible to set use conditions in accordance with the time of use for contents whose purpose of use and information value change over time.

For example, when articles are fresh, printing and storage are prohibited to prevent unauthorized copying, and after a certain period of time, printing and storage are enabled, so that the contents can be used as a content for building a database. Can also be allowed to use it.

The condition judging section 204 outputs the operation instruction
Display processing unit 210, print processing unit 214, storage processing unit 21
0, the display processing unit 210, the print processing unit 214, and the storage processing unit 210 also execute a predetermined process only when an operation instruction is issued by the condition determination unit 204, and in other cases, It may not be operated.

Further, in the above description, the decoding unit is provided separately for each processing sequence, but one decoding unit may be shared by each processing sequence instead. In this case, as described above, the condition determination unit 204 also gives an operation instruction to the display processing unit 210, the print processing unit 214, and the storage processing unit 210, and the display processing unit 210, the print processing unit 214, and the storage processing unit 210 also executes a predetermined process only when an operation instruction is issued by the condition determination unit 204, and otherwise does not operate.

<Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment will be described.

In the first embodiment, the decryption is performed every time the encrypted content is used. However, in the case where the encrypted content is displayed first and then the desired content is printed or saved, the decryption is performed at the time of display. If the decrypted content is used for printing and saving, the time for printing and saving is shortened.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, display is first performed prior to use other than display, and in use other than display, decryption content is used at the time of display to save the labor of decoding.

FIG. 6 shows the basic configuration of the system according to this embodiment.

As in the first embodiment, an information provider (for example, an information providing server) 100 (not shown) sends a user terminal 3
The information 102 distributed to 00 includes the condition part 104 and the encrypted content 106. The condition unit 104 includes information on the encryption method, information on the price, and application time information describing the usable period for each purpose of use. The application time information includes display permission information, print permission information, and storage permission information in the related art.

Note that the condition unit 104 includes the user terminal 300
Is added in a form that cannot be tampered with.

For example, by adding information such as an electronic signature to the condition unit 104, it is possible to check whether or not tampering has been performed. If tampering is detected in this check, by stopping all subsequent access processing, unauthorized access to the content due to tampering of the condition unit 104 can be prevented.

Checking for falsification by the electronic signature is as follows:
For example, this is realized by adding information obtained by encrypting the condition unit 104 with a secret key to the condition unit 104, and decrypting the information with the public key at the user terminal 300 to perform comparison. In this comparison, if they match, it is understood that the data has not been tampered with.

The information 102 is distributed from an information provider (for example, an information providing server) 100 to the user terminal 300 via a network or satellite data communication or via a recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

The user terminal 300 stores the information 102 in the storage unit 302 by using a receiving device for network or satellite data communication or a CD-ROM drive device.

It is assumed that information is managed by attaching an identifier.

The application time information is the same as that described in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, FIGS.
Alternatively, the application time information is described in the condition part 104 of the information 102 in the format of FIG. 4 or another format. Condition part 10
The information on whether or not printing can be performed and the information on whether or not printing can be performed can be omitted by substituting the application time information.

The condition determination unit 304 of the user terminal 300
When an operation request such as display, print, or save is input from the user (provided that display has already been performed except for display), a request from the application time information described in the condition unit 104 of the information 102 is requested. A predetermined process corresponding to the requested use purpose is referred to by referring to the information corresponding to the use purpose and the time information (in the present embodiment, the date information and the current time information) supplied from the clock 306. Is executable (whether the purpose of use of the content at that time is acceptable or not) is determined.

When the condition is determined to be executable, the condition determination unit 304 determines whether the decoding unit 308 and the display processing unit 312
An operation instruction is issued to one of the print processing unit 314 and the storage processing unit 316 that corresponds to the processing method when the operation is requested, and the operation instruction is not issued when it is not determined that the operation is executable. Then, a part corresponding to each purpose of use, that is, in the present embodiment, the decoding unit 308, the display processing unit 312, the print processing unit 314, and the storage processing unit 316 include a condition determination unit 304
The predetermined process is executed only when the operation instruction is issued by the, and otherwise, the operation is not performed.

The plaintext content obtained by the decryption unit 308 is stored in the plaintext content storage unit 310. The plaintext content in the plaintext content storage unit 310 is stored in the display processing unit 312, the print processing unit 314, and the storage processing. Access from other than the unit 316 is not possible.

