JP4103928B2 - Electronic device and data processing method - Google Patents

Description

In the present invention, when digital data is copied from an electronic device to another electronic device, unlimited duplication and unauthorized use of the data are prevented, and an excessive right restriction to a legitimate user of the data is not added. The present invention relates to an electronic device and a data processing method .

  In recent years, with the development of digital technology, audio signals are increasingly supplied as digital music data including recording media such as CD (Compact Disc). Digital music data can achieve high sound quality relatively easily, there is almost no degradation of sound quality in recording media, and the recording media is relatively small and light compared to the conventional analog method. Widely popular.

  On the other hand, digital music data is likely to threaten copyright by unlimited duplication, etc., because there is almost no deterioration in sound quality due to recording media and complete duplication is easy. Conventionally, as a measure for copyright protection, copying (dubbing) of digital music data including copyright has been managed by SCMS (Serial Copy Management System). In this method, a predetermined flag is provided for digital music data, and copying as digital data is limited to, for example, one generation. SCMS is installed in digital interfaces such as DAT (Digital Audio Tape) and MD (Mini Disc) for consumer use.

  However, in this SCMS, there is no restriction on the user and the equipment used, so there is a problem that unlimited copying of digital music data is possible. For example, it is possible to perform unlimited copying by recording original digital music data using a plurality of devices or on a plurality of recording media.

  In addition, limiting the copy of digital music data to one generation by SCMS has a problem that it may excessively limit the legitimate rights of legitimate users from the user's standpoint. . For example, even if a user who has purchased digital music data properly attempts to copy the data within the range of personal use, there will be restrictions.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device and a data processing method that can prevent copyrights from being excessively restricted while protecting copyright.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention provides a reproducing unit that reproduces data stored in a storage unit,
A first communication means for connecting to an Internet server via a network and receiving additional information corresponding to the data stored in the storage means from the Internet server;
Second communication means for receiving an identifier attached to the other electronic device from another electronic device and transmitting data stored in the storage means to the other electronic device ;
Whether to permit transmit to other electronic devices, to determine on the basis of whether they an identifier the second communication means is stored with an identifier that matches the received to other electronic devices Control means for controlling the second communication means to transmit data corresponding to the additional information selected based on the selection operation for the additional information displayed on the display means to the other electronic device when transmission is permitted Is an electronic device.
Further, the present invention reproduces the data stored in the storage means by the reproducing means,
The first communication means is connected to the Internet server via the network, receives additional information corresponding to the data stored in the storage means from the Internet server,
Receiving an identifier attached to the other electronic device from the other electronic device by the second communication means;
The control means determines whether to permit transmission to other electronic devices based on whether the received identifier matches the stored identifier, and permits transmission to other electronic devices. When this is done, the second communication means is controlled to transmit data corresponding to the additional information selected based on the selection operation for the additional information displayed on the display means to other electronic devices.
This is a data processing method characterized by the above.

In this invention, the data stored in the storage means is played back by the playback means, the first communication means is connected to the Internet server via the network, and the additional information corresponding to the data stored in the storage means is sent to the Internet server. Received from the other electronic device by the second communication means and received by the control means whether or not to permit transmission to the other electronic device. It is determined based on whether or not the identifier matches the stored identifier, and is selected based on the selection operation for the additional information displayed on the display means when transmission to another electronic device is permitted. since data corresponding to the additional information to control the second communication means is transmitted to another electronic device, matches the identifier receiving means is stored with the identifier received by the If sends predetermined data based on the selection operation on the additional information displayed on the display unit, if they do not match it is possible not to perform the transmission of data.

As described above, the present invention reproduces the data stored in the storage means by the reproduction means, connects to the Internet server via the network by the first communication means, and corresponds to the data stored in the storage means. Whether the additional information is received from the Internet server, the identifier attached to the other electronic device is received from the other electronic device by the second communication means, and the transmission to the other electronic device is permitted by the control means Is selected based on whether or not the received identifier matches the stored identifier, and when transmission to another electronic device is permitted, a selection operation for additional information displayed on the display means data corresponding to the selected additional information on the basis of controlling the second communication means in order to transmit to the other electronic devices, identification of the receiving means is stored with the identifier received If the child is matched transmits predetermined data based on the selection operation on the additional information displayed on the display unit, if they do not match, it is an advantage of being able to not transmit the data.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 schematically shows a music server to which the present invention is applied and a system using the music server. The music server 50 includes a server main body 51 and left and right speaker units 52L and 52R. The server main body 51 is provided with a display unit 53 made of, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel, and a CD insertion unit 54 for inserting a CD.

  Although omitted in FIG. 1, an operation unit for the user to operate the functions of the server main body 51 is provided on the server main body 51. Further, for example, a signal receiving unit for receiving an infrared signal may be provided for remotely controlling the function of the server main body 51 with a remote commander. The server body 51 has a CPU and is controlled by a predetermined program stored in advance in, for example, a ROM.

  The user can set the CD 55 in the CD insertion unit 54 and perform a predetermined operation on the operation unit to reproduce the CD 55 and enjoy the reproduced music, for example, by the speaker units 52L and 52R. Further, when the CD 55 is CD text including text data, predetermined text data can be displayed on the display unit 53.

  The music server 50 has a large-capacity recording medium such as a hard disk inside. Based on a predetermined operation, the music data of the CD 55 set in the CD insertion section 54 can be recorded on this recording medium. At this time, it is possible to select a method of recording at a single speed that is the same as the playback speed of the CD 55 and a high-speed recording that performs recording at a speed higher than the playback speed. High-speed recording can be selected and executed by performing a billing process according to a predetermined procedure.

  In the music server 50, the music data is compressed and encoded by a predetermined method and recorded as compressed music data. For example, about 1000 songs can be stored in a hard disk having a capacity of 6 GBytes. A list of music items stored in the hard disk is displayed on the display unit 53, for example, and the user can select and play an arbitrary music based on this display. Further, since the hard disk can be randomly accessed, it is possible to continuously reproduce a large number of stored music data in an arbitrary order.

  Various methods can be used for compression coding. In this example, a method called ATRAC2 (Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding 2) is used. This is an extension of ATRAC, which is a compression coding method used for MD, and uses transforming coding and entropy coding by utilizing the masking effect based on auditory properties and the frequency dependence of the minimum audible limit. In combination, the audio data is compressed and encoded. With relatively small hardware, encoding / decoding can be performed at high speed while maintaining high sound quality.

  The music server 50 can be connected to an external system, for example, an Internet server 60 that is a server connected to the Internet, via a communication line 61 that is a public telephone line, for example. By connecting to the Internet server 60 from the music server 50 via the communication line 61, various information on the Internet can be obtained. The Internet server 60 has a database storing title information of commercially available music CDs, for example. By giving a predetermined key to this database, data accompanying the CD, for example, title information of the CD can be obtained.

  In addition, the Internet server 60 performs billing processing for the music server 50 according to the service. The above-described high-speed recording of the CD 55 is performed by the music server 50 communicating with the Internet server 60, and can be selected and executed.

  Here, the billing process is performed by the Internet server 60 having a lot of CD additional information, but this is not limited to this example. For example, this billing process may be performed by another server connected to the Internet. It is also possible to perform the billing process using a dedicated network other than the Internet, for example.

