MXPA01006370A - Method for managing content data - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for, for example, integrally handling musical contents of different formats present on one personal computer while protecting the copyright of the contents. A reproduction application (A) (311) manages the musical content distributed from an EMD server (A) (4-1). A comprehensive managing unit (315) manages musical content distributed from an EMD server (X) (4-3) and transfers it to a portable device (6-3). The format of the usage rule of the musical content managed by the reproduction application (A) (311) is different from that managed by the comprehensive managing unit (315). An EMD receiving interface (316) converts the format and handles integrally contents.

Description

METHOD OF ADMINISTRATION OF CONTENT DATA TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling content data: said invention also relates to an apparatus for processing data, to a method of content management and to a recording medium, in where content data acquired, for example by downloading through the network, are reproduced or administered based on the information of conditions of use attached to the content data. BACKGROUND OF THE ART Recently, the online distribution of music content has been applied in practice through the use of a network such as the Internet or cable television. If in this system of distribution of musical contents, the distributors of contents distribute the musical contents in the network, they do it for example, through the Web. The user who operates this music distribution system uses his or her personal computer to access the Web and contact the material provided by the content distributor to download the desired musical content. Meanwhile, the content provider must supervise the copyright of the content. Thus, the content distributor recognizes the users that have access to the Web through the Internet, by ID or bier information. of the secret identification code, to distribute the encrypted musical contents only to an authorized user. The content provider also adds the information of conditions of use to the musical content to be supplied to the user. There are numerous content distributors that provide the musical contents, with the encryption system of the musical contents or the instruction format of the conditions of use information that differ from one content provider to another. Thus, the user has to acquire the player application to download or play for each content provider in order to reproduce the musical contents in accordance with the pre-established reproduction application. Meanwhile, if a user has distributed music contents from various content providers that employ these various playback applications, the musical contents of various usage condition information are stored on a personal computer. However, in the respective player applications, the formats, for example the conditions of use or the encryption systems of the musical contents handled are prescribed in such a way that the musical contents of different formats can not be handled. If these formats of use conditions are discounted when transferring the content data between several different players, there are several conditions of use for a specific content or values established in the condition of use information, such as the number of times of reproduction , established in the condition of use information, can not be updated in such a way that the musical content can no longer be protected. As a result, the user can not handle the music content on a personal computer, for example, in a unified manner. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a content data control apparatus that allows various contents present, for example, in a single personal computer to be handled in a unified manner, maintaining the protection of the rights of author in relation to the contents. It is another object of the present invention to offer a method of content data control that allows various contents present, for example, in a single personal computer to be managed in a unified manner, maintaining the protection of copyright in relation to the contents. It is another object of the present invention to provide a storage medium that has stored there a program that allows several contents present for example, in a single personal computer are handled in a unified manner, maintaining the protection of copyright in relation to the contents. It is another object of the present invention to offer a data processing apparatus that allows a unified management of the content data handled in a single personal computer system, maintaining the protection of the author's rights in relation to the contents, with the object to increase the degree of freedom of handling of the content data. It is another object of the present invention to offer a method of content management that allows a unified management of content data managed in a single system of a personal computer, maintaining the protection of the copyright for the content, in order to increase the degree of freedom to manage the content data. It is another object of the present invention to offer a storage medium that has stored there a program that allows a unified handling of manipulated content data in a single system of a personal computer, maintaining the protection of the author's rights in relation to the contents , with the purpose of increasing the degree of freedom of handling of the content data.

A control device for control data to handle one or more content data and the conditions of use information that establishes the conditions of use of each content data and to control the corresponding content data based on the "condition" information of use, in accordance with the present invention, includes a device for converting the information of conditions of use presented in a pre-established format into the information of conditions of use of another format having the same content. content, the information of conditions of use presented in a pre-established format, becomes another format that has the same content as pre-established content A control method for control data to handle one or more content data and information conditions use that establishes the conditions of use of each content data and to control the content data cor Respondents based on the information of conditions of use, in accordance with the present invention, includes a step of converting the information of conditions of use presented in a pre-established format in the conditions of use information of another format having the same content. In this method of content data control, the information on conditions of use, presented in a pre-established format, is converted into another format that has the same content as the pre-established content. A recording medium that has stored there a control program for control data to handle one or more content data and the conditions of use information that establishes the conditions of use of each content data and to control the corresponding content data based on the condition of use information according to the present invention, it is configured in such a way that the control program for the content data includes a processing for converting the conditions of use information presented in a format pre-established in the information of condition of use of another format that has the same contents. In this recording medium, the content data control program converts the conditions of use information, presented in a pre-established format, into another format that has the same contents as the pre-established content. A data processing apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes one or more applications for reproduction to handle one or more content data and the conditions of use information that establishes the conditions of use of each piece of content and to reproduce the data of content based on the conditions of use information, and a comprehensive content management unit to manage the content data and usage conditions information of the content data, the playback application or the content management unit exhaustive converts the content encryption system employed by each application and the format of the conditions of use information into the content encryption system employed by the exhaustive content management unit and the format of the usage condition information with the object of transferring the content data and the conditions of use information of the application for reproduction to the exhaustive content management unit. In this data processing apparatus, the content data and the conditions of use information are transferred through the content encryption system employed by the exhaustive content management unit and by the format of the conditions of use information prescribed by the exhaustive content management unit. A content management method for managing one or more content data and usage conditions information, establishing the condition of use of each 'content' data and for managing one or more reproduction applications and adapted to reproduce the content data based on the condition of use information, through a complete content management unit, in accordance with the present invention includes the transfer of the content data and the conditions of use information from each application for reproduction to the exhaustive content management unit employing a transfer protocol that has a unified format for the content data encryption system and the conditions of use information. In this content management method, the content data and usage conditions information are transferred using the unified transfer protocol. A recording medium that has a comprehensive content management application stored there to handle one or more content data and usage conditions information, establishing the condition of use of each content data and to manage one or more applications for reproduction , and adapted for the reproduction of the content data based on the conditions of use information, in accordance with the present invention, is configured in such a way that the exhaustive content management application includes a processing program for transferring the data of content and usage conditions information of each reproduction request using a transfer protocol that has a unified format for the content data encryption system and the conditions of use information. In this recording medium, the comprehensive content management application stored there transfers the content data and usage conditions information using the unified transfer protocol. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a system structure of a music content distribution system embodying the present invention. Figure 2 explains the configuration of a personal computer used in the content data management system. Figure 3 explains the configuration of a portable device included in a content data management system. Figure 4 explains functions of the personal computer. Figure 5 shows an example of a display window / operation instruction. Figure 6 shows an example of the window that displays the registration program in the display unit. Figure 7 explains the unified handling of content that has different formats between a distributor and another in the music content distribution system. Figure 8 illustrates the relationship between a unified transfer protocol layer and an application layer. Figure 9 illustrates the format of the conditions of use information used routinely. Figure 10 illustrates a file that constitutes the information of unified use conditions employed in a comprehensive management unit. Figure 11 illustrates the structure of a PLC file of the unified usage conditions information. Figure 12 shows an example of an automaton indicating the operation transition of the musical content established in the automaton determination portion of the automaton file. Figure 13 represents the automaton in a tupian chain.

Figure 14 illustrates the structure of the automaton determination portion. Figure 15 shows an event and a command defined in a DTD with determination based on the specification of an XML. Figure 16 shows a first example of determining the determination portion of the automaton. Fig. 17 is a state transition view of the first example of determination. Figure 18 shows a second example of determination of the determination portion of the automaton.

Figure 19 is a state transition view of the second determination example. Figure 20 shows a third example of determining the determination portion of the automaton. Figure 21 is a state transition view of the third example of determination. Figure 22 shows a fourth example of determining the determination portion of the automaton. Figure 23 shows the structure of a parameter file of the unified usage conditions information.

Figure 24 illustrates the structure in the case in which I change the parameter file. Figure 25 illustrates the structure of a parameter determination portion of the parameter file. Figure 26 illustrates a method for monitoring the content through the exhaustive management unit. Figure 27 illustrates the processing sequence in the case in which the exhaustive management unit is installed from a CD ROM. Figure 28 illustrates the processing sequence in the case in which the exhaustive management unit is installed when downloading from the network. Figure 29 illustrates an update sequence from a shift key to an EMD key. Figure 30 illustrates a first example of the EMD key update sequence. Figure 31 illustrates a second example of the EMD key update sequence. PREFERRED MODE OF THE INVENTION With reference to the drawings, a musical content distribution system embodying the present invention, which presents the preferred embodiment of the present invention, is explained in detail. This system of distribution of musical content is a system that downloads music content from a server to a personal computer or to a portable device through a network and that monitors the musical content downloaded in this way and the musical content read of a CD. (1) Global Structure of the Music Content Distribution System Figure 1 shows a system configuration of a music content distribution system 1 embodying the present invention. The music content distribution system 1, which incorporates the present invention, includes a personal computer 1, a network 2, such as a local area network, a registration server, several EMD servers (electrical distribution of music) 4 (4-1, 4-2, and 4-3) that distribute musical contents, which are known below as contents, and WWW 5 servers (5-1 and 5-2).