The above-described condition determination unit 304, clock 306, decryption unit 308, plaintext content storage unit 310, display processing unit 312, print processing unit 314, and storage processing unit 316 can be realized by either software or hardware. I do not care. Note that these elements are configured to be difficult for the user to modify. In addition, these elements may be formed integrally with one chip and sealed, for example, so that they cannot be attacked from the outside.

If the clock 306 is realized by hardware, an element initialized by the information providing side may be used, and the other elements may not be used in order to make it impossible to alter the clock from the outside.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a processing procedure for a display request.

In the user terminal 300, when a display request is given from the user, the condition determination unit 304 extracts the condition unit 104 of the information 102 to be used (step S2).
1).

The time information is extracted from the clock 306 (step S22).

The order of steps S21 and S22 may be reversed or may be executed in parallel.

Then, the application time information described in the condition section 104 corresponding to the display is compared with the time information to determine whether the display operation is permitted at the current time (step S23). ).

If it is determined in step S24 that display is possible, an operation instruction is issued to the decoding unit 308 and the display processing unit 312 to perform an operation (step S25).

Then, in accordance with this instruction, the decryption unit 308 decrypts the encrypted content 106, and the display processing unit 312 displays on the display device 330 based on the decrypted content (step S26).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S24 that the operation is prohibited, the condition determination unit 304 does not issue an operation instruction, and the operation request is rejected.

If it is determined in step S24 that the operation is prohibited, an operation disable instruction is issued from the condition determination unit 304, and in response to this, the effect that "the requested operation is prohibited at that time". May be displayed to notify the user.

Next, FIG. 8 shows an example of a processing procedure for an operation request other than display.

In the user terminal 300, when an operation request other than display, such as printing or saving, is given from the user, in step S31, the display processing has not been executed yet, and the plaintext of the content to be used is changed to the plaintext content. If it is not stored in the storage unit 310, the process ends. that time,
A message indicating that “display is not performed” or a message requesting “display first” may be displayed to notify the user.

At step S 31, if the display processing has already been executed and the plaintext of the content to be used is stored in plaintext content storage section 310, condition determination section 304 sets the condition of information 102 to be used. The part 104 is taken out (step S32). Note that information indicating whether or not the requested purpose of use is set is set in the condition unit 104. If the information is not permitted, the request is rejected at this time.

The time information is extracted from the clock 306 (step S33).

Note that the order of steps S32 and S33 may be reversed or may be executed in parallel.

Next, of the application time information described in the condition part 104, the purpose of use (printing, saving, etc.) requested to operate.
Is compared with the time information to determine whether the requested operation is permitted at the current time (step S34).

If it is determined in step S35 that operation is possible, an operation instruction is issued to operate the corresponding one of the print processing unit 314 and the storage processing unit 316 (step S36).

Then, in accordance with the instruction, the corresponding processing unit outputs to the corresponding device based on the decrypted content stored in the plaintext content storage unit 310 (step S37). For example, the plaintext content is printed by the printing device 240 by the print processing unit 314 or stored in the external storage device 230 by the storage processing unit 316.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S35 that the operation is prohibited, the condition determination unit 304 does not issue an operation instruction, and the operation request is rejected.

If it is determined in step S34 that the operation is prohibited, an operation disable instruction is issued from the condition determination unit 304, and in response to this, a message stating that the requested operation is prohibited at that time. May be displayed to notify the user.

Next, FIG. 9 shows another example of a processing procedure for an operation request other than display.

Here, only differences from FIG. 8 will be described.

In FIG. 8, when an operation request for printing or saving other than display is given from the user, step S31 is performed.
If the display process has not been executed yet and the plaintext of the content to be used is not stored in the plaintext content storage unit 310, the process is terminated.

In FIG. 9, in step S41, if the display process has not been executed yet and the plaintext of the content to be used is not stored in the plaintext content storage unit 310, the process proceeds to steps S42 and S43. If such processing is performed and display is possible, the encrypted content is decrypted to obtain plaintext content, and the process up to display is automatically performed.

That is, in step S42, the condition judging unit 304 extracts the condition unit 104 of the information 102 to be used, extracts the time information from the clock 306, and responds to the display of the applied time information described in the condition unit 104. Is compared with the time information to determine whether the display operation is permitted at the current time.