  The portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 has a recording medium including a hard disk or a flash memory (flash RAM). Other recording media can be used as long as the music playback speed can be followed. By connecting the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 to the music server 50 via the connection line 71, the music data recorded on the music server 50 can be transferred to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 and recorded on the recording medium. it can. At this time, on the music server 50 side, the transferred music data exists on the recording medium but cannot be reproduced. The recording medium used in the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 has a capacity of, for example, about 200 MBytes, and can store music data for several tens of songs.

  Here, when the above transfer method used in the present invention, that is, music data is transferred, the music data is recorded on the transfer destination recording medium, and the transferred music data is stored on the transfer source recording medium. The state that exists on the recording medium but cannot be reproduced is referred to as “movement”. By moving the music data in this way, unlimited copying of the music data can be prevented.

  In the above description, the music server 50 and the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 are connected by the connection line 71. However, this is not limited to this example. For example, the music server 50 and the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 can be provided with corresponding mounting portions, and the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 can be directly attached to the music server 50 to exchange data. Further, not only electrical connection but also an interface corresponding to IrDA (Infrared Data Association) for exchanging data by infrared signals, for example, may be provided on both sides to transfer music data by infrared signals.

  The portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is driven by a battery power source such as a dry battery or a rechargeable battery. For example, the music server 50 is provided with a corresponding charging power source, and the rechargeable battery of the portable recording / reproducing device 70 is charged by connecting the music server 50 and the portable recording / reproducing device 70 by a predetermined method. can do. Of course, it is also possible to charge the rechargeable battery of the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 using a dedicated charging power source. Moreover, the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 can be driven not only by a battery power source but also by an external AC power source, for example.

  Furthermore, by providing a predetermined interface for the music server 50, information exchange with various media can be performed. For example, by providing an interface corresponding to the PC card 80, music data distributed by the PC card 80 can be taken into the music server 50, and data can be exchanged between the personal computer and the music server 50. Become. By providing a serial digital interface using an optical cable or the like, music data can be exchanged with another digital music data recording / reproducing apparatus such as the MD recorder 81, for example. In this example, the MD 82 is mounted on the MD recorder 81, and music data reproduced from the MD 82 is supplied to the music server 50. Similarly, an interface such as IEEE1394 can be provided, and for example, a set top box 83 for CATV (Cable Television) or satellite broadcasting can be connected.

  The PC card is a standard of a card type peripheral device for a personal computer jointly established by PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) in the United States and Japan's JEIDA (Japan Electronics Industry Promotion Association). IEEE 1394 is an interface standard adopted by the American Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

  The music server 50 can have a WWW (World Wide Web) browser as a built-in application. By connecting to the Internet server 60 via the communication line 61, various contents described in, for example, HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) on the Internet can be searched and displayed on the display unit 53.

  With such a configuration, for example, the user can reproduce music data stored in the music server 50 and listen to it with the speaker units 52L and 52R, and set the CD 55 in the CD insertion unit 54. CD55 can be played back. When the CD 55 is reproduced, TOC (Table Of Contents) information of the CD 55 is read, and for example, a track number is displayed on the display unit 53.

  Further, by performing communication between the music server 50 and the Internet server 60, the title information of the CD 55 set in the CD insertion unit 54 can be automatically obtained via the communication line 61. The obtained information is stored in the music server 50 and displayed on the display unit 53 as necessary.

  More specifically, user information such as a user ID is sent from the music server 50 to the Internet server 60. On the Internet server 60 side, verification processing and billing processing are performed based on the received user information. Also, media information is sent from the music server 50 to the Internet server 60. Based on the received media information, the Internet server 60 searches for additional information with respect to music data such as a song title, a player name, a composer / lyricist name, lyrics, and a jacket image. Then, the Internet server 60 returns predetermined information requested by the user to the music server 50.

  For example, the TOC information of the CD 55 is sent to the Internet server 60 as the media information. In the Internet server 60, a database is constructed in which additional information for the music data can be searched using the TOC information as a key. Additional information may be obtained by searching other WWW servers on the Internet. The Internet server 60 searches for additional information of the music data based on the received TOC information. This can be searched based on the time information of each piece of music recorded on the CD 55 included in the TOC, for example.

  Additional information obtained by the search is transmitted from the Internet server 60 to the music server 50. In the music server 50, the received additional information is displayed on the display unit 53. Note that by sending the additional information embedded in the HTML file, the additional information can be displayed on the music server 50 using the built-in WWW browser.

  If another URL (Uniform Resource Locator) on the Internet is described in the additional information, the music server 50 can access a homepage on the Internet indicated by the URL.

  Further, by communicating with the Internet server 60, the music data of the CD 55 set in the CD insertion unit 54 is recorded on the recording medium of the music server 50 at a speed higher than the prescribed playback speed of the CD 55, for example, one CD 55 Minute music data can be recorded in about 2 minutes. When communication with the Internet server 60 is not performed, recording is performed at a single reproduction speed equal to the specified reproduction speed.

  Furthermore, the music data stored in the music server 50 can be transferred to the portable playback device 71 and moved by connecting to the portable recording / playback device 70 via the connection line 71. The moved music data can be reproduced by the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 even when the connection by the connection line 71 is not made, and can be listened to by the headphones 72, for example. The music data that has been transferred and moved is in a state in which the music server 50 cannot reproduce the music data.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the music server 50. First, the music server 50 is provided with a RAM 5, a ROM 6, a flash RAM 7, and a CPU 8 which are coupled to each other via a bus, in the same manner as in the configuration of a normal personal computer. CPU 8 is connected to bus 40. The entire operation of the music server 50 is controlled by the CPU 8.

  The ROM 6 stores a program for controlling the operation of the music server 50 in advance. In the music server 50, an operation corresponding to the operation of the input means 1 described later is performed based on this program. In the RAM 5 and the flash RAM 7, a data area and a task area for executing a program are temporarily secured. Alternatively, the ROM 6 stores a program loader, and the program itself can be loaded into the flash RAM 7 by the program loader.

  The input unit 1 includes, for example, a push type key and a rotary type key. The input unit 1 is not limited to this, and may be a rotary push type key called a jog dial, a touch panel on an LCD, or the like. Of course, it is possible to use a switch mechanism that reacts when pressed. A signal corresponding to the operation of the input means 1 is supplied to the CPU 8 via the bus 40. The CPU 8 generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the music server 50 based on this signal. The music server 50 is operated according to this control signal.

  An infrared interface (IrDA I / F) driver 3 and / or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) driver 4 is connected to the bus 40. The keyboard 2 can communicate or connect to these drivers. By using the keyboard 2, it is possible to easily input, for example, a song name and an artist name corresponding to recorded music data. Alternatively, data transfer may be performed via the infrared interface driver 3 or the USB driver 4. The infrared interface 3 and the USB driver 4 can be omitted.

  The CD-ROM drive 9 is connected to the bus 40, and the above-described CD 55 is set in the CD-ROM drive 9. In the CD-ROM drive 9, music data is read from the set CD 55 at a specified reproduction speed. Further, the CD-ROM drive 9 can read the music data of the CD 55 at a speed higher than the prescribed reproduction speed, for example, 16 times or 32 times the prescribed reproduction speed.