The personal computer 1 has stored there a storage medium such as a memory card, in USB cables 7 (7-1, 7-2 and 7-3) and is connected to portable devices 6 (6-1, 6-2 and 6-3), as portable music playback equipment to play the content. The personal computer 1 is connected through a network 2 to the EMD 3 registration server, EMD 4 servers (4-1, 4-2 and 4-3), and to the WWW (World Wide Web) servers 5 (5- 1 and 5-2). The personal computer 1 receives compressed contents in accordance with a preset compression system and encodes the compressed contents in accordance with a pre-established encryption system for storage. As a compression system, ATRAC 3 (adaptive transformation acoustic coding) (trademark) or MP3 (MPEG-3 audio layer) can be used. As an encryption system, for example description (standard for data encryption) is used. When receiving distributed content, the personal computer 1 also receives information of conditions of distributed use indicating the conditions of use of the content, to record the distributed data. When the read data is recorded from, for example, a CD, the personal computer 1 generates the information of conditions of use according to the conditions of reproduction of content to record the information of conditions of use generated. Likewise, the personal computer 1 registers and stores the content, registered and encrypted in the portable devices 6 (6-1, 6-2 and 6-3) through the USB cables 7 (7-1, 7-2 and 7-3) along with the relevant information, such as information on conditions of use, titles of musical works or the names of the participants, while updating the information on usage conditions in response to registration and storage. This processing is known as extraction. In this extraction operation, the number of times of possible extraction operations for the content, recorded by the personal computer 1, decreases by 1 in the conditions of use information. If the number of times of possible extraction operations is 0, the corresponding contents ja can not be extracted. In addition, the personal computer 1 will rotate the content stored in the portable devices 6 (6-1, 6-2 and 6-3) through the USB cables 7 (7-1, 7-2 and "-3) and update the information of conditions of use in relation to the deletion.This erase operation is known as input.In this input operation, the number of times of possible extraction operations that is recorded through the personal computer 1, is increased by 1 It is noted that the content may also become unusable rather than erased It will be noted that the personal computer 1 can not enter the content that another personal computer has extracted to the portable device 6. That is, the personal computer 1 can only enter the content extracted by anyone other than the personal computer 1. When the personal computer 1 has started to acquire the contents of the EMD 4 servers (4-1, 4-2 and 4-3), the EMD 3 'server responds to a request from the computer rsonal 1 to transmit an authentication key necessary for a reciprocal authentication between the personal computer 1 and the EMD servers (4-1, 4-2 and 4-3) to the personal computer 1, through the network 2, while transmit the program for connection with the EMD 4 servers (4-1, 4-2 and 4-3) to the personal computer 1. The EMD 4 servers (4-1, 4-2 and 4-3) each respond to a position of the personal computer 1 for supplying content to the personal computer 1 through the network 2, together with the information of conditions of use and data relevant to the contents, such as titles of musical works or of the participants . The contents distributed by the EMD 4 servers (4-1, 4-2 and 4-3) have been understood in accordance with a pre-established encryption system that may differ from one server to another. On the other hand, the contents provided by the EMD 4 servers (4-1, 4-2 and 4-3) are distributed in an encrypted manner in accordance with a preset encryption system which may also differ from one server to another. The servers of WWW 5 (5-1, 5-2) each respond to the request of the personal computer 1 to supply the personal computer with 1 data corresponding to a CD that has read the contents, such as name of the album of the CD or company that sells the CD and data corresponding to the contents read from the CD, such as the name of the musical work or the name of the composer, to the personal computer 1. Portable devices 6 (6-1) , 6-2 and 6-3) reproduce the contents listed from the personal computer 1, that is, the content extracted, to provide the reproduced contents for example to a hearing aid, not illustrated. Each of the portable devices 6 (6-1, 6-2 and 6-3) has a recording medium for storage of contents. As a means of recording, a non-removable memory Cl is used, loaded in an internal substrate of a device or a removable memory card. The portable devices 6 (6-1, 6-2 and 6-3) are connected to the personal computer through physical interfaces 7 (7-1, 7-2 and 7-3) such as USB, to transfer the content The contents to which the information on conditions of use is also attached are transferred in encrypted and compressed form. The portable devices 6 (6-1, 6-2 and 6-3) are usually employed in a state such that the respective devices 6 are disconnected from the personal computer 1. If a playback command is issued by the user in this state , the verified contents are read from the recording medium and reproduced. In addition, portable devices 6 (6-1, 6-2 and 6-3) administer the control to limit reproduction, based on the conditions of use attached to the respective contents, or as necessary, deleting the contents or well updating the information of conditions of use. Next, if it is unnecessary to distinguish portable devices 6 (6-1, 6-2, and 6-3) among them, they are simply referred to as portable devices 6. Figure 2 is an explanatory illustration of the configuration of the personal computer 1. As shown, the personal computer 1 comprises a CPU (central processing unit) 11. The central processing unit 11 in fact executes several applications (to be described further below) and OS (operating system). A ROM (read only memory) 12 is also provided in the personal computer 1, and generally stores basically fixed data of programs and computational parameters employed in the central processing unit 11. Also, a RAM (random access memory) 13 it is included in a personal computer 1 for storing programs used for the execution of the applications and operating system by the central processing unit 11 and appropriately variable parameters in the execution of the applications and operating system. The central processing unit 11, read-only memory 12 and random access memory 13 are mutually connected to each other via a host bus 14 consisting of a central processing unit bus, etc. The guest bus 14 is connected to an external bus 16, for example a PCI (interconnection / peripheral component interface) through a bridge 15. A keyboard 18 is operated by the user to input various commands to the central processing unit 11. A mouse 19 is used by the user to point and select a point on the screen of a display unit 20. The display unit 20 is a liquid crystal display or CRT (cathode ray tube) to display various information in the form of a text and / or image. In addition, an HDD (hard disk drive) 21 drives a hard disk to write or read a program to be executed by the central processing unit 11 and to write information about the hard disk or to read information from said hard disk . The unit 22 reads data or program recorded on any of a magnetic disk 41, optical disk 42 (including CD), magneto-optical disk 43 and semiconductor memory 44, whichever is connected to the unit 22, and supplies the data or programs read to the random access memory 13 connected there through an interface, 17, and external bus 16, bridge 15 and guest bus 14. The USB port 23 (23-1, 23-2, and 23-3) has the device 6 (6-1, 6-2, 6-3) connected there via the USB cable 7 (7-1, 7-2, 7-3) and produce data (including a content or command to the portable device 6, for example) supplied from the HDD 21, Central Processing Unit 11 or random access memory 13 to the portable device 6 (6-1, 6-2, 6-3) through the interface 17, external bus 16 , bridge 15 or host bus 14. An audio input / output interface 24 having a terminal 60958 in accordance with IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) 24 comu nica with a digital audio input / output or an analog audio input / output. A speaker 45 provides a predetermined sound corresponding to each content based on an audio signal supplied from the audio input / output interface 24.

The accessories including the keyboard 18, the mouse 19, the display device 20, the hard disk drive 21, the unit 22, the USB port 23 and the audio input / output interface 24 are connected to the interface 17, the which in turn is connected to the central processing unit 11 by the external bus 16, bridge 15 and host bus 14. A communication block 25 is connected to the network 2, and transmits, in accordance with what is stored in packets of predetermined data (for example, registration request or request to send a content) supplied from the central processing unit 11 or hard disk unit 21 through the network 2 while sending data (e.g. authentication or content) stored in received packets to the central processing unit 11, random access memory 13 or hard disk drive 21 through the network 2. The central processing unit 32 of an adapter 26 which is formed integrally as a semiconductor IC, and which is connected to the personal computer 1 is connected to the central processing unit 11 via the external bus 16, bridge 15 and guest bus 14 and therefore cooperates with the central processing unit 11 to perform various processes. The random access memory 33 stores data and programs necessary to execute the various processes by the central processing unit 32. The non-volatile memory 34 stores data that must be retained after the personal computer is turned off 1. The read-only memory 36 stores a program for deciphering an encrypted program transferred from the personal computer 1. The RTC (real time clock) 35 maintains the time to provide a time information. The semiconductor Cl is designed in such a way that it has a secure environment and has tolerance in relation to fraudulent access from the outside. This function can be structured in a software program. The communication block 25 and the adapter 26 are connected to the central processing unit 11 via the external bus 16, bridge 15, and host bus 14. Referring now to FIG. 3, the portable device 6 is shown schematically in the form of a block diagram. A power circuit 52 converts a voltage supplied from a dry cell 51 to an internal power of a predetermined voltage. By supplying the power to the components from a central processing unit 53 to the display unit 67, the power circuit 52 will thereby drive the entire portable device 6. When connected to the personal computer 1 through a connector USB 56 and USB cable 7, the USB controller 57 will provide delivery data including a content transferred from the personal computer 1 to the central processing unit 53 via an internal bus 58. Data to be transferred from the computer personal 1 consist of data of 64 bytes per packet and are transferred from personal computer 1 to a transfer rate of 12 Mbits / sec. Data to be transferred to the volatile device 6 consists of a header and a content. The header stores a content ID, file name, header size, content key, file size, codec ID, file information, etc., and also information on conditions of use, etc., that are required for the limitation of reproduction. The content is encoded by the coding method, for example ATRAC3 and encrypted. The header size indicates the data length of a header (for example, 33 bytes), and the size of the file indicates the length of the content data (for example, 0, 33, 66, 138 bytes). A content key is a key for deciphering an encrypted content, and it is transmitted from the personal computer 1 to the portable device 6 in an encrypted format based on the one (provisional) section key generated through a mutual authentication between the personal computer 1 and the portable device 6. When the portable device is connected to the USB port 23 of the personal computer 1 via the USB cable 7, a mutual authentication between the portable device 6 and the personal computer 1 will be carried out. It is mutual authentication It is a challenge-response type, for example. Note that a DSP (digital signal processor) 59 is also provided in the portable device 6 to decrypt an encrypted content when a challenge-response type authentication is performed. The aforementioned challenge-response type mutual authentication is such that in response to a certain value (challenge) generated by the personal computer, for example, a value (response) is generated through the portable device 6 through the use of a key private common both to portable device 6 and to personal computer 1. In mutual authentication of challenge-response type, the value generated by personal computer 1 varies with each authentication. A) Yes, even if for example a v generated using the private key is read and sent from the device 6, that is, when what is known as a disguised attack occurs, the personal computer 1 can detect a fraud since a subsequent mutual authentication it is done using a different v.

The content ID is an ID for a content in order to identify the content. The code ID is an ID that corresponds to a method of encrypting a content. For example, a code ID of "1" corresponds to ATRAC3 while a code ID of "0" corresponds to MP3 (MPEG (Expert Group of Moving Images) audio layer - 3). The file name is a data that results from the conversion of a content file (will be described later in greater detail) that corresponds to a content and is recorded on the personal computer 1 in ASCII code (American National Standard Code for Information Interchange) ). The file information is a data that results from the conversion of a title of a musical work (name of content), name of the artist who plays the musical work, name of the writer of the song of the musical work or name of the composer of the musical work in an ASCII code. When the portable device 6 receives a content and a content structure command from the personal computer 1, the central processing unit 53 executing a musical diagram read from a RAM 54 or ROM 55, will receive the command to be described to control a controller of _ instant memory 60 and will write to an instant memory 61 the content received from the personal computer 1.

