Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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MANAGEMENT METHOD Al~D APPARATUS FOR
' COPY~IGHT P~O~ECTION OF PROGRAi~S~ u~ivi~i~J
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a system for selling and
purchasing a program via a computer communication network, and
more particularly, to a management method and apparatus for
copyright protection of programs-on-demand so that a copyright for a
purchased program can be protected.
- 10
BACKGROUND ART
It is expected that a computer communication having shorter
history than that of a voice communication is remarkably developed in
two kinds of technological fields. Firstly, a multimedia data such as a
15 picture, an image and a sound as well as character data will flow via
a computer communication network. When shopping via the computer
communication, all of products as well as specification thereof can be
watched via displayed images. It is possible to choose a music record,
after directly listening to a music played. Telephone companies are
20 developing a video-on-demand (VOD) business which handles
multimedia data when communicating. A movie or music program can
be received and appreciated via an on-line communication network at
a user desired time, and a news can be watched as an accustomed
image and sound via a communication network whenever a user
25 wants to watch it. Secondly, such a computer communication system
will be changed from cable to radio, and then a user obtains desired
material anytime anywhere. If an information society is established
while the computer communication network is constructed, a number
of software programs will be sold and purchased via a communication
30 network. Such a pattern of program supply has a merit that a cost
due to a user movement can be saved and a continuously updated
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software can be timely sul~plied. Accordingly, a copyright protection
for a communication-sold program will be greatly needed.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Therefore, to solve the above problems, it is an object of the
present invention to provide a management method for protecting a
copyright of a program which is supplied via a social infrastructured
communication network.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an
- 10 apparatus for embodying a management method for protecting a
copyright of a program-on-demand.
To accomplish the one object of the present invention, there is
provided a management method for protecting a copyright of a
program-on-demand which is ordered and supplied using a computer
communication network, the copyright protection management method
comprising the steps of:
transmitting a request command of purchasing a desired program;
transmitting the program corresponding to the received program
purchase request command together with a detailed use restriction
contents of the program; and
managing that a program service is accomplished within the
scope of the use restriction contents by storing the received program
and the program use restriction contents.
To accomplish the other object of the present invention, there is
'~5 provided a management al~paratus for protecting a copyright of a
program-on-demand which is ordered and supplied using a computer
communication network, the copyright protection management
apparatus comprising:
a program sourcing base station for transmitting a program
corresponding to a received program purchase request command
together with a detailed use restriction contents of the program;
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a copyright management system for transmitting the desired
program purchase request command,- and managiil~ that a progrâ.ll
service is accomplished within the scope of the use restriction contents
by storing the program received from the base station and the
5 program use restriction contents; and
a communication network for exchangeably switching between
the base station and the copyright management system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
- 10 FIG. 1 is â block diagram showing a management apparatus for
a copyright protection of a program-on-demand according to the
present invention.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinbelow, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will
be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing.
FIG. 1 shows a copyright l)rotection management al~paratus for a
program-on-demand according to the present invention. As shown in
FIG. 1, the apparatus of the present invention comprises a base station
20 50 which is installed at a program supply side, a copyright
management system 10 which is incorporated in a personal computer
(PC) 1 of a program demand side, and a packet switching
telecommunication network PSTN or an Internet for playing a role of
a transmission path between base station 50 and col~yright
25 management system 10.
Base station 50 includes a packet ~xchanger 51 for switching a
plurality of copyright management systems. Base station 50 also
includes a control processor 53 for controlling and processing a general
operation, a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) 55 for
30 storing an operational program necessary for operating base station 50,
and a hard disk 57 containing a data base with respect to the
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copyright management systems which are controlled by base station
50 and a data base with respect to programs which are controlled by
the copyright management systems. The respective components
contained in base station 50 are constructed so that they are connected
5 to each other via an internal bus.