  The CD-ROM drive 9 is not limited to this example, but may be compatible with other media storing music data, such as a magneto-optical disk or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc: trademark). A drive corresponding to the memory card can also be used. Further, the data read from the CD-ROM drive 9 is not limited to music data. Image data, text data, program data, etc. can be read out.

  A hard disk drive HDD 10 is connected to the bus 40. In the HDD 10, music data read from the CD-ROM drive 9 is recorded. As preprocessing for recording music data on the HDD 10, the music data read by the CD-ROM drive 9 is supplied to the compression encoder 12 via the bus 40 and the audio DRAM 11.

  In the compression encoder 12, for example, the music data is compression-encoded by the above-described ATRAC2. Note that two speeds of low speed and high speed are prepared for the compression speed of the music data by the compression encoder 12 based on the control of the CPU 8. The low speed compression corresponds to a reproduction speed of 1 × speed in the CD-ROM drive 9. The compression speed is switched according to the reproduction speed by the CD-ROM drive 9, for example. In the compression encoder 12, for example, an encoding algorithm corresponding to the compression speed is driven.

  The change of the compression speed in the compression encoder 12 is not limited to this method. For example, it may be performed by switching the clock frequency of the compression encoder 12. Also, different hardware may be prepared for each. Further, in the compression encoder 12 capable of high-speed compression, it is possible to perform low-speed compression by thinning processing.

  The compressed music data compressed and encoded by the compression encoder 12 is recorded and stored in the HDD 10 via the DRAM 11.

  Here, the compressed music data compression-encoded by the compression encoder 12 is configured to be stored in the HDD 10, but the music data read from the CD-ROM drive 9 is directly recorded and stored in the HDD 10. You can also.

  In this example, an audio signal input from the microphone connected to the terminal 13 via the amplifier 14 and an audio signal input from the line input end 15 are supplied to the compression encoder 12 via the A / D converter 16. Is done. These audio signals can be compressed and recorded on the HDD 10. Further, an optical digital signal is supplied from the optical digital input end 17 to the compression encoder 12 via an IEC958 (International Electrotechnical Commission 958) encoder 18. An audio signal supplied as an optical digital signal can be compressed and recorded in the HDD 10. Of course, it is not necessary to have all these signal input means.

  In the above description, the compression encoder 12 uses ATRAC2 as an encoding algorithm, but this is not limited to this example. In other words, the compression encoder 12 can use any other encoding algorithm that compresses information. For example, encoding algorithms such as ATRAC (trademark), moving picture coding experts group (MPEG), precision adaptive sub-band coding (PASC), TwinVQ (trademark), RealAudio (trademark), and LiquidAudio (trademark) may be used. .

  A modem 20 is connected to the bus 40. An external network 19 such as a public telephone line, CATV, or wireless communication is connected to the modem 20. The music server 50 can communicate via the external network 19 by the modem 20.

  The music server 50 is connected to, for example, the Internet via the external network 19, and communication is performed between the music server 50 and the remote Internet server 60. Request information from the music server 50 to the Internet server 60, media information that is information related to the CD 55 set in the CD-ROM drive 9, user ID and user information given in advance to each of the music servers 50, Various information such as billing information for the user is transmitted.

  These pieces of information are received by the Internet server 60, and collation processing and billing processing are performed based on the received user information such as the user ID, and additional information of the music data is searched based on the received media information, and the music server Returned to 50.

  Here, an example in which additional information of music data is returned has been shown, but it is also possible to supply music data directly from the external network 19 based on a user request. That is, the user can download music data from the Internet server 60 using the music server 50. Also, music data can be returned in response to the media information. According to this, for example, a bonus track of a predetermined CD 55 can be acquired by distribution.

  The compressed music data compressed and encoded by the compression encoder 12 and recorded and stored in the HDD 10 is supplied to the compression decoder 21 via the bus 40 when it is read out for reproduction. The compressed music data is decompressed and encoded by the compression decoder 21 and is led to the terminal 24 via the D / A converter 22 and the amplifier 23. Then, it is supplied from the terminal 24 to the speaker units 52L and 52R, and music is reproduced. Although not shown in FIG. 2, two paths from the D / A converter 22 to the terminal 24 via the amplifier 23 are provided corresponding to the stereo output. Similarly, there are two terminals 24 corresponding to stereo.

  Note that the compression decoder 21 uses a decoding algorithm corresponding to the encoding algorithm in the compression encoder 12. Further, the compression decoder 21 and the compression encoder 12 described above may be software processing by the CPU 8 without having hardware.

  The LCD 26 constituting the display unit 53 is connected to the bus 40 via the LCD driver 25. A drawing control signal is supplied from the CPU 8 to the LCD driver 25 via the bus 40. Based on this signal, the LCD driver 25 drives the LCD 26 to perform a predetermined display.

  For example, an operation menu of the music server 50 is displayed on the LCD 26. The LCD 26 displays, for example, a title list of the compressed music data recorded and stored in the HDD 10. Further, on the LCD 26, for example, a folder and a jacket image corresponding to the compressed music data to be selected and reproduced are displayed.

  Based on the display of the LCD 26, the pointing music data as the input means 1 and the keyboard 2 are operated, and the instructed music data is controlled to be reproduced. Further, it is possible to delete the selected music data and control the copying and movement of the selected music data to an external device based on the display of the LC 26. For example, when the input unit 1 is a touch panel provided on the LCD 26, the music server 50 can be operated by touching the touch panel according to the display on the LCD 26. As described above, the music data recorded and stored in the HDD 10 is managed and controlled by the user using the LCD 26 as an interface.

  In the first embodiment, IEEE1394 and a PC card are supported as an interface between the music server 50 and an external general information device. An IEEE 1394 interface 28 is connected to the bus 40 via an IEEE 1394 driver 29. Similarly, a PC card slot 31 is connected to the bus 40 via a PC card driver 30.

  The IEEE 1394 interface 28 enables data exchange between the music server 50 and, for example, a personal computer. In addition, the IEEE 1394 interface 28 allows music data to be taken in from an IRD (Integrated Receiver / Decoder) for satellite broadcasting, MD, DVD, digital video, or the like. Furthermore, by installing a PC card in the PC card slot 31, it is easy to expand various peripheral devices such as an external storage device and other media drives, or a modem, a terminal adapter, a capture board, and the like.

  The interface 34 is an interface for exchanging music data and the like between the music server 50 and other corresponding recording / reproducing devices. For example, the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 shown in FIG. 1 is applied to the other recording / reproducing apparatus. The present invention is not limited to this, and the other recording / playback apparatus may be another music server 50.

  An interface 34 is connected to the bus 40 via an interface driver 33. Another corresponding recording / reproducing apparatus is provided with an interface 35 that is paired with the interface 34. By electrically connecting the interfaces 34 and 35 with a predetermined connection line 71, for example, music data recorded and stored in the HDD 10 can be transferred from the music server 50 to another recording / reproducing apparatus.

