RU2287851C2 - Distribution device, terminal device, program and method used in these devices - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: distribution devices, terminal devices.

SUBSTANCE: in distribution device groups of two or more informational products which represent digital informational content are stored with information about policy administration which indicates user's rights to this group by interrelated method. Distribution device transfers the user requested informational content from group to the terminal device with license certificate (LC), refreshes information about policy administration decreasing policy validity. On return of the renewed LC distribution device increases the decreased policy validity taking into account the part of policy validity which is indicated in the renewed LC. On user's demand distribution device again transfers LC or other digital informational content.

EFFECT: distribution of digital content for a more complete satisfaction of user's demand.

22 cl, 58 dwg

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The present invention relates to a switchgear, to a terminal device, and also to a program and method for use in these devices. In particular, the present invention relates to improvements by which users are provided with the ability to use information appropriately while protecting copyright by imposing restrictions on the use of this information.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In recent years, industry representatives have been closely following the development of information distribution services provided through switchgears. In the area of information dissemination services, where competition between market participants is expected to continue to increase, the key to success is capturing customer development trends and providing them with information dissemination services that satisfy those needs. The following trend can be considered a new trend in the development of customer needs. Most users express a desire to view or listen to a variety of information content in a rapidly changing fashion for him. After a single or double viewing or listening to a variety of information content, these users usually stop watching or listening to the material they do not like and continue to view or listen to the material they really like with the possibility of multiple reproduction. These users are especially selective about the material they like.

However, conventional switchgears are designed in such a way that they sell information by distributing it through a network. Such a distribution method does not provide satisfaction of the above-described needs of users with respect to viewing or listening to a variety of information content, nor does it take into account the fact that the number of views or listening to each information content is different. In addition, the presence of such conventional distribution devices for the sale of information content has led to the establishment of such a price structure that a single price is set for all information content, regardless of the frequency of viewing or listening to it. Users who wish to view or listen to various information content may be unhappy with this system, in which they have to pay the same price for just a few views or listen to information content as much as for repeatedly viewing or listening to information content. As described above, content distribution services provided through conventional switchgears do not in fact satisfy user needs for viewing or listening to diverse content.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a distribution device that can provide more complete satisfaction of consumer needs of those users who wish to view or listen to a variety of information content.

The above result can be achieved by a switchgear comprising: a storage device for storing rights management information; a license certificate transmission device (LU) for transmitting a license certificate to a terminal device together with digital information content, the license certificate indicating, as a license, a part of the license information indicated by the rights management information; a data update module when moving from a system for updating rights management information such that license information indicated by rights management information stored in a memory for storing rights management information is a residual part of the license indicated by the license certificate; a receiving device for receiving the license certificate after the update, when the license certificate is returned after the update, indicating a decrease in the license in accordance with the use of information content by the terminal device; and a data update module when moving to a system which, upon receipt of a license certificate returned by the terminal device that updated the license certificate and indicating a decrease in the license in accordance with the use of information content by the terminal device, is intended to increase the license information indicated by the rights management information by updating rights management information stored in the storage device based on the license certificate after updating tions.

According to the present invention, the switchgear manages license information directly dependent on the degree of use of the information content, even after the operation of distributing the information content. In addition, upon returning from the user a reduced part of the license information that has been reduced in accordance with the degree of use of the information content, the increment device increments the license information based on the returned reduced part. Moreover, if the user stops viewing the information content after viewing it once or twice, then the license information is incremented by a larger amount, due to the lower degree of use of the transmitted information content.

Due to the change in the increment of license information in accordance with the degree of use of the information content, the disparity between the frequently used information content and the more rarely used information content can be eliminated, thereby providing a greater degree of customer satisfaction.

Moreover, in the case when the user sends a request for another digital information content, the transmission device can read another part of the license information updated by the increment device, and transmit to the user a different part along with other digital information content.

In this embodiment, information about the license, the increment of which is made taking into account the returned part, can be redistributed to other digital information content. This allows you to establish a new price structure in which part of the license information can be freely distributed to information content belonging to a certain group after paying a fixed price for license information distributed to this group. This new pricing structure can meet user needs for viewing or listening to a variety of information content.

In this case, the license information stored by the storage device may be a value “s” of the total multiplicity of use, while “s” is an integer satisfying the condition “s≥2”, the read part may be a value “t” of multiplicity the use of digital information content, with "t" being an integer satisfying the condition "t≤s", and updating the license information stored by the storage device can be carried out so that it co corresponded to the residual multiplicity of "s-t" use after the transmission of digital information content and the read part. In addition, the reduced portion may be a value of “u” of the utilization factor, where “u” is an integer that satisfies the condition “u <t”, and the increment device can increase the residual multiplicity “st” to the value of the residual utilization factor “s” -t + u ".

In addition, the transmission device can read the value “v” of the usage factor, which is another part of the updated license information, from the value “s-t + u” of the residual usage factor, and transmit the read value “v” of the usage factor together with another digital information content, while "v" is an integer that satisfies the condition "v≤s-t + u".

In this embodiment, in the distribution server, the value of the residual usage ratio “u” assigned to the information content can be added to the value “st” of the usage ratio, and the value “v” of the usage ratio assigned to the other information content can be determined based on the value “ s-t + u "total frequency of use. As a result, when a user who wants to view or listen to a variety of information content no longer wants to continue viewing or listening to information content after viewing or listening to it once or twice, he can redistribute the residual frequency of use to other information content. As a result, the value of the frequency of use distributed to other information content is further increased.

At the same time, the distribution device may additionally contain a data update module when moving from the system, receives from the terminal device the client’s unique identification information, by which the user who is the recipient of the digital information content is uniquely determined in response to the transfer of the license certificate and digital information content from the LU transmission device moreover, the switchgear further comprises a verification module for that, when receiving information of a unique definition of a client that uniquely identifies the terminal device that returned the license certificate after updating from the terminal device, together with the license certificate after updating, establish whether the information that uniquely identifies the client received from the terminal device and the information coincide that uniquely identifies the client received by the data update module when moving from the system, and the data update module when moving to the system t update to increase the license information indicating information rights management, only if the test result is positive verification module.

In this embodiment, the increment device increments the license information only if the authenticity of the information that uniquely identifies the medium is verified. Therefore, any malicious user sending part of the unauthorized license information to the switchgear will not be able to update the license information and derive undeserved benefit. In addition, since there is no need to enter data, such as a password, for authentication, the user can easily increment license information.

In yet another embodiment, the above result can be achieved by a program that provides a computer-based method for distributing information content, the computer comprising a storage device for storing digital information content and license information, wherein the method of distributing information content comprises: a step of transmitting the LN for transmission license certificate for the terminal device along with digital information content, when it license certificate indicates as a license, the license information part, said information rights management; the step of updating the data when moving from the system to update the rights management information, so that the license information indicated by the rights management information stored in the storage device is a residual part of the license indicated by the license certificate; the step of receiving to receive a license certificate after updating, when the license certificate after updating indicating a license reduced in accordance with the degree of use of digital information content is returned by the terminal device, and the step of updating data when moving to a system in which when receiving a license certificate returned by the terminal a device that has updated the license certificate and indicating a license reduced in accordance with the degree of use digital information content, the license information specified by the rights management information is incremented by updating the rights management information stored in the storage device based on the license certificate after updating

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects, advantages, and features of the present invention are explained in the description below in conjunction with the drawings, in which a specific embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The drawings show the following:

Figure 1 - structure of a system related to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an internal structure of a digital information product distributed in a system related to embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 3 - structure of a distribution system of information content;

4 is a data format of LU (license certificate) according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

5 is an internal structure of a portable medium 3;

6 - the internal structure of the terminal device 2, made on the basis of technology NetDRM (digital rights management in a digital network);

7 is a detailed structure of a client application 8, made on the basis of technology NetDRM, and the embedded software module 10 secure I / O;

Fig - the internal structure of the switchgear 1;

Fig.9 - the contents of the database 19 for storing rights management information before subscribing the user to provide services;

Figa - an example of data "INFORMATION_CONTENT_NDRM" (NDRM - NetDRM);

Figb - an example of data "INFORMATION_CONTENT_NDRM_ FOR_URC" (URC - the rule of using information content);

11 - the contents of the database 19 for storing rights management information, to which the data "USER_NDRM" and "CLIENT_NDRM" are added;

Figa - information contained in the user identifiers "David Moore", "Alice Liddell" and "John Brown" generated when they subscribe to the service;

Figv - data set "CLIENT_NDRM" for three users having user identifiers, respectively, from "AA00001" to "AA00003";

Fig. 13 shows the contents of a database 19 for storing rights management information after acquiring digital information products;

Fig - data set "NDRM_URUS" (URUS - usage rule for the user on the server) for many users with user_id, respectively, from "AA00001" to "AA00004";

Fig. 15 shows the contents of a database 19 for storing rights management information after performing a move operation from the system;

Fig is a set of data "BACKUP_Copy_LU_WIS_MOVING_FIRM_NDRM_Systems" for a plurality of users having user identifiers, respectively, from "AA00001" to "AA00003";

Fig - sequence of data processing in the system when performing the operation of moving information content And from the system;

Figa and Figb is an illustration of the use of portable media 3, which was recorded information content A;

Fig - sequence of data processing in the system when performing the operation of moving information content And into the system;

Fig - sequence of data processing in the system when performing the operation of moving information content From the system;

21 is an operation of extracting and loading data about a time period of use equal to 50 minutes from an existing time period of use equal to 60 minutes (state sj1) according to UR-Us (use rule for a user on the server), and an operation of recording data about a period of time of use equal to 50 minutes, together with information content A on portable medium 3;

Figa and Figb - illustration of reducing the time period of use recorded in the portable medium 3, up to 40 minutes after the reproduction of the content A for 10 minutes;

23 is an illustration of loading data on a reduced period of use of 40 minutes into a switchgear 1 and adding them to the UR-Us data available in the switchgear 1;

24 is an example of rights management information (UR-Us) containing terms of use for a variety of data usage actions, for example, for viewing and printing;

Fig is a data format LU containing many blocks of descriptors LU;

Figa - data UR-Us before retrieving the terms of use;

Figb - data UR-Us and LU after retrieving the terms of use;

Fig. 27 is an example of a P-condition that is defined for a digital information product containing audio information;

Fig. 28 is an example of a variant in which there are many possible actions for using information, for example, viewing and printing it;

Fig. 29 is a data format of an LN providing for the transmission of a P-condition for each action for using information;

Figa - data UR-Us before retrieving the terms of use;

Figb - data UR-Us and LU after retrieving the terms of use;

Fig. 31 is an example of UR-Us data in which an S-condition is specified;

Fig. 32 is a procedure for updating data on the multiplicity of simultaneous use when loading or moving information content from the system, presented in the same way as in Fig. 17;

Fig - a procedure for updating data on the multiplicity of simultaneous use when performing the movement of information content in the system, presented in the same way as in Fig.19;

Figa - data UR-Us before retrieving the terms of use;

Figb - data UR-Us and LU after retrieving the terms of use;

Fig. 35 is a flowchart of an operation of an LN transmission device 24 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 36 is a flowchart of the operation of the movement control module 14 from the system;

Fig. 37 is a flowchart of the operation of a medium recording module 15 contained in a secure I / O firmware module 10;

Fig. 38 is a flowchart of the operation of a media reading module 17 contained in a secure I / O firmware module 10;

Fig. 39 is a flowchart of the operation of the module 16 controlling the movement in the system, which is part of the client application 8, implemented on the basis of NetDRM technology, when moving to the system;

FIG. 40 is a flowchart of the operation of a data update module 26 when moving to a system, as well as a verification module 27, when moving to a system;

Fig. 41 is a flowchart for summation performed in step S65;

Fig. 42 is a flowchart of UR-Us mapping performed in step S66;

Fig - data format LU according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 44 is a plurality of user-owned terminals based on NetDRM technology according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 45 is a flowchart of the operation of the module 16 controlling movement in the system according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 46 illustrates a plurality of terminals based on NetDRM technology and connected to each other via a home network, according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention;

Fig - LU data format, set to enable the installation of various levels of acceptability of the movement operation;

48 is a flowchart of the operation of the module 16 controlling movement in the system according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 49 is an illustration of a transmission of encrypted information content and LUs along various routes;

50 is an illustration of performing a move from a system by a terminal device 1 implemented on the basis of NetDRM technology according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig - structure of the physical layer of the card 100 memory type SD.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(First Embodiment)

As a first embodiment of a switchgear 1 and a terminal 2 according to the present invention, a description will now be made with reference to the drawings of a system comprising a switchgear 1 and a terminal 2.