If it is determined in step S42 that display is possible, an operation instruction is issued to the decoding unit 308 and the display processing unit 312 to perform an operation (step S43). As a result, the decrypted content is stored in the plaintext content storage unit 310 and is displayed on the display device 330. After step S43, the process proceeds to steps S44 to S49. Step S44
Steps S49 to S49 are the same as steps S32 to S37 described above.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S42 that the operation is prohibited, the condition determination unit 304 does not issue an operation instruction, and the operation request is rejected. In this case, an operation disable instruction is issued from condition determination section 304, and in response to this, a message indicating that "display operation is prohibited at that time" is displayed to notify the user. good.

In the above, the second embodiment has been described assuming that display is first performed prior to use other than display. However, if it is not necessary to distinguish between use by display and use of other types, step S31 in FIG. Or steps S41 to S43 in FIG. 9 are deleted, and in FIG. 7, FIG. 8 or FIG. 9, if the plaintext content does not exist prior to issuing an operation instruction to the processing unit of the requested operation. , An operation instruction may be issued to the decoding unit.

As for billing, basically, the same technology as in the related art may be used.

According to the present embodiment as described above, it is possible to set use conditions in accordance with the time of use for contents whose purpose of use and information value change over time.

<Third Embodiment> Next, a third embodiment will be described.

In the first embodiment, the request is rejected unless the usage requested for the operation is permitted at that time (date and time).

In this embodiment, even if the usage method requested for operation is not permitted at that time, if there is a period permitted thereafter, the operation instruction corresponding to the request is reserved and When a certain period is reached, processing corresponding to the request is automatically executed.

FIG. 10 shows the basic configuration of the system according to this embodiment.

In the following, the present embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment, and the description of the same parts will be omitted.

The configuration of FIG. 10 differs from the configuration of FIG. 1 in that an instruction storage unit 220 for storing an instruction which is not permitted at the present time but which is to be permitted later is provided. Is transmitted to the corresponding decoding unit (or the decoding unit and the corresponding processing unit) via the instruction storage unit 220, and the time information of the clock 206 is also transmitted to the instruction storage unit 220.

The instruction storage unit 220 stores the condition judgment unit 20
4 has a function of storing and suspending the operation instruction passed from the control unit 4. Also, the instruction storage unit 220 includes a decoding unit 208,
Timers corresponding to 212 and 216 are provided. These timers are used to set a time (date and time) at which the operation of each decoding unit is permitted, and generates a timer event when a predetermined time has elapsed. Instruction storage unit 220
When the timer event occurs, the device issues an operation instruction stored therein to the corresponding decoding unit (or the decoding unit and the processing unit).

The above-described condition determination unit 204, clock 206, decoding unit 208, display processing unit 210, decoding unit 212, print processing unit 214, decoding unit 216, storage processing unit 210, and instruction storage unit 220 are software and hardware. It may be realized by either. Note that these elements are configured to be difficult for the user to modify. In addition, these elements are formed integrally with one chip and sealed, etc.
You may make it impossible to attack from the outside.

If the clock 206 is realized by hardware, an element initially set by the information providing side may be used, and the other elements may be disabled in order to prevent falsification from the outside.

Next, the operation will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

First, steps S51 to S56 in FIG.
Are the same as S11 to S16 in FIG. That is, if the requested operation is operable at that time, the operation is performed according to the procedure from step S51 to step S56.

At this time, the instruction storage unit 220 shown in FIG.
Do nothing except transmit the instructions to the relevant parts.

On the other hand, in step S54, in the operability determination, even if the operation is prohibited at the requested time, if there is a period during which the operation is permitted thereafter, the condition determination unit 204 stores the instruction. An operation instruction, a control signal indicating that the operation is suspended, and information on the time (date and time) at which the operation is permitted are passed to unit 220. Note that the control signal indicating that the operation is suspended may be substituted by the presence or absence of information on the time at which the operation is permitted. Instruction storage unit 2
In step 20, the received operation instruction is stored and held, and a time (date and time) at which the operation is permitted is set in a timer (step S57). At this time, the user may be notified by displaying a message indicating that the operation has been reserved.

When a timer event occurs after a lapse of a predetermined time, the instruction storage unit 220 sends the stored operation instruction to the corresponding decoding unit (or decoding unit and processing unit) (step S61). The decryption unit that has received the operation instruction decrypts the target encrypted content, and then the corresponding processing unit outputs a predetermined output to the corresponding device (step S62).

