The present invention relates to a method of and a system for recording and reproducing information data, which may be suitably used for recording and reproducing information data such as audio music data, video image data and computer program data.
Recently, audio music data, video image data and computer program data are usually transmitted for distribution by way of electronic communication system. Such an information distribution is carried out under a prerequisite that the information data can only be distributed by a legally allowed person or company. Namely, in order to forbid an unlawful copy so as to avoid an economic damage to an original author, there have been a regulation prescribing that once the above information data has been received by one recording-reproducing apparatus, the same information data must not be copied from one recording-reproducing apparatus to another.
However, under the above regulation, there has been the following problem experienced by users who have legally obtained one or more of music data, image data and computer program data.
For example, under the above regulation a user is not allowed to prepare a backup copy for his or her legally obtained one or more of music data, image data and computer program data. As a result, an inconvenience will be unfairly brought about to him or her. Namely, if a user's legally obtained music data, image data or computer program data stored in the HDD (Hard Disc) of his or her personal computer has been accidentally damaged, the user has to again buy the same music data, image data or computer program data. Sometimes, it is even impossible to again obtain the same music data, image data or computer program data (for example, out of stock). In addition, if information data is a computer program, and if the computer program stored in the hard disc of a user's personal computer has become old, it will be impossible to perform a version-up processing on the old computer program.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and an improved system for recording and reproducing information data, making it technically and legally possible to prepare a backup copy for a person's legally obtained music data, image data or computer program data.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for recording/reading information data using a first recording medium and a second recording medium each having its own identification data, said method comprising the steps of: reading first encrypted information data encrypted in accordance with an identification data of the first recording medium and recorded in said first recording medium; encrypting the first encrypted information data in accordance with an identification data of the second recording medium, so as to produce second encrypted information data; recording the second encrypted information data in the second recording medium; reading the second encrypted information data from the second recording medium and decoding the second encrypted information data in accordance with the identification data of the second recording medium; and restoring the second encrypted information data into the first encrypted information data and recording the information data in the first recording medium.
In particular, a mutual confirmation is performed between the first recording medium and the second recording medium to confirm whether these recording mediums are formally registered, an encrypted information data is read out from the first recording medium or the second recording medium if the mutual confirmation shows that the first and second recording mediums are formally registered.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for recording/reading information data, wherein first encrypted information data encrypted in accordance with an identification data of a first recording medium is read out from the first recording medium, the first encrypted information data is then recorded in a second recording medium, the system comprising: reading means for reading first encrypted information data from the first recording medium; encrypting means for encrypting the first encrypted information data in accordance with an identification data of the second recording medium so as to produce second encrypted information data; and recording means for recording the second encrypted information data in the second recording medium.
In particular, the reading means comprises: confirmation means for performing a mutual confirmation between the first recording medium and the second recording medium; allowance issuing means for issuing an allowance for reading the first encrypted information data when the confirmation means confirms that the first recording medium and the second recording medium are all formally registered.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided another system for recording/reading information data, wherein second encrypted information data encrypted in accordance with identification data of a second recording medium is read out from the second recording medium, the second encrypted information data is then recorded in a first recording medium, the system comprising: reading means for reading second encrypted information data from the second recording medium; decoding means for decoding the second encrypted information data in accordance with identification data of the second recording means; and recording means for restoring the second encrypted information data into the first encrypted information data so as to record the information data in the first recording medium.
In particular, the reading means comprises: confirmation means for performing a mutual confirmation between the first recording medium and the second recording medium; allowance issuing means for issuing an allowance for reading the second encrypted information data when the confirmation means confirms that the first recording medium and the second recording medium are all formally registered.
The above objects and features of the present invention will become better understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Reference numeral 15 is used to represent a transmitting/receiving unit containing a controller 151, a transmitter 152 and a receiver 153. Under the controls of the CPU 11 and the controller 151 and by means of a multiplexer 17 and an encoder 18, the transmitter 152 operates to modulate an audio signal supplied through address data bus lines 161, 62 from a sound source such as a CD player 45, a tuner 46 and a HDD 16, and to transmit the modulated audio signal to the plurality of wireless speakers 3 (serving as man-machine interfaces). The receiver 153, under the controls of the CPU 11 and the controller 151, receives a signal supplied from the wireless terminal 2 or a wireless speaker 3. The received signal is decoded in a decoder 19, and downloaded (if necessary) on to the HDD 16 through the demultiplexer 20 and the address data bus lines 161, 162.