Meanwhile, col~yright management system 10 contained in PC 1
~ includes a register file 11 for storing an identification (ID) number of
copyright management system 10, a control logic unit 12 for
controlling a general hardware operation of copyright management
-10 system 10, and input and output (I/O) units 13 and 14 for
exchangeably connecting base station 50 with copyright management
system 10 via a communication network such as the Internet and
PSTN. Copy~ight management system 10 also includes â cerltlal
processing unit 15 for performing a numerical calculation operation, a
15 memory 16 composed of a read-only memory (ROM) for storing an
operational program necessary for operating copyright management
system 10, a flash memory 17 for storing contents of restricting the
number of use frequency and a running time of a program transmitted
at the time of purchasing the program, and an input and output (I/O)
20 unit 18 for connecting copyright management system 10 with the
respective components in the PC 1. The respective components
contained in copyright management system 10 are constructed so that
they are connected to each other via an internal bus.
Personal computer 1 containing copyright management system 10
2;~ includes a central processing unit (CPU) 20 for controlling copyright
management system 10 according to a purchase of a program and the
respective components in PC 1, a memory 30 composed of a RAM for
storing a plurality of programs, and a hard disk 40 for storing the
purchased program. The respective components of PC 1 and I/O unit
30 18 of copyright management system 10 are constructed so that they
are connected to each other via a PC bus.
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An ol~eration of a management apl~aratus for col~yright l~rotection
of a program-on-demand according to the present invention as
constructed above will be described in more detail.
When a consumer will purchase a software program which has
5 been newly developed by a software developer via a communication
network, base station 50 and copyright management system 10 play a
role of mutually connecting a consumer with a software sul~l~lier. That
is, base station 50 can be regarded as a software bank. Also, base
station 50 are connected to copyright management system 10 with the
- 10 PSTN or Internet. When purchasing a program, a purchaser should
pay for the program to be purchased to base station 50. Then, a
program P1 which is an interface software contained in memory 30 of
PC 1 is executed to connect PC 1 with I/O unit 18 in copyright
management system 10. CPU 15 of copyright management system 10
15 which receives a program purchase request command from a purchaser
performs a necessary operation according to an operational program
contained in memory 16 composed of a ROM. Here, CPU 15 can
perform a numerical calculation operation and decode a program
encoded in base station 50 to prevent an unauthorized copy. CPU 15
20 starts to communicate with base station 50 via one I/O unit among a
plurality of I/O units 13 and 14 which are connected to different
communication networks if a program purchase request command is
input thereto. Here, first I/O unit 13 is connected to base station 50
via the PST~ being an aerial exchangeable telephone network, and
25 second I/O unit 14 is connected to bas~ station 50 via the Internet.
Generally, the Internet represents a network itself which connects
spread computers with each other, or represents all sources and
information which can be accessed the network. In this connection,
base -station 50 and copyright management system 10 communicate
30 with each other via a selected communication network. The packet
exchanger 51 of base station 50 is possibly connected to a plurality of
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copyright management systems, and transmits a user l~rogram
purchase request command apl~lied via the I/O unit of the connected
copyright management system 10 to control processor 53. Control
processor 53 performs a necessary operation according to an
5 operational program stored in memory 55 composed of a RAM. That
is, control processor 53 recognizes a user program purchase request
command and then outputs a user ID number request command of
connected col~yright management systeM 10 via the communication
network. Here, the ID number represents the combination of characters
~ 10 and figures assigned by user selection at the time of making a
contract in use for user identification and user service. The user ID
number request command is transmitted to copyright management
system 10 via packet exchanger 51. The VO unit of copyri~ht
management system 10 transmits the input user ID number request
15 command to CPU 15 via an internal bus. CPU 15 recognizes the user
ID number request command, and then transmits the user ID number
stored in register file 11 via an inverse path to base station 50. Here,
register file 11 is composed of a RO~ so that the user ID number is
not altered at random. Control processor 53 in base station 50
20 discriminates whether a received user ID number is a user ID number
of a copyright management system which is controlled by control
~rocessor 53 while being formed as a data base in hard disk 55.