  Power is supplied from the power supply unit 45 to each part of the music server 50. The power supply unit 45 also has a function for charging the portable recording / reproducing device 70. Further, a predetermined function of the power supply unit 45 can be controlled by the CPU 8. Although omitted in FIG. 2, the music server 50 is provided with a charging terminal for outputting charging power.

  FIG. 3 schematically shows a signal flow until the music data read by the CD-ROM drive 9 is recorded in the HDD 10. The music data read from the CD-ROM drive 9 is temporarily stored in the DRAM 11 as a buffer memory via the bus 40. Then, music data is read from the DRAM 11 at a predetermined timing and supplied to the compression encoder 12 via the bus 40. The compression encoder 12 is set to a predetermined compression speed in step S13 or step S14 described above. The music data is compression-encoded by the compression encoder 12 and once stored again in the DRAM 11 as a buffer memory. Then, the compressed music data read from the DRAM 11 at a predetermined timing is supplied to the HDD 10 via the bus 40 and recorded.

  FIG. 4 schematically shows a signal flow from when the compressed music data read from the HDD 10 is reproduced to be output to the terminal 24. The compressed music data read from the HDD 10 is temporarily stored in the DRAM 11 as a buffer memory via the bus 40. Then, the compressed music data is read from the DRAM 11 at a predetermined timing and supplied to the compression decoder 21 via the bus 40. The compressed music data is decompressed and encoded by the compression decoder 21, converted into music data, and supplied to the D / A converter 22. The music data is converted into an analog audio signal by the D / A converter 22, amplified by the amplifier 23, and output to the terminal 24 as a reproduction output. If a speaker is connected to the terminal 24, the music reproduced by the speaker can be enjoyed.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of a portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 used as another recording / reproducing apparatus. This portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 has a configuration substantially equivalent to that of the music server 50 shown in FIG. Further, the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is normally used as a single unit with the interface 34 on the music server 50 side and the interface 35 on the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 side separated.

  First, the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is provided with a RAM 103, a ROM 104, and a CPU 105, which are coupled to each other by a bus, in the same manner as the configuration of a normal personal computer. Of course, a flash RAM may be provided as in the configuration of the music server 50 described above. The CPU 105 is connected to the bus 130. The CPU 105 controls the overall operation of the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70.

  The ROM 104 stores in advance a program for controlling the operation of the portable recording / reproducing device 70. In the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70, an operation corresponding to the operation of the input means 102 described later is performed based on this program. In the RAM 103, a data area and a task area for executing the program are temporarily secured.

  The input unit 102 includes, for example, a push type key and a rotary type key. The input means 102 is not limited to this, and may be a rotary push type key called a jog dial, a touch panel on an LCD, or the like. Of course, it is possible to use a switch mechanism that reacts when pressed. A signal corresponding to the operation of the input means 102 is supplied to the CPU 105 via the bus 130. The CPU 105 generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the portable recording / reproducing device 70 based on this signal. The portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is operated according to this control signal.

  In the music server 50, the music data read from the HDD 10 and instructed to be transferred to the portable recording / reproducing device 70 is connected to the interface 34, the interface 35, and the connection line connecting the interface 34 and the interface 35. The data is transferred to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 and supplied. Further, when the music server 50 and the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 are provided with corresponding mounting portions, the interface 34 and the interface 35 are directly connected to transfer music data. Further, when an IrDA interface is provided, music data is transferred by an infrared signal.

  The music data transferred and supplied is recorded on the HDD 106 which is a music data recording medium of the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 via the bus 130 from the interface driver 101.

  In the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70, the music data recording medium is not limited to the HDD 106, and for example, a flash RAM can be used. In addition, other recording medium media such as a magneto-optical disk can be used as long as they can follow the reproduction speed of music data. As a music data recording medium, for example, several tens of songs can be recorded by using a medium having a capacity of about 200 Mbytes.

  By the way, in this example, the music data transferred and recorded in the HDD 106 is already compressed and encoded in the music server 50 and is compressed music data. The portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is not limited to this example, and music data that has not been compression-encoded can be supplied and recorded in the HDD 106. For example, music data reproduced and read from the CD 55 set in the CD-ROM drive 9 of the music server 50 is supplied directly to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 via the interface driver 101. In this case, however, it goes without saying that the number of recordable music data is greatly limited.

  As pre-processing for recording music data on the HDD 106, the supplied music data is temporarily stored in the audio DRAM 107 connected to the bus 130. Then, the music data is supplied to the compression encoder 108 via the bus 130. The compression encoder 108 compresses and encodes music data using an encoding algorithm equivalent to the compression encoder 12 in the music server 50 (ATRAC2 in this example). The compression-coded compressed music data is supplied to the DRAM 107 and temporarily stored again. Finally, the compressed music data stored in the DRAM 107 is read and recorded in the HDD 106.

  As described above, when the compressed music data stored in the HDD 10 in the music server 50 is instructed to move and transferred to the portable recording / reproducing device 70, the compressed music data in the HDD 10 exists on the HDD 10. However, playback is disabled. The moved compressed music data is returned to the recording medium of the movement source again, and can be reproduced at the movement source. At this time, the compressed music data is deleted from the destination recording medium.

  In this example, an audio signal input from the microphone connected to the terminal 109 via the amplifier 110 and an audio signal input from the line input end 111 are supplied to the compression encoder 108 via the A / D converter 112. Is done. These audio signals can be compressed and recorded on the HDD 106. Further, an optical digital signal is supplied from the optical digital input end 113 to the compression encoder 108 via the IEC958 encoder 114. An audio signal supplied as an optical digital signal can be compressed and recorded on the HDD 106. Of course, it is not necessary to have all of these signal input means, and it is possible to omit all of these signal input means if it is a portable playback device dedicated to playback.

  The compressed music data is read from the HDD 106 for reproduction and supplied to the compression decoder 115 via the bus 130. The music data that has been subjected to compression encoding by the compression decoder 115 is led to the terminal 118 via the D / A converter 116 and the amplifier 117. For example, a headphone 72 is connected to the terminal 118. The user can listen to the reproduced music by wearing the headphones. Although omitted in FIG. 5, two paths from the D / A converter 116 to the terminal 118 via the amplifier 117 are provided corresponding to the stereo output. Similarly, there are two terminals 118 corresponding to the stereo.

  The LCD 120 is connected to the bus 130 via the LCD driver 119. A drawing control signal is supplied from the CPU 105 to the LCD driver 119 via the bus 130, and the LCD 120 is driven to perform a predetermined display. On the LCD 120, an operation menu of the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70, a title list of music data recorded in the HDD 106, and the like are displayed. For example, a folder or a jacket image corresponding to music data to be selected and reproduced may be displayed on the LCD 120.

  Based on the display on the LCD 120, the pointing device as the input means 102 is operated to control the reproduction of the designated compressed music data. Further, erasure, copying, and movement control of the selected compressed music data can be performed based on the display of the LC 120. For example, the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 can be operated by touching a touch panel as the input unit 102 in accordance with the display on the LCD 120. In this manner, the compressed music data recorded on the HDD 106 is managed and controlled by the user using the LCD 120 as an interface.