Figure 1 shows the structure of a system related to the first embodiment of the present invention. The main components of the system are switchgear 1, terminal 2, made on the basis of NetDRM technology (digital rights management in the network), portable media 3 and PU (portable devices) 4a, 4b and 4c. The distribution device 1 provides the storage of digital information products and the distribution of the requested digital user information product. The terminal device 2, made on the basis of NetDRM technology, is a personal computer the size of a portable computer that receives a distributed digital information product via a broadband Internet or mobile telephone network. The terminal device 2, made on the basis of NetDRM technology (NetDRM device), provides the recording of the received digital information product on portable media 3. PU 4a, 4b and 4c are wearable devices, respectively, in the form of a bracelet, in the form of a device worn on a strap, and in the form of headphones and can provide playback of a digital information product recorded on portable media 3. This system allows not only to receive a digital information product, which is indicated by the arrow uy1, but also record it on portable medium 3 and reproduce by means of these user-portable launchers 4a, 4b and 4c, which is indicated by the arrows uy2, uy3 and uu4. This provides the user with the ability to play encrypted information content regardless of time and place.

The system shown in FIG. 1 has the following three features related to rights management. The first sign is that the rights management information (which is equivalent to the term "license information" used to describe the essence of the invention) is set not for each information content, but for a group of many products representing information content. The second sign is that for each information content from the specified group, a part of the scope of the rights specified in the rights management information can be allocated. The third sign is that there are several possibilities for such a distribution of part of the scope of rights. In particular, distribution is possible not only before downloading digital information products, but also after it.

To ensure the implementation of these three features creates a digital information product, shown in figure 2. The digital information product distributed in this embodiment of the invention has restrictions on its use in accordance with the type of service the user has subscribed to. Figure 2 shows the internal structure of a digital information product, the distribution of which is carried out in a system according to this embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the digital information product consists of encrypted information content that is encrypted digital data, a key for information content used to decrypt the encrypted information content, an information content identifier that uniquely identifies the digital information product, and from the condition use, which is a selected part of the volume of rights from the rights management information. In this embodiment, it is contemplated that the digital information product is a piece of music, and the action for using it is to play (“play”). Since the encrypted information content is a piece of music, each of the devices shown in FIG. 1 has a copyright protection function that complies with SDMI (Digital Music Protection Initiative) requirements.

In the first embodiment of the invention, the scope of rights from the rights management information is expressed by the total number of times that the group’s information content has been used (hereinafter referred to as the “permitted use ratio”). Therefore, in the first embodiment of the invention, the distribution of the scope of rights means the free distribution of the permitted multiplicity of use indicated by the rights management information. For example, when the permitted frequency of use is 10, then each content in the group can be freely assigned a frequency of use from 1 to 10.

Each device constituting the system of FIG. 1 is configured as shown in FIG. 3. Figure 3 shows the structure of the content distribution system.

The distribution device 1 contains encrypted information content (information content indicated in the drawing by letters A through F) corresponding to a plurality of digital information products that can be obtained by a user who has subscribed to this service, and rights management information for the user. Switchgear 1 performs (1) processing for transmitting a license certificate (hereinafter referred to simply as “LU”) to a user-owned NetDRM terminal 2 and (2) processing for receiving LU loaded by a user. In this embodiment, the rights management information contains the value of the allowed frequency of use (indicated in the drawing as n) for a plurality of digital information products and keys for information content A through F used to decrypt this encrypted information content. LU transmitted by the switchgear 1, contains a part representing the value of the allowed frequency of use (indicated in the drawing as k), and a key for information content (key for information content A). As the aforementioned third feature shows, a user can freely select from a group a digital information product for download and freely assign a frequency of use within the allowed frequency of use to a selected digital information product.

The terminal NetDRM device 2 performs (1) processing for recording the encrypted information content downloaded from the switchgear 1 on portable media 3 together with the LU containing the key for the information content and the assigned value of the frequency of use. The terminal NetDRM device 2 also performs (2) processing to ensure that the LU containing the key for the information content and the value of the frequency of use are loaded into the distribution device 1.

The portable medium 3 is a recording medium, for example, a semiconductor memory device, on which a key for information content, an assigned value of a frequency of use, and encrypted information content are recorded.

PU 4a, 4b and 4c are compact portable devices for reproducing a digital information product recorded on portable media 3. Each time you play a digital information product, PU 4a, 4b or 4c reduces the assigned usage factor value recorded on portable media 3 by one .

An important feature of this system is the presence of the transmission path for loading the LU from the terminal NetDRM device 2 to the switchgear 1. In the LU loaded from the terminal NetDRM device 2 to the switchgear 1, the value of the residual frequency of use is indicated. Therefore, the switchgear 1 can redistribute the value of the residual usage rate assigned previously to the digital information product by assigning it to another digital information product. In particular, this system not only allows the free assignment of the allowed frequency of use to the digital information product when it is loaded, but also allows the redistribution of the value of the residual frequency of use by assigning it to another digital information product by loading the value of the residual frequency of use into the switchgear 1. This allows free assignment of the permitted frequency of use to each digital information a product both before and after a digital information product download operation.

<LU structure>

The following is a description of the LU data format. In particular, an LU serving as a structure for transmitting a condition of use, an identifier of information content and a key for information content is described below. Figure 4 shows the data format of the LU according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the drawing, the LU consists of the heading LU, block descriptors LU, the key for the information content and the footer of the LU. The header of the LU contains the identifier of the LU, the version number of the system receiving the LU, the volume of the LU, the identifier of the information content, the identifier of the rights management information that uniquely identifies the rights management information distributed by the switchgear 1, and data on the method of encrypting the information content using the key. The LU descriptor block contains data on the condition of use, that is, the value of the frequency of use and the threshold value of use. The value of the frequency of use contained in the block descriptors LU, is part of the allowed frequency of use distributed by the switchgear 1, and the threshold value of the use indicates the minimum period of time used for a single use.

The LU footer contains the value of the hash function, which is part of the result of the operation obtained by concatenating the LU header, the descriptor block 171 and the key for information content and entering the received data into the hash function. The hash function is a unidirectional function and is characterized in that only a small change in the input quantity creates a large difference in its resulting values. In addition, the hash function is characterized in that the value of the hash function is extremely difficult to predict using an input quantity. The value of the hash function recorded in the footer of the LU is used to detect the fact of unauthorized changes in the value of the frequency of use contained in the block of descriptors of the LU when the LDR is received by the terminal NetDRM device 2 (or distribution device 1).

The detection of unauthorized changes in the value of the frequency of use is as follows. Upon receipt of the LU, the NetDRM terminal 2 or switchgear 1 binds the LU header, the LU descriptor block and the content key contained in the received LU, and enters the associated data into the hash function to obtain the reference value of the hash function (Reference_VALUE_HEX_FUNCTION_C). Then, the NetDRM terminal device 2 or the switchgear 1 compares (a) the Reference_HEAD_FUNCTION_C value_ obtained by this method with (b) the value of the hash function contained in the LN footer. The equality of the Reference_VALUE_HEAD_FUNCTION_ to the value of the hash function contained in the LU footer means that the LU header, the block of LU descriptors and the key for information content are the same as during the distribution device 1. If there is an unauthorized change in the value of the frequency of use, the calculated Reference_VALUE_NEXT is very different from the value of the hash function contained in the LU footer. The value of the hash function is stored in the LU footer to enable the device receiving the LU to detect such an unauthorized change.

<Portable Media 3>

The following is a description of the internal structure of the portable medium 3. The internal structure of the portable medium 3 is shown in FIG. As shown in the drawing, the portable medium 3 comprises a protected area 5, access to which is authorized only for authorized devices, and a user area 6, access to which is permitted for any, including unauthorized devices. On the portable medium 3, a medium identifier is uniquely identified that identifies the portable medium 3 and media type data indicating the type of the portable medium 3 (for example, an SD memory card, a memory stick type, and the like). The encrypted information content is recorded in the user area 6, and in the protected area 5, the identifier of the information content of the medium, the encrypted key for the information content and UR-M (media usage rule) are recorded. The encrypted key for the information content is encrypted using the media identifier, and its processing is carried out in conjunction with the media information identifier (in the drawing, a pair of the encrypted key for the information content and the media information identifier is shown as CKPT (title key record) (TKE)). UR-M data (media usage rule) indicates the condition of use.

<NetDRM End Device 2>

6 shows the internal structure of the NetDRM terminal device 2. As shown in the drawing, the NetDRM terminal device 2 contains a hard disk drive (HDD) 7, a client NetDRM application 8, a browser program 9, and a secure I / O module 10.

NRW 7 contains a user area 7a, access to which is allowed for ordinary users, and a protected 7b area, access to which is allowed only to client NetDRM application 8, and a secure I / O software module 10.

Application NetDRM Client 8 is a network distribution program for digital information product (NetDRM), which is implemented in conjunction with switchgear 1. Client NetDRM Application 8 controls the download of digital information product from switchgear 1 to NetDRM terminal 2 and the loading of digital information product from the terminal NetDRM device 2 to the distribution device 1. The client NetDRM application 8 writes the loaded LU to the protected blastoma 7b and encrypted content contained in the downloaded digital information product 7a to the user. The client application identifier uniquely identifies the client NetDRM application 8.

Browser 9 is an application program that allows the user to browse network nodes related to the distribution of information products under the control of switchgear 1. Through this browser 9, the user, when subscribing to the distribution service, can register information about his identifier in switchgear 1, then Selecting a digital information product to download or upload. After selecting a digital information product for download, the Unified Network Index (URL) of the network node from which the selected digital information product, the identifier of the selected digital information product and other information are to be downloaded to the client NetDRM application 8, and proceed with downloading the digital information product.

The built-in secure I / O software module 10 is a program built into the computer to allow access to portable media 3. The secure I / O software 10 integrated software module provides playback of the digital information product stored in HDD 7, as well as “moving” the digital information product between NetDRM terminal device 2 and portable medium 3. The term “move” means an operation to process the recording of data recorded on the original recording medium to a specified rer recording and erasing data, originally located on the source record carrier. The "move" operation differs from the "copy" operation in that it removes the original data. In this embodiment of the invention, the operation of recording the digital information product on the portable medium 3 is implemented by the “move” operation to prevent excessive duplication of the digital information product. The secure I / O firmware 10 can perform two types of “move” operations. One type is the operation in which the digital information product stored in the HDD 7 is recorded on the portable medium 3 and the digital information product is deleted from the HDD 7 (this processing operation is referred to below as “moving from the system”). Another type is the unloading of the UR-M recorded on the portable medium 3 into the switchgear 1 after conversion to the LU, and it is impossible to reproduce the digital information product recorded on the portable medium 3 (this processing operation is hereinafter referred to as “transfer to the system”).

In addition to the description of the above components, the following is a more detailed description of the internal structure of the client NetDRM application 8 and the firmware 10 of the secure I / O. 7 shows a detailed structure of a client NetDRM application 8 and a secure I / O firmware 10. As shown in the drawing, the client NetDRM application 8 and the secure I / O software module 10 include a LU receipt processing module (“Get-LT”), a playback module 12, a LU return processing module (“Put-LT”), a module 14, movement control from the system, a medium recording module 15, a movement control module 16 to the system, and a media reading module 17.

The LU receipt processing module 11 performs an “receive LU” operation upon user request. The operation "receive LU" represents the processing of receiving a digital information product and LU from the distribution device 1. When a request for receiving LU is issued, the LU receiving processing module 11 receives the digital information product and LU transmitted from the distribution device 1 through the network and verifies the authenticity of the LU using values of the hash function stored in the LU footer of the received LU. After authenticating the LU, the LU receipt processing module 11 records the encrypted information content in the user area 7a and the LU record in the protected area 7b.

The playback module 12 decrypts the encrypted information content stored in the user area 7a using a key for the information content contained in the LU stored in the protected area 7b of the HDD 7 to play the digital information product. In this embodiment, the playback module 12 also monitors the period of time during which the digital information product is reproduced, and decreases the value of the frequency of use by one when the period of time exceeds the threshold value of use.

The LN return processing module 13 performs the LN return operation when the user no longer wishes to use the digital information product in the NetDRM terminal device 2. The LN return operation represents the processing of loading the LN contained in the protected area 7b into the distribution device 1 and subsequent erasure of the LU stored in the protected area 7b. The result of the operation of the return LU is that the digital information product becomes inaccessible to the user. After that, the LU return processing module 13 unloads the LU into the switchgear 1 and waits for the value of the residual utilization rate indicated in this LU to be displayed in the rights management information database 19. After receiving from the switchgear 1 a notification about the normal completion of processing, the processing module 13, which ensures the return of the LU, completes the operation "return LU".

The above components relate to the use of the digital information product in the NetDRM terminal device 2. The components related to the operations of moving the digital information product are described below.

The system move control module 14 performs a system move operation when the portable medium 3 is connected to the NetDRM terminal device 2, and the user instructs the digital information product to be recorded on the portable medium 3 for use. In this embodiment, the module 14 for managing movement from the system creates a backup copy of the LU stored in the device, and then transfers the LU and the digital information product to the built-in software module 10 of the secure I / O. The module 14 of the movement control from the system waits until the transferred LU and digital information product are recorded on the portable medium 3. After the recording is completed, the module 14 of the movement control from the system requests the delivery of information that uniquely identifies the medium (containing the identifier of the medium, the identifier of the information content of the medium and data on the type of medium), for this portable medium 3, on which the LU and the digital information product were recorded. After receiving information that uniquely identifies the medium, the module 14 for moving the system from the system transmits the LU (output LU) and information that uniquely identifies the medium, together with the identifier of its client application, to the distribution device 1. After that, the module 14 for managing the movement of the system erases the LU from the protected area 7b, making it impossible to play encrypted information content located in the user area 7.