Reference numeral 44 is a backup HDD which is also connected to the address data bus lines 161, 162. Under the control of the CPU 11, music data may be recorded on or reproduced from the backup HDD 44.
Reference numeral 26 is used to represent a transmitting/receiving unit containing a controller 261, a transmitter 262 and a receiver 263. Under the controls of the CPU 21 and the controller 261, the transmitter 262 operates to supply a signal modulated in an encoder 42 to the home server 1 and the wireless speaker 3. The receiver 263, under the controls of the CPU 21 and the controller 261, operates to decode the received signal in a decoder 41, and to supply the signal to the CPU 21 through a demultiplexer 43.
At this time, an audio signal recorded in a HDD 27, under the control of the CPU 21 is converted into an analogue signal in a D/A converter 28, so as to be applied through an amplifier 29 to a portable speaker 30 installed in the wireless terminal 2.
Reference numeral 33 is used to represent a transmitting/receiving unit containing a controller 331, a transmitter 332, a receiver 333 and an electric field strength measuring section 334. The transmitter 332 operates so that a signal generated by the CPU 31 can be modulated in an encoder 36 and then applied to the home server 1 (serving as a parent apparatus) or the wireless terminal 2 (serving as a child apparatus). The receiver 333, under the control of the controller 331, operates to decode an audio signal received from the home server 1 by means of a decoder 37, and to supply the signal to the CPU 31 by way of a demultiplexer 38. The audio signal received by the CPU 31 is converted by a D/A converter 39 into an analogue signal, and then applied through an amplifier 34 to a speaker 35 (serving as a man-machine interface) so as to be output as a desired sound.
The electric field strength measuring section 334, under the control of the CPU 31, operates to measure an electric field strength of a relay code transmitted from the wireless terminal 2. Here, the relay code is transmitted at a weak electric power and is used to determine whether or not a user is in the vicinity of the wireless speaker 3 (for example, an area having a semi-diameter of 50 cm). The receipt result of the relay code is then applied to the CPU 31.
In fact, the home server 1 contains not only the HDD 16 storing the original data and having identification data ID1 but also the backup HDD 44 storing backup data and having identification data ID2. In accordance with the identification data ID1 recorded in the HDD 16, information data encrypted by using a well-known encryption technique such as DES (Data Encryption Standard) and recorded in the HDD 16 may be read out. Then, the encrypted information data which has been read out is further encrypted in accordance with the identification data ID2 recorded in the backup HDD 44, thereby producing backup data and storing the backup data in the backup HDD 44. In this way, if the information data stored in the HDD 16 is accidentally damaged because of some reasons, the same information data may be obtained from the backup HDD 44 by using the identification data ID2.
Each identification data ID is set (in an un-writable state) in a fixed area (FAT: File Allocation Table) of a disc (if it is an HDD such as that described in the above), or is set (as a preformat and in an un-writable state) in a fixed area of an optical disc. The following description is made under a prerequisite that each identification data ID is set in an un-writable state (namely, identification data ID will not disappear unless it is physically destroyed).
Referring to
The pickup unit 111 is a read/write circuit containing a magnetic head capable of reading data from or writing data into the HDD 16. The information data to be written into the HDD 16 may be produced by operating the encrypter 119 to encrypt information data supplied from an external system (the encryption is performed in accordance with the identification data ID of the HDD 16). specifically, the encryption may be effected by at first supplying identification data ID1 (extracted by the extractor 115) through the drive CPU 116 and then supplying the identification data ID1 to the pickup 111 through the multiplexer 117 and the modulator 113, so as to be written into the HDD 16. On the other hand, information data read from the HDD 16 is passed through the demodulator 112 and is then decoded in the decoder 114, so as to be output to a reproducing circuit (not shown) such as a D/A converter of the home server 1.