The flash memory 61 has a storage capacity of approximately 60 Mbytes to store the content. Likewise, the instant memory has stored there in advance a reproduction code for the expansion of a content that has been compressed by default. Note that the flash memory 61 can be formed of a memory card type that can be connected to and removed from the volatile device 6. When the central processing unit 53 receives a playback command corresponding to an oppression operation of a play / stop button (not shown) through an operation key controller 62, will cause the instant memory controller 60 to read the playback code and the contents of the memory, from the instant memory 61 and transfer them to the DSP 59 of the portable device 6. After detecting an error in the content in the CRC method (cyclical redundancy check) in accordance with the playback code transferred from the flash memory 61, the DSP 59 reproduces the content and reproduced data (indicated with a reference DI to figure 3) to a digital / analog conversion circuit 63. The DSP 59 is integrally formed with a circuit transmission (not shown) provided within the portable device 6 for reproducing a content based on a master clock MCLK from an external crystal oscillator 59A and supplies the digital / analog conversion circuit 63 with the master clock MCLK, a clock BCLK bits generated by an internal oscillation circuit based on the master clock MCLK and having a predetermined frequency, and an operation clock LRCLK consisting of an LCLK channel clock and an RCLK channel clock in the frame units. To reproduce a content, the DSP 59 will provide the aforementioned operation clock to the digital / analog conversion circuit 63 in accordance with the reproduction code. When no content is reproduced, the DSP 59 will stop supplying the operation clock in accordance with the playback code to turn off the digital / analog conversion circuit 63, thereby reducing the power consumption of the entire portable device 6. Thus similarly, CPU 53 and USB controller 57 have external crystal oscillators 53A and 57A connected there, respectively, and perform predetermined operations based on master clocks MCLK supplied from oscillators 53A and 57A, respectively. Due to the construction above, the portable device 6 does not require a clock generation module to supply a clock in each of the central processing unit 53, DSP 59 and USB 57 controller and therefore can be designed in such a way that it has a simpler and more compact circuit construction. The digital / analog conversion circuit 63 converts a reproduced content into an analog audio signal and supplies said signal to an amplification circuit 64. The amplification circuit 64 amplifies the audio signal and supplies it to a hearing aid through a plug of hearing instrument 65. Thus, when the play / stop button is pressed, the portable device 6 plays a content stored in the instant memory 61 under the control of the central processing unit 53. When the play / stop button is pressed in the In the course of reproducing a content, the portable device 6 suspends the reproduction of the content. When the play / stop button is pressed after stopping the playback operation of the content, the volatile device 6 resumes playback of content in the position where the playback operation has been stopped under the control of the CPU 53. without further operation after the suspension of the reproduction operation by pressing the play / stop button, the portable device 6 automatically cuts off the power supply providing a lower power consumption. It will be noted here that when the play / stop button is pressed after turning off the power supply the portable device 6 resumes playback in the first musical work or in the musical work number 1 without reproducing the content in the position where the reproduction operation has been previously stopped. Likewise, the central processing unit 53 of the portable device 6 causes an LCD controller 68 to display in the display unit 67 a reproduction mode (eg, repeat playback, introduction part, etc.), equalization acknowledgment ( ie gain acknowledgment for a frequency band of the audio signal), number for a musical work, playback time, operating modes such as playback, stop, fast forward and fast backward, and information such as sound volume and voltage level in the dry cell 51. In addition, the portable device 6 stores in the EEPROM 68 numerous contents written in a flash memory 80, locations of blocks of the flash memory 61 where the contents are described, respectively, and what is known as FAT (file allocation table) for information stored in memory. It will be noted that in this modality, a content is taken as a block of 64 Kbytes and a block location for the content of each musical work is stored in the FAT. If a FAT is stored in the memory 61, then the content of a first musical work is written in an instant memory 61 under the control of the central processing unit 53, the location of a block corresponding to the content of the first musical work. will be written as FAT in the flash memory and then when the content of the second musical work is written in the flash memory 61, the location of the block corresponding to the content of the second musical work will be written as FAT in the flash memory 61 (in the same area as the area in which the first musical work had already been written). In this way, a FAT is rewritten each time the content is written to the instant memory 61 and in addition the same data will be written again for reservation to protect the data. When a FAT is written to the flash memory 61, the same area in the flash memory will be rewritten twice correspondingly to the writing of the first content. For this reason, when the writing of the content has been done a small number of times, a specified number of times is reached to rewrite the instant memory 61 in such a way that the instant memory 61 can no longer be written again. To avoid the above, the portable device 6 causes the EEPROM 68 to store FAT in such a way that FAT will be rewritten a small number of times in the instant memory 61 when writing each content. By storing in the EEPROM 68, a FAT rewritten a large number of times, the portable device 6 can be adapted in such a way that the content can be written in the flash memory 61 at a frequency 10 times greater than the frequency with which it is stored. FAT stores in the flash memory 61. Furthermore, since the central processing unit 53 causes the EEPROM 68 to store additionally FAT the same area in the EEPROM 68 is written and reduced frequency to prevent the EEPROM 68 from being able to rewrite early. When the portable device 6 is connected to the personal computer 1 via the USB cable 7 (which will be known as "USB connection" below), it recognizes based on an interrupt signal supplied by the USB 57 controller to the central processing unit 53 that the USB connection has been made. When the portable device 6 recognizes the USB connection, it supplies an external power of a specified current value from the personal computer 1 through the USB cable 7, and causes a power circuit 52 to stop the power supply to from the dry cell 51. When a USB connection is established, the central processing unit 53 prevents the DSP 59 from playing a content. Thus, the central processing unit 53 prevents the external power supplied from the personal computer 1 from exceeding the specified current value in such a way that the external power of the specified current value can always be used. Thus, when a USB connection is established, the central processing unit 53 makes a selection between the power supplied from the dry cell 51 and the power supplied from the personal computer 1. That is, the external economic power of the personal computer 1 can be used and in this way the expensive power supplied from the dry cell 51 which is expensive is consumed less. Thus, the dry cell 51 can be used for a longer service life. Note that when supplied with the external power from the personal computer 1 via the USB cable 7, the central processing unit 53 suspends the reproduction from DSP 59 of a content to reduce the radiation from the DSP 59 of such that the radiation of the entire system, including the personal computer 1 can be reduced. The functions of the personal computer 1 implemented by the execution of programs installed on the personal computer 1 will be explained below. Referring now to Figure 4, a diagram of the personal computer 1 is illustrated, explaining the functions of the personal computer 1, implemented by the execution of predetermined programs. As shown, the personal computer 1 employs a content management program 111 consisting of several programs that include an EMD 131 selection program, an entry / exit administration program 132, a copy administration program 133, an movement management program 134, an encryption method conversion program 135, a compression method conversion program 136, an encryption program 137, a compression / expansion program 138, a use rules conversion program 139 , a usage rule management program 140, an authentication program 141, a decryption program 142, an FD controller 143, acquisition programs 144 and 145. Among the aforementioned programs, the content management program 111 consists of of scrambled or encrypted instructions, for example, to hide the operations given from the outside to make difficult the interpretation of the instructions (for example), even if the user can directly read the content management program 111), the user can not identify the instructions. The EMD 131 selection program is not included in the content management program 111 when the latter is installed on personal computer 1 but is received from the EMD 3 registration server through network 2 at the time of EMD registration . The EMD selection program 131 selects a connection to the EMD server 4 (4-1 to 4-3) to enable an acquisition request program 115, acquisition program 144 or 145 so that it has a communication with the server. EMD 4 (4-1 to 4-3) (for example, downloading a content for acquisition). Based on the adjustment of either revenue or extraction and usage rule files 162-1 to 162-N recorded in a database 114, the revenue / extraction management program 132 sends the content stored in the content files 161-1 to 161-N to any of the portable devices 6, or enter contents stored in the portable device 6. In response to the completion of the entry or extraction, the income / extraction management program 132 updates the rule of usage stored in the usage rules files 162-1 to 162- N recorded in the content database 114.

Based on the usage rule files 162-1 to 162- N recorded in the content database 114, the copy management program 133 copies the content stored in the contents files 161-1 to 161-N to any portable device 6 or copy the contents of the portable device 6 to the content database 114. Also based on the usage rules files 162-1 to 162-M recorded in the content database 114, the program of movement management 134 moves content stored in content files 161-1 to 161 -N to any portable device 6, or contents of portable device 6 to content database 114. The method conversion program of Encryption 135 converts, to the same encryption method as the method used with the contents stored in the contents files 161-1 to 161-? registered in the content database 114, the encryption method employed with a content that the acquisition request program 115 receives from the EMD server 4-1 through the network 2, a content that the acquisition program 114 receives from the EMD server 4-2 over the network 3. The compression method conversion program 136 converts, to the same compression method as the one used with the contents stored in the 161-1 to 161-N contents files registered in the content database 114, the compression method employed with a content that the acquisition request program 115 receives from the EMD server 4-1 through the network 2, a content that the acquisition program 144 receives from the server of EMD 4-2 through the network 2. The encryption program 137 is used to encrypt a content (unencrypted) read from a CD and supplied from a registration program 113, for example, to the same method encryption The method used with the contents stored in the content files 161-1 to 161-N recorded in the content database 114. The compression / expansion program 138 encodes a content (uncompressed) read from a CD and supplied from the registration program 113 by the same coding method as the method employed with the contents stored in the contents files 161-1 to 161-N registered in the content database 114. In addition, the program of compression / expansion 138 expands (deciphers) a coded content. The usage rule conversion program 139 converts, in the same format as the usage network format stored in the usage rule files 162-1 to 162-N recorded in the content database 114, a rule of use for content that the acquisition request program 115 receives from the EMD server 4-1 through network 2, a content that the acquisition program 144 receives from the EMD server 4-2 through network 2. Before executing the copying, movement, entry or extraction of content, the rules of use administration program 140 detects a forgery by altering the rules of use based on verification values (which will be described in more detail below) that they comply with the usage rules stored in the 162-1 to 162-N usage files registered in the content database 114. According to the usage rules stored in the registered usage rules files 162-1 to 162-N between the database of content 114 are updated together with a copying, moving, entering or extracting content, the rules of use management program 140 updates the verification values that comply with the rules of use. The authentication program 141 executes a mutual authentication between the content management program 111 and the acquisition request program 111, and a mutual authentication between the content management program 115 and the acquisition program 144. Likewise, the authentication program 141 stores an authentication key used in mutual authentication between the EMD server 4-3 and the acquisition program 145.

It will be noted that when the content management program 111 is installed on the personal computer 1, the authentication key used by the authentication program 141 in the mutual authentication is not yet stored in the authentication program 141 but, when a program display / operation instruction 112 has successfully registered the authentication key, the key will be supplied from the EMD registration server 3 and stored in the authentication program 141. The decryption program 142 decrypts a content when the personal computer 1 reproduces the content stored in the content files 161-1 to 161-N registered in the content database 114. When a predetermined content is extracted to the portable device 6, or when a predetermined content is input from the portable device 6, the PD 143 controller supplies the portable device 6 with the content or a co command that causes the portable device 6 to perform a predetermined operation. The acquisition program 144 is installed together with the content management program 111 in the personal computer 1, which is supplied from the EMD 3 registration server through the network 2, or which is supplied in accordance with the registration on a default CD. When installed on the personal computer 1, the acquisition program 144 will transmit or receive the content management program 111 and data through an interface of a predetermined form having the content management program 111. The acquisition program 144 consists of scrambled or encrypted instructions, for example, to hide the operations given from the outside in order to make the interpretation of the instructions difficult (for example, even if the user can directly read the acquisition program 144, he can not identify the instructions ). The acquisition program 144 requests via network 2, that the EMD server 4-2 sends a predetermined content and therefore receives the contents of the EMD server 4-2. Upon receiving the contents of the EMD 4-2 server, the acquisition program 144 will be responsible for the content.

The acquisition program 145 must be installed together with the content management program 111. It requires, through network 2, that the EMD server 4-3 send a predetermined content and therefore receives the contents of the EMD server 4- 3. Upon receiving the contents of the EMD server 4-3, the acquisition program 145 will be responsible for the content. Based on a filtering data file 181, display data files 182, image files 183-1 to 183-K, or a history data file 184, the display / operation instruction program 112 displays an image of a predetermined window in the display unit 20, and provides an input or extraction instruction to the content management program 111 in response to an operation of the keyboard 18 or the mouse 19 by the user. The filtering data file 181 stores data to weight the contents stored in the content files 161-1 to 161-N recorded in the content database 114, and is registered in the HDD 21. The display data file 182 stores data corresponding to the contents stored in the contents files 161-1 to 161-N recorded in the content database 114, and is registered in the HDD 21. The image files 183-1 to 183-K they store images that correspond to the content files 161-1 to 161- N registered in the content database 114 or images that correspond to packages that will be described later, and are registered in the HDD 21. Image files 183 -1 to 183-K will be known simply as "image file 183" below when they do not have to be mentioned individually. The history data files 184 store history data that includes the number of times the contents stored in the content files 161 -1 to 161- N recorded in the content database 114 have been extracted, the number of times the contents have been entered, and the dates in which the extractions and income were made. The history data file 184 is registered in the HDD 21. For the record, the display / operation instruction program 112 transmits through the network, a pre-stored content management program ID 111 to the EMD registration server 3, while receiving, via network 3, the authentication key and EMD selection program 131 of the EMD registration server 3 and supplying them to the content management program 111. The registration program 113 is used to display an image of a predetermined window, and read data such as time in the registration of a content from a CD which is the optical disc 42 placed in the unit 22 in this mode in response to an operation of the keyboard 18 or mouse 19 by part of the user. Based on a recording time of a content registered on a CD, the registration program 113 requests, through network 2, that the WWW server 5-1 or 5-2 send data corresponding to the CD such as name of the album or the name of the artist, or data corresponding to a content recorded on the CD, such as the title of a musical work, and therefore receives, through network 2, the data corresponding to the CD or the content registered on the CD from server WWW 5-1 or 5-2. Likewise, the registration program 113 supplies the display / operation instructions program 112 with the received data corresponding to the CD or data corresponding to the content registered in the CD. Further, when supplied with a registration instruction, the registration program 113 reads and sends content to the content management program 111 of a CD which is the optical disc 42 placed in the unit 22 in this mode. The content database 114 stores in any of the content files 161-1 through 161-N a content supplied from a content management program 111 and which has been compressed by default and encrypted by default (registers the content in the HDD 21). The content database 114 stores usage rules for the contents stored in the content files 161-1 through 161-N in any of the usage rule files 162-1 through 162-N that correspond to the content files 161-1 to 161-N where the contents are stored (record the rules of use in HDD 21). The content database 114 may register the content files 161-1 through 161-N or use rule files 162-1 through 162-N as registers. A usage rule for a content stored in the content file 161-1, for example, is stored in the usage rule file 162-1. A usage rule for a content stored in the 161-N content file is stored in the 161-N usage rules file. Content files 161-1 through 161-N will be known simply as "content file 161" below when they do not have to be mentioned individually. Likewise, the use rules files 162-1 to 162-N will be known simply as "use rules file 162" below when they do not have to be mentioned individually. The acquisition request program 115 is supplied from the EMD registration server 3 through the network 2 or in accordance with that registered in a predetermined CD-ROM. The acquisition request program 115 requests, through network 2, that the EMD server 4-1 send a predetermined content, while in this way it receives the content of the EMD server 4-1 and supplies it to the program. content management 111. Also, upon receiving the contents of the EMD server 4-1, the acquisition request program 115 is responsible for the content. Next, the correspondence between the data stored in the display data file 82 and the content files 161-1 to 161-N stored in the content database 114. will be described., a content stored in any of the content files 161-1 to 161-N belongs to a predetermined package. More specifically, the package is any of the following: an original package, my selected package, and a filtering package. Among the aforementioned packages, the original package has more than one content. This package corresponds to the classification of the content (that is, what is known as an album) in the EMD 4 server or to a CD. A content belongs to any original package and can not belong to several original packages. Likewise, an original package to which a content belongs can not be modified, the user can edit part of the information corresponding to an original package (for example, adding information or changing aggregate information). More than a content freely selected by the user belongs to my selected package. The user can arbitrarily edit contents for assignment to my selected packages, respectively. A content can belong to more than one of my selected packages at the same time. Likewise, a content may not belong to any of my selected packages.