The recording module 15 receives the LU from the client NetDRM application 8 and retrieves the key for the information content and the identifier of the information content from the received LU. After moving from the system, the recording medium module 15 converts the condition of use contained in the LU to UR-M. After this conversion, the medium recording module 15 encrypts the key for the information content using the medium identifier, assigns an identifier (media information content identifier) in a format uniquely determined by the portable medium 3, and writes UR-M, an encrypted key for the information content and the information content identifier media to the protected area 5 of portable media 3. The media recording module 15 also converts encrypted information content compressing to a format uniquely determined by portable medium 3, and writes it to user area 6 of portable medium 3. In particular, for example, when the memory areas in portable medium 3 are controlled by a file system, the medium recording module 15 converts the encrypted information contents to a file and writes the file to portable medium 3. Since the condition of use is recorded in the protected area 5, it is protected from unauthorized access, for example, from falsification, and, therefore quently can be provided a secure use of the digital data product. Due to the operation of moving from the system, the digital information product loaded into the terminal NetDRM device 2 can be used not only in the terminal NetDRM device 2, but also in other devices, for example, in controllers 4a, 4b, and 4c.

The module 16 controlling the movement to the system ensures that the following operations are performed by means of the built-in software module 10 of the secure I / O: (a) processing for converting the UR-M to the LN when moving to the system and (b) processing to ensure the inability to reproduce the digital information product. Then the module 16 control the movement in the system waits until it is received LU from the built-in software module 10 of the secure I / O. After receiving the LN, the module 16 controlling the movement in the system unloads the LN into the switchgear 1, as in the case of the return of the LU, and waits for the value of the residual multiplicity of use indicated in this LU to be displayed in the switchgear 1. After receiving a notification from the switchgear 1 about the normal completion of the processing, the module 16 controlling the movement to the system completes the operation of moving to the system.

When the operation of moving to the system is performed, the media reader 17 reads the UR-M, the encrypted key for the information content and the identifier of the information content of the medium from the protected area 5, converts the UR-M into a condition of use, decrypts the encrypted key for the information content using the media identifier and based on the identifier of the information content of the medium, receives the identifier of the information content to create the LU (LU entered into the system) containing a condition of use, but not containing a key for information content and an identifier for information content. Then, the module 17 for reading from the media erases the encrypted key for the information content contained in the protected area 5, thereby making it impossible to reproduce the digital information product, and then feeds information that uniquely identifies the medium to the module 16 for managing movement to the system.

<Launchers 4a, 4b and 4c>

Below is a description of PU 4A, 4B and 4C. PU 4a, 4b and 4c are devices that meet the requirements of SDMI, capable of writing data to the protected area 5 of portable media 3 and reading from it, as well as capable of reproducing a digital information product. The controllers 4a, 4b and 4c are equipped with a built-in software module for secure input-output. This embedded secure input / output software module comprises a media reader and a media writer for accessing the protected area 5 of portable medium 3, as well as a playback module. These modules respectively perform the same functions as the media reader 17, the media writer 15, and the playback module 12, which are provided with the integrated secure input / output software module 10. For example, the playback module included in the PU 4a, 4b, and 4c, as well as the playback module 12, can decrypt the encrypted information content stored in the user area 6 using a key for the information content contained in the LU stored in the protected area 5, to ensure playback of the digital information product. In this embodiment, the control units 4a, 4b, and 4c also monitor the period of time during which the digital information product is reproduced, and reduce the value of the frequency of use by one in the case when this period of time exceeds the threshold value of use.

<Switchgear 1>

The following is a description of the internal structure of the switchgear 1. The internal structure of the switchgear 1 is shown in Fig. 8. The distribution device 1 contains a library of 18 information content, a database 19 of rights management information, a means 20 for updating subscription data, a payment server 21, a means for updating purchase data 22, a content distribution server 23, an LU transmission device 24, a data update module 25 moving from the system, data update module 26 when moving to the system and verification module 27. Of these devices and modules, the subscription data update tool 20, the purchase data update tool 22, and the LU transmission device 24, the data update module 25 when moving from the system, the data update module 26 when moving to the system, and the verification module 27 form a server 28 NetDRM

The information content library 18 stores a plurality of information products, which are encrypted information content, which are intended for distribution. Each of these information products, which are encrypted information content, is uniquely identified by a unique identifier for the information content.

The rights management information database 19 stores a key for information content, an identifier of information content and a condition of use for each digital information product to be downloaded. The contents of the database 19 information rights management before the user is subscribed to the provision of this service, shown in Fig.9. As shown in FIG. 9, the rights management information database 19 consists of three tables: “INFORMATION_CONTENT_NDRM_”, “NDRM_URC” and “INFORMATION_CONTENT_NDRM_ FOR_URC”. "INFORMATION_CONTENT_NDRM" is a table for matching the identifier of the information content and the key for the information content. 10A shows an example of the table "INFORMATION_CONTENT_NDRM". As shown in the drawing, the content identifiers "CC0000A", "CC0000B", "CC0000C" and "CC0000D" are associated with the corresponding keys "jgskgjiege05e", "4sd5e8g4s5g", "4kpnk0dh8ke" and "ppz09ckd88d" for information content.

"NDRM_URC" is a table for mapping the identifier urc (identifier of the rule for the use of information content) and UR-C (rules for the use of information content). UR-C is the original version of the rights management information specified by the content provider, and the identifier _urc is the identifier of the UR-C. "INFORMATION_CONTENT_NDRM_ FOR_URC" is a table containing a plurality of pairs of identifiers urc and identifiers_information_contents for matching "INFORMATION_CONTENT_NDRM" and "NDRM_URC". Fig. 10B shows an example of the table "INFORMATION_CONTENT_NDRM_ FOR_URC". As shown in the drawing, each of the six content identifiers "CC0000A", "CC0000B", "CC0000C" ... and "CC0000F" (which are content identifiers for content A to F of FIG. 3) is mapped urcID is "00000001".

The subscription data updating means 20 registers the user identifier information in the rights management information database 19 in accordance with the user performing the subscription operation to provide the service. The content of the rights management information when subscribing a user to provide a service is shown in FIG. 11. 11 shows a database 19 of rights management information to which the data "USER_NDRM" and "CLIENT_NDRM" are added in comparison with its contents depicted in Fig. 9. The NDRM USER data is user identification information and consists of the user identifier "user identifier", user name "user_name", user zip code user_post_user_index ", user address" user_address ", telephone number of the user" user_phone_phone number "and user e-mail address" e-mail_address ". If many users have subscribed to the service, the data" USER_NDRM "is used are used as a template, and the identifier information for each of the plurality of users is managed in the rights management information database 19. As one example, Fig. 12A shows identifier information for each of the users named "David Moor", "Alice Liddell" and John Brown, who signed up for the service. The CLIENT_NDRM data consists of the user identifier "user_id" and the identifier "customer_id" for client NetDRM application 8 contained in the owned the user terminal NetDRM device 2. On Figb shows the data "CLIENT_NDRM" for three users with user_id, respectively, from "AA00001" to "AA00003". In this data, "CLIENT_NDRM" user_id from "AA00001" to "AA00003" assigned client_id, respectively, from "00000001" to "00000003".

Payment server 21 processes payments through the network when a user purchases digital information products.

The purchase data updating means 22 updates the database 19 of the rights management information when the user purchases digital information products. 13 shows the contents of a rights management information database 19 after a user acquires digital information products. As shown in the drawing, after acquiring digital information products, the NDRM_URUS table is added to the database 19 of rights management information (URUS — usage rule for the user on the server). The NDRM_URUS data consists of the UR-Us identifier, urus identifier, the rights management information item assigned to the user, UR-Us and the user identifier who purchased the digital information products, user identifier. FIG. 14 shows “NDRM_URUS” data for a plurality of users having user identifiers “AA00001” through “AA00004”. As shown in the drawing, UR-Us indicates the permitted usage rate and the usage threshold value set for each user.

At the request of the user, the content distribution server 23 transmits encrypted information content selected from a plurality of products, which are encrypted information content stored in the content library 18.

The LU transmission device 24 transfers to the LU user a condition of use and a key for the information content of the requested digital information product from a user-specified group of digital information products. The LU transmission device 24 retrieves a portion of the existing terms of use contained in the UR-Us, which are managed in the rights management information database 19. The operation "extract the terms of use" means processing to generate information that indicates part of the terms of use, and reduces the value of UR-Us in the database 19 of information rights management. The following is a case in which, by means of UR-Us, the permitted use factor of 10 is indicated, and the LN transmission device 24 extracts from the allowable use factor of 10, the value of use factor equal to 8. The value of the use factor equal to 8 is subtracted from the allowed multiplicity use equal to 10, as a result of which receive the permitted frequency of use equal to 2.

The data update module 25 when moving from the system is a module used to update the rights management information database 19 after purchasing digital information products. 15 shows the contents of the rights management information database 19 after performing a move operation from the system. As shown in FIG. 15, the data “BACK_Copy_LU_WAR_MOVING_ FROM SYSTEM_NDRM” has been added to the stored contents shown in FIG. “BACK_Copy_LU__ AT_MOVING_From SYSTEM_NDRM_” data consists of a user identifier (“user identifier”) that performed a move operation from the system, “carrier identifier” transferred from the terminal NetDRM of device 2, during a move operation from the system, “data_identifier”, “data_identifier”, “data_identity____ data___content_ .

On Fig shows the data set "RESERVE_Copy_LU__PRO_MOVING_From SYSTEM_NDRM" for many users having user identifiers from "AA00001" to "AA00003". As shown in the drawing, the data "media_identifier", "media_id_content_id", "output_LU", and "media_type" are set for each user.

The data update module 26 when moving to the system receives the LU transmitted from the terminal NetDRM of the device 2 and verifies the authenticity of the LU using the hash value stored in the LU footer, and then updates the UR-Us based on the conditions of use contained in this LU. For example, in the case when the value of the allowed use factor specified in UR-Us is 2, and the value of the use factor returned from the terminal NetDRM device 2 is 6, the data update module 26 when moving to the system adds to the specified in UR- Us of the allowed usage factor of 2, the value of the usage factor of 6 to get an updated value of the allowed usage factor of 8.

Verification module 27 obtains information that uniquely identifies portable media 3 and the LU loaded by the NetDRM terminal device 2 during a move to the system and compares the received information that uniquely identifies the medium with information that uniquely identifies the medium stored in the data . Verification module 27 instructs module 26 to update data when moving into the system a command to update UR-Us only if the comparison result indicates a complete match. When the comparison result indicates an incomplete match, the verification module 27 does not issue a data update module 26 when moving the UR-Us update command to the system. Thus, UR-Us is updated only if the received information that uniquely identifies the medium and the stored information that uniquely identifies the medium are completely the same. Consequently, an attacker who sends any unauthorized LU to switchgear 1 will not be able to update the value of the allowed frequency of use in UR-Us and derive undeserved benefits.

<Operations>

Below with reference to Fig.17 - Fig.20 describes the operations performed in the system related to the first embodiment of the invention described above. On Fig shows the sequence of data processing in the system when performing the operation of moving information content And from the system.

17, the initial state, denoted as sj1, is a state in which six digital information products, that is, information content A through F, are combined into a rights management information database 19 as a single group and are available to the user.

The state designated as sj2 is the state of the contents stored in UR-Us after the client NetDRM application 8 issues a download request yk0 in accordance with the download request yk1 issued by the browser. In state sj2, the permitted use rate specified in UR-Us is the allowed use rate equal to 2, remaining after extracting from the allowable use rate equal to 10, the value of the use ratio equal to 8. The value of the extracted use rate equal to 8 is stored in the LU and loaded with the encrypted information content A, which is indicated by the arrow dd0.

The state sj2 indicates the state of the contents stored in the HDD 7 after loading the LU and the encrypted information content in the client NetDRM application 8. In particular, this state sj4 denotes the state in which the LU 7 containing the value of the usage factor of 8 is written on the HDD 7 and encrypted information content.

In state sj4, it is assumed that the operation of moving information content A from the system has been initiated. The LU and the encrypted information content A stored in the HDD 7 are supplied to the secure I / O software module 10. The state sj5 denotes the state of the contents stored in the HDD 7 after the transfer of the LU and the information content A, and indicates that the encrypted information content A has been converted to a state that could not be reproduced, and the LU has been deleted.

State sj6 denotes the state of the contents stored in the data “BACKUP_Copy_LU_PR_MOVING_FIRM_NDRM_System_” in the database 19 of rights management information after executing a move operation from the system in the NetDRM terminal 2. In the data “BACKUP_COPE_LENU_RESIDENT, the DEPARTMENT_DISTRIBUTION and the DEPARTMENT_DISABLE information secure I / O module 10 and from client application 8 NetDRM, which is indicated by sy3 and sy4 arrows. In state sj6, switchgear 1 transmits a notification of normal completion of processing, which is indicated by arrow sy5. The NetDRM client application 8 receives this notification and completes the move operation from the system.