  Power is supplied from the power supply unit 135 to each part of the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70. The power supply unit 135 includes a charging unit that is supplied with power from the outside and is charged. When the music server 50 and the portable recording / reproducing device 70 are directly connected by a connection line or a mounting unit, the charging unit is charged by being supplied with power from the music server 50 and transferring music data. Of course, it can also be charged by another external charging power source. In addition, you may make it use the power supply by a dry cell together as a power supply.

  FIG. 6 shows another example of the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 described above. In FIG. 6, the same parts as those in FIG. 5 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 ′ shown in FIG. 6, a switch circuit 200 is inserted between the HDD (or flash RAM) 106 ′ and the bus 130 in the configuration of FIG. 5 described above. One selection end 200 a of the switch circuit 200 is connected to the bus 130, and the other selection end 200 b is connected to the interface 35. The switch circuit 200 separates the HDD 106 ′ from the bus 130.

  When the compressed music data is transferred from the music server 50, the selection terminal 200b is selected in the switch circuit 200. The HDD 106 ′ and the bus 40 of the music server 50 are directly connected via the interfaces 34 and 35. The HDD 106 ′ appears as if it is a recording medium of the music server 50. The CPU 8 of the music server 50 can directly control the HDD 106 '. It is possible to easily move or copy compressed music data between the music server 50 and the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70.

  Next, the operation in this embodiment performed with the above-described configuration will be described. First, functions executed by the music server 50 alone will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example of processing when recording music data of the CD 55 set in the CD-ROM drive 9 in the HDD 10 of the music server 50.

  In the first step S10, a request for recording the music data of the CD 55 on the HDD 10 by the user is awaited. For example, when a recording request is issued by the user using the input unit 1, the process proceeds to step S11. In step S11, it is determined whether the requested recording is high-speed recording or single-speed recording. For example, when the recording request is issued in step S10 described above, the user specifies both the recording method, that is, whether the recording is performed at high speed or 1 × speed.

  If it is specified in step S11 that recording is to be performed at high speed, the process proceeds to step S12, and the charging system is activated. Processing by the charging system will be described later. When the charging process is performed and the high-speed recording is permitted, the process proceeds to step S13, and the compression encoder 12 starts the high-speed compression process. Then, the process proceeds to step S15.

  On the other hand, if it is specified in step S11 that recording at 1 × speed is specified, the process proceeds to step S14, and the compression encoder 12 starts the low-speed compression process. Then, the process proceeds to step S15.

  In step S15, the CD-ROM drive 9 is driven at a predetermined speed based on the control of the CPU 8, and the music data recorded on the set CD 55 is read out. The read music data is compression encoded by the compression encoder 12 and transferred to the HDD 10 for recording.

  If the transfer of the compressed music data to the HDD 10 is completed in step S16, the transfer from the CD-ROM drive 9 to the HDD 10 is prohibited in the next step S17, and the compression encoder 12 is stopped in the next step S18. Is done.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the billing process in step S12 of the flowchart of FIG. The billing process is performed by performing communication between the music server 50 and the Internet server 60. FIG. 8A shows processing at the music server 50, and FIG. 8B shows processing at the Internet server 60.

  When the charging process is started, first, communication is started between the music server 50 and the Internet server 60 using a predetermined protocol in the first step S20 of FIG. 8A. If it is confirmed in step S21 that a connection is established and communication is possible, the process proceeds to step S22.

  In step S22, the TOC information of the CD 55 set in the CD-ROM drive 9 and transferred to the HDD 10 for recording is sent from the music server 50 to the Internet server 60. At the same time, high-speed recording information indicating that high-speed recording is performed is transmitted from the music server 50 to the Internet server 60.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 8B, the Internet server 60 waits for high-speed recording information and TOC information from the music server 50 (step S30). When such information is received, TOC information is searched in step S31. The CD 55 is specified by searching the TOC information.

  Then, billing processing is performed in the next step S32. Billing can be performed, for example, by debiting from an account based on a user's registered credit card number. The billing method is not limited to this. For example, the music server 50 is provided with a function of reading a prepaid card, the set billing amount is sent to the music server 50, and the user pays the billing amount with the prepaid card. A method is also conceivable. Further, based on the TOC information, the charge amount can be changed depending on the contents of the CD 55, or recording on the HDD 10 can be prohibited.

  In step S33, billing information is sent to the music server 50. In FIG. 8A, the billing information is confirmed on the music server 50 side (step S23). On the Internet server 60 side as well, it is confirmed whether or not the billing information is received by the music server 50 (step S34).

  Returning to FIG. 8A, when the billing information is confirmed in step S23, the process proceeds to step S24, and the received billing information or the like is displayed on the display unit 53. In step S 25, the music data of CD 55 is read at high speed by the CD-ROM drive 9, compressed at high speed by the compression encoder 12, and recorded on the HDD 10. This step S25 corresponds to step S15 in FIG.

  By the way, in this embodiment, a cooperative operation is possible between the music server 50 and the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70. For example, when music data is moved from the music server 50 to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70, a cooperative operation is performed between them. FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of an example of this movement.

  First, in the first step S40, it is determined whether or not the music server 50 and the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 are connected by the interfaces 34 and 35. For example, the connection is detected by exchanging a predetermined signal between the interfaces 34 and 35. Further, the present invention is not limited to this, and a switch mechanism may be provided at a portion where the music server 50 and the portable recording / reproducing device 70 are connected, and the connection can be detected by mechanical means.

  When the connection is confirmed, in the next step S41, it is determined whether or not the music data recorded and stored in the HDD 10 is requested to be moved to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70. For example, a list of compressed music data stored in the HDD 10 is displayed on the display unit 53, and a predetermined compressed music data is selected from the list display by a predetermined pointing device as the input unit 1 by the user. In addition, movement of the selected compressed music data to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is instructed.

  There are various ways of instructing movement. For example, a button for instructing movement is displayed on the display unit 53, and this button can be designated by a predetermined method. Further, for example, an icon indicating compressed music data is displayed, and this icon can be moved by a so-called drag and drop operation in which the icon is moved onto the icon indicating the mobile recording / reproducing device 70 of the moving destination. Of course, the movement may be instructed by operating a switch mechanism provided in the operation unit.

  If it is determined in step S41 that there is a request to move the compressed music data, the file size of the compressed music data designated for movement is checked in step S42. In the next step S43, the free capacity of the HDD 106 of the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is checked. Then, the free space of the HDD 106 is compared with the file size of the compressed music data designated for movement checked in step S42. Based on the comparison result, it is determined whether or not the compressed music data designated for movement can be recorded in the HDD 106. If it is determined that recording is possible, the process proceeds to step S45, and the transfer of the compressed music data is started.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S43 that the HDD 106 of the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 has insufficient free space, the process proceeds to step S44. In step S44, the compressed music data already recorded on the HDD 106 is deleted so that the compressed music data designated for movement can be recorded on the HDD 106. Then, the process proceeds to step S45.

  The compressed music data is automatically deleted based on predetermined parameters of the compressed music data already recorded on the HDD 106. For example, in the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70, it is conceivable that the number of times of reproduction is counted for each compressed music data recorded in the HDD 106, and the number of times of reproduction is deleted. It is also possible to delete the date recorded in the HDD 106 in order of oldest date.

