Information playback apparatus

Abstract

According to one embodiment, since key information is written after a drive unit and host unit are assembled into a player, it is not necessary to manage, in the assembled player, the correspondence in secret key information between the drive unit and host unit. Further, in the player, even if, for example, the drive unit must be exchanged for another, encrypted key data can be shared simply by writing another key data item.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

A general architecture that implements the various feature of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate embodiments of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary diagram showing an example of an information playback apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are exemplary diagrams explaining supply of a shared key in the information playback apparatus of FIG. 1 that incorporates a host unit (player) and disk read unit (drive unit) according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram explaining another way of supply of the shared key in the information playback apparatus shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram explaining a timing example of key supply and a supply method example employed in FIGS. 2A and 2B according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary diagram explaining another timing example of key supply and another supply method example, employed in FIGS. 2A and 2B according to an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is an exemplary diagram explaining still another timing example of key supply and yet another supply method example, employed in FIGS. 2A and 2B according to an embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. An information playback apparatus comprising: a disk drive unit configured to read information from a disk-shaped recording medium;an information playback main unit holding the disk drive unit and configured to supply a display unit with an output of the disk drive unit in a state in which the output is permitted to be displayed on the display unit; andan interface holding shared key information shared between the disk drive unit and the information playback main unit, the interface being configured at least to supply the shared key information to the information playback main unit, and to transfer the shared key information from the information playback main unit to the disk drive unit.

2. The information playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shared key information is written to the disk drive unit via the interface after the disk drive unit is connected to the information playback main unit.

3. The information playback apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising shared-key setting means for setting a shared key used to write, to the disk drive unit, original data from which the shared encrypted key data is configured to be calculated, after the disk drive unit is connected to the information playback main unit.

4. The information playback apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the disk drive unit receives an instruction to write the original data, the shared-key setting means permits the disk drive unit to write the original data only when a parameter included in the instruction is identical to a value preset between the disk drive unit and the information playback main unit.

5. The information playback apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when an external key supply source which supplies the shared key used to write the original data is connected after the disk drive unit is connected to the information playback main unit, the shared-key setting means acquires the original data from the external key supply source.

6. The information playback apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the shared-key setting means is included in the information playback main unit.

7. An information playback apparatus comprising: a disk drive unit configured to read information from a disk-shaped recording medium;an information playback main unit holding the disk drive unit and configured to supply a display unit with an output of the disk drive unit in a state in which the output is permitted to be displayed on the display unit;an interface holding shared key information shared between the disk drive unit and the information playback main unit, the interface being configured at least to supply the shared key information to the information-reading main unit, and to transfer the shared key information from the information playback main unit to the disk drive unit; anda memory unit provided in the information playback main unit, inhibited from being directly accessed by the interface, the memory unit holding key information shared between the disk drive unit and the information playback main unit.

8. The information playback apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: shared encrypted key data, or original data from which the shared encrypted key data is configured to be calculated, is written only when a supply source which supplies a shared key used to write the original data is connected, or the shared encrypted key data or the original data is supplied from an external device, after a disk drive unit is connected to an information playback main unit; andthe writing the shared encrypted key data is permitted, only when the disk drive unit has received an instruction to write the shared encrypted key data, and a parameter included in the instruction is identical to a value preset between the disk drive unit and the information playback main unit.

9. An information playback method comprising: writing shared encrypted key data, or original data from which the shared encrypted key data is configured to be calculated, only when a supply source which supplies a shared key used to write the original data is connected, or the shared encrypted key data or the original data is supplied from an external device, after a disk drive unit is connected to an information playback main unit,wherein the writing the shared encrypted key data is permitted, only when the disk drive unit has received an instruction to write the shared encrypted key data, and a parameter included in the instruction is identical to a value preset between the disk drive unit and the information playback main unit.