Fig. 18A and Fig. 18B show how the portable medium 3 is used on which the information content A is recorded. Suppose that the user installs the portable medium 3 on which the information content A has been recorded via the move operation from the system in the memory devices 4a, 4b or 4c and reproduces information content as shown in Fig. 18A. FIG. 18B shows a portable medium 3 on which information content A has been recorded by a move operation from the system. Since by means of PU 4a, 4b, or 4c the information content A was reproduced once, in this state the value of the frequency of use equal to 1 was subtracted from the value of the frequency of use equal to 8, as a result of which the resulting value of the residual frequency of use is 7.

Assume that the user reconnects the portable medium 3 to the NetDRM terminal device 2 after repeatedly reproducing the information content A. FIG. 19 shows a processing flow in the system when performing the operation of moving the information content A to the system. The state jt1 denotes the contents stored in the portable medium 3 after performing the playback operation twice. As shown in the drawing, the value of the frequency of use stored in the protected area 5 is 6 (= 8-2). Assume that after this, the operation of moving to the system from the portable medium 3 is performed. The state jt2 indicates the contents stored in the portable medium 3 after the operation of moving to the system is performed. The UR-M data stored in the protected area 5 of the portable medium 3 has been deleted, and the encrypted information content is in a non-reproducible state. Between state jt1 and state jt2, an operation cs1 of transmitting the LU and information that uniquely identifies the medium is performed.

The state jt3 indicates the data state "NDRM_URUS" before performing the operation of moving to the system, namely, the terminal NetDRM device 2. In this state, the value of the frequency of use is 2. The state jt4 indicates the contents stored in the data "BACKUP_Copy_LU_PR_MOVING_From SYSTEM_NDRM" after unloading the LU and information defining media. This stored content is used for the decision operation h0 to confirm the authenticity of the information that uniquely identifies the medium transmitted to the switchgear 1 during the transmission operation cs1.

The jt5 state indicates the contents stored in the "NDRM_URUS" data, updated after the authentication of information that uniquely identifies the medium. In this state, the value of the factor of use equal to 8 is obtained by adding to the indicated in the state jt3 the allowed factor of use equal to 2, the value of the residual factor of use equal to 6.

On Fig shows a sequence of processing operations performed in the system during the operation of moving information content From the system. The state hj1 in FIG. 20 denotes the content of the data “NDRM_URUS” before loading the information content B. As a result of the move operation to the system shown in FIG. 19, the value of the allowed usage factor is increased to 8. Therefore, the information content B can be assigned the value of the usage factor from 1 to 8. Status hj2 indicates the contents of "NDRM_URUS" after loading information content B. Information content B is assigned a value of the frequency of use equal to 5, therefore, the updated value Use permitted multiplicity equal to 3 (= 8-5).

The state hj3 indicates the contents stored in the portable medium 3 after moving the information content B from the system. Since the encrypted information content transferred to the secure encrypted input / output software module 10 by the transfer operation and the usage factor of 5 is recorded in the portable medium 3, the digital information product can be used no more than five times.

Suppose a user downloads a digital information product with the intention of using it ten times, but after listening to the digital information product twice, he no longer wants to use it. In this case, a residual utilization factor of 8 is recorded in the protected area 5 of the portable medium 3, and this residual utilization factor is also downloaded to the distribution device 1 by the terminal NetDRM device 2. Then this utilization factor of 8 can be assigned various digital information products from the same group.

As described above, the presented embodiment of the invention implements a service that allows a user to freely download digital information products in a group and use digital information products within a predetermined authorized frequency of use to ensure better satisfaction of customer needs. In addition, since the transmission device manages the rights management information for digital information products and registered data on the degree of their use, new services can be expected, for example, discount services in accordance with the number of download operations or the provision of a free service to a user using a particular device.

It should be noted that, although this embodiment of the invention is described under the assumption that the digital information product is a piece of music, the digital information product may be video material, such as an e-book, movie, television production, still image or application program, such as a game program.

(Second Embodiment)

Although in the first embodiment of the invention, the value of the frequency of use was used as the condition for using the digital information product, in the second embodiment of the invention, the period of use is used as the condition of use.

As is the case with the use of the frequency of use, the condition of use, which is the period of time of use, is subjected to various operations performed by the switchgear 1, the terminal NetDRM device 2 and the controllers 4a, 4b and 4c.

Firstly, in the first embodiment of the invention, the value of the permitted multiplicity of use is recorded in UR-Us, and part of it can be extracted during the loading of the digital information product. In a similar way, the value of the allowed period of use used in this embodiment as a condition of use is also recorded in UR-Us, and part of it can be extracted. For example, in the case when the value of the allowed period of use equal to 60 minutes is recorded in UR-Us, the value of the period of use from 0 to 60 minutes can be retrieved.

Secondly, in the first embodiment of the invention, the value of the utilization factor downloaded together with the encrypted information content is recorded on the HDD 7 contained in the NetDRM terminal device 2 or on the portable medium 3, and the use of the encrypted information content can continue as long as the value of the multiplicity of use does not reach zero. The same applies for the period of use in this embodiment. In particular, the value of the time period of use downloaded together with the encrypted information content is recorded on the HDD 7 contained in the terminal NetDRM device 2 or on portable medium 3, and the use of the encrypted information content can continue until the value of the time period of use is not will reach zero.

Thirdly, in the first embodiment of the invention, at each single use of the encrypted information content, the value of the frequency of use is reduced by one. The same applies for the period of use in this embodiment. In particular, with each single use of the encrypted information content, the value of the time period of use downloaded with the encrypted information content decreases by the length of the period of time during which the encrypted information content is used.

Fourthly, in the first embodiment, the value of the residual usage factor can be added to the UR-Us contained in the switchgear 1 by loading it from the terminal NetDRM device 2 into the switchgear 1. The same applies for the period of use in this embodiment. In particular, the value of the remaining time period of use can be added to the value of the allowed time period of use recorded in the UR-Us by downloading it from the terminal NetDRM device 2 to the distribution device 1.

The time period of use added in this way can be redistributed and assigned to other information content.

Figures 21-23 show examples of operations in a system using a period of use as a condition of use. Examples of operations shown in these drawings contain the same conditions as those shown in FIGS. 17-19. The only difference is that the values of the frequency of use equal to 10, 8, 7, etc. in the states shown in Fig.17-19, replaced in Fig.21-23 by the values of the time intervals of use equal to 60 minutes, 50 minutes, 10 minutes, etc.

The following is a description of examples of operations in Fig.21-23. On Fig shows the operation of retrieving the value of the time period of use equal to 50 minutes from contained in UR-Us the allowed period of time of use equal to 60 minutes (state sj1), as well as the operation of loading and recording the value of the period of time equal to 50 minutes, onto portable medium 3 together with information content A.

On figa and 22B shows how to reduce the value of the time period of use stored in portable media 3, up to 40 minutes after playback of information content for 10 minutes. Fig. 23 shows how the value of the remaining usage time of 40 minutes is loaded into the switchgear 1 and added to the UR-Us contained in the switchgear 1. Performing the above operation results in an increase in the allowed period of use equal to 10 minutes, controlled by switchgear 1, up to 50 minutes. As a result of this, any other digital information product with information content B can be assigned a time period of use from 1 minute to 50 minutes.

As described above, if the degree of utilization of the information content is controlled by the period of use, this embodiment allows the free distribution of the period of use for each information content.

It should be noted that although updating the value of the time period of use in this embodiment of the invention is in minutes, it can be updated in hours or seconds.

(Third Embodiment)

While the first and second embodiments of the invention limit the use of the digital information product to playback, this embodiment of the invention assumes the availability of a variety of actions for use, such as playback and printing.

24 shows an example of rights management information (UR-Us) containing a usage condition for each usage action, for example, playback and printing. In the case where the digital information product is an electronic book, the “viewing” action indicated in the drawing means viewing the electronic book. The action "print" refers to the printing operation of an electronic book. In the UR-Us data shown in FIG. 24, for each of the viewing and printing actions, a permitted usage rate and a usage threshold value are set. That is, for each of the actions in relation to the same digital information product an independent condition of use is set. In addition, in the case when an image, for example a score, a background image or an image of a pop star, is attached to a digital information product representing a musical work, then a special condition of use can be specified for such an image. That is, the action for viewing or printing such an image may be assigned a permitted frequency of use or a permitted period of time of use.

The transfer of the conditions of use for many actions for use is carried out as part of the LU, the data format of which is shown in Fig. On Fig shows the data format LU containing many blocks of descriptors LU. In block No. 1 of the descriptors LU shown in Fig.25, the action identifier indicating the action "view", the value of the frequency of use and the threshold value of use for the action "view" are stored. In block No. 2 of the descriptors LU # 2, the action identifier indicating the action "print", the value of the frequency of use and the threshold value of use for the action "print" are stored.

With reference to FIGS. 26A and 26B, a description will now be made of an operation for extracting a condition of use according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 26A shows the state of the UR-Us before the operation of extracting the condition of use is performed, and FIG. 26B shows the data of the UR-Us after the condition of use has been extracted. As shown in FIG. 26A, UR-Us comprises two pairs of allowed usage multiples of 10 and utilization thresholds. One pair contains the value of the frequency of use equal to 10, and the threshold value for the action "view", and the other pair contains this data for the action "print". In the case when the value of the frequency of use for the “print” action, equal to 10, which is indicated by the arrow у1, is extracted from this UR-Us, and transferred as part of the LU, the condition of use for the “print” action is completely removed from UR-Us. The value of the multiplicity of use equal to 10 is stored in the block descriptors LU together with the identifier of the action, denoting the action "print", and the threshold value of use. In this case, the condition of use for the “view” action remains unchanged in UR-Us, and this condition of use can be loaded along with other information content at the next load. As shown in the drawing, when downloading a digital information product, the terms of use can be retrieved for one or both actions.

On the other hand, when receiving an LU in which a condition of use is specified for each action, the terminal NetDRM device 2 extracts only that condition of use that is acceptable for the controllers 4a, 4b, or 4c, and converts it to UR-M. This is because the ability to use a digital information product varies depending on the characteristics of each of PU 4a, 4b and 4c. For example, one PU can be a personal information device (PDA) and can be used to view a digital information product, but cannot be used to print a digital information product, and another PU can be used both for viewing and printing a digital information product. Therefore, all conditions of use for a digital information product may not be acceptable for each device. Therefore, they extract only the conditions of use that are acceptable for PU 4a, 4b, or 4c.

As described above, in the case where the device can perform many actions, such as printing or viewing, using a downloadable digital information product, such as an e-book, this embodiment of the invention allows you to set a condition of use for each action on the use of this product.

(Fourth Embodiment)

In a fourth embodiment of the invention, a condition of use, referred to as a “P (Plug-in) Condition”, is further provided. The condition of use used in the first, second and third embodiments of the invention can be applied to any action for use. A condition of use of this type is called the C (Client) condition. On the other hand, the P-condition depends on the action for use. That is, the P-condition imposes restrictions on the use action itself performed by the user through his device. In particular, in the case where the digital information product contains audio information, the C-condition limits the value of the frequency of use for the use action, which is reproduction. On the other hand, the P-condition limits the single use action itself. For example, the P-condition determines the quality of playback.

On Fig shows an example of the P-conditions specified for a digital information product containing audio information. As shown in the drawing, the P-condition determines the playback quality of the digital information product using parameters such as information about the sampling rate and information about the number of sampling bits.

Using information about the sampling frequency, the secure I / O firmware 10 is instructed to play back from one of the following sampling frequencies: 48 kHz, 96 kHz, 192 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 88.2 kHz, and 176.4 kHz, which are implemented by setting one of the values shown in the drawing from 001 to 110. Using the information about the number of sampling bits, the built-in secure I / O software module 10 is instructed to play back with one of the following options for the number of sampling bits: 16 bit, 20 bits and 24 bits, which is realized by setting one of the values shown in the drawing from 01 to 11.

The sampling rate or the number of sampling bits, respectively indicated by the information on the sampling frequency and information on the number of sampling bits, greatly affect the playback quality of the digital information product. Therefore, by means of the PUs 4a, 4b and 4c and the NetDRM terminal device 2, reproducing in accordance with the restriction imposed by the P-condition, the playback quality of the digital information product can be controlled. Since the P-condition is a condition of use that restricts the actual action of use, it can be set appropriately for a digital information product. For example, in the case where the digital information product is a movie, the proper image quality (resolution) can be set, and in the case where the digital information product is an e-book, the appropriate type of printing (color or monochrome) can be set.

In addition, the P-condition can be set in accordance with the type of portable media 3, which record the digital information product. For example, in the case where the portable medium 3 is an SD memory card, the P-condition can be set to restrict functions unique to the SD memory card (editing operations, such as incomplete erasure, division and integration, or special playback operations, such as fast play and random play). In the case where the portable medium 3 is a memory device of the type “memory stick”, the P-condition can be set to limit the functions unique to the memory card of this type.