The contents selected based on a filtering data stored in a data file 181 belong to the filtering packet. The filtering data is supplied from the EMD server 4 or WWW 5 server through the network or in accordance with what is recorded on a predetermined CD. The user can edit the filtering data stored in the filtering data file 181. The filtering data is a reference for the selection of a predetermined content or for the calculation of a weight corresponding to the content. For example, filtering data that correspond to the ten best ones of the J-POP (Japanese Pops weekly) can be used through the personal computer 1 to identify the contents of Japan Pops Number 1 to 10 weekly. The filtering data file 181 includes a filtering data to select the contents in the descending order of the period lengths during which they have been extracted in the last month, a filtering data for the selection of the contents in descending order of the numbers of times that have been extracted in the last half year, or a filtering data to select contents where a character "AI (love)" is included in the titles of musical works (content name). Thus, the contents of the filtering packets are selected by comparing a filtering data with a content display data 221 (including data entered by the user), a history data 184 c similar. The controller 117 drives the audio input / output interface 24 under the control of the content management program 111 or the like to input a content that is a digital data supplied from the outside and supplied to the content management program 111, sends as data digital a content supplied from the content database 114 through the content management program 111, or it sends an analog signal corresponding to a content supplied from the content database 114 through the program Content Management 111. Figure 5 shows an example of the display window / operation instruction of the display / operation instruction program 112 for display in the display unit 20. They are presented in the display window / operation instruction a button 201 to start the registration program 113 a button 202 to start the program EMD selection 131, a button 203 to display a field in which the entry or extraction is located, a button 204 to display a field in which one of the selected packages must be avoided, etc.

When a button 205 is selected, data corresponding to the original packet is displayed in a field 211 of the window. When button 206 is selected, data corresponding to one of my selected packets is displayed in field 211. When a button 207 is selected, data corresponding to a filtering packet is displayed in field 211. Data displayed in the field 211 refer to a package. For example, it is a package name, or an artist name. As shown in figure 5, they are displayed in the field 211 a package name "FIRST" and an artist name "ATARO", a package name "SECOND" and an artist name "ATARO", etc. The display window / operation instruction also has a field 211 where data corresponding to a content belonging to a selected package is displayed in field 211. The data presented in the field is a title of musical work, duration of the work or number of times the content can be extracted. In Figure 5, a packet corresponding to the package name "SECOND" is selected. Thus, it is displayed in the field 212 the title of the musical work (content name) "MI? AMI-? O-SAKABA" corresponding to the content that belongs to the package corresponding to the package name "SECOND", a number of times the content can be extracted (for example, an eighth note is for an extract and two eighth notes represent two extractions) and a musical work title (content name) "KITA-NO-HAKABA" and the number of times that the content can be extracted (for example, an eighth note corresponds to an extraction). Thus, an eighth note that as a number of times that a content can be extracted, displayed in field 212, indicates that a corresponding content can be extracted once. A pause as the number of times a content can be extracted, displayed in field 212 indicates that a corresponding content can not be extracted (the extraction number is 0; however, the personal computer 1 can reproduce the content). A key of C as the number of times a content can be extracted, displayed in field 212 indicates that the number of extractions for a corresponding content is unlimited, the content can be extracted the number of times desired). Note that the number of times a content can be extracted can be indicated through a corresponding number of pieces in a predetermined way (for example, it can be a circle, a star, a crescent moon or similar) as shown in the figure 5 as well as a number. A field 208 is also displayed in the display window / operation instruction where an image or the like corresponds to a selected packet or content (corresponding to any of the image files 183-1 to 183-K in Figure 4) ) is displayed. In this field, a button 209 is selected with the mouse when a selected content is played (sending to the speaker 45 a sound corresponding to the content). When selecting the title of a musical work of a predetermined content (content name) displayed in field 212 and when an erase operation is performed while the button 205 is selected and data corresponding to an original packet in the field is displayed 211, the display / operation program 212 will cause the content management program 111 to erase the predetermined content stored in the content database 114, which corresponds to the title of the selected musical work. When a content read from a CD is registered in the content data database 114 while a button 255 (which will be described later in greater detail) in the sale displayed under the control of the registration program 113 is selected ( is activated) the display / operation instruction program 112 will cause the display window / operation instruction to present a field 213 in which a music work title of a content (content name) stored in the predesigned portable device is displayed. 6. When a content read from a CD is recorded in the content database 114 while selecting a button 255 (which will be described in more detail below) in the window displayed under the control of registration program 113 ( that is, it is activated), the display / operation instruction program 112 will cause the content management program 111 to send the content registers in the content database 114 and read from the CD to the previously designated portable device 6. It is presented in field 213 in the position to the left of the same that corresponds to the title of the musical work of a content (name of content) a symbol that indicates whether the content can be entered into the personal computer 1. For example, an "o" symbol in the far left position of field 213 indicates that a content corresponding to a musical work title of a content can be entered into the personal computer 1 (ie, it has been extracted from the personal computer 1). An "x" symbol in the leftmost position of field 213 indicates that a content corresponding to a title of a musical work of a content can not be entered into a personal computer 1 (ie, it has not been extracted from the personal computer 1, for example, has been extracted from another personal computer). When the display / operation instruction program 112 displays the field 213 in the display window / operation instruction, the display / operation instruction program 112 will display in the display window / operation instruction a field 214 where it is presented visually the name of a portable package (to which belongs a content stored in the previously designed portable device 6), a button 210 to close the field 213, and a button 215 to execute an entry or extraction operation. Further, when the display / operation instruction program 112 has the field 213 displayed in the display / operation instruction window, the display / operation instruction program 111 will display in the operation display / instruction window a button 206 to establish an operation for extracting a content corresponding to a musical work title that is selected in field 212, a button 217 to determine an entry operation for a content corresponding to a musical work title that is selected in the field 213, a button 218 to select an entry operation for all contents corresponding to the content names presented in field 213, and a button 219 to cancel the entry or extraction determination. Even with the determination of entry or extraction made by buttons 216 to 219, however, personal computer 1 will not execute the entry or extraction operation. When the button 215 is selected by the mouse after the input or extraction determination by using the buttons 216 or 219, the display / operation instruction program 112 causes the content management program 111 to execute the input or the output. extraction. That is, when the button 215 is selected with the mouse, the display / operation instruction program 112 makes, based on the input or extraction determination, that the content management program 111 transmit a content, or a command to deleting a predetermined content corresponding to the determination of income (for example a command to delete a predetermined content stored in the portable device 6), to the portable device 6, and to the update of the use rule stored in the user rules file 162 that corresponds to the content or command transmitted in this way. When the ingress or extraction is executed, the display / operation instruction program 112 responds to the transmitted content or command to update the history data stored in the history data file 184.