  Furthermore, when automatically deleting, the compressed music data important for the user may be deleted. In order to prevent this, a warning can be displayed on the display unit 53 of the music server 50 or the LCD 120 of the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 and deleted after obtaining confirmation from the user. Furthermore, a list of compressed music data already recorded in the HDD 106 is displayed on the display unit 53 of the music server 50 or the LCD 120 of the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70, and the user himself selects the compressed music data to be deleted. You can take a method.

  When the compressed music data for which movement has been designated is made recordable on the HDD 106 by the processing in steps S43 and S44 described above, the compression from the music server 50 to the portable recording / reproducing device 70 is performed in step S45. Transfer of music data is started. That is, the compressed music data read from the HDD 10 is supplied to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 via the bus 40 and the interface 34. In the portable recording / reproducing device 70, the supplied compressed music data is recorded in the HDD 106 on the interface 35.

  The transferred compressed music data also exists in the HDD 10 on the music server 50 side as before the transfer. In this embodiment, reproduction of the corresponding compressed music data existing in the HDD 10 is prohibited (step S46). For example, a reproduction prohibition flag indicating reproduction prohibition is set for the compressed music data. Thereby, the corresponding compressed music data is virtually moved from the music server 50 to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70. Therefore, each piece of compressed music data is managed so that there is always only one, and illegal data duplication is prevented.

  In the next step S47, it is determined whether or not there is a request to move the next compressed music data. If it is desired to further move the compressed music data, the process returns to step S42. If there is no more data movement request, a series of movement processes are terminated.

  In the above description, it is described that one piece of compressed music data is moved in steps S42 to S46 in the flowchart of FIG. 9, but this is not limited to this example, and a plurality of pieces of compressed music data are moved together. You can also

  In the above description, the compressed music data that has been moved in the HDD 10 of the music server 50 that is the movement source in the process of step S46 has been described as being only prohibited from being reproduced. It is not limited to an example, and may be deleted.

  In the above description, the example in which the compressed music data is moved from the music server 50 to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 has been described. However, the movement in the reverse direction, that is, the compressed music data recorded in the HDD 106 of the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 Can be moved to the HDD 10 of the music server 50 according to the same process as the flowchart of FIG.

  At this time, the compressed music data moved from the music server 50 to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is moved again from the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 to the music server 50, so that the music server 50 reproduces the corresponding reproduction music flag. Is released. That is, the corresponding compressed music data can be played back again on the music server 50.

  By the way, in the present invention, a unique identifier is assigned to each portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 to which the music data is moved in performing the above movement. Then, the music server 50 manages the identifier of the portable recording / reproducing device 70. This prevents music data from being transferred or copied to unauthorized terminal devices, and protects the copyright on the music data.

  FIG. 10 shows an example of a destination device identifier management table in which identifiers assigned to the respective portable recording / reproducing devices 70 are managed. Each portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is given a unique identifier in advance. In the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70, the identifier is stored in advance in the ROM 104, for example. The identifier of the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is acquired by the music server 50 by communication via the interfaces 34 and 35 or input by the input means 1, for example. In the music server 50, a destination device identifier management table is created based on the acquired identifier, and the created table is stored in a predetermined area of the HDD 10, for example.

  In addition, a permission level composed of two or more levels can be set for each portable recording / reproducing device 70. The set permission level is described in the destination device identifier management table. Based on this permission level, it is possible to determine whether or not music data can be copied and moved to the corresponding portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70. In this example, “H” is set for a higher level permission, “L” is set for a lower level permission, and “x” is set when the permission is not permitted. Used.

  The permission level can be set for each portable recording / reproducing device 70 in the music server 50. That is, the music server 50 and the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 are connected by the interfaces 34 and 35, and the identifier of the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is acquired by the music server 50. The music server 50 edits the destination device identifier management table based on a predetermined operation. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 may be preset by storing it in the ROM 104 or the like.

  On the other hand, each music data recorded in the music server 50 is given a unique music data identifier. Further, a movement flag indicating whether or not the music data has been moved is attached to each music data. The song data identifier can be acquired based on the data associated with the CD 55, for example, the CD number, which is obtained when the music data of the CD 55 is recorded in the HDD 10.

  FIG. 11 shows an example of a data management table A in which song data identifiers and movement flags attached to each music data are managed. A unique music data identifier is assigned to each piece of music data. The movement flag indicates whether or not the corresponding music data has been moved. If the movement flag is “1”, it indicates that the music data has been moved to the portable recording terminal 70. If the movement flag is '0', the data has not been moved.

  For music data that has been moved with the movement flag set to “1”, a movement destination device identifier indicating the movement destination portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is described. In this example, it is shown that the music data having the song data identifier “1000” is moved to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 having the identifier “0010”.

  For music data whose movement flag is “0” and not moved, as a movement destination device identifier, for example, “0000” shown in this example, with respect to the actual portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70. An identifier that is not used is described. Of course, this is not limited to this example, and this field may be simply left blank in the data whose movement flag is “0”.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart of an example of a process of moving music data using the destination device identifier management table and the data management table A. For example, predetermined music data recorded in the music server 50 is moved to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 possessed by the user. FIG. 12 shows the relevant part of the flowchart shown in FIG. 9 in more detail.

  First, the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is connected to the music server 50 via the interfaces 34 and 35 by the user (step S50). In step S51, a predetermined exchange is performed between the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 and the music server 50. Thereby, the identifier of the connected portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is acquired by the music server 50.

  In the next step S52, the music server 50 searches for the acquired identifier from the movement destination device identifier management table stored in advance. In step S53, it is determined whether or not the acquired identifier has been retrieved from the destination device identifier management table.

  If it is determined in step S53 that the acquired identifier is not on the destination device identifier management table, it is determined that movement of the music data to the portable recording / reproducing device 70 is not permitted, and the process proceeds to step S60. The user is notified that the movement is not permitted. This is done, for example, by displaying that fact on the display unit 53. Then, the process proceeds to step S61, the error history and the like are stored, and the series of flowcharts is completed.

  On the other hand, when the corresponding identifier is found on the destination device identifier management table in step S53, the music data recorded in the HDD 10 of the music server 50 is selected in step S54. Then, it is instructed to move the selected music data.

  In the next step S55, the music data source, that is, the music server 50, is searched for the identifier of the music data instructed to be moved from the data management table A. In the next step S56, the movement flag of the music data corresponding to the retrieved identifier is checked.

  In step S57, a determination is made based on the movement flag of the music data obtained in step S56. If the movement flag is “1”, it is determined that the music data has been moved from the HDD 10. As described above, music data that has already been moved is considered not to exist in the HDD 10 unless it is restored. Accordingly, the process proceeds to step S60, a movement non-permission notification is made, an error history is recorded in step S61, and the series of flowcharts is completed.

  On the other hand, if the movement flag is “0” in step S57, it is determined that the music data can be moved, and the process proceeds to step S58. In step S58, the corresponding music data is moved to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 that is the destination device. In step S59, the music server 50 sets the movement flag corresponding to the corresponding music data in the data management table A to “1”, the identifier of the movement destination device is registered in the data management table A, and a series of flowcharts. Is terminated.