An example of rights management information used in the fourth embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. On Fig shows an example in which it is allowed to perform many actions for use, such as viewing and printing, and for each action for use specified C-condition and P-condition. In particular, the UR-Us data shown in the drawing contains a C-condition and a P-condition defined for each usage action, that is, for the “play” and “print” actions. For the “play” action, the P-condition indicates the quality of the play. For the "print" action, the P-condition indicates the print quality.

To convey the terms of use for a variety of actions for use, the P-condition for each use action is distributed included in the LU, the data format of which is shown in Fig. 29. In block No. 1 of the descriptors of the LU, the P-condition is stored that defines the action identifier indicating the action for using “play”, the allowed frequency of use and the threshold value for use for the action for using “play”, as well as the quality of playback. On the other hand, in the block # 2 of the LU descriptors, the P-condition is stored that defines the action identifier, indicating the action for using “print”, the allowed frequency of use and the threshold value for use for the action for using “print”, as well as print quality.

Since the P-condition is transmitted together with the C-condition, a condition of use can be realized combining the frequency of use and the period of use indicated by the C-condition with the playback quality indicated by the P-condition. That is, on the controllers 4a, 4b and 4c and on the terminal NetDRM device 2, the following restrictions may be imposed. In the case when the playback quality with a single action for use is high, the frequency of use can be reduced, and in the case when the playback quality with a single action for use is low, the frequency of use can be set to infinitely large.

With reference to FIG. 30A and FIG. 30B, a description will now be made of an operation for extracting a condition of use according to a fourth embodiment of the invention. FIG. 30A shows the state of the UR-Us before retrieving the terms of use, and FIG. 30B shows the state of the UR-Us after retrieving the terms of use. Data "NDRM_URUS" contains a C-condition consisting of a value of the allowed frequency of use equal to 10, a threshold value of use and a P-condition, which indicates the quality of reproduction. After the value of the usage factor equal to 8 was extracted from this UR-Us data and the playback quality data was downloaded to the NetDRM terminal 2, the condition of use for the “print” usage action indicates that the received by subtracting from the permitted use factor equal to 10 specified in UR-Us, the value of use factor equal to 8, the allowed residual use rate equal to 2, and also that the playback quality data is removed from UR-Us. On the other hand, the value of the frequency of use, equal to 8, is stored in the block descriptors LU together with the action identifier indicating the action for the use of "print", and with a threshold value of use.

The P-condition stored in the LU is loaded into the NetDRM terminal device 2 of the user. As in the case of the C-condition, the recording of the P-conditions on the portable medium 3 can be carried out by the operation of moving from the system. In addition, the P-condition can be uploaded to the switchgear 1 together with the C-condition through the operation of moving to the system.

As described above, this embodiment of the invention allows you to set an appropriate condition for use for a certain type of digital information product or for a certain type of portable media 3 and PU 4a, 4b and 4c, which should be recorded digital information product, thereby making them more convenient for user.

(Fifth Embodiment)

In the fifth embodiment, the switchgear 1 controls the number of times a digital information product is simultaneously used by a plurality of devices (the allowed simultaneous use ratio). The allowed simultaneous use rate controlled by distribution server 1 is called the S (Server) condition, which differs from the P-condition and C-condition. The allowed multiplicity of simultaneous use, which corresponds to the S-condition, decreases when loading a digital information product. That is, with each operation of downloading a digital information product from a group, the allowed value of the multiplicity of simultaneous use, which is an S-condition, decreases.

On Fig shows an example of UR-Us data in which an S-condition is specified. As shown in the drawing, the C-condition and the P-condition for the action for using the "play" and the C-condition and the P-condition for the action for using the "print" are set. At this point, the UR-Us data shown in this drawing is identical to the UR-Us data of FIG. 28. However, in FIG. 31, an allowed multiplicity of simultaneous use is also set, that is, an S-condition. As can be seen from the drawing, the C-condition and the P-condition are set for each action for use, and the S-condition is set for each user, regardless of the indicated possible actions for use.

S-condition decreases when loading LU. That is, with each download of the digital information product, the value of the allowed multiplicity of simultaneous use decreases.

Assume that the S-condition specified in UR-Us for one user indicates the allowed simultaneous use ratio equal to 3. In this case, when loading information content A, the value of the allowed simultaneous use ratio equal to 3 decreases by 1 and becomes equal to 2. At the subsequent loading of two digital information products B and C, the value of the allowed multiplicity of simultaneous use, equal to 2, decreases by 2 and becomes equal to 0. For example, instead of loading three digital information products A user with three NetDRM terminal devices 2 can load content A using these three NetDRM terminal devices 2. In this case, the value of the allowed simultaneous use ratio of 3, i.e., the S-condition contained in UR-Us, is also reduced by 3 and becomes equal to 0. FIG. 32 shows the procedure for updating the value of the allowed multiplicity of simultaneous use when loading information content or moving it from the system, presented similarly to the procedure poured on Fig. In Fig. 32, the information content A is loaded once, therefore, the value of the allowed multiplicity of simultaneous use, equal to 3, decreases by 1 and becomes equal to 2.

In contrast, when unloading the LA, the S-condition increases. That is, with each upload of a digital information product through the operation of returning the LU or moving to the system, the allowed multiplicity of simultaneous use increases. The following two cases can be considered here. In the first case, the information content A, B and C is loaded, so the value of the allowed simultaneous use ratio becomes 0. Then the LUs for the information content A, B and C are unloaded from the terminal NetDRM device 2. The S-condition increases by 3 and becomes equal to 3. In the second case, the information content A is loaded three times, so the allowed multiplicity of simultaneous use becomes equal to 0. Then, the operation of returning the LU or moving to the system through three terminal NetDRMs is performed troystv 2, and the corresponding LU is discharged three times. As a result, the S-condition increases by 3 and becomes equal to 3.

On Fig shows a procedure for updating the value of the allowed multiplicity of simultaneous use when performing the operation of moving information content to the system, presented similarly to the procedure shown in Fig. 19.

The user can use the three downloaded digital information products through his NetDRM terminal device 2 and PU 4a, 4b and 4c. When a C-condition and a P-condition are specified in UR-Us, the use of these digital information products by the NetDRM terminal device 2 is limited to the C-condition and P-condition. If the C-condition and P-condition indicate unlimited use, the user can freely use digital information products through the terminal NetDRM device 2 and PU 4A, 4B and 4B.

Below with reference to Figa and 34B describes the procedure for extracting the conditions of use according to the fifth variant embodiment of the invention. FIG. 34A shows the state of the UR-Us before retrieving the terms of use, and FIG. 34B shows the state of the UR-Us after retrieving the terms of use. Data "NDRM_URUS" contains a C-condition consisting of a value of the allowed frequency of use equal to 10, a threshold value of use, a P-condition indicating the quality of playback, and an S-condition indicating the value of the allowed frequency of simultaneous use, equal to 3. If from UR- Us the value of the frequency of use (C-condition) equal to 8 is extracted, and data on the quality of reproduction, then the resulting condition of use for the action on the use of "print" indicates the value of the allowed frequency of use 2 obtained by subtracting from the permitted use factor of 10 contained in UR-Us, the value of the usage factor of 8 is 8, and data on playback quality is deleted from UR-Us. The value of the allowed multiplicity of simultaneous use, equal to 3, then decreases to 2.

Below, with reference to the flowcharts, a description is given of the operation procedure of the switchgear 1, client NetDRM application 8, and the secure I / O software module 10 included in the system related to the fifth embodiment of the invention. Since the fifth embodiment of the invention is based on the technical features of the first to fourth embodiments, the flowcharts below can be considered a comprehensive description of switchgear 1, client NetDRM application 8, and secure I / O firmware 10, which were disclosed in the above embodiments the implementation of the invention.

The following describes the process of downloading a digital information product performed by the switchgear 1, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 35 is a flowchart of a functional procedure of an LN transmission device 24 related to a fifth embodiment of the invention.

In step S1, the LN transmission device 24 determines whether the allowed simultaneous use ratio (S-condition) is zero (0) or not. If the download has already been performed several times and the allowed simultaneous use ratio is 0, in step S2, the LN transmission device 24 sends a message to the user that the download is not possible. If the allowed multiplicity of simultaneous use is not equal to 0, the device 24 of the transmission LU performs a double cycle operation. This operation has a double cycle structure in which the processing from step S3 to step S17 is repeated for each use condition specified in UR-Us (steps S19 and S20), and then for each use action specified in UR-Us (steps S21 and S22). This processing is described below for one condition of use specified for one use action.

In step S3, the LN transmission device 24 determines whether the condition of use is a value of the frequency of use (C-condition) or not. If the determination result is positive, then in step S4, the LN transmission device 24 determines whether the value of the allowed multiplicity of use is zero (0) or not. If the value of the allowed frequency of use is 0, then the use action cannot be performed. Therefore, in step S5, the LN transmission device 24 sets the inability to use flag to the “ON” state, indicating the inability to use the action. If the value of the allowed usage factor is not equal to zero (0), in step S6, the transmission device LU 24 provides the user with the permitted usage factor "s" and waits until the user indicates the value "t" of the usage factor (s> t) in step S7.

After indicating the value of “t” of the usage factor in step S8, the LN transmission device 24 subtracts the value of the factor of usage “t” from the allowed usage factor “s” and writes the value “s-t” of the residual usage factor as the allowed usage factor to the UR-Us. Then, in step S9, the LN transmission device 24 converts the value "t" of the frequency of use to the condition of use contained in the block No. "x" of the LN descriptors.

In step S10, the LN transmission device 24 determines whether the condition of use is a period of use (C-condition) or not. If the determination is positive in step S11, the LN transmission device 24 determines whether the allowed usage time “s” is zero (0) or not. If the allowed usage time is 0, the usage action cannot be performed. Therefore, in step S5, the LN transmission device 24 sets the inability to use flag to the “ON” state, indicating the inability to use the action. If the allowed usage time is non-zero (0), in step S12, the LN transmission device 24 provides the user with information about the allowed usage time “s” and waits until the user specifies the value “t” of the usage time in step S13 (s> t). After that, in step S14, the LN transmission device 24 subtracts the value of the usage time period “t” from the allowed usage time period “s” and writes to UR-Us the value of the remaining usage time period “s-t” as the allowed usage time period. Then, in step S15, the LN transmission device 24 converts the usage time period “t” to the condition of use contained in the block No. “x” of the LN descriptors.

In step S16, the LN transmission device 24 determines whether the condition of use is a P-condition or not. If the result is positive, the LN transmission device 24, in step S17, receives a user instruction about whether to extract the P-condition or not. If the user indicates the extraction, in step S18, the LN transmission device 24 converts the P-condition into a condition of use contained in block No. x of the LN descriptors. After performing the described processing with respect to all conditions of use for all actions for use, the processing proceeds to step S23. In step S23, the LN transmission device 24 determines whether the inability to use flags are indeed set to the “ON” state or not for all usage actions. If the flags of the inability to use for all actions for use are set to the state "ON", then at step S2, the device 24 for transmitting the LU provides the user with a message about the impossibility of loading. If, for at least one use action, the inability flag is set to “OFF”, then in step S25, the LU transmission device 24 remembers the LU identifier, version number, LU data amount, information content identifier and rights management information identifier in the LU header, and in step S26, this device stores the value of the hash function in the LU footer and, in step S27, transfers the LU. The device 24 transfer LU also issues a server 23 distribution of information content command to download encrypted information content.

Through the above procedure, the LU and the encrypted information content are transferred, after which the client NetDRM application 8 remembers the transferred LU and the encrypted information content in the HDD 7. After that, when the operation of moving the LU and the encrypted information content from the system, the client NetDRM application 8 performs the processing procedure in accordance with the flowchart of FIG.

On Fig shows a diagram of a sequence of operations performed in the module 14 control the movement of the system.

In step S31, the movement control module 14 from the system reads the LU and the encrypted information content from the HDD 7 and transfers the LU and the encrypted information content to the secure I / O firmware 10. In step S32, the motion control module 14 from the system waits for information that uniquely identifies the portable medium 3. After receiving information that uniquely identifies the medium, the motion control module 14 from the system in step S33 transmits information that uniquely identifies the medium to the switchgear 1 together with the client identifier applications and LU. At step S34, the motion control module from system 14 awaits notification of normal processing completion. After receiving this notification, the movement control module 14 from the system completes the processing procedure.

Below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 37, a description will be made of a functioning procedure of the embedded secure input / output software module 10 when performing a move operation from the system. On Fig shows a diagram of the sequence of operations performed by the module 15 of the recording medium, which is part of the built-in software module 10 of the secure I / O. The flowchart in FIG. 37 shows a processing cycle process in which steps S41 to S46 are repeated for each block of descriptors of the LN contained in the LU (steps S47 and S48). In step S41, the recording medium module 15 determines whether the action identifier contained in the LU descriptor block is suitable for user-owned PUs 4a, 4b, and 4c. If the control units 4a, 4b, and 4c do not have print and display functions, but only have the audio playback function, the processing in steps S42-S46 is performed only for those blocks of descriptors of the launcher in which the action identifier indicates the audio information, and for the remaining blocks of descriptors of the launcher, the processing operations steps S42-S46 are skipped.

