METHOD OF STORING OR RECORDING HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL DATA, PLAYBACK APPARATUS USING HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL DATA, AND MEMORY STORING HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL DATA

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a storing or recording method of highly confidential data includes sorting a key set (a set of keys and position information items thereof) according to the position information items (for example, position numbers of a column) for each released apparatus, encrypting each pair of the sorted position information items and the respective keys, and storing the encrypted pairs in a non-volatile memory in order of the sorted position information items.

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.

FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C are diagrams illustrating method of storing/recording highly confidential data according to a first embodiment of the invention, illustrating how a set (key set) formed of a plurality of pairs of keys and position information items thereof changes in executing the method.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E and 2F are diagrams illustrating example how the key set obtained by executing the storing/recording method according to the first embodiment of the invention is used in decoding encrypted content.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of key set storing/recording processing, which is performed after obtaining and decoding a specific key set (such as encrypted key information provided in the form of a licensee release key disc).

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of decoding encrypted content by using the stored/recorded key set.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a playback apparatus equipped with a memory storing highly confidential data.

Claims

1. A method of storing or recording highly confidential data, comprising: sorting a plurality of keys of a set including pairs of the keys and respective position information items, according to the position information items;encrypting each of the sorted pairs; andstoring or recording the encrypted pairs in order of the sorted position information items.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the set is formed of a plurality of key information items arranged in a matrix being formed of a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, the position information items correspond to numbers assigned to the respective columns of the matrix, and the sorting according to the position information items includes sorting in an ascending order or a descending order of the numbers assigned to the respective columns.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the set before the sorting is encrypted, and the sorting is performed after decoding the encrypted set.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the set before the sorting is encrypted, and the sorting is performed after decoding the encrypted set.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the encrypting after the sorting is different from the encryption of the set before the sorting.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the encrypting after the sorting is different from the encryption of the set before the sorting.

7. A playback apparatus comprising: a storing section which sorts a plurality of keys of a set including pairs of the keys and respective position information items, according to the position information items, encrypts each of the sorted pairs, and stores or records the encrypted pairs in order of the sorted position information items;a reading section which reads information including content from an information storage medium, and provides an input stream, the content being encrypted separately from the encryption of the keys; anda decoding section which decodes the encrypted content included in the input stream by using a key generated by using a predetermined key information item taken out of a key set in the storing section, and provides an output stream.

8. A playback apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the set is formed of a plurality of key information items arranged in a matrix being formed of a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, the position information items correspond to numbers assigned to the respective columns of the matrix, and the sorting according to the position information items includes sorting in an ascending order or a descending order of the numbers assigned to the respective columns.

9. A playback apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the key set corresponding to the key information items having different combinations of the columns and the rows for each playback apparatus is stored or recorded on the storing section.

10. A non-volatile memory which sorts a plurality of keys of a set including pairs of the keys and respective position information items, according to the position information items, encrypts each of the sorted pairs, and stores or records the encrypted pairs in order of the sorted position information items.

11. A non-volatile memory according to claim 10, wherein the set is formed of a plurality of key information items arranged in a matrix being formed of a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, the position information items correspond to numbers assigned to the respective columns of the matrix, and the sorting according to the position information items includes sorting in an ascending order or a descending order of the numbers assigned to the respective columns.

12. A non-volatile memory according to claim 11, wherein the memory stores or records the key set corresponding to the key information items having different combinations of the columns and the rows for each non-volatile memory.