According to the above-described embodiment, an operation that can be executed after a predetermined time has been reserved, and the operation can be performed without a user's instruction after the operation can be executed.

For example, it is assumed that a user reads an article in a newspaper or a magazine and saves an article of his or her interest as a scrapbook. It is considered that the first time you read an article is during the period when display is only possible and saving and printing are prohibited, but if you try to save at that time it is prohibited, so if you can not reserve the operation It is necessary to read again after a predetermined period has elapsed, save and print again, the operation is troublesome, and the saving itself may be forgotten.
In order to solve this problem, according to the present embodiment, the storage operation after a predetermined period can be reserved at the time of first reading, so that there is no need to operate or forget again.

Also, for example, if a storage reservation is made during a predetermined period, the data is automatically stored after the period. Therefore, if the reservation is made at the first reading, it is troublesome to read again for storage. Can be omitted. As a result, it is possible to easily perform an operation of creating a “scrapbook” in which only a part of interest is extracted from the pay-per-view content and recorded.

<Fourth Embodiment> Next, a fourth embodiment will be described.

In the second embodiment, the request is rejected unless the usage requested for the operation is permitted at that time.

In this embodiment, even if the usage method requested for operation is not permitted at that time (date and time), if there is a period permitted thereafter, the operation instruction corresponding to the request is stored. When the permitted period is reached, a process corresponding to the request is automatically executed.

FIG. 13 shows the basic configuration of the system according to this embodiment.

In the following, the present embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the second embodiment, and the description of the same parts will be omitted.

The configuration of FIG. 13 differs from the configuration of FIG. 6 in that an instruction storage unit 320 for storing an instruction which is not permitted at the present time but which is to be permitted later is provided. Is sent to the corresponding decoding unit or processing unit via the instruction storage unit 320, and the clock 30
6 is also transmitted to the instruction storage unit 320.

The instruction storage unit 320 includes the condition determination unit 30
4 has a function of storing and suspending the operation instruction passed from the control unit 4. Further, the instruction storage unit 320 includes a timer. This timer is used to set a time (date and time) at which the operation of the decoding unit 308 is permitted, and generates a timer event when a predetermined time has elapsed. Instruction storage unit 2
When this timer event occurs, the decoding unit 308 (or the decoding unit 308)
And the corresponding processing unit).

The above-described condition determination unit 304, clock 306, decryption unit 308, plain text content storage unit 310, display processing unit 312, print processing unit 314, storage processing unit 316, and instruction storage unit 320 are either software or hardware. It may be realized by. Note that these elements are configured to be difficult for the user to modify. In addition, these elements are formed integrally with one chip and sealed, etc.
You may make it impossible to attack from the outside.

If the clock 306 is realized by hardware, an element initially set by the information providing side may be used, and the other elements may be disabled in order to prevent falsification from the outside.

Next, the operation will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

FIG. 14 shows an example of a processing procedure for a display request, FIG. 15 shows an example of a processing procedure for an operation request other than display, and FIG. 16 shows an example of a processing procedure when a timer event occurs.

First, an example of a processing procedure for a display request will be described with reference to FIG.

First, steps S71 to S76 in FIG.
Are the same as S21 to S26 in FIG. That is, if the requested operation is operable at that time, the operation is performed according to the procedure from step S21 to step S26.

At this time, the instruction storage unit 320 in FIG.
Do nothing except transmit the instructions to the relevant parts.

On the other hand, in step S74, in the operability determination, even if the operation is prohibited at the requested time, if there is a period during which the operation is permitted thereafter, the condition determination unit 304 stores the instruction. An operation instruction, a control signal indicating that the operation is suspended, and information on the time (date and time) at which the operation is permitted are passed to unit 320. Note that the control signal indicating that the operation is suspended may be substituted by the presence or absence of information on the time at which the operation is permitted. Instruction storage unit 3
In step 20, the received operation instruction is stored and held, and a time (date and time) at which the operation is permitted is set in a timer (step S77). At this time, the user may be notified by displaying a message indicating that the operation has been reserved.

When a timer event occurs after a lapse of a predetermined time, in the case of a display instruction in FIG. 16 (step S91), the instruction storage unit 320 stores the stored operation instruction in the decoding unit 308 and the display processing unit. 312 (step S92). Decoding section 308 receiving the operation instruction
Decrypts the target encrypted content, and then the display processing unit 312 displays the decrypted content on the display device 330 (step S93).