  Note that the mobile recording / reproducing apparatus 70 at the movement destination also has a data management table A ′, like the music server 50 as the movement source. As the music data is moved from the music server 50 to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70, the identifier of the moved music data is registered. If the identifier is already registered but the movement flag is “1”, the movement flag is changed to “0”. If necessary, the destination device identifier is deleted.

  Note that the music data movement processing shown in FIG. 12 is not limited to this example. For example, the identifier of the destination device may be checked immediately before the actual music data is moved. Further, instead of setting an identifier for the destination device, an identifier, for example, a user ID may be issued to the user individually. In this case, the user identifier is checked instead of checking the identifier of the destination device. Of course, the check may be performed using both the destination device identifier and the user identifier.

  Furthermore, the present invention can be applied not only to movement but also to copying music data to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70. Furthermore, not only movement (or duplication) of music data from the music server 50 to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70, but also movement and duplication from the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 to another portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 ′, Transfer and copying from the music server 50 to another music server 50 ′ can also be supported. Of course, the movement source and the movement destination are not limited to the music server 50 and the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70, but may be other electronic devices corresponding to this method.

  In order to prevent unauthorized use of music data, the music data may be encrypted. For example, each device at the movement source and the movement destination has a unique encryption key and a decryption key corresponding to the encryption key. When recording music data on the HDD of each device, the music data is encrypted with the encryption key of the device. Encrypted data cannot be decrypted unless the corresponding decryption key is used.

  When moving (or copying) music data recorded on the HDD to another device, first, the identifier of the destination device is checked. If the identifier of the movement destination device is confirmed and movement is possible, the music data moving in the movement source device is decrypted with the decryption key. The decrypted music data is moved to the destination device. The music data decrypted and moved in the destination device is encrypted with the encryption key of the destination device and recorded in the HDD.

  On the other hand, the identifier of the destination device is checked, and if the movement is prohibited because the identifier cannot be confirmed, for example, the music data is not moved, or the music data is moved without being decoded. For example, music data moved without being decrypted cannot be decrypted because there is no corresponding decryption key at the destination. This prevents unauthorized use of data.

  Such encryption processing may be performed in step S58 in FIG. 12, for example. That is, when the music data is moved or copied to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70, the music data encrypted in advance and recorded in the HDD 10 is read from the HDD 10 and is decrypted with a decryption key unique to the music server 50. Decrypted. The decrypted music data is supplied to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70. In the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70, the supplied music data is encrypted with an encryption key unique to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 and recorded on the HDD 106.

  In this embodiment, an expiration date can be set for music data. The music data is moved and the expiration date of the data is set to the destination device set in the destination device identifier management table and having a low permission level (permission level 'L'). In the destination device, reproduction of the music data is prohibited when the set expiration date has passed.

  FIG. 13 shows an example of a data management table B in which an expiration date is set for each piece of music data. This data management table B is stored in the HDD 10 of the music server 50, the HDD 106 of the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70, or the like. An expiration date is set for each piece of music data identifier corresponding to each music data. In this example, the expiration date is set as “Yyyyy / mm / dd / hh / mm” as “Year / Month / Day / Hour / Minute”.

  In the data management table B, the expiration date need not be set for all music data. The data management table B can also be used in combination with the data management table A described above. In this case, the items in the combined table are composed of a music data identifier, a movement flag, a movement destination device identifier, and an expiration date.

  The expiration date set in the data management table B is used together with the permission level of the destination device identifier management table shown in FIG. That is, in the destination device identifier management table, an expiration date is set for music data that has been moved to a destination device having an identifier whose permission level is 'L'. An expiration date is not set for a device whose permission level is 'H'. Of course, the expiration date can be set in stages according to the permission level.

  14 and 15 are flowcharts of an example of processing when an expiration date is set. FIG. 14 is a flowchart of an example of a process of moving music data from the movement source to the movement destination. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of reproducing music data with an expiration date at the destination. Here, it is assumed that the source device is the music server 50 and the destination device is the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70.

  In FIG. 14, steps S79 to S81 are processes related to the expiration date check, and the other steps are the same as the processes shown in FIG. 12 described above. The same parts as those in FIG. 12 will be described briefly. First, in step S70, the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 and the music server 50 are connected, and in step S71, the identifier of the connected portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is acquired by the music server 50.

  In the music server 50, the acquired identifier is searched from the movement destination device identifier management table stored in advance (step S72). In step S73, the acquired identifier is searched from the movement destination device identifier management table. Judgment is made. If it is determined that the acquired identifier is not on the destination device identifier management table, it is determined that movement of the music data to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 is not permitted, and the process proceeds to step S82 and the user is prompted. On the other hand, a movement non-permission notification is made, and an error history and the like are stored in step S83.

  On the other hand, if a corresponding identifier is found on the destination device identifier management table in step S73, the music data to be moved is selected in step S74 and a movement instruction is given. Then, in the next step S75, the music server 50 that is the movement source of the music data is searched for the identifier of the music data instructed to move from the data management table A, and the music data movement flag corresponding to the searched identifier is searched. Is examined.

  In step S76, a determination is made based on the movement flag of the music data checked in step S75. If the movement flag is “1”, it is determined that the music data has been moved from the HDD 10, and processing is performed. In step S82, a movement non-permission notice is made, an error history is recorded in step S83, and the series of flowcharts is completed.

  On the other hand, if the movement flag is “0” in step S76, it is determined that the music data can be moved, and the corresponding music data is moved to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 in step S77. When the music data is encrypted and recorded as described above, in this step S77, the music data is decrypted by the music server 50, encrypted by the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70, and recorded on the HDD 106. Done.

  In the next step S78, the music server 50 sets the movement flag corresponding to the corresponding music data in the data management table A to '1', and the identifier of the movement destination device is registered in the data management table A.

  As the music data is moved from the music server 50 to the portable recording / reproducing device 70, the data management table A 'of the portable recording / reproducing device 70 is also changed. The identifier of the moved music data is registered in the data management table A ′. If the identifier is already registered but the movement flag is “1”, the movement flag is changed to “0”. If necessary, the destination device identifier is deleted.

  In the source music server 50, when registration or the like for the data management table A is performed in step S78, the process proceeds to step S79. In step S79, the music server 50 acquires the permission level of the portable recording / reproducing device 70 that is the moved device from the move destination device identifier management table. Then, in the next step S80, a determination is made based on the acquired permission level.

  As described above, the permission level can be set to 'H' for high level permission, 'L' for low level permission, and 'x' for which movement is not permitted. If it is determined in step S80 that the permission level is 'L', the process proceeds to step S81. In step S81, the expiration date data set for each music data in the data management table B is transmitted to the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70. When this expiration date data is transmitted, a series of flowcharts is terminated.

  The transmitted expiration date data is registered in the data management table A ′ together with the moved music data information in the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S80 that the permission level is 'H', the expiration date is not particularly set, and the series of flowcharts is ended as it is.