Steps S45 and S46 are a cyclic procedure in which the processing in steps S42-S44 is repeated for each condition of use (P-condition and C-condition) specified in the LU descriptor block. In step S42, the medium recording unit 15 determines whether the condition of use is a P-condition or a C-condition. If the condition of use is a C-condition, the medium recording module 15 converts the conditions of use into the UR-M component. If the condition of use is a P-condition, the medium recording module 15 determines whether the P-condition is acceptable for the PU 4a, 4b, and 4c and for portable medium 3. If the P-condition is a condition of use for a use action that is audio playback, and indicates the quality of reproduction, this condition is acceptable for PU 4a, 4b and 4c, and therefore, the determination result in step S43 is positive.

On the other hand, if the P-condition is a condition of use for a use action that is audio playback, but indicates a condition of use acceptable to another portable medium 3 other than the user-owned portable medium 3, this condition is unacceptable for PU 4a, 4b and 4c. Therefore, the determination result in step S43 will be negative. It should be noted that the determination result in step S43 should contain the personal opinion of the user. Therefore, it is preferred that this definition includes an interactive user interaction operation.

The processing in step S44 is performed only for that condition of use for which the determination result in step S42 is negative and the determination result in step S43 is positive. At step S44, the condition of use is converted to a condition of use, which is a UR-M. The recording medium module 15 repeats the processing in step S44 for each condition of use from the LU descriptor block, and then ends the processing.

Below with reference to Fig. 38, a description will be made of the operation procedure of the media reading module 17 and the secure I / O firmware module 10 during the move operation to the system.

In step S50, the media reader 17 instructs the browser to display a list of information content stored in the portable medium 3. In step S51, the media reader 17 waits for the browser to select the information content. In step S52, the media reading unit 17 reads from the portable medium 3 the identifier of the information content of the medium and the UR-M of the selected information content, as well as the identifier of the medium. Then, in step S53, the media reader 17 converts the UR-M into the LU input to the system. After that, in step S54, the media reader 17 erases the identifier of the information content of the medium and the UR-M from the portable medium 3 and transmits the media entered into the system, data on the type of medium, the identifier of the medium, and the identifier of the information content of the medium to the client NetDRM application 8.

On Fig shows a diagram of the sequence of operations performed by the module 16 control the movement to the system contained in the client NetDRM application 8, when performing the move operation to the system. In step S56, the system transfer control module 16 awaits receipt of the LA input to the system, media type data, media identifier, and media content identifier. After receiving them in step S57, the module 16 controlling the movement of the system transmits to the switchgear 1 LU, entered into the system, data on the type of medium, media identifier and identifier of information content of the medium together with its own identifier of the client application.

When the operation of moving to the system through the client NetDRM application 8 and the firmware I / O 10 of the secure input / output system, information that uniquely identifies portable media 3, and the LU entered into the system, is returned from the terminal NetDRM device 2 to the distribution device 1. After receiving the information, uniquely identifying the carrier and the LA introduced into the system, the switchgear 1 updates the UR-Us data according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 40.

Below, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 40, a description will be made of the operation procedure of the switchgear 1 when performing the move operation to the system. On Fig shows a diagram of a sequence of operations performed by the module 26 updates the data and the module 27 checks when performing the move operation to the system. At step S61, the verification module 27 awaits receipt of the LU input to the system and information that uniquely identifies the medium. After receiving the LU entered into the system and the information that uniquely identifies the medium, in step S62, the verification module 27 compares the information that uniquely identifies the medium and the client application identifier stored in the data "BACK_Copy_LU_PR_MOVING_ FROM SYSTEM_NDRM", respectively, with the returned information that uniquely identifies and with the returned client application identifier. If the comparison result indicates a non-match, then the determination result in step S63 is negative and the processing procedure ends. If the comparison result indicates a match, the determination result in step S63 is positive, and the data update unit 26 when moving to the system performs steps S64 and S65 and completes the processing procedure. In particular, at step S64, the data update module 26, when moving to the system, increments the value of the allowed multiplicity of simultaneous use, that is, the S-conditions, and at step S65, it combines the LU input to the system and the LU output from the system. More specifically, the data update module 26 when moving to the system displays the condition of use contained in the descriptor block of the LA entered into the system in the LA output from the system stored in the data "RESERVE_Copy_LU_PR_MOVING_ FROM SYSTEM_NDRM". If the condition of use is displayed in the LU output from the system, then at step S66, the data update unit 26 when moving to the system updates the UR-Us data using this LU output from the system. More specifically, the data update module 26 when moving to the system displays in UR-Us the condition of use contained in the descriptor block of the LU output from the system. As described above, this leads to the fact that LU entered into the system, is displayed in UR-Us.

The combining procedure performed in step S65 is shown in more detail in the flowchart in FIG. 41. The following is a more detailed description of the merge procedure with reference to this flowchart. This flowchart has a double loop structure in which the processing in steps S71-374 is repeated for each block of descriptors of the LNs that make up the LUs that are entered into the system (steps S75 and S76), and the processing in steps S71-S76 is repeated for each condition use contained in each block of descriptors LU (steps S77 and S78).

In step S71, the data update unit 26 when moving to the system determines whether the C-condition is the value of the usage factor used in the first embodiment of the invention. If the determination result in step S71 is positive, then in step S72, the data update module 26, when moving to the system, writes a C-condition characterizing the frequency of use, which is contained in the LA entered into the system, on top of the C-condition characterizing the frequency of use, which is contained in LU output from the system.

In step S73, the data update unit 26 when moving to the system determines whether the C-condition is the usage period used in the second embodiment. If the result of the determination in step S73 is positive, in step S74, the data update module 26, when moving into the system, writes a C-condition characterizing the period of use that is contained in the LA entered into the system, on top of the C-condition characterizing the period of use that contains in the LU deduced from the system. When moving to the system, the data update module 26 repeats the above processing steps for each condition of use contained in the LU descriptor block, and then for each LU descriptor block, and completes the process of combining the LU entered into the system and the LU output from the system.

The following is a description of the UR-Us mapping process with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 42. This flowchart has a double loop structure in which the processing in steps S81-S86 is repeated for each block of descriptors of the LNs that make up the LUs to be output from the system (steps S87 and S88), and the processing in steps S81-S88 is repeated for each the conditions of use contained in each block of the descriptors of the LU (steps S89 and S90).

In step S81, the data update unit 26 when moving to the system determines whether the C-condition is the value of the usage factor used in the first embodiment of the invention. If the determination result in step S81 is positive, then in step S82, the data update module 26 when moving to the system summarizes the C-condition characterizing the frequency of use that is contained in the LN output from the system with the C-condition contained in UR-Us.

In step S83, the data update unit 26 when moving into the system determines whether the C-condition is the usage period used in the second embodiment of the invention. If the result of the determination at step S83 is positive, then at step S84, the data update module 26 when moving to the system sums up the C-condition characterizing the period of use that is contained in the LN output from the system with the C-condition characterizing the period of use that contained in UR-Us. In step S85, the data update unit 26 upon moving to the system determines whether the condition of use is a P-condition or not. If the result of the determination in step S85 is positive, then in step S86, the data update module 26, upon moving to the system, returns the P-condition contained in the LN output from the system to UR-Us. When moving to the system, the data update module 26 repeats the above processing steps for each condition of use contained in the LU descriptor block, and then for each LU descriptor block and completes the UR-Us mapping process.

As described above, this embodiment of the invention allows the user to use one information content simultaneously on a plurality of devices, since the distribution device 1 provides control of the allowed multiplicity of simultaneous use. In addition, since the operations of moving each information content from and to the system are performed in the same manner as in the first to fourth embodiments, it is possible to control such a method that combines the S-condition, C-condition and P-condition .

(Sixth Embodiment)

In the first to fifth embodiments, the user can use the digital information product through the controllers 4a, 4b, and 4c, as well as the terminal NetDRM device 2 at any given time until the allowed frequency of use or the allowed time period of use reaches zero (0) . However, the service provider may limit the period during which the user can use the digital information product, regardless of the permitted frequency of use or the allowed period of time of use. This is because it may be unprofitable for the service provider to store information intended for the user, which is controlled by the switchgear 1, for an unlimited time period, which is the case in the first to fifth embodiments.

To limit the term of use to one month, one week, etc. The LU according to the sixth embodiment of the invention has the format shown in FIG. 43. The LU shown in this drawing differs from the LU from the first through fifth embodiments in that in the header of this LU, the moment of the beginning of the validity period of the LU and the time of the end of the validity of the LU are remembered as a C-condition.

The time of the beginning of the validity period of the LU indicates the year / month / date, hour / minute / second, etc. start of validity period The LU expiration time indicates the year / month / date, hour / minute / second, etc. LU expiration date.

The NetDRM terminal device 2 and the control devices 4a, 4b and 4c compare the time of the beginning of the validity period of the LU and the time of the expiration date of the LU added to the LU with the current year / month / date or with the current hour / minute / second. When the current year / month / date or hour / minute / second does not go beyond the validity period specified by the time of the beginning of the validity period of the LU and the time of the end of the validity period of the LU, the user is allowed to use the digital information product in the same way as in first through fifth embodiments of the present invention.

When the current year / month / date, etc. are outside the validity period, the user is not allowed to use the digital information product even if the value of the frequency of use or the period of time of use is not zero (0). After the expiration of the process of using the digital information product, the use of the digital information product is immediately prohibited, starting from this particular point in time. This applies to the client NetDRM application 8 and the embedded software module 10 secure I / O. When the current year / month / date, etc. goes beyond the validity period, performing operations of moving from the system and moving to the system is prohibited.

As described above, this embodiment of the invention allows you to limit the period of use during which the user can use the digital information product, one month, one week, etc. Therefore, after a predetermined period of time, a variety of information intended for the user can be deleted. As a result of this, the provision of services according to the first to fifth embodiments can be realized with reduced control costs by the switchgear 1.

(Seventh Embodiment)

A seventh embodiment relates to an improved embodiment of a system in which one user owns a plurality of NetDRM terminal devices. On Fig shows a lot of terminal NetDRM devices belonging to one user. Each of the following devices: a desktop personal computer 201, a television set-top box 202, a mobile telephone 203, an audio server 204, and a personal information device 205 has a structure similar to that of the NetDRM terminal device 2 shown in the drawing. In addition, they are functionally equivalent to the NetDRM terminal device 2, which is shown in Fig.6 and Fig.7.

Since these NetDRM terminal devices belong to the same user, they are assigned the same user identifier "AA000001". Therefore, these NetDRM terminal devices 201-205 share a variety of information, including NDRM_URUS, CLIENT_NDRM data, and BACK_Copy_LU_PR_MOVE_NOT_NDRM data contained in the rights management information database 19.

Each of these NetDRM terminal devices 201-205 of FIG. 44 is capable of performing a move operation to the system of a digital information product recorded by another terminal NetDRM device belonging to the same user by performing a move operation of the digital information product from the system. In Fig. 44, it is assumed that the digital information product has been recorded on the portable medium 3 by the NetDRM terminal device 2 by performing the operation of moving the digital information product from the system. If the portable medium 3 onto which the digital information product is recorded is installed in the computer set-top box 202 to the TV, which is indicated by the arrow rt1, the computer set-top box 202 to the TV can perform the operation of moving this digital information product from the portable medium 3 to it. If this portable medium 3 installed in the mobile telephone 203, which is indicated by the arrow rt2, the mobile telephone 203 can perform the operation of moving this digital information into it onnogo product from the portable medium 3. The same is true for audio server 204 and the personal data device 205, as indicated by arrows and rt3 rt4.

If the digital information product is recorded on portable medium 3 by means of a NetDRM terminal device, which is a portable personal computer that performs the operation of moving the digital information product from the system, the user can perform the operation of moving this digital information product recorded on the portable medium 3 to the system outdoors using a mobile telephone 203. This makes it possible to freely download and upload a digital information product, so the user can freely download and upload a digital information product on the way to school or work or on the way back. In addition, for example, if a user wants to buy a new model of a NetDRM terminal device, the user does not need to transfer data to the new device. Therefore, the user can easily replace this device with a new one.

In this embodiment, when transferring a digital information product between a plurality of terminal NetDRM devices belonging to the same user, it is necessary to ensure the following operation. The operation consists in preventing the possibility of the operation of moving the digital information product into the system by a third party using a terminal NetDRM device that belongs to a third party. For this, the NetDRM terminal devices 202-205 determine whether there was information that uniquely identifies the portable medium 3 to which the request was issued to be recorded by one of the user-owned NetDRM terminal devices. This determination operation is implemented as described below. Download information that uniquely identifies the media belonging to the user, stored in the data "BACKUP_Copy_LU_When_MOVING_ FROM SYSTEM_NDRM",

the rights management information contained in the database 19 contained in the switchgear 1 and reading information that uniquely identifies the medium from the portable medium 3. Then, the downloaded information that uniquely identifies the medium and the read information uniquely identifying the medium are compared. In particular, according to a seventh embodiment of the invention, the client NetDRM application 8 performs a processing procedure in accordance with the flowchart shown in FIG. On Fig shows a diagram of a sequence of operations performed by the module 16 control the movement in the system according to the seventh variant embodiment of the invention.