Next, an example of a processing procedure for an operation request other than display will be described with reference to FIG.

First, steps S81 to S86 in FIG.
Are the same as S31 to S36 in FIG. That is, if the requested operation is operable at that time, the operation is performed according to the procedure from step S81 to step S86.

At this time, the instruction storage unit 320 in FIG.
Do nothing except transmit the instructions to the relevant parts.

On the other hand, if the plaintext content exists in step S81, in step S85, in the operability determination, if the operation is prohibited at the requested time but there is a period during which the operation is permitted thereafter For example, the operation instruction is held in the instruction storage unit 320, and the time at which the operation is permitted is set in the timer (step S88). As described above, at this time, a message indicating that the operation has been reserved may be displayed to notify the user.

When a timer event occurs after a lapse of a predetermined time, in the case of an instruction other than display in FIG. 16 (step S91), the instruction storage unit 320 stores the stored operation instruction in the print processing unit 314 or Save processing unit 31
6 is issued (step S94). The processing unit that has received the operation instruction outputs the content to the corresponding device based on the decrypted content stored in the plaintext content storage unit 310 (step S95).

When a plurality of instructions are registered in the instruction storage unit 320, the processing of FIG. 16 is performed for all the registered instructions. In addition, when the same time or close time for the same content is set as the timer event occurrence time, if the display instruction and other instructions are reserved in the instruction storage unit 320, the display instruction is executed first. You may do it.

Next, FIG. 17 shows another example of a processing procedure for an operation request other than display.

First, steps S101 to S10 in FIG.
9 is the same as S41 to S49 in FIG. That is,
If the requested operation is operable at that time, it is executed according to the procedure from step S101 to step S109. In step S41, if the display process has not been executed yet and the plaintext of the content to be used is not stored in the plaintext content storage unit 310, the process shown in FIG. 7 is performed in steps S42 and S43. If the content can be displayed, the encrypted content is decrypted to obtain plaintext content, and the display is automatically performed.

At this time, the instruction storage unit 320 in FIG.
Do nothing except transmit the instructions to the relevant parts.

On the other hand, if the plaintext content exists in step S101, in step S107, even if the operation is prohibited at the requested time in the operability determination,
After that, if there is a period during which the operation is permitted, the operation instruction is suspended in the instruction storage unit 320, and the time at which the operation is permitted is set in the timer (step S110). As described above, at this time, a message indicating that the operation has been reserved may be displayed to notify the user.

Further, if there is no plaintext content in step S101 and the display operation is not possible in step S102, an operation instruction is reserved in the instruction storage unit 320 for an operation request other than the display, and the display instruction is not yet issued. If is not reserved, a display instruction is also reserved (step S111).

When a timer event occurs after a lapse of a predetermined time, predetermined processing is performed according to FIG. 16 as described above. Again, as before,
When a plurality of instructions are registered in the instruction storage unit 320,
The processing of FIG. 16 is performed for all the registered instructions. In addition, when the same time or close time for the same content is set as the timer event occurrence time, if the display instruction and other instructions are reserved in the instruction storage unit 320, the display instruction is executed first. You may do it.

In the above, the fourth embodiment has been described assuming that display is first performed prior to use other than display. However, if it is not necessary to distinguish between use by display and use other than display, step S81 in FIG. And remove
Alternatively, in FIG. 17, steps S101 to S103,
S111 is deleted, and only the instruction to the processing unit is stored in the instruction storage unit 320. In FIG. 14, FIG. 15, or FIG. 17, and FIG. If the content does not exist, control may be performed so that an operation instruction is also issued to the decoding unit.

According to the above-described embodiment, an operation that can be executed after a predetermined time has been reserved, and the operation can be started even if the user does not give an instruction after the operation can be executed.

The embodiments have been described above.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be implemented with various modifications within the technical scope.

For example, in each embodiment, display, printing, and storage are used as an example of a method of using the encrypted content. However, the present invention can be applied to other purposes.

In each of the above embodiments, the information 102
Time information and clock 206 described in the condition part 104
Has been described as comprising the date information and the current time information, but it is needless to say that the control may be performed only with the date information.

Next, in each of the above configurations, an embodiment in which the user terminal is a server device is also possible.