The history data includes information for the identification of the content that has been entered or extracted or a date when the content has been entered or extracted, and the name of the portable device 6 from which the content has been extracted. Since the entry or extraction can be established in a short time, the user can know the status after the execution of an entry or extraction operation, so the number of times an entry or extraction operation is performed that requires time can be reduced in order to minimize the total time taken for the entry or extraction procedure (including the determination and execution of an entry or extraction operation). Figure 6 shows an example of the window that the registration program 113 can cause the display unit 20 to display. Based on CD information received from the WWW server 5-2 for example, the registration program 113 will display a title of CD as for example "ACYNCHRONIZED" in a field 251. Also, based on CD information received from the WWW server 5-2, the registration program 113 will display an artist name such as "KUWAI" in a field 252 Based on a CD information received from the WWW server 5-2, the registration program 113 will present titles of musical works such as "HEAT", "PLANET", "BLACK", "SOUL", etc., in a region of a field 253 where you should see titles of musical works. Similarly, the registration program 113 will display an artist name, for example "KUWAI" in a region of field 253 where artist names are displayed. After receiving predetermined CD information, the registration program 113 will store said information in a predetermined directory on the HDD 21. Upon receiving a CD information acquisition instruction through the selection with the mouse of a button 254, the registration program 113 will first search for the default directory in the HDD 21. When the CD information is stored in the directory, the registration program 113 displays a dialog box (not shown) to prompt the user to select whether or not to use the CD information stored in the directory. When a button 256 displayed in the window presented by the registration program 113 and giving start instructions for registering a content is selected with the mouse, the registration program 113 will read a content of a CD placed in the unit 22, and it will supply it along with the CD information to the content management program 111. The compression / expansion program 138 of the content management program 111 compresses the content supplied from the registration program 113 by default, and the encryption program 137 encrypts the compressed content. Likewise, the usage rules conversion program 139 generates a usage rule for the compressed and encrypted content. The content management program 111 will supply the compressed and encrypted content along with the usage rule to the content database 114. The content database 114 will generate a content file 161 and a usage rule file 162 for the content received from the content management program 111, and stores the content in the content file 161 and the usage rule in the usage rules file 162. When the content and use rule for the content are stored in the content database 114, the content management program 111 will supply the CD information and usage rule received from the record program 113 to the display / operation instruction program 112. The display / operation instruction program 112 will present display data for storage in the display data file 182 in accordance with the usage rule for the content stored in the base of content data 114 through record and CD information. The window displayed by the registration program 113 displays there a button 255 for the purpose of automatically determining whether the portable device extracts a content read from the CD when the content read from the CD is recorded in the content database 114. For example, when the button 255 is selected with the mouse, the registration program 113 presents a selection menu showing the portable device 6. When the user selects the portable device 6 from the selection menu, the personal computer 1 automatically extracts the registered content of the CD to the selected portable device 6. When the user selects "DO NOT REMOVE" from the selection menu, the personal computer 1 does not extract the registered content from the CD. Thus, when the content read from the CD is registered in the content database 114 with only the button 255 in the window presented by the registration program 113 set as active, the personal computer 1 can make any portable device predetermined. selected between portable devices 6-1 to 6-3 extract the content read from the CD. (2) Management Between Different Formats Meanwhile, there are numerous content distributors that provide musical content, with content encryption systems and information formats of conditions of use that differ from one distributor to another. Thus, the user has to acquire content management or portable device applications for reproduction or input / extraction different from one distributor to another, and therefore the user can not manage the musical contents stored on a personal computer through a single administration application or through a single portable device. Thus, the present system contemplates the handling of contents that have different formats from one distributor to another in the personal computer 1 in a unified manner. As reference to figure 7, the unified handling of contents that have different formats from one distributor to another, in this system of distribution of musical contents, is explained with reference to figure 7. It is contemplated that the various servers of? MD 4 , connected to network 2, are located on an EMD A4-1 server, which distributes the musical contents provided by a company that supplies music Z, an EMD B4-2 server, which distributes the musical contents provided by a company that supplies B music and an EMD X4-3 server, which distributes the music content provided by an X music supply company. These EMD 4 servers (4-1, 4-2, and 4-3) provide the musical contents that a unique training for each company, through a network 2 to a personal computer 1 owned by a user. In addition, the respective EMD servers 4 (4-1, 4-2 and 4-3) distribute the musical contents in different respective styles, through the servers 4 adopting musical content encryption systems formats of the conditions information and use (rules of use), music content compression systems and payment systems for offset compensation, which are unique to the servers. In the personal computer 1, an application program of reproduction A311 is installed, as an application programmatic for reproduction or administration of the musical contents, to acquire, supervise and reproduce musical contents of the EMD A4-1 server, a B312 reproduction application, for acquire, monitor and play music contents of the EMD server B4-2, an A313 device driver to transfer the music contents to the portable device A61 and a device driver B314 to transfer the musical contents to the portable device B6-2. meanwhile, the playback application 311, 312, shown in FIG. 7, corresponds to the application program 115 for acquisition and the controller 117 shown in FIG. 4, respectively. On the personal computer 1, an exhaustive management unit X315 is installed, to handle a complete control of all the musical contents stored on the HDD 21. This exhaustive management unit X315 consists of a reception interface 316 for EMD, a transmission interface for EMD 317 and a controller for PD 318. It is considered here that the portable device A6-1 is a dedicated device for copying with a music supply company A, the portable device B6-2 is a dedicated device to copy with a music supply company B and the portable device X6-3 is a dedicated device for copying with an X music supply company. It is also considered that the musical contents stored on a memory card are encrypted in accordance with a unique encryption system for each company that provides music and the formats of the conditions of use information or compression systems are also different in such a way that musical contents can not be transferred by connecting directly with other device drivers, for example. The reproduction application A311 performs the processing for connection to the EMD server, for example loading a registration function and downloading musical contents, content keys and information on conditions of use. This A311 playback application is adapted to perform connection processing only to the EMD server that the application can handle. Here, the reproduction application A311 is adapted to perform the processing adapted with the EMD server 4-1, which can not perform connection processing with other EMD servers. The A311 playback application is also adapted to carry out the authentication processing when connecting to the EMD A4-1 server, the authentication processing when connecting to the portable device A6-1, and the encryption / decryption processing of the contents music and the conditions of use information stored on the HDD 21. The A311 playback application decrypts the music contents downloaded from the EMD server 4-1 and the corresponding usage connection information with the content key and encrypts the content key with the session key for storing the encrypted key in the HDD 21. Meanwhile, the respective reproduction applications adopt respective unique encryption systems in such a way that the musical contents stored in the same HDD in the personal computer 1 can not decipher applications different playback of The dedicated playback application. The A311 playback application also handles the conditions of use information attached to each musical content. For example, if a limit value in terms of the number of times of reproduction is indicated er. the information of conditions of use, in such a way that limitations are imposed as to the number of times of possible reproductions of content, the reproduction application A311 decreases the limit value of the number of times of reproduction or duplication by one for each reproduction or duplication. The A311 playback application also transmits the music contents and conditions of use information that it handles on the HDD 21 to the receiving interface 316 for EMD of the exhaustive management unit X315. The B312 playback application performs the connection processing with the EMD server, loading, for example, a file and registration and downloading the musical contents, content key or information on conditions of use. This B312 playback application is adapted to perform processing only for connection to the EMD server that the application can handle. Specifically, the B312 playback application can perform the processing associated with the EMD server 4-2, while it can not perform connection processing with the other? MD servers. The application and reproduction B312 performs the processing to authenticate when connecting with the EMD server 4-2, the authentication processing when connecting with the portable device B6-2, and the encryption / decryption processing of the music contents and the usage conditions information stored on the HDD 21. For example, the B312 playback application encrypts the music contents downloaded from the EMD server 4-2 and the condition information of corresponding use, with the content key, while encrypting the content ciave with a session key and saving the encrypted content key in the HDD 21. The B312 playback application also handles information of conditions of use attached to the musical contents respective. For example, if a limit value of the number of times of reproduction is established in the information of conditions of use, in such a way that_-_ > limitations are imposed on the number of times of possible reproductions of content, the reproduction application B312 decreases the limit value of number of times of reproduction or duplication by 1 for each reproduction or duplication. The reproduction application B312 also transmits the musical contents and the conditions of use information it handles on the HDD 21 to the receiving interface 316 for EMD of the exhaustive management unit X315. The A313 device driver is a programmatic for application to transfer music contents to the portable device A6-1. The device driver A313 transmits the music contents to the portable device A6-1. The device driver B314 is an application programmer for transferring music contents to the portable device B6-2. the device driver B314 transmits the musical contents to the portable device B6-2. The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 is a dedicated application program for the X music supply company, and is provided with the musical contents of the EMD (X) 4-3 server. The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 is also a supervisory program to transfer the musical contents and conditions of use information between it and the device driver (A) 313, device driver (B) 314, playback application (A) 311 and the reproduction application (B) 312 to handle the musical contents on the personal computer 1 exhaustively. The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 can also transfer the musical contents it monitors to the dedicated portable device 6-3 which is the portable music playback device. The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 performs processing corresponding to the content management program 111 shown in Fig. 4. The projection display unit 318 is an interface module for connection to portable device 6-3 and executes authentication processing and encryption processing between it and the portable device 6-3. In addition, when transferring contents, etc., to other portable device 6-1, 6-2, the projection display unit 318 transfers the musical contents and the conditions of use information through the device driver (A) 313 or either the device driver (B) 314. The receiving interface for EMD 316 receives the musical contents and usage condition information from the playback application (A) 311 and the playback application (B) 312, while receiving the musical contents and the conditions of use information transferred from the EMD (X) 4-3 server through the network and exchange the musical contents and the conditions of use information with the PD 318 controller. When receiving the musical contents and the conditions of use information of the reproduction application (A) 311 and of the reproduction application (B) 312, the reception interface for EMD 316 performs a reciprocal authentication, conv ersion of the cipher system, conversion of the format for the information of conditions of use, attachments to the transferred musical contents and conversion of the compression system of the musical contents in transfer process. The cipher system, using condition information or the compression system employed by the reproduction application (A) 311 and the reproduction application (B) 312, is changed to the system employed by the exhaustive management unit (X) 315. The The system employed by the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 is referred to below as a unified transfer protocol. The reception interface for EMD 316 transmits the musical contents and the information of usage conditions, converted in this way to the unified transfer protocol, the device driver (A) 313 or the device driver (B) 314 through the PD 318 controller. The reception interface for ED 316 also transmits the musical contents and the conditions of use information, converted to the protocol of Unified transfer, to the portable device 6-3 through the PD 318 controller. The musical contents provided from the EMD server (A) 4-1 and EMD server (B) 4-2 are. downloaded once by the reproduction application (A) 311 and the reproduction application (B) 312, and the cipher system, the compression system, and the information of conditions of use of the musical contents are converted to the transfer protocol unified and are transferred to the exhaustive management unit (X) 315. The exhaustive management unit (X) 315. The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 comprehensively supervises the musical contents of the companies that supply content downloaded from the server of EMD (A) 4-1, EMD server (B) 4-2 and EME server (X) 4-3. The reception interface for EMD 316 also has the function of copying, moving, and making income and extractions of the musical contents. The receiving interface for EMD 316 performs the copying processing or moving of the musical contents stored in the playback application (A) 311 to the playback application (B) 312 in accordance with the user's copy or move format. At that moment, the reception interface for EMD 316 converts the cipher system of the musical contents, compression system or format for determining the conditions of use to the unified transfer protocol. The reception interface for EMD 316 also performs the processing of copying and entry of music contents stored on external media, such as Compact Disc, or portable devices 6-1, to 6-3, in the administration unit exhaustive (X) 315, in accordance with the CD scrolling command or the user input command. If, at that time, the encryption system or the music content compression system or the description format of the conditions of use are not converted into the unified transfer protocol, the reception interface for EMD 316 performs the conversion to the unified transfer protocol. The receiving interface for EMD 316 also performs registration processing of the musical contents handled by the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 in the portable device 6-3 in accordance with an extraction command from the user. If, at this time, the encryption system or the compression system of the musical contents or the description format of the conditions of use are not converted to the unified transfer protocol, the reception interface for EMD 316 performs the conversion to the protocol of unified transfer. Likewise, at this moment, the available number of extraction of the conditions of use is decreased by 1. The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 has the unified transfer protocol in a lower application layer in which data is transferred to other acquisition applications as shown in Figure 8. The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 has data transmission / reception with the EMD server (X) 4-3, with a low layer of the unified transfer protocol as http (hypertext transfer protocol). The music content distribution system described above, the musical contents distributed from the EMD server (A) 4-1 and the EMD server server (B) 4-2 are acquired by the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 for reproduction or administration. Likewise, the musical contents distributed from the EMD server (X) 4-3, EMD server (A) 4-1 and EMD server (B) 4-2 are transferred to the portable device (X) 6-3 . In the system of distribution of musical contents in accordance with what is described above, mainly the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 operates to convert the cipher system for the musical contents to be transferred, the format of the conditions of use information attached to the musical contents to be transferred or the content compression system musicals to be transferred, together with the respective reproduction applications and device drivers, in order to effect the transfer of the musical contents with the help of the unified transfer protocol. Thus, the musical contents downloaded by the playback application (A) 311 from the EMD server (A) 4-1 and the music contents downloaded by the playback application (B) 312 from the EMD server (B) 4- 2 can be transferred to the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 in such a way that the musical contents of an artist supplied only for example by the music supply company (A) can be transferred to the portable device (X) 6-3 . That is to say, since the system of distribution of musical contents present converts the cipher system of musical contents, format of conditions of use and compression system for the musical contents in the unified transfer protocol, the musical contents of variable, stored systems on the hard disk of the personal computer 1, they can be reproduced by the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 or the portable device (X) 6-3. Particularly since the system of distribution of musical contents converts the cipher system and the information of conditions of use at the moment of the transfer, the degree of freedom of handling of the musical contents can be improved while ensuring the protection of the copyrights of the musical contents. That is, in the music content distribution system, at least the cipher system and the conditions of use information are converted into reproduction applications adapted to reproduce or control the musical contents to transfer the musical contents and the conditions information. of use. In this way, the music content distribution system can displace the musical contents stored for example on the hard disk 21 in the personal computer 1, even if there are several reproduction applications, thus allowing a unified management of the musical contents. In addition, since the information on conditions of use is transferred junco with the musical contents, there is no risk that the conditions of use will be linked with musician contents alone thus ensuring a more reliable protection of the musical contents. (3) Conditions of Use Information (Explanation of Information on Conditions of Use Routinely Used) A typical format of the conditions of use information used in the reproduction application (A) 311 will be explained below. In the reproduction application (A) 311, the usage condition information represented in the form of a table shown for example in FIG. 3a is used. In the left and right columns of the table, the policies of the conditions of use and specific values of the policies are presented, respectively, in the direction of the column. For example, the possible reproduction date (of) reproduction end date (up to) or the cost per reproduction (payment / reproduction) are set as policies. The conditions of use information is distributed from the EMD server (A) 4-1 according to the information attached to each musical content, as shown in Figure 9B. The reproduction application (A) 311 controls the musical contents in accordance with the established policies and the corresponding values. For example, let's assume that the possible reproduction date (of) is October 25, 1999, the end date of reproduction (until) on November 24, 1999, and the reproduction cost (payment / reproduction) is yes / 10 yen. In this case the contents can be reproduced as of October 25, 1999 and their reproduction before this date is inhibited even when the user sends a playback command. The musical contents can also be played until November 24, 1999 in such a way that the musical contents are erased as of this date. The musical contents are also determined so that 10 yen per reproduction is established. The number of times of reproduction by the user is stored as separate registration information that is uploaded to the EMD server (A) 4-1 to charge the user who is watching or listening to an amount corresponding to the number of times the contents musicals have been heard or seen. (Explanation of Use Conditions Information in Accordance with What is Used by the Comprehensive Management Unit (X) 315) The conditions of use information as used by the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 will be described below . The conditions of use information, which is now explained, is attached to the musical contents downloaded from the EMD server (X) 4-3, and is used when the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 handles the control of the musical contents Furthermore, the conditions of use information is used as a unified format when reciprocally transferring musical contents between the reproduction application (A) 311 and the exhaustive administration unit (X) 315 or between the reproduction application (A) 311 and the exhaustive management unit (X) 315. This condition of use information is referred to below as the unified usage conditions information. The unified use condition information consists of an index file 331, a robot file 332, a parameter file 333 and a hysteresis file 334, as shown in figure 4, these files are set in an XML language ( wXtensible Markup Language). In the index file 331, for example, the reference information of each file is established. A PLC determination portion 341 is attached to the PLC file 332, which establishes the conditions for use by the PLC, an authentication code for content keys (MAC; Message Authentication Code 342, a signature by a content provider (Sig) 343 and a certificate to verify the signature (Cert) 344, as shown in Figure 11. The content key is known as KC, while a private key and a public key of the content provider that prepared the contents are known as K_1E and KLE, respectively. The determination portion of automaton 341 describes the operating state of the musical contents by an Extended State Machine established in tupian sequence. With a set of operating states of the current musical contents Q and sets of input symbols representing the events of the musical contents S, the determination portion of the automaton 341 expresses a set Q'of operating states of the musical contents of conformity with state transition as follows: Q '=. { dld = d (q, a) | qQ, aQ, d: QxS- > Q.}. As shown in this equation, the set Q'of the states of operation of expresses as d. d is defined as a function d that has variables q, a. q indicates a state of operation of the set Q of the operating states of the musical contents, a indicates an event of the set of events S. The function d is a map of a power set of Q and S for Q. Based on Q, S, and Q, above each tupia is expressed by the following. . { < q, a, d > | q, deQ, ae ?} Note that < q, a, d > indicates an example of permutation and combination of q, a, d. In sigma, events such as reproduction (play) copy (copy) amount (pay Y), date and time of possible start of reproduction (from YMD), date and time of end of reproduction (to YMD), number of days usable ( in Ddays), or else null event (e) are established as follows: S = (Play, copy, pay Y, from YMD, to YMD, in Ddays, e). Thus the following determination is made in the PLC descriptor 341. A specific determination in the PLC descriptor 341 is explained below. An illustrative description by a row of tupia of the automaton representing the transition of operation of musical contents shown in the figure 2 is shown in figure 13. This automaton performs the state transitions that are explained below. First, a transition is made from an initial state qO to a state ql and up to a state q. From the states ql and q5, movements occur in parallel. If a payment event of a pre-established amount such as 10 yen (pay 10) occurs in the state ql, the transition to the q2 state occurs. If the play event occurs in state 2, a transition to the state ql is made. That is, the present automaton indicates that, if the payment of 10 yen is made, the musical contents can be reproduced only once. If a payment event of a pre-set amount occurs, such as 1000 yen (a.pay 1000) in the state ql, a transition to the state q3 is made again. Specifically, this automaton indicates that, if the payment of 100 yen is made, the musical contents can be reproduced independently of the number of times. If a payment event occurs in an amount corresponding to n times the reproduction amount for a reproduction, such as 10 yen (pay lOxn), a transition to the state q4 is made. If, after the transition, the state q4 occurs in a play event, a transition to this state q is made again. If n reproduction events occur in this state q4, a transition of the state ql is made. That is, in this automaton it is shown that if lOxn yen are paid, the musical contents can be reproduced n times.