On the other hand, when the information data recorded in the HDD 16 is to be backup in the HDD 44, the information data is at first read out from the HDD 16 through the pickup 111 and the demodulator 112. Then, the information data is encrypted in the encrypter 123 (included in section B which is the peripheral circuit of the HDD 44). Here, the encryption is performed under the control of the drive CPU 124 and is effected by supplying identification data ID2 (extracted by the extractor 125) through the drive CPU 124, so that the information data read out from the HDD 16 can be encrypted. In this way, the information data encrypted in accordance with the identification data ID1 is further encrypted in accordance with the identification data ID2.
In this way, if the information data recorded in the HDD 16 has been accidentally damaged for some reason, the same data may be obtained from the backup disc 44. At this time, the information data read from the backup disc 44 through the pickup 120 is demodulated in the demodulator 122, and is then applied to the decoder 118 (in section A which is the peripheral circuit of the HDD 16). The decoder 118 operates to decode the encrypted data formed in accordance with the identification data ID2 of the backup HDD 44, thereby separating the identification data ID2, thus applying the information data to the pickup 111 through the multiplexer 117 and the modulator 113 (all in section A which is peripheral circuit of the HDD 16). In this way, the pickup 111 can operate to write the information data (encrypted only in accordance with identification data ID1) in the HDD 16.
In the description given in the above, the blocks shown in
The operation of the present invention will be described with reference to
Referring to
Then, the drive CPU 124 operates to extract the identification data ID2 of the backup disc 44 by virtue of the extractor 125 (step S62). Afterwards, a request for data transmission is issued to the drive CPU 116 (step S63) to request the transmission of information data from the HDD 16. Then, the information data transmitted from the HDD 16 is recorded in the backup disc 44 in accordance with a flow chart shown in
Afterwards, it is checked whether or not the transmission of desired amount of information data has been completed (step S65). If not, the processes from the step S63 onward are repeated until the completion of the data transmission, thereby completing the backup recording process.
In detail, the recording process is executed in a flow chart shown in
Afterwards, it is checked whether or not the transmission of the desired amount of information data has been completed (step S75). If not, the processes from the step S73 onward are repeated until the completion of the backup data transmission, thereby completing the data restoring/recording process.
As may be understood from the above description, when the information data recorded in the first recording medium 16 is to be backup, the first encrypted data encrypted in accordance with the identification data ID1 of the first recording medium 16 is read out and is then further encrypted in accordance with the identification data ID2 of the second recording medium 44 so as to form the second encrypted data and record the second encrypted data in the second recording medium 44. On the other hand, when the backup data recorded in the second recording medium 44 is to be restored into information data recorded in the first recording medium, the second encrypted data is read out from the second recording medium 44 and decoded in accordance with the identification data ID2 of the second recording medium 44. The decoded second encrypted data is then restored into the first encrypted data, so as to be recorded in the first recording medium 16. In this way, a user is allowed to perform data recording process for the purpose of backup, thereby eliminating any unfair restrict to a lawful user, while at the same time ensuring a lawful protection for an author's copy right.
In this way, with the use of the present invention, when the information data recorded in the first recording medium is to be recorded in the second recording medium (for backup), the information data is at first encrypted in accordance with the identification data of the second recording medium, and then recorded in the second recording medium. Accordingly, the content recorded in the second recording medium may be made different from that recorded in the first recording medium. Therefore, a concept of forbidding an unlawful copy can be maintained exactly, while at the same time allowing a lawful user to perform data recording for the purpose of data backup. in addition, if the information data recorded in the first recording medium is destroyed accidentally for some reasons, the same data can be restored in accordance with the identification data ID2 of the second recording medium and can be recorded back into the first recording medium. Moreover, since each recording process is performed only after a mutual confirmation has been completed, it is sure to prevent any unlawful copy.
While the presently preferred embodiments of the this invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that these disclosures are for the purpose of illustration and that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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11-348782 | Dec 1999 | JP | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5651064 | Newell | Jul 1997 | A |
6574609 | Downs et al. | Jun 2003 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20010003517 A1 | Jun 2001 | US |