For example, LA is assigned to each of the first to fourth user terminals.
The user computer is connected by N or the like, and a display request is issued from the user computer to the user terminal by designating an information identifier or the like. Upon receiving the display request, the user terminal performs the above-described operation, and if the display is permitted (or if a time event of the display reservation occurs), the user terminal outputs to the display device of the user terminal instead. Then, the display data is transferred to the requesting user computer. At the requesting user computer,
The received display data is output to a display device. Of course, the plaintext content cannot be restored from the display data. The same applies to a print request.

Further, for example, when the user terminal receives the save request, it performs the above-described operation. Here, if all operations are always permitted after that time (or if all operations are performed after that time) If it is always permitted), the plaintext content is transferred to the requesting user computer instead of outputting it to its own storage device. The requesting user computer saves the received plaintext content. After that, since all usage purposes are always permitted, the user computer can freely use the stored plaintext content.

In addition, various configurations are conceivable.

Further, the user terminal may be used only as a server, or a function as a server may be added to each of the first to fourth user terminals.

In the above, the embodiment in which the access right for the purpose of using the content is changed according to the passage of time has been described. However, if the present invention is applied, the charge of the content can be changed according to the passage of time. . In this case, the relationship between the use date (or date) and the charge is registered using the tables of FIGS. 2 to 4, and the charging processing unit built in the user terminal stores the time information from the table and the clock. May be configured to determine the fee. As a result, for example, it is possible to set a high charge for the display function on the day of issuance and a low charge from the next day.

Further, such a configuration may be further provided in each of the above-described embodiments and modifications thereof. Thereby, for example, in a newspaper distributed every day, it is possible to decrypt and save only the day after the next day of delivery, and to realize a service that charges for the current day and saves for the previous day free of charge. You can also.

The functions corresponding to the condition determination unit, clock, decryption unit, plaintext content storage unit, display processing unit, print processing unit, and storage processing unit in the user terminal described in each of the above embodiments are implemented by a computer. It can be realized by a program (program code instruction group). For example, the computer program is recorded and stored on a recording medium (optical disk, magnetic disk, magneto-optical disk, semiconductor memory, etc.), and the computer program is read out from the storage medium and executed by a processor or the like when necessary. It is possible to implement the information access control of the present invention.

[0180]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to set use conditions and prices according to the time of use for data whose use purpose and information value change over time. .

Further, according to the present invention, an operation that can be executed after a predetermined time is reserved, and the operation can be performed without a user's instruction after the operation can be executed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of application time information according to the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another example of application time information according to the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example in which price information is added to application time information according to the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure when an operation request is generated in the user terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure when a display request is generated in a user terminal according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure when a request other than display is generated in the user terminal according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating another example of a processing procedure when a request other than display is generated in the user terminal according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure when an operation request is generated in a user terminal according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure when a timer event occurs in a user terminal according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure when a display request is generated in a user terminal according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure when a request other than display is generated in the user terminal according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure when a timer event occurs in a user terminal according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing another example of a processing procedure when a request other than display is generated in the user terminal according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional information distribution system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100: information providing server, 102: information, 104: condition section, 106: encrypted content, 200, 300: user terminal, 202, 302: encrypted content storage section, 204, 304: condition determination section, 206, 306 .., Clocks, 208, 212, 216, 308, decoding units, 210, 312, display processing units, 214, 314, print processing units, 218, 316, storage processing units, 220, 320, instruction storage units, 230, 330 Display devices, 240, 340: printing device, 250, 350: external storage device, 310: plain text content storage unit.

Claims (19)