If a payment event occurs for a pre-set amount, for example 100 yen, in state? 5, a transition to the state q6 is made. If a copy event occurs in state q6, a transition to state q5 is made. If a copy event occurs in the state qβ, a transition to the qd state is made. If a reproduction event occurs in state 18, a transition to this state q8 is made again. If a copy event occurs in this state q8 a transition to the state q9 is made. This state q9 is a final state where transition to other states does not occur and no event occurs. That is to say, this automaton shows that, if 100 yen are paid, the musical contents can be copied once to another device. In addition, this automaton shows that, even when the copied musical contents can be reproduced any desired number of times, the reproduction is impossible once the musical contents are copied to another device. If the event of payment of a predetermined amount occurs, say 2000 yen (a.pay 2000), in the state q5, a transition is made to the state q7. If a copy event occurs in state q7, the transition is made again in this state q. If a copy event occurs in state q7, a transition to state q8 is made. If a reproduction event occurs in the state qd, a transition to this state q8 is made again. If a copy event occurs in this state q8, a transition to the state q9 is made. That state q9 is a final state where other states no longer occur or other events do not occur. That is, this automaton shows that if 2000 yen are paid, the musical contents can be copied to another device an unlimited number of times. In addition, the automaton shows that, even when the copied musical contents can be reproduced any desired number of times, the musical contents copied to another device can not be reproduced. Figure 13 shows a determination of the tuple row of the automaton that performs the state transitions described above. It is possible for the automaton determination portion 341 to establish a parallel synthesis of the operating states in order to update the movement of the musical contents. For example, a parallel synthesis of the operations ao and ai can be represented by the sequence of tupia, as follows: <; q0, a, a0, qo > < q0,, ai, q0 > It is also possible to establish an action accompanying the state transition in the determination portion of automaton 341. For example, the action is represented by a tupia in the following manner: < qo,, q,; action > This action is represented as a function that uses a predefined variable. The variable consists of an ID, a scope and an initial value. For example, with a variable n that represents the purchase price of ur. album (a), the determination is a.n: = 1000. An example of the portion of the automaton determination 341 that determines an action in relation to the variable is shown below: < q0, paylOO, ql r a.n: a.n - 100 > ...(1) < q0, pay (a.n), qi, a.n: = 0 > ... (2) < ql7 play, q2 > ... (3) This example indicates that the purchase price of a single music content (equation (1)) affects the price of acquisition of the album (equation (2)). The automaton determination portion described above 341 consists of an entry ID 345, a content ID 346, a version information 347, a variable information 348 and a tuple sequence 349, as shown in Figure 14. Next will be described, a specific example of the determination portion of automaton 341 whose description format has been defined. Meanwhile, the events, and the commands used below, such as the PLC descriptions are defined through a DTD (Document Type Definition) specified based on the XML specification. For example, reproduction (play), duplication (copy), payment for reproduction (pay for play), payment for duplication (pay for copy), payment for album reproduction (pay for album play), payment for duplication of album ( pay for album copy), start date of possible use (from), date of end of use (to), and a null operation (nuil) are set as events of the DTD. Figure 16 shows an exemplary description of the determination portion of automaton 341 by the XMK language which indicates that the musical contents can be reproduced as of September 1, 1999. The description shown in Figure 16 is an automaton shown in FIG. Figure 17. The automaton consists of the state ql as initial state and state q2. When the date is September 1, 1999 which is a start date of possible use (from) in the state ql, the state goes to the state q2. When the play event is generated in the state q2, the musical contents are played back and the state is again moved to the state q2. In this way, the automaton controls to allow the reproduction of the musical contents as of September 1, 1999. FIG. 18 shows an exemplary description of the determination portion of automaton 341 by the XML language which indicates that the musical contents can be reproduced until October 31, 1999. The description shown in Figure 18 is the automaton shown in Figure 19. The automaton consists of the state ql as the initial state and the final state as the final state. When the play event is generated in the q2 state, the musical contents are played back, and the state is moved back to the q2 state. When the date becomes October 31, 1999 which is an end-of-use date (to) in state q2, the state is moved toward the end of state. At the state end, the state is no longer moved to any state, nor is any event generated. In this way, the automaton controls to allow the reproduction of the musical contents until October 31, 1999. Figure 20 shows an exemplary description of the determination portion of automaton 341 by the XLM language indicating that the possible reproduction period of the musical contents is from September 1, 1999 to October 31, 1999, and the number of times of possible reproduction is 16. The description shown in Figure 20 is an automaton shown in Figure 21. The automaton consists of the state ql as the initial state, the state q2 and the end of state as the final state. When the date returns first of September 1999 which is a start date of possible use (from) in the state ql, the state goes to the state q2. When the reproduction event (play) is generated in the state q2, the musical contents are reproduced, and the state passes again to the state q2. When the date becomes October 31, 1999, which is an end-of-use date (to) in the q27 state or in the 16-fold generated reproduction event (play x 16), the state passes to the end of state. At the state end, the state no longer passes into any state, nor does any event occur. Thus, the automaton controls to define the reproduction period from September 1, 1999 to October 31, 1999, and to define the number of reproductions in 16 times. Figure 22 shows an exemplary description of the automaton determination portion 341 by the XML language indicating that the number of times of reproduction of the musical contents should be limited to 16. Parameter file 333 is attached a portion of the determination of parameters 351, an authentication code 352 per content key, a signature 353 by a content provider, and an authentication auto 354 that verifies the signature, as shown in figure 23. The content key is indicated as KC, while the private key and the public key of the content provider that prepared the contents are indicated by K "" E and KX, respectively. The parameter file can be rewritten by a content provider other than the content provider that prepared the robot file 332, for example, a secondary provider, such as a content reseller or through an intermediary content distributor . To the parameter file 333 rewritten in this way, a unique identity ID 355 is attached according to the suppliers or to the intermediary distributor. Meanwhile, K'c is the content key of the secondary provider, K'c = .H (KC, Entity ID). The content key K ^ of the secondary provider is formulated from the content key Kc of the primary provider. The primary and secondary providers are distinguished among themselves by the authentication cars. The parameter file 333 is verified by MAC if the content key is already available. If the content key is not available for reasons pertinent to security, the parameter file 333 is verified by signatures and instruments. With the primary and secondary content providers S and A, and with terminal B, the protocol verified by MAC is as follows. S- >; A indicates transmission from S to A, S- > B indicates transmission from S to B, and A - > B indicates transmission from A to B. IDA indicates an ID of the device A. S- > A: K'c = H (Kc, IDA) A - > B: IDA, Parameters, M = MACK'c (parameters) B: M = MACVc (parameters)? The parameter determination portion 351 establishes coefficients of a function to change the values set in the PLC determination portion 341 of the automaton file 332. For example, in the example illustrated in FIG. 13 there are occasions in which the price of the musical contents becomes a function, as shown below: < q0 pay (fi (10)), q2 > < qi7 pay (f2 (10) xn), q2 > In this case, the functions above fi and f2 are defined, for example as follows: f? (N) = 0.9n f2 (n) = 90 + O.ln By defining the functions in accordance with the above , it is possible for the primary provider to set a default price value and for the second provider to rewrite the parameter file 333 to change the price. The parameter determination portion described above 351 consists of an entry ID 356, content ID 357, and coefficient information 358, as shown in Figure 25. The hysteresis file 334 is a file to determine the path of the operation of the musical agreements, which operates on the basis of the contents of the description, in the determination portion of the automaton 341. The state and the variable in tuple of the determination portion of the automaton 341 are recorded. For example, if the reproduction is carried out twice in the example of figure 13, < q0, qi, qo, q? > results in such a way that the trajectory of the next operation is obtained; < pay 10, play, pay 10, play > If it is added and loaded for example in the exhaustive management unit (X) 15, it is possible to calculate the amount that the user must pay. In the system of distribution of musical contents 1, where the information of conditions of unified use, which represents the conditions of use by an automaton where the policy itself is programmed and its concrete value, is used, it is possible to raise the degree of freedom in the description of the conditions of content use. (4) Re-storage and Reduplication of Destroyed Musical Content The support of the musical contents by the exhaustive administration unit (X) 315 will be explained below. First, the method of managing keys of the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 in relation to figure 26 is explained.