  Although omitted in FIG. 14, if it is determined in step S80 that the permission level is “x”, for example, the process proceeds to step S82, a movement non-permission notification is made, and an error history is recorded. Recording is performed (step S83), and the process ends.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 15, description will be given of the reproduction of music data when the expiration date is set in the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70. FIG. First, in the first step S90, the moved music data is selected by a predetermined method, and reproduction is instructed. In the next step S91, the data management table A 'is checked for the music data for which reproduction has been instructed, and the expiration date is checked based on the song data identifier corresponding to the music data.

  In step S92, for example, the current date and time is acquired by a timer built in the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70, and it is determined whether or not the current time is within the expiration date set for the song. If it is within the expiration date, the music data is reproduced in the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 in step S93.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the current date / time is not already within the expiration date, for example, because the set expiration date has been exceeded, the process proceeds to step S94 and is designated to the user of the portable recording / reproducing device 70. It is notified that the expiration date of the music data has been exceeded, and reproduction of the music data is prohibited. Of course, at this time, the music data is not reproduced.

  By the way, when the power supply unit 45 of the music server 50 has a charging function for the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 as in the above-described example, unauthorized use of music data can be prevented by using this. For example, the interfaces 34 and 35 are configured integrally with a charging terminal that supplies power for charging. Alternatively, predetermined information may be exchanged between the music server 50 and the portable recording / reproducing apparatus 70 using the charging terminal itself.

  With such a configuration, when the charging terminal is connected to perform charging, data is exchanged between the music server 50 and the portable recording / reproducing device 70, and the identifier of the portable recording / reproducing device 70 is checked. To do. If the identifier registered in the music server 50 is not found or if the permission level is low even if it is found, charging is rejected by the same method as described in FIG. 12 or FIG. It is good to do so.

  In the above description, the present invention is applied to the movement of music data, but this is not limited to this example. In other words, by applying the present invention to other types of data such as video data and text data, the copyrights of those data can be protected.

  As described above, according to the present invention, at the movement source, a movement destination or a user who permits movement of music data or other copyrighted data is managed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or limit the use of copyrighted data by an unauthorized device or by an unauthorized user.

  In addition, according to the present invention, since data can be moved to an authorized destination, the data can be transferred to a legitimate user or device while protecting the rights of the copyright holder. It can be used without being restricted by movement or duplication routes.

1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a music server and a system using the music server according to the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of a music server. It is a figure which shows roughly the signal flow until the music data read with the CD-ROM drive are recorded on HDD. It is a figure which shows roughly the signal flow until compression music data read from HDD is reproduced | regenerated and derived | led-out to a terminal. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of a portable recording / reproducing apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the other example of a portable recording / reproducing apparatus. It is a flowchart of an example of the process at the time of recording the music data of CD in HDD in a music server. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the accounting process at the time of recording the music data of CD on HDD at high speed. It is a flowchart of an example of the process of the movement of the music data by this invention. It is a basic diagram which shows an example of a movement destination apparatus identifier management table. It is a basic diagram which shows an example of the data management table | surface in which a music data identifier and a movement flag are managed. It is a flowchart of an example of the process of a movement of music data using a movement destination apparatus identifier management table and a data management table. It is a basic diagram which shows an example of the data management table | surface set to set an expiration date to each of music data. It is a flowchart of an example of the process of the movement of the music data from a movement origin to a movement destination when an expiration date is set. It is a flowchart of an example of the process of reproduction | regeneration in the movement destination of the music data by which the expiration date was set.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Music server input means 8 ... Music server CPU
9 ... CD-ROM drive 10 ... Hard disk drive of music server 11 ... DRAM as buffer memory of music server
12 ... Music server compression encoder 19 ... Communication line 20 ... Modem 21 ... Music server compression decoder 26 ... Music server LCD
34, 35 ... interface 40 ... bus 50 ... music server 55 ... CD
60... Internet server 70... Portable recording / reproducing apparatus 106... Hard disk drive or flash RAM of portable recording / reproducing apparatus
107 ... DRAM as buffer memory of portable recording / reproducing apparatus
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 108 ... Compression encoder of portable recording / reproducing apparatus 115 ... Compression decoder of portable recording / reproducing apparatus 120 ... LCD of portable recording / reproducing apparatus
130 ... Bus of portable recording / reproducing apparatus 200 ... Switch circuit

Claims (12)

Playback means for playing back data stored in the storage means;
A first communication unit connected to an Internet server via a network and receiving additional information corresponding to the data stored in the storage unit from the Internet server;
Receiving an identifier assigned from another electronic device to the another electronic device, a second communication means for transmitting said data stored in said storage means to said other electronic equipment,
Whether to permit the transmit onto SL other electronic devices, to determine on the basis of whether they an identifier the second communication means is stored with the identifier matches the received said other When transmission to the electronic device is permitted, data corresponding to the additional information selected based on the selection operation for the additional information displayed on the display means is controlled by the second communication means to An electronic device comprising control means for transmitting to the electronic device. The electronic device according to claim 1,
The control means sets an expiration date for the data corresponding to the selected additional information, and corresponds to the selected additional information in the other electronic device when the expiration date is exceeded. the reproduction of data be prohibited, electronic apparatus characterized Rukoto data corresponding to the selected additional information to the second communication means to transmit to said other electronic equipment. The electronic device according to claim 1,
The identifier attached to the other electronic device received from the other electronic device is an identifier for identifying the other electronic device. The electronic device according to claim 1,
The electronic device, wherein the identifier held by the other electronic device received from the other electronic device is a user identifier. The electronic device according to claim 1,
Each of the above electronic devices has a transmission permission level,
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control means further determines whether or not transmission is possible according to a permission level set for the other electronic device. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 further includes a reading unit that reads data recorded on the disk-shaped recording medium,
The control means causes the reading means to read the data recorded on the disc-shaped recording medium, compresses the read data, and stores the compressed data in the storage means
An electronic device characterized by that. The electronic device according to claim 1,
The additional information includes a URL,
The control means controls the first communication means to access information indicated by the URL.
An electronic device characterized by that. Play the data stored in the storage means by the playback means,
The first communication means is connected to the Internet server via the network, receives additional information corresponding to the data stored in the storage means from the Internet server,
Receiving an identifier attached to the other electronic device from the other electronic device by the second communication means;
By the control means, to determine whether to permit the sending onto SL other electronic devices, on the basis of whether they identifier stored with the identifier matches the received said other electronic equipment The data corresponding to the additional information selected on the basis of the selection operation for the additional information displayed on the display means when transmission to the display means is controlled by controlling the second communication means to the other electronic device Send to
A data processing method. A data processing method according to claim 8, comprising:
The control means sets an expiration date for the data corresponding to the selected additional information, and when the expiration date is exceeded, the data corresponding to the selected additional information in the other electronic device is set. Reproduction is prohibited, and the second communication means transmits data corresponding to the selected additional information to the other electronic device.
9. A data processing method according to claim 8, wherein: The identifier given to the other electronic device received from the other electronic device is an identifier for identifying the other electronic device.
A data processing method. A data processing method according to claim 8, comprising:
The identifier held by the other electronic device received from the other electronic device is a user identifier.
A data processing method. A data processing method according to claim 8, comprising:
Each of the above electronic devices has a transmission permission level,
The control means further determines whether or not transmission is possible according to the permission level set for the other electronic device.
A data processing method.

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