[Claims] 1. A means for storing information including first data that has been subjected to predetermined encoding and application time information indicating a period in which the first data can be used; A decoding unit for performing a decoding process; a processing unit for performing a process requested by a user using the second data decoded by the decoding unit; and a request from the user for a process. And a means for controlling the decoding means and the processing means to operate in accordance with the application time information in the storage means. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a unit configured to determine whether a current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used, when there is a request for processing from a user. The information utilization device according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The control means controls the processing means to operate when the determination means determines that the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used. The information utilization device according to claim 2, wherein 4. If the determining means determines that the current time does not correspond to the time at which the first data can be used, the time until the time at which the first data can be used is reached. 4. The information use apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a unit for holding a stop state of the processing unit during the operation. 5. A means for storing information including first data subjected to predetermined encoding and application time information indicating a period during which the first data can be used; A plurality of decoding units for performing a decoding process; and a plurality of decoding units provided corresponding to the plurality of decoding units, for executing various processes requested by a user using the decoded second data. Processing means, and when there is a request for processing from the user, by referring to the application time information in the storage means, whether the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used. Means for determining whether or not the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used by the determining means; and operating the decoding means and processing means corresponding to the request for processing. Means for issuing instructions Information utilization apparatus according to claim. 6. A means for storing information including first data that has been subjected to predetermined encoding and application time information indicating a period during which the first data can be used; Decoding means for performing a decoding process; data storage means for storing the second data decoded by the decoding means; and a user using the second data stored in the data storage means. A plurality of processing means for executing various requested processing, and when there is a processing request from a user, by referring to the application time information in the storage means, the current time is set to the first time. Means for determining whether or not the time corresponds to a time at which data can be used; and when the determining means determines that the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used, storing the data Means to said second If the data is not stored, an operation instruction is issued to the decoding means and the processing means corresponding to the request for the processing. On the other hand, if the second data is stored in the data storage means, the request for the processing is issued. And a means for issuing an operation instruction to a processing means corresponding to (i). 7. A means for storing information including first data subjected to predetermined encoding and application time information indicating a period during which the first data can be used; A plurality of decoding units for performing a decoding process; and a plurality of decoding units provided corresponding to the plurality of decoding units, for executing various processes requested by a user using the decoded second data. Processing means, and when there is a request for processing from the user, by referring to the application time information in the storage means, whether the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used. Means for determining whether or not the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used by the determining means; and operating the decoding means and processing means corresponding to the request for processing. Means for issuing an instruction; Until when it is determined that the current time does not correspond to the possible time using the first data by the stage, reaches the first capable time use of the data,
Means for preventing output of the operation instruction. 8. A means for storing information including first data subjected to predetermined encoding and application time information indicating a period during which the first data can be used; Decoding means for performing a decoding process; data storage means for storing the second data decoded by the decoding means; and a user using the second data stored in the data storage means. A plurality of processing means for executing various requested processing, and when there is a processing request from a user, by referring to the application time information in the storage means, the current time is set to the first time. Means for determining whether or not the time corresponds to a time at which data can be used; and when the determining means determines that the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used, storing the data Means to said second If the data is not stored, an operation instruction is issued to the decoding means and the processing means corresponding to the request for the processing. On the other hand, if the second data is stored in the data storage means, the request for the processing is issued. Means for issuing an operation instruction to the processing means corresponding to the first data; and use of the first data when the determination means determines that the current time does not correspond to a time at which the first data can be used. Until the time is reached
Means for preventing output of the operation instruction. 9. An information access control method applied to an information using apparatus provided with a storage unit for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding, wherein a request for processing is given by a user. Extracting application time information indicating a period during which the first data can be used, which is added to the first data in the storage means, and according to the extracted application time information, An information access control method, wherein the first data is decrypted, and a process requested by a user is executed using the decrypted second data. 10. An information access control method applied to an information using apparatus having a storage unit for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding, wherein: Performs data decoding processing, performs processing requested by the user using the second data decoded by the decoding processing, and when there is a processing request from the user, performs the processing in the storage unit. By referring to the application time information added to the first data and indicating the period during which the first data can be used, the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used. Determining whether or not the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used, and performing a process requested by the user. Method. 11. An information access control method applied to an information utilizing apparatus having a storage unit for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding, wherein: It performs data decryption processing, stores the second data decrypted by the decryption processing, performs processing requested by a user using the stored second data, and executes processing from the user. When there is a request, by referring to application time information indicating a period in which the first data can be used, which is added to the first data in the storage unit, the current time can be changed to the first time. Determining whether the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used, and determining that the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used, Data is not stored Lever, it executes a process corresponding to the request from the processing and the user of the decryption, whereas,