The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 stores the musical contents Cl, C2, C3, ...., Cn on the hard disk 21 of the personal computer 3. The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 stores also the keys of contents Kcl, Kc2, Kc3,, Kcn, associated with the musical contents Cl, C2, C3, .... Cn, respectively. The Kc content keys correspond to the musical contents C! 1 to the musical contents Cl, C2, C37 .... Cn, the content IDs for identification are attached. These content IDs are known as CID17 CID2, CID3, ...., CIDn. The musical contents Cl, C2, C3, .... Cn are encrypted by the content keys Kcl7 Kc27 Kc3, ..., Kcn, and, in this state they are recorded in the hard disk 21 of the personal computer 3. E (K, C) indicates that the contents C have been encrypted with the K key, usually, the content IDs are registered in a header of the musical contents C and encrypted together with the contents C, c or the MAC is appended to the musical contents C, in such a way that the content IDs are not separable from the main body part of the musical contents. The content keys Kcl, Kc2, Kc3, ..., Kcn are encrypted by the storage keys KS and are registered in the state of E (SK, Kcl), E (SK, Kc2), E (SK, Kc3) , ..., E (SK, Ken) on the hard drive 21 of the personal computer 1. These Ks storage keys present what is known as short wavelength resistance and are stored in a recording area to which an ordinary user can not make reference. If, in the exhaustive administration unit (X) 315 where the key administration is carried out in accordance with what is described above, the musical contents Cl, for example, must be reproduced, the Kcl content key is deciphered using the key of KS storage, and subsequently the musical contents Cl are decoded using the Kcl content key. In this way, the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 can reproduce the musical contents Cl. If in the exhaustive administration unit (X) 315, where the key administration is carried out in accordance with what is described above, the musical contents Cl must be moved from the hard disk 21 to the portable device (X) 6-3, reciprocal authentication is performed with the portable device (X) 6-3. Upon completion of authentication the content key Kcl is deciphered by the session key and the encrypted content key Kcl as well as the encrypted musical contents Cl are transferred to the portable device (X) 6-3. The Kcl content key and the encrypted musical contents Cl are transferred to the portable device (X) 6-3. The content key Kcl and the musical contents Cl are both deleted from the hard disk 21. In this way, the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 can move the musical contents Cl towards the portable device (X) 6-3. The method of regenerating the musical contents as it becomes necessary when the musical contents or the content key are no longer reproducible from the hard disk 21 due, for example, to the destruction of the hard disk 21, is explained below. Usually the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 stores the backup data of the encrypted musical contents C and the content key Kcl on the hard disk 21. Usually also the administration unit (X) 315 is monitoring the acquisition records of the musical contents downloaded from the EMD server (X) 4-3 and the list of the content ID of all the musical contents stored on the hard disk 21 as well as usage registration information. This registration information must be updated at the time of the control of the musical contents as well as when the musical contents are downloaded from the EMD server (X) 4-3 or moved to the portable device (X) 6-3. The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 uploads the registration information to the EMD (X) 4-3 server periodically or after access. If the musical contents or the content key Kc stored on the hard disk 21 of the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 are destroyed, the following processing is executed. If the musical contents C or the content key Kc are destroyed, the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 first accesses the EMD (X) server 4-3 to perform user authentication. The EMD server (X) 4-3 then refers to the usage record information of the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 from the user ID of the authorized user to generate an integrity review value (ICV) . This ICV is generated based on the CID, as the content ID of the musical contents C established in the usage record information and in the storage key KS of the exhaustive administration unit (X) 315, in accordance with: ICV = H (SK, CID1 | | CID2 | | ... I | CIDn) Where H (K7 Data) is a unidirectional verification function and has a value that changes with the K key. The EMD server (X) 4-3 then transmits the integrity revision value generated in ICV to the exhaustive management unit (X) 315. If the musical contents C or the content key Kc are backed up, the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 restores the backup data to store the musical contents C or the content key Kc on the hard disk 21. If the musical contents C or the content key Kc are backed up, the musical contents C or the content key Kc destroyed are redistributed from of the EMD server (X) 4-3. At this time, the EMD server (X) 4-3 refers to the acquisition hysteresis of the user, and does not evaluate whether the contents have already been acquired. The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 performs the aforementioned processing to reconstruct the musical contents C or the key of destroyed Kc contents. If the musical contents C or the regenerated Kc content key must be reproduced or controlled, the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 reviews the CID of the musical contents through the ICV integrity review value. By reviewing the musical contents C or the content key Kc reconstructed using the ICV integrity revision value, a user with malignant intent, who memorized E (Kci, Ci) as Ci music content and re-stored the musical contents, if the musical contents Ci are moved to the portable device (X) 6-3 and are erased from the hard disk 21, they can not reproduce or move the data by control.

If it is not the music contents C or the content key Kc but the storage key KS that has been destroyed, the exhaustive administration unit (X) 315 is reinstalled. Even in this case, it is possible to re-store or redischarge if the registration of The user is made on the EMD server (X) 4-3 and the registration information is loaded. In the system of distribution of musical contents 1, in accordance with what is described above, musical contents can be reconstructed under the protection of copyright, even if the musical contents have been destroyed by crushing the hard disk. For example, if the musical contents have been acquired correctly, they can be reconstructed without charge. (5) Method to assign a master key and authentication key of the exhaustive management unit unit (X) Between the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 and the portable device (X) 6-3 a reciprocal authentication occurs using the ID and an authentication key (MG-ID / IK) of the portable device (X) 6-3 and a master key (OMG-MK) belonging to the exhaustive management unit (X) 315. If an authentication has occurred reciprocal between the management unit (X) 315 and the portable device (X) 6-3, it is possible that the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 sends musical contents from the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 sends musical contents from the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 to the portable device (X) 6-3 or return the musical contents from the portable device (X) 6-3 to the exhaustive management unit (X) 315. In the meantime the unit of a Exhaustive management (X) 315 saves the encrypted music contents on the hard drive 21 of the view! in perspective 3, while portable device (X) 6-3 stores the encrypted musical contents in the internal recording medium such as a memory card. Thus, if the musical contents are sent from the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 to the portable device (X) 6-3, the musical contents on the hard disk 21 in the personal computer 1 are transferred to the card memory loaded on the portable device 10. On the other hand, if musical contents should be sent from the portable device (X) 6-3 to the exhaustive management unit (X) 315, the musical contents on the memory card loaded in the portable device (X) 6-3 are transferred to the hard disk 21 in the personal computer 1. The portable device (X) 6-3 retains the ID information (MG-ID), authentication key (MG-IK) for several generations and master keys (OMG-MK) for several generations from the beginning. The portable device (X) 6-3 are not supplied with these keys nor is the information from outside. The portable device (X) 6-3 updates the generation of the authentication keys (MG-IK) and the master keys (OMG-MK). The portable device (X) 6-3 performs a reciprocal authentication, not by authentication key or master key of the old generation, but by the authentication key or master key of the new generation. It is then considered that the portable device (X) 6-3 has the authentication keys (MG-ID) and the master keys (OMG-MK) for 100 generations from generation to generation 100. The authentication key for a i-ava generation is indicated as follows (MG-IK [i]) and the master key for the i-ava generation is indicated as follows (OMG-MK [i]). The exhaustive management unit (X) 315, which preserves the master keys (OMG-MK) can transfer the musical contents, for example, from a compact disc for audio to the personal computer 1 for storage there. On the other hand, the exhaustive management unit (X) 315, which stores the master keys (OMG-MK), can download the music contents from the EMD server (X) 4-3 for storage on the personal computer 1. observe that, in the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 the master key (OMG-MK) that can transfer the musical contents from the compact disc but can not download music contents from the EMD (X) 4-3 server, differs from the master key (OMG-MK) that can transfer music contents from both the CD and the EMD (X) 4-3 server. Next, the key that can transfer the musical contents of compact disc but that can not download musical contents from the server of EMD (X) 4-3 is known as a key dedicated to the displacement and the key that can transfer musical contents as much from the CD as from the EMD server (X) 4-3 is known as the EMD key. In the present modality, the master key for generation 0 (OMG-MK [0]) is the key dedicated to Displacement, while the master keys (OMG-MK [1 to 99]) are EMD keys. The processing sequence that employs the key dedicated to the displacement is explained below. If the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 is to be installed from the CD ROM, the portable device (X) 6-3 and a soft disk 52, for example, are sold as a set with a CD-ROM 51 that has installed there a programmatic installation of the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 as shown in figure 27. On the floppy disk 52 is stored the ID information (MG-ID) for the portable device (X) 6-3 , the authentication key for generation O (MG-IK [Oj) and the master key for generation O (OMG-MK [0]). To allow the use of the sold portable device (X) 6-3, etc., the CD-ROM 361 is first loaded into the personal computer 1 (step Sil). The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 is then installed from the CD-ROM 361 on the personal computer 1. The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 is then installed on the hard disk of the personal computer 1 (step S3) . The ID information (MG-ID) of the portable device (X) 6-3, stored on the floppy disk 362, the authentication key for generation 0 (MG-IK [0]), and the master key for generation 0 (OMG-MK [0]) are then stored in the personal computer 1 (step S14). This allows the musical contents provided, for example, by a music CD 373 to be stored on the hard disk of the personal computer 1 (step S15). Meanwhile, since the master key for generation 0 (OMG-MK [0]) is a key dedicated to scrolling, music contents can not be downloaded from the EMD (X) 4-3 server. The portable device (X) 6-3 stores the authentication keys and master keys for 100 generations to handle the generation update. At . initial setting, the generation is generation 0. Thus, a reciprocal authentication between the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 that stores the authentication key of generation 0 and the master key and portable device (X) 6-3 is it becomes feasible. Thus, it becomes possible to store the musical contents provided by the music CD 363, etc., on the memory card of the portable device (X) 6-3 (step S16). : On the other hand, if the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 is supplied through the network, the address, user ID, and password, etc., are provided in the EMD 3 registration server in the Internet, together with the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 as shown in figure 28. If the portable device (X) 6-3 etc., in the state in which it is sold, must be activated, it has access to the EMD registration server 3 in the network, using the user ID and password (step S21). The EMD registration server 3 then authenticates the user ID and the keyword (step S22). If there is no problem in the authentication, the EMD 3 registration server transmits the programmatic installation of the exhaustive management unit (X) 315, ID information (MG-ID) of the portable device (X) 6-3, the authentication key of generation 0 (OMG-MK [0]) and the master key of generation 0 (OMG-MK [0]) to personal computer 1 (step S23). The personal computer 1 then starts the programmatic installation of the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 to install the exhaustive management unit (X) 315, while saving the ID information (MG-ID) of the portable device (X) 6-3, the authentication key of generation 0 (MG-IK [0]) and the master key of generation 0 (OMG-MK [0]) on hard disk 21 '(step S24). This stores the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 on the hard disk (step S25). This allows the exhaustive management unit (X) 315, provided for example by the music CD 363, to be stored on the hard disk 21 of the personal computer 1 (step S26). Meanwhile, since the master key of generation 0 (OMG-MK [0]) is a key dedicated to scrolling, the music contents can not be downloaded from the EMD (X) 4-3 server. The portable device (X) 6-3 stores the authentication keys and the master keys for 100 generations in order to manage the generation innovation. In the initial state, the generation is established as a generation 0. Thus, the reciprocal authentication between the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 that stores the authentication key and the master key of generation 0 and the portable device (X) 6-3 becomes possible. Accordingly, the musical contents provided by the music CD 363, etc., can be stored in the memory card of the portable device (X) 6-3. In addition to the method shown in Figures 27 and 28, a method can be used in which the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 and the master key of generation 0 (OMG-MK [0]) dedicated to the displacement is stored in the CD ROM 361 and wherein the authentication ID in relation to the portable device (X) 6-3 and the authentication key for the generation 0 (MG-ID / IK) are provided in the network. The sequence of operations for updating the key dedicated to the displacement in an EMD key to allow the handling of music contents downloaded from the EMD server (X) 4-3 is explained below. The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 is provided through a removable medium, such as a CD-ROM or through a network such as the Internet, through the sequence of operations shown in figures 27 and 28 , and it is installed on the hard disk 21 in the personal computer 1. At that time, the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 is saving the master key of generation 0 (OMG-MK [0]) dedicated to the displacement and the authentication key for generation 0 (MG-ID / IK [0]), with the portable device key (X) 6-3 being found in the default generation. First, the personal computer 1 has access to the EMD 3 registration server in the network, using the user ID and the keyword (step S31), as shown in figure 29. The EMD 3 registration server then authenticates the User ID and the keyword (step S32). If there is no authentication problem, the EMD registration server 3 registers the ID information of the personal computer 1 (OMG-ID) to generate an open key (OMG-PK), a secret key (OMG-SK) and the auto Authentication (Cert [PK]) of the open key for the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 to connect to the EMD (X) 4-3 server. { Step S33). The EMD registration server 3 then transmits the generated open key (OMG-PK), the secret key (OMG-SK) and the authentication auto (Cert [PK]) to the personal computer 1 (step S34). The EMD 3 server then transmits the portable device ID information (X) 6-3 (MG-ID), authentication key of the generation i-ava (MG-IK [i]) and the master key of the i -ava generation (OMG-MK [i]) to personal computer 1 (step S35). The EMD 3 registration server then updates the received keys for example, based on the received ID information (MG-ID), authentication key of the i-ava generation (MG-IK [o]) and the master key of the i-ava generation (OMG-MK [i]) to the i-ava generation (step S36). The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 then executes authentication with the portable device (X) 6-3 (step S37). Authenticating the portable device (X) 6-3 updates the generation of the key itself to the i-ava generation (step S38). This allows the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 to store musical contents provided by the music CD 363 to be stored on the hard disk of the personal computer 1, as well as to store the downloaded music contents of the EMD server (X) 4-3 on hard disk 21 of personal computer 1 (step S39). The sequence of operations of the generation innovation of the EME key, for example, is explained below. The exhaustive management unit (Xi 315 saves the master key of the i-ava generation (OKG-MK [i]), ID and the authentication key of generation 0 (MG-IK [i]), with generation of the portable device (X) 6-3 being also the i-ava generation.First, as shown in figure 30, if the personal computer 1 has access to the EMD 3 registration server to perform some processing, the registration server of EMD 3 authenticates the ID of the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 to transmit the authentication key of the (i + K) i-ava generation (MG-IK [i + k]) and the master key (i + k) ) i-ava generation (OMG-MK [i + k]) to the personal computer 1 (step S41) The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 of the personal computer 1 updates the received authentication key and the master key for the (ik) i-ava generation (step S41) The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 then authenticates the portable device (X) 6-3 (step S4) 3) When authenticated, the portable device (X) 6-3 updates the generation of its own key from the i-ava generation to the (i + k) i-ava generation (step S44). On the other hand, as shown in Figure 31, if the generation of the authentication key, etc., used by the portable device (X) 6-3, is the (ik) ava generation, and that of the key of authentication, etc., saved by the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 is the i-ava generation, authentication between 1 portable device (X) 6-3 and the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 even if it is attempted said authentication, (step S51). If authentication is a failure, the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 requests a key to the EMD registration server 3 (step S52). If a key request exists, the EMD 3 registration server authenticates the ID of the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 to transmit the authentication key of the (i + k) generation ava (MG-IK [i + k] ) and the master key of the (i + k) ava generation (OMG + MK [i + k]) (pass S53). The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 then updates the received authentication key and the master key for the generation (i + k) ava (step S54). The exhaustive management unit (X) 315 then authenticates the portable device (X) 6-3 (step S55). This allows the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 to store the musical contents provided by the music CD 363 etc., for storage on the hard disk 21 in the personal computer and store the downloaded musical contents of the EMD server (X) 4-3 to be stored on the hard disk 21 on the personal computer 1 (step S38). In the music content distribution system described above 1, the master and authentication keys employed by the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 and the portable device (X) 6-3 are classified into keys dedicated to the movement and those connected to the server, and the keys connected to the server are downloaded through the network. The result is that, in the system of distribution of musical contents 1, the security of the musical contents distributed by the server is improved, in such a way that, if keys dedicated to the displacement are broken, the musical contents downloaded from the server can not be destroyed. In the music content distribution system 1, the master and authentication keys used by the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 and the portable device (X) 6-3 are used under generation innovation. In addition, the exhaustive management unit (X) 315 is fed with the master and authentication keys through the network for generation innovation, thus increasing the security of the musical contents. Industrial exploitation In the content data control method and apparatus and in the recording medium of the present invention, the information of conditions of use of the content data presented in a predetermined format is converted into the user conditions information of another format that has the same contents. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, several contents present, for example, in a single personal computer can be handled in a unified manner maintaining the copyright protection of the contents. With the data processing apparatus of the present invention, the content data and the conditions of use information are transferred reciprocally in accordance with the encryption system employed in the exhaustive content management unit and the format of the information of conditions of use prescribed by the exhaustive content management unit. In this way, the data processing apparatus of the present invention can manage content data handled in a system, such as a personal computer, in a unified manner, in order to expand the degree of freedom of handling of the content data. , maintaining the protection of the content data. In the content management method according to the present invention, content data and usage conditions information are transferred using the unified transfer protocol. In this way, the data processing method of the present invention allows content data managed in a system, such as a personal computer, to be managed in a unified manner, in order to increase the degree of freedom of management of the data. Content data, maintaining the protection of content data. In the recording medium according to the present invention, the exhaustive content management application employs the unified transfer protocol for transferring the content data and usage conditions information. In this way, the data processing method of the present invention allows content data handled in a system, such as a personal computer, to be managed in a unified manner, in order to expand the degree of freedom of handling of the content data. , maintaining the protection of the content data.