Control processor 53 modifies the program which is requested by the
user so that the program is only run in eopyright management system
25 10 having the user ID number and transmits the modified progr~m to
PC 1 via copyright management system 10, if the transmitted user ID
number is a user ID number of a copyright management system
which is controlled by control processor 53. The data base contained
in hard disk 55 has items such as user personal particulars, user ID
30 numbers of copyright management systems, a list of programs sold to
the purchaser, and the number of use frequency and running time for
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restricting use of the program. CPU 15 in copyright management
system 10 decodes an encoded program supplied from base station 50,
and makes the encoded program executable. Copyright management
system 10 stores the decoded program in hard disk 40 or memory 30
in PC 1. Base station 50 transmits the program together with the
contents for restricting use of the program. The use restriction
contents are stored in a flash memory 17 in copyright management
system 10. Here, the use restriction contents restrict the use frequency
of the program or the running time. Generally, a flash memory is a
- 10 kind of a non-volatile memory in which stored information does not
disapl~ear even if power is off, differently from a dynamic RAM
(DRA~ r a static RAM (SRAM). The use restriction contents of t~.e
program stored in flash memory 17 are not altered by the user at
random. When altering the use restriction contents of the l~rogram
stored in flash memory 17, that isj when increasing the number of the
use frequency of the program used by the user, base station 50
instructs col~yright management system 10 to update the number of
- the use frequency upon the receipt of the request in base station 50.
Then, copyright management system 10 updates the number of the
use frequency stored in flash memory 17 according to an instruction
of base station 50. Also, when information representing that the
program is in use via I/O unit 18 is input during performing the
program, the number of the use frequency stored in flash memory 17
is decreased by "1" whenever the information is input.
'~5 To protect a copyright of the purchased program, if the program
in use is beyond the limit with respect to the number of the program
use frequency and the running time stored in flash memory 17,
col~yright management system 10 cannot use the program as there is
no resl~onse to the request during performing the program. If the
~ 30 program version is continuously updated, base station 50 being a
program supplier publishes the fact and transmits it to a user of
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copyright management system 10 which constructs and manages a
data base in hard dis~ 55. Base station 5u can use various melh~d~
for publishing version-updated programs. As an example, an automatic
dialing function can be included in I/O units 13 and 14 of copyright
5 management system 1û. Meanwhile, when a user requests base station
5û to version-update the purchased program, the program version is
updated via the same path as that of the program purchasing within
the scope of the limit which permits the copyright of the program.
The operational program for selling and l~urchasing programs is stored
10 in memory 3û composed of a RAM in the user' s PC 1, memory 16
composed of a ROM in copyright management system 10 contained in
PC 1, and memory 55 composed of a RAM in base station 5û,
respectively, so as to give and take mutually necessary encoded
instructions. Here, the mutual instructions and the selling programs
15 communicating between base station 5û and copyright management
system 10 have encoded patterns to prevent illegal use in the other
copyright management systems having the other user ID numbers.
On the other hand, when each hardware component in copyright
management system 10 is in an abnormal state, a program purchasing
2û function or a management function for copyright protection of the
purchased program is not normally performed. Thus, CPU 15 in
copyright management system 1û checks all components by hardware
according to an operational program stored in memory 16 composed of
a ROM to recognize each state of the hardware, and then sends a
'~5 state report to ba~se station 50. Such a state checking ol~eration can be
performed at thé time when power is supplied, before the program is
purchased, or when the purchased program is performed. Also, control
processor 53 in base station 50 can check states of the copyright
management systems which are controlled according to the operational
30 program stored in memory 55 composed of a RAM.
As described above, the present invention relates a management
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method and a~ aratus for copyright protection of a
program-on-demand, and supplies a program which is sold and
purchased via a communication network together with contents of
limiting the number of use frequency and running time, to l~erform a
5 program running within the scope of the use restriction contents.
Accordingly, a copyright of the program which is sul~plied via the
communication network can be protected and controlled.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
-~10 The management method and al~paratus for copyright l~rotection
of a program according to the present invention can be applied to a
program-on-demand business and a video-on-demand business using
a communication network. Also, the pre~sent invention can be ap!~lied
to a bidirectional cable TV (CATV) system and an interactive CATV
15 system.