If the second data is stored, a process corresponding to a request from the user is executed. 12. An information access control method applied to an information using apparatus having a storage unit for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding, wherein: Performs data decoding processing, performs processing requested by the user using the second data decoded by the decoding processing, and when there is a processing request from the user, performs the processing in the storage unit. By referring to the application time information added to the first data and indicating the period during which the first data can be used, the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used. If it is determined that the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used, the decoding process and the process corresponding to the request from the user are performed. Run and said Otherwise, when it is determined that the current time does not correspond to the time at which the first data can be used, the decoding process is performed until the time at which the first data can be used is reached. And an information access control method, wherein a state in which a process corresponding to a request from the user is stopped is held. 13. An information access control method applied to an information utilizing apparatus having a storage unit for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding, wherein: It performs data decryption processing, stores the second data decrypted by the decryption processing, performs processing requested by a user using the stored second data, and executes processing from the user. When there is a request, by referring to application time information indicating a period in which the first data can be used, which is added to the first data in the storage unit, the current time can be changed to the first time. Determining whether the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used, and determining that the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used, Data is not stored Lever, it executes a process corresponding to the request from the processing and the user of the decryption, whereas,
If the second data is stored, a process corresponding to the request from the user is executed, and the determination indicates that the current time does not correspond to a time at which the first data can be used. In this case, the decoding processing and the processing corresponding to the request from the user are held in a stopped state until the time when the first data can be used is reached. Access control method. 14. A recording medium recording a program for performing information access control in an information using apparatus provided with a storage unit for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding, wherein: A process of decoding the first data in the storage means, storing the second data decoded by the decoding process, and requesting a user using the stored second data. And when there is a processing request from a user, refer to application time information added to the first data in the storage means and indicating a period in which the first data can be used. It is determined whether or not the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used, and it is determined by the determination that the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used. If If the serial second data is not stored, and executes a process corresponding to the request from the processing and the user of the decryption, whereas,
A recording medium storing a program for executing a process corresponding to a request from the user if the second data is stored. 15. A recording medium on which a program for performing information access control is recorded in an information use device provided with a storage unit for storing information including first data subjected to predetermined encoding, wherein: Performing a process of decoding the first data in the storage unit, performing a process requested by a user using the second data decoded by the decoding process, and when there is a process request from the user By referring to the application time information indicating the period during which the first data can be used, which is added to the first data in the storage means, the current time is Determining whether or not the time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used; if the current time corresponds to a time at which the first data can be used; That Recording medium characterized by storing a program for causing a row. 16. A recording medium on which a program for performing information access control is recorded in an information use device provided with a storage unit for storing information including first data subjected to predetermined encoding, wherein: A process of decoding the first data in the storage means, storing the second data decoded by the decoding process, and requesting a user using the stored second data. And when there is a processing request from a user, refer to application time information added to the first data in the storage means and indicating a period in which the first data can be used. It is determined whether or not the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used, and it is determined by the determination that the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used. If If the serial second data is not stored, and executes a process corresponding to the request from the processing and the user of the decryption, whereas,
A recording medium storing a program for executing a process corresponding to a request from the user if the second data is stored. 17. A recording medium recording a program for performing information access control in an information using apparatus having a storage unit for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding, wherein: Performing a process of decoding the first data in the storage unit, performing a process requested by a user using the second data decoded by the decoding process, and when there is a process request from the user By referring to the application time information indicating the period during which the first data can be used, which is added to the first data in the storage means, the current time is Determining whether the time corresponds to a usable time; determining that the current time corresponds to a time capable of using the first data by the determination; from Executing a process corresponding to the request, and when it is determined by the determination that the current time does not correspond to the time at which the first data can be used, the current time is set to the time at which the first data can be used. A recording medium storing a program for executing a process of holding the decoding process and a process corresponding to a request from the user in a stopped state until the storage time is reached. 18. A recording medium on which a program for performing information access control is recorded in an information use device provided with a storage unit for storing information including first data which has been subjected to predetermined encoding, wherein: A process of decoding the first data in the storage means, storing the second data decoded by the decoding process, and requesting a user using the stored second data. And when there is a processing request from a user, refer to application time information added to the first data in the storage means and indicating a period in which the first data can be used. It is determined whether or not the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used, and it is determined by the determination that the current time corresponds to the time at which the first data can be used. If If the serial second data is not stored, and executes a process corresponding to the request from the processing and the user of the decryption, whereas,
If the second data is stored, a process corresponding to the request from the user is executed, and the determination indicates that the current time does not correspond to a time at which the first data can be used. In this case, the execution of the decoding process and the process corresponding to the request from the user are stopped until the time when the first data can be used is reached. A recording medium storing a program. 19. Acquiring information including first data subjected to predetermined encoding and application time information, performing decoding on the first data according to the application time information,
An information access control method characterized by executing a predetermined process.