Claims (14)

1. CLAIMS A control device to control data to manage one or more content data and the conditions of use information that establishes the conditions of use of each content data and to control the corresponding content data based on the conditions information of use, said apparatus comprises: a device for converting said information of conditions of use presented in a format pre-established in the information of conditions of use of another format having the same content.
2. A control method for control data to administer one or more content data and the conditions of use information that establishes the conditions of use of each content data and to control the corresponding content data based on the conditions information of use, said method comprises: a step of converting said information of conditions of use presented in a format pre-established in the information of conditions of use of another format having the same contents.
3. A recording medium that has stored there a control program to control data to manage one or more content data and the conditions of use information that establishes the conditions of use for each content data and to control the corresponding content data with Based on the conditions of use information, said control program for said content data includes a processing to convert said information! of conditions of use presented in a format pre-established in the information of conditions of use of another format that has the same contents.
4. A data processing apparatus comprising: one or more reproduction applications for managing one or more content data and the conditions of use information that establishes the conditions of use of each content data and for reproducing the content data based on in said information of conditions of use; and a comprehensive content management unit for managing the content data and the usage conditions information of said content data; each reproduction application or the exhaustive content management unit that converts the content encryption system employed by each application and the format of the conditions of use information into the content encryption system employed by said exhaustive content management unit and the format of the conditions of use information for transferring the content data and the conditions of use information from the reproduction application to said exhaustive content management unit.
5. The data processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each reproduction application converts the encryption system for content data transferred to said exhaustive content management unit from the encryption system employed by the reproduction application to an encryption system employed by said exhaustive content management unit.
6. The data processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said exhaustive content management unit converts the encryption system for the content data transferred from each reproduction application from an encryption system employed by the application of reproduction to the encryption system employed by the exhaustive content management unit; and wherein the exhaustive content management unit converts the format for the usage conditions information transferred from each application to reproduction of a format prescribed by the application for reproduction to a format prescribed by the exhaustive content management unit.
7. The data processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said exhaustive content management unit is connected to a server through a network through a transfer protocol which is the same as the transfer protocol used between the exhaustive content management unit and each application for playback.
8. A content management method for managing one or more content data and usage conditions information, establishing the conditions of use of each content data and to administer one or several applications for reproduction, and adapted, to reproduce the content data based on the information of conditions of use, by an exhaustive content management unit, said The method comprises: transferring the content data and conditions of use information from each application for reproduction to the exhaustive content management unit using a transfer protocol having a unified format for the data encryption system of content and information on conditions of use.
9. The method of content management according to claim 8, wherein before transferring the content data from each application for reproduction to the exhaustive content management unit, the encryption system for this content data is converted from an encryption system used by each application for reproduction in a unified encryption system.
10. The content management method according to claim 8, wherein said exhaustive content management unit is connected to a served through a network through a transfer protocol which is the same as the transfer protocol used between the exhaustive content management unit and each application for playback.
11. The content management method according to claim 8, wherein said exhaustive content management unit manages the content data and the conditions of use information using the unified encryption system and the unified format of the conditions information of the user. use.
12. 12. A recording medium that has a comprehensive content management application stored there to manage one or more content data and conditions of use information, establishing the conditions of use for each piece of content and to manage one or more applications for reproduction, and adapted to reproduce the content data based on the conditions of use information, said exhaustive content management application includes a processing program for transferring the content data and usage conditions information from each application for reproduction using a transfer protocol that has a unified format for the content data encryption system and the conditions of use information.
13. The conformance registration means according to claim 12, wherein said exhaustive content management application converts an encryption system for content data transferred from each application for reproduction of an encryption system employed by each application. for playback to an encryption system used by the exhaustive content management application; and where; the format for the information of conditions of use transferred from each application for reproduction from the format prescribed by each application for reproduction to the format prescribed by the exhaustive content administration application.
14. 14. A data processing apparatus comprising: a receiving interface for receiving first content data supplied from a first content server and second content data supplied from a second content server; an exhaustive content management unit, including said receiving interface, for monitoring said first content data and said second content data and the conditions of use information that establishes the conditions of use for said content first and said second data of content; and a program for converting conditions of use to convert the format of the conditions of use information used by said first content server into the format of the conditions of use information used in said exhaustive content administration unit; the format of the content usage conditions information employed by said second content server is the same as the format of the content usage conditions information employed by said exhaustive content management unit; wherein when said first content data and the conditions of use information attached to the first content data are transferred to said exhaustive content management unit, the format of the conditions of use information attached to said first content data is converts the format of the conditions of use information used by said exhaustive content management unit. The data processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said use conditions conversion program is executed using said exhaustive content management unit. The data processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said format of said usage condition information is converted based on the movement or copying of said first content data to said content management unit. The data processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said first content data is transferred to said exhaustive content management unit employing n transfer protocol having a unified format of the usage conditions information of the content data. ld.A means of registration that has stored there a comprehensive content management program to monitor the first content data and content seconds and conditions of use information that establishes the conditions of use of said first content data and said second Content data for monitoring the content data based on said condition of use information, comprising: a receiving interface for receiving first content data provided from a first content server and second content data supplied from a second content server; a program for converting conditions of use to convert the format of the conditions of use information used by said first content server in the format of the conditions of use information used in said exhaustive content administration unit; the format of the content usage conditions information employed by said second content server is the same as the format of the content usage conditions information employed by said exhaustive content management unit; wherein when said first content data and the conditions of use information attached to the first content data are transferred to said exhaustive content management unit, the format of the conditions of use information attached to said first content data is It converts into the format of the information of conditions of use used by said exhaustive content administration unit.