In step S99, the motion control module 16 in the system awaits a request from the user for moving data from portable medium 3 to the system. After receiving the transfer request to the system in step S100, the transfer control unit 16 to the system issues to the switchgear 1 a request to download media type data, media identifier and media information content identifier stored in the data “BACK_Copy_LU__PRES_MOVING_FIRM_NDRM_System_. Then, in step S101, the system transfer control module 16 waits for the completion of loading data on the type of medium, the identifier of the medium, and the identifier of the information content of the medium stored in the data “BACK_Copy_LU_PR_MOVING_From SYSTEM_NDRM”. After receiving this data, in step S102, the system transfer control module 16 reads the media type data, the media identifier, and the media information content identifier from the portable medium 3. Then, in step S103, the system transfer control module 16 compares the read media type data read the media identifier and the read identifier of the information content of the medium, respectively, with the loaded data about the type of medium, with the loaded media identifier and with the loaded m identifier information media content. If the portable medium 3 from which data should be transferred to the system is the medium that was transferred to the data from the system using another NetDRM terminal device belonging to the same user, the result of the comparison operation should be a complete match. If the portable medium 3 is a medium, the transfer of data to which from the system was performed by means of another terminal device belonging to a third party, then the result of the comparison operation should indicate a mismatch.

In the case when the result of the comparison operation indicates a mismatch, there is a very high probability that the digital information product recorded on the portable medium 3, for which the operation of moving data from it to the system is to be performed, was recorded by a third party. Therefore, the determination result in step S104 is negative. At step S105, an error message is displayed and the user is informed that it is not possible to move to the system, after which the processing ends. If the comparison result shows a match, then the determination result in step S104 is positive. In this case, in step S106, the system transfer control module 16 instructs the secure I / O module 10 to execute the operation of moving data from the portable medium 3 to the system and performs steps S56 and S57 according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 39 .

It should be noted that the NetDRM terminal device 2 can transmit information that uniquely identifies the medium to the switchgear 1, which can perform the above comparison. If the comparison result shows a match, then the NetDRM terminal 2 can perform a move operation to the system.

As described above, this embodiment of the invention makes it possible to obtain a digital information product recorded on a portable medium 3 via one terminal NetDRM device by another terminal NetDRM device belonging to the same user, that is, deliver the digital information product to another device via portable medium 3, increasing convenience for the user.

(Eighth Embodiment)

An eighth embodiment of the invention is directed to creating a home network by providing wired or wireless communication between a plurality of NetDRM terminal devices belonging to one user. FIG. 46 illustrates a plurality of NetDRM terminal devices connected to a home network according to an eighth embodiment of the invention. This home network interconnects a desktop personal computer 201, a television set-top box 202, a mobile telephone 203, an audio server 204, and a personal information device 205 and provides data processing by which a digital information product downloaded via one of the NetDRM terminal devices is delivered to another NetDRM terminal device.

For example, the NetDRM terminal device, which is the audio server 204, issues a request to download to another NetDRM terminal device belonging to the same user. The NetDRM terminal device, which received the request to perform the download, transmits the encrypted information content and the LU to the audio server 204, which is indicated by the arrow rt5. The audio server 204 receives the transmitted information content and the LU and stores them in its hard drive 7. In this way, the digital information product can be obtained by another device directly through the home network.

As described above, this embodiment of the invention makes it possible to quickly and easily implement the transmission of a digital information product by transmitting it through a network.

(Ninth embodiment of the invention)

In the first to eighth embodiments, the movement operation is performed without any limitation on acceptability. However, in the ninth embodiment of the invention, various levels of acceptability of the moving operation can be set. The LU data format according to the ninth embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. On Fig shows the data format LU, set so that the acceptability of the movement operation can be set at different levels. The LU shown in this drawing differs from the LU from the first through eighth embodiments in that the move flag is set in the LU header.

The move flag in the LN is regarded as a C-condition, and (1) the value “00” means that the movement of the digital information product is not allowed, (2) the value “01” means that the movement of the digital information product is allowed only within the home network, and (3) a value of "10" means that the movement of a digital information product is permitted not only within the user's home network, but also to another user's home network.

The following is a description of the processing procedure performed by the NetDRM terminal device 2 when the LU is equipped with a LU move flag. If the LU move flag has a value of “01” or “10”, then the NetDRM terminal 2 performs the operation of moving this LU and its encrypted information content from the system in the same manner as in the first through eighth embodiments. If the LU move flag is set to “10,” then the NetDRM terminal 2 does not perform a move operation from the system. During the move operation from the system, the NetDRM terminal 2 converts the LN move flag into the UR-M data component and writes it to portable medium 3.

If the LU move flag is set to “01” or “10,” then the user is allowed to use the digital information product in the control rooms 4a, 4b, and 4c in the same way as is permitted in the first through eighth embodiments. If the LU move flag is set to "10", then the user is allowed to use information content only in the terminal NetDRM device 2.

Upon receipt of a request to move the digital information product recorded on portable medium 3 to the system, the terminal NetDRM device 2 performs processing according to the set value of the LN displacement flag contained in the UR-M data. In particular, if the LU move flag is set to “01”, then the NetDRM terminal 2 performs the determination procedure described in the eighth embodiment of the invention. That is, if the LN move flag is set to “01”, then the move operation to the system is performed only when the digital information product was recorded on the portable medium 3 by a NetDRM terminal device belonging to the same user. On the other hand, if the LN move flag is set to "10", then the NetDRM terminal 2 does not perform the determination procedure described in the eighth embodiment, but directly performs the move to the system. Thus, if the LN move flag is set to "10", the operation of moving the digital information product to the system, which was recorded by a NetDRM terminal device belonging to another user, is also allowed. The operations performed to implement the above processing procedure are described in the flowchart shown in FIG. On Fig depicts a sequence diagram of operations performed by the module 16 control the movement in the system according to the ninth embodiment of the invention.

In step S99, the motion control module 16 in the system waits for a move request from the user to the system. After receiving a request to move to the system, the module 16 controlling movement to the system performs, in step S110, the determination of the value of the LU movement flag. If the LU moving flag is set to “00”, then the processing proceeds to step S105, in which an error is displayed. If the LN displacement flag has a value of “01”, then the processing proceeds to step S100, which performs the same processing as in the eighth embodiment of the invention. If the LU move flag has a value of "10", then the processing proceeds to step S106, skipping steps S100-S104, and the move operation to the system is directly performed. Moreover, after the NetDRM terminal 2 performs the operation of moving to the system and unloading the LU, the switchgear 1 generates a UR-Us corresponding to the LU and registers the created UR-Us in the database of rights management information.

As described above, this embodiment allows you to set different levels of acceptability of movement, while completely banning the movement of a very important digital information product, and its use is allowed only in the terminal NetDRM device 2, and the less important digital information product is allowed to be transferred from one user to to another. By this, a highly efficient distribution of publicly available information content can be ensured.

(Tenth Embodiment)

In embodiments one through nine, it was assumed that the encrypted information content is transmitted along with the LU. However, in the tenth embodiment, the encrypted information content is transmitted to the user via a different route than the LU. On Fig shows a variant in which the encrypted information content and LU are transmitted on different routes. In a tenth embodiment of the invention, encrypted information content is recorded on a recording medium 300, for example, a compact disc or a universal digital disc in the form of read-only memory (DVD-ROM), and is distributed through stores and the like. along the same distribution path as commercial CDs or universal digital discs (DVDs). The user who has received the recording medium on which the encrypted information content is recorded, inserts the recording medium into the terminal NetDRM device 2, which is indicated by the uy2 arrow in Fig. 49, and also receives an LU containing the key for the information content and the condition for using the encrypted information content. The user then uses the encrypted information content. In this way, the LU and the encrypted information content are stored in the terminal NetDRM device 2, after which the digital information product can be used in the same way as it was described in the description of the first through ninth embodiments.

As described above, this embodiment of the invention allows the user to be provided with encrypted information content having a large amount of data without transmission through the network, which makes it possible to implement the services described in the first through ninth embodiments of the invention via a network with less bandwidth.

(Eleventh Embodiment)

In the first to tenth embodiments, the NetDRM terminal device 2 writes UR-M and encrypted information content to portable medium 3. However, in the eleventh embodiment, the UR-M and encrypted information content are recorded on various media. FIG. 50 shows how a NetDRM terminal 2 performs a move operation from a system according to an eleventh embodiment of the invention. As shown in the drawing, the NetDRM terminal 2 writes the UR-M data representing the condition of use to the memory card 400 on an integrated circuit (IC), and the encrypted information content to a conventional recording medium 401, such as a magnetic disk, on a compact disc or to a universal digital disc (DVD). The UR-M and the encrypted information content recorded on various media, namely, the memory board 400 on the IC and on the recording medium 401, are physically separated. The memory board 400 on the IC has the function of preventing data fraud by unauthorized users, which was described in the description of the first embodiment of the image as applied to portable medium 3. This makes it possible to ensure the confidentiality of UR-M data. On the other hand, the cost of a recording medium, such as, for example, a magnetic disk, a compact disc, and a universal digital disk, may be lower than the cost of the portable medium 3 in the first embodiment of the invention. By combining these media for their use, the same result can be obtained as in the case when the information content is recorded on a portable medium 3.

As described above, this embodiment of the invention allows the user to record encrypted information content on a conventional recording medium and use the information content. Therefore, there is no need for the user to purchase a semiconductor memory card or similar device solely for the service provided by this system. This reduces the material costs of the user, which leads to an additional expansion of the market for these services.

(Twelfth Embodiment)

A twelfth embodiment of the invention relates to a format in which a digital information product is stored when the portable medium 3 is an SD memory card.

It is assumed that the portable medium 3 in the first to tenth embodiments is an SD memory card 100, the physical structure of which according to the twelfth embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG.

On Fig shows the structure of the physical layer of the card 100 memory type SD. As shown in the drawing, the physical layer of the SD memory card 100 consists of a system area 101, a hidden area 102, a protected area 103, an AOK (authentication and key exchange) processor 104 (AKE), an AOK processor 105, and a decryption device 106 using the Ks key encryption device 107 using key Ks and user data area 108. The user data area 108 and the secure area 103 correspond to the user area 6 and the secure area 5 of the portable medium 3, which are shown in FIG.

System area 101 is a read-only area for storing a medium key block (BKN) (MKV) and a medium identifier. The BKN and media identifier stored in this area cannot be overwritten. Suppose that an SD memory card 100 is connected to other devices, for example, to a NetDRM terminal device 2 and to the controllers 4a, 4b and 4c, and that the BKN and the media identifier are read by one of the devices connected to it. If this device correctly performs a predetermined calculation operation using the BKN, the media identifier and the key Kd stored in it. device, it can get the correct Kmu key for information content. In the hidden area 102, a key Kmu for information content having the correct value is stored, that is, a key Kmu for information content, which should be obtained if the device correctly performs the calculation operation using the appropriate key Kd of the device.

In the protected area 103 are stored ZKPT (record key title) (TKE) and UR-M (rule of use on the media).

AOK processors 104 and 105 mutually authenticate between the device and the SD memory card 100 through a request-response system, verify the authenticity of the device, and stop processing if the device is unauthorized. However, if the device to be mapped is eligible, then the key for information content (session key Ks) is shared between the device and the SD memory card 100. For this mutual authentication, a device connected to an SD memory card 100 performs three-step processing. The first step is the first request step, in which the device generates a random number, encrypts the random number using the Kmu key for information content, and transfers the encrypted value to the SD memory card 100 as the request value A. The second stage is the first response stage, in which the SD memory card 100 decrypts the request values A using the key Kmu stored in it for information content and transmits the decrypted value to the device as the response value B. The third step is the first verification step, in which the device decrypts the request value A stored in it using its own key for the information content Kmu and compares the decrypted value with the response value B transmitted from the SD memory card 100.

On the other hand, for mutual authentication, the SD memory card 100 performs processing, also consisting of three steps. The first stage is the second request stage, in which the SD memory card 100 generates a random number, encrypts the random number using the Kmu key for information content, and transmits the encrypted value to the connected device as the request value C. The second stage is the second response stage, in which the connected device decrypts the request value C using the key Kmu stored in it for information content and transfers the decrypted value to the SD memory card 100 as the response value D. The third step is the second verification step, in which the SD memory card 100 decrypts the request value C stored in it using its own Kmu key for information content and compares the decrypted value with the response value D transmitted from the device.

If for this mutual authentication the device uses the wrong key Kmu for information content, then the request value A and the response value B obtained in the first verification step, as well as the request value C and the response value D obtained in the second verification step, do not match, therefore, the mutual authentication is suspended. If the authenticity of the device is confirmed, the AOK processors 104 and 105 perform an exclusive OR operation on the request value A and the request value C and encrypt the received value using the key Kmu for information content to obtain a session key Ks.

When outputting the encrypted ZKPT and UR-M data intended for recording to the protected area 103 from the device connected to the SD memory card 100, the decryption device 106 using Ks assumes that the ZKPT and UR-M data were encrypted using the session key Ks, and decrypts them using the session key Ks. Then, the decryption device 106 using Ks writes the received data of the RFQT and UR-M to the protected area 103, assuming that the obtained RFQT and UR-M are original.

After receiving the command to read the read-only memory card and UR-M from the device connected to the SD memory card 100, the encryption device 107 using Ks encrypts the read-only memory card and UR-M stored in the protected area 103 using the session key Ks, and then performs output encrypted ZKPT and UR-M to the device that issued the command.

In the user data area 108, a plurality of encrypted information contents are stored, and access to it can be made through any device connected to it, regardless of whether the authenticity of this device has been verified or not. If the key for the information content read from the secure area 103 is of the proper value, then the encrypted information content stored in the user data area 108 can be decrypted correctly. The data from the protected area 103 are read and written to it, respectively, together with their decryption by means of the decryption device 106 using Ks and the encryption device 107 using Ks. Therefore, access to the protected area 103 can usually only be done by a connected device that has successfully performed AOK processing.

As described above, this embodiment of the invention allows for the use of digital information products in which all attention is paid to ensuring copyright protection.

The data structures and various processing operations disclosed in the description of embodiments of the present invention are based on the following international publications of PCT applications, which contain detailed technical information. These international PCT application publications are as follows:

WO 00/65602 with a filing date of November 2, 2000;

WO 00/74054 with a filing date of December 7, 2000;

WO 00/74059 with a filing date of December 7, 2000;

WO 00/74060 with a filing date of December 7, 2000; and

WO 01/16821 with a filing date of March 8, 2001

It should be noted that the procedures described using the functional blocks and flowcharts in the above first to eleventh embodiments of the invention (Fig. 35-Fig. 42, Fig. 45 and Fig. 48) can be implemented by an executable program, and the executable program may be redistributable or marketed. The use of the executable program is carried out by installing it in a universal computer. A general-purpose computer sequentially executes an installed program in machine language and implements the functions of a switchgear, a NetDRM terminal device, and a control panel disclosed in the first to eleventh embodiments.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention provides users with the ability to view and listen to various digital information products and freely assign terms of use to each digital information product, thereby realizing the service of disseminating information with a higher level of customer satisfaction. Therefore, the present invention is highly suitable for use in various industries with potential for the availability of information dissemination services, for example, in the communications industry, in the publishing industry and in the film industry.

Claims (22)

1. A distribution device comprising a storage device (19) for storing rights management information; a license certificate (LU) transmission device (24) for transmitting a license certificate to a terminal device together with digital information content, the license certificate indicating, as a license, a part of the license information indicated by the rights management information; a data update module (25) when moving from a system for updating rights management information such that license information indicated by rights management information stored in a memory device (19) for storing rights management information is a residual part of the license indicated by the license certificate ; a receiving device for receiving the license certificate after the update, when the license certificate is returned after the update, indicating a decrease in the license in accordance with the use of information content by the terminal device; a data update module (26) when moving to a system which, upon receipt of a license certificate returned by the terminal device that updated the license certificate and indicating a decrease in the license in accordance with the use of information content by the terminal device, is intended to increase the license information indicated by the rights management information , by updating the rights management information stored in the storage device based on the license certificate after updating Nia. 2. The distribution device according to claim 1, in which the device (24) for transmitting a license certificate, if the user requests other digital information content, transmits another license certificate to the user along with other digital content, the other license certificate indicating, as a license, part of the multiplicity the remaining use of the increased license information. 3. The distribution device according to claim 2, in which the license information stored in the storage device (19) for storing rights management information is a value "s" of the total frequency of use, while "s" is an integer satisfying the condition " s≥2 ", the license certificate transmitted with the digital information content indicates the value" t "of the frequency of use of the digital information content, while" t "is an integer satisfying the condition" t≤s ", and after the digits When the information content and the license certificate are transferred, the data update module (25) when moving from the system updates the rights management information in the storage device (19) to store the rights management information, so that the license information indicated by the rights management information in the storage device (19) for storing rights management information is equal to the value of "st" residual frequency of use. 4. The switchgear according to claim 3, wherein if the reduced portion is a value of "u" of the frequency of use, where "u" is an integer satisfying the condition "u <t", and if the license certificate is returned after updating indicating the license , reduced in accordance with the use of information content by the user, directed to the transmitted digital content, the data update module (26) when moving to the system updates the rights management information in the storage device (19) for remembering the rights management information, so that the license information indicated by the rights management information is equal to the value "s-t + u" of the residual frequency of use. 5. The switchgear according to claim 4, in which the LN transmission device (24) reads the value "v" of the frequency of use, which is part of the license information for which the value of the residual frequency of use has become "s-t + u", as another license, and transmits another license certificate indicating a different license, together with other digital information content, while "v" is an integer satisfying the condition "v≤s-t + u". 6. The distribution device according to claim 5, in which the license certificate further comprises information on a threshold value, wherein the information on the threshold value indicates a minimum period of time for using digital information content, taken into account as a single use. 7. The switchgear according to claim 5, in which the license certificate further contains information about the condition for the action to be performed, while information about the condition for the action limits the action of using the digital information content by the device belonging to the user, and the value of the frequency of use indicates the number of times the action is performed according to limited use of the action. 8. The distribution device according to claim 5, in which the value "t" of the frequency of use transmitted together with the digital information content relates to the action of using the digital information content on the device belonging to the user, and the LN transmission device (24) additionally transmits the value to the user multiplicity of use for another action on the use of digital information content on said device. 9. The distribution device according to claim 2, in which the data updating module (25), when moving from the system, receives information from the terminal device that uniquely identifies the recording medium onto which digital information content should be recorded in response to the transmission of a license certificate and digital information content from the device (24) transmitting LU, and the distribution device further comprises a module (27) verification, designed so that when the receiving device receives information, one that identifies the recording medium that stores the license certificate after the update from the terminal device, together with the license certificate after the update, to establish whether or not the information that uniquely identifies the recording medium received from the terminal device and the information that uniquely identifies the recording medium received by the module (25 ) data updates when moving from the system, and the module (26) data updates when moving to the system performs an update to increase the license information indicated rights management information only if the result of the verification by the verification module (27) is positive. 10. The switchgear according to claim 2, in which the data update module (25) when moving from the system receives from the terminal device the unambiguous client identification information by which the user who is the recipient of the digital information content is uniquely determined in response to the transmission of the license certificate and digital information content from the LU transmission device (24), the switchgear further comprising a verification module (27), designed to receiving information of a unique definition of the client, which uniquely identifies the terminal device that returned the license certificate after updating from the terminal device, together with the license certificate after the update, to establish whether or not the information that uniquely identifies the client received from the terminal device and the information that uniquely identifies the client received by the module (25) data updates when moving from the system, and the module (26) data updates when moving to the system updates of to increase the license information indicating information rights management, only if the result of test module (27) is a positive test. 11. The switchgear according to claim 2, in which the license information indicated by the rights management information stored in the memory (19) for storing the rights management information is the value "s" of the total period of use, while "s" is an integer satisfying the condition "s≥2", the value of the time period for using the license indicated by the license certificate transmitted with the digital information content is "t", while "t" is an integer, satisfying with the condition "t≤s", and the data updating module (25) when moving from the system updates the rights management information in the storage device (19) for storing the rights management information, so that the license information indicated by the rights management information in the storage device (19) ) for storing rights management information is equal to the value of "st" of the remaining time period of use after the transfer of digital information content and license certificate. 12. The switchgear according to claim 11, in which the license, reduced in accordance with the use of information content by the user, is the value of "u" multiplicity of use, where "u" is an integer satisfying the condition "u <t", module (26 ) data updates when moving to the system updates the rights management information in the storage device (19) for storing the rights management information, so that the license information indicated by the rights management information in the storage device (19) for storing rights management information, is the value of "s-t + u" residual frequency of use after the transfer of digital information content and license certificate. 13. The switchgear according to claim 12, in which the LN transmission device (24) transmits a value of "v" for the period of use, which is another part of the license information, as another license, together with other digital information content, where "v" is an integer satisfying the condition "v≤s-t + u". 14. The distribution device according to claim 2, in which the license information is the value of "s" frequency of use, while "s" is an integer satisfying the condition "s> 2", the device for transmitting LU after transmitting digital information content and a license certificate updates the rights management information such so that it is equal to the value "st" of the residual frequency of use, and if the license certificate is returned, after updating, indicating a decrease in the license in accordance with the use of the information content When the user is directed to the transmitted digital information content, the data update module (26) when moving to the system updates the rights management information in the storage device (19) for storing the rights management information, so that the license information indicated by the rights management information in the storage device (19) for storing rights management information, is the value of "s-t + u" residual frequency of use. 15. A terminal device capable of receiving digital information content distributed by a distribution device in which digital information content and rights management information are stored, the terminal device comprising a LU receipt processing module (11) for receiving a license certificate from the distribution device together with the digital informational content, moreover, the license certificate indicates as part of the license information about the license, It seemed the information rights management; a system movement control module (14) for recording a received license certificate together with digital information content on a portable recording medium; a use device (12) for using digital information content within the range indicated by a part of the license information from the license certificate recorded on a portable recording medium; and a module (16) for managing movement to a system intended for (a) transmitting a license certificate to a switchgear after an update indicating a license reduced in accordance with the use made by the use device (12), and (b) making it impossible to use digital information content recorded on the recording medium. 16. The terminal device according to clause 15, in which the license indicated by the license certificate obtained by the LU receipt processing module (11) is a value "t" of the frequency of use, while "t" is an integer satisfying the condition "t≥1 ", at each single use of the digital information content, the use device (12) reduces by one the value" t "of the frequency of use recorded on the recording medium, and the movement control module (16) transmits a license certificate to the system, a decree yuschee, as a license, a value "u" using the multiplicity representing a multiplicity reduced value "t" use, wherein "u" is an integer satisfying the condition "u≤t". 17. The terminal device according to clause 16, in which the module (11) processing the receiving LU receives from the switchgear information about the threshold value and writes the received information about the threshold value to the recording medium, the terminal device further comprises a module (15) recording on the medium, which reduces the value "t" of the frequency of use recorded on the recording medium if the time period for using digital information content exceeds a predetermined period of time indicated by inf rmatsii a threshold value. 18. The terminal device according to clause 16, in which the license certificate further contains information about the condition for the action, the information about the condition for the action limits the action for use on the device belonging to the user, and the value of the frequency of use indicates the number of times the action for use is performed, limited by information about the condition for the action. 19. The terminal device according to clause 16, in which the value "t" of the frequency of use is the frequency of use for the actions for use on the device belonging to the user, and the module (11) processing the receipt of LU additionally receives from the distribution device the value of the frequency of use for another action for use, and the module (14) for controlling movement from the system writes the obtained value of the frequency of use to the recording medium. 20. The terminal device according to clause 15, in which the license indicated by the license certificate received by the LU receipt processing module (11) represents the value “t” of the time period of use, with each use of the digital information content, the device (12) of use decreases the value "t" of the time period of use, and the module (14) control the movement from the system transmits the value "u" of the period of time of use, which is a reduced value of the time period used I am equal to "t", while "u" is an integer satisfying the condition "u <t". 21. A program that provides a computer-based method for distributing information content, the computer comprising a storage device for storing digital information content and license information, wherein the method of distributing information content comprises a step (24) for transmitting the license for transmitting the license certificate to the terminal device together with digital information content, and the license certificate indicates, as a license, part of the license information and specified rights management information; step (25) of updating the data when moving from the system to update the rights management information, so that the license information indicated by the rights management information stored in the storage device is a residual part of the license indicated by the license certificate; the receiving step for receiving the license certificate after the update, when the license certificate after the update indicating the license reduced in accordance with the degree of use of the digital information content is returned by the terminal device, and the step (26) of updating the data when moving to a system where upon receiving the license certificate returned by the terminal that updated the license certificate and indicating the license reduced in accordance with the degree of use tions of the digital information content carried increment the license information, said information RMS by changing information rights management stored in the storage unit, based on license identification after update. 22. A program that provides a computer-based method for receiving information content, wherein the method of receiving information content comprises a step (11) of processing the receipt of the LU for receiving the license certificate together with the digital information content from the distribution device, the license certificate indicating, as a license, part license information specified by rights management information; step (14) of managing movement from the system to record the received license certificate along with digital information content on a portable recording medium; step (12) of using for use the digital information content within the range indicated by the part of the license information from the license certificate recorded on a portable recording medium; and step (16) controlling movement to the system for (a) transmitting a license certificate to the switchgear after an update indicating a license reduced in accordance with the use made by the use device (12), and (b) making it impossible to use the digital information content recorded on the recording medium.

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