U.S. patent application number 12/087472 was filed with the patent office on 2009-12-10 for method and apparatus for reproducing data and recording medium.
Invention is credited to Jea Yong Yoo.
Application Number | 20090303851 12/087472 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38508600 |
Filed Date | 2009-12-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090303851 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yoo; Jea Yong |
December 10, 2009 |
Method And Apparatus For Reproducing Data And Recording Medium
Abstract
A recording medium, and a method and apparatus for reproducing
data from the recording medium are disclosed. The recording medium
for recording data includes: first reproduction-restriction
information of the recording medium; and update information of
second reproduction-restriction information of other recording
medium. If the content provider (CP) desires to release
reproduction-restriction of pre-introduced content data at a region
or country due to the reproduction environment or other conditions
associated with the data reproduction, the content provider
provides reproduction-restriction release information via new
recording medium including other contents. The user can buy the new
recording medium and receive restriction release information from
the content provider (CP) without paying the usage fee of
reproduction-restricted contents, thereby freely employing desired
contents having been protected from being reproduced.
Inventors: |
Yoo; Jea Yong; (Bundang-gu,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HARNESS, DICKEY & PIERCE, P.L.C.
P.O. BOX 8910
RESTON
VA
20195
US
|
Family ID: |
38508600 |
Appl. No.: |
12/087472 |
Filed: |
January 9, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
January 9, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/KR2007/000155 |
371 Date: |
October 14, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60757003 |
Jan 9, 2006 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
369/53.21 ;
G9B/19.005 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G11B 20/00086 20130101;
G06F 21/10 20130101; G11B 2220/2579 20130101; G11B 20/00739
20130101; G11B 20/1217 20130101; G11B 2220/2537 20130101; G11B
23/283 20130101; H04N 5/913 20130101; G11B 7/00736 20130101; G11B
2220/2541 20130101; H04N 9/8063 20130101; H04N 2005/91321 20130101;
H04N 9/8205 20130101; H04N 5/85 20130101; H04N 5/775 20130101; G11B
20/0084 20130101; G06F 2221/2111 20130101; H04N 9/8042 20130101;
H04N 9/8227 20130101; H04N 5/765 20130101; G11B 20/00695
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
369/53.21 ;
G9B/19.005 |
International
Class: |
G11B 19/04 20060101
G11B019/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 5, 2006 |
KR |
10-2006-0085191 |
Claims
1. A recording medium in which data is recorded, the recording
medium comprising: first reproduction-restriction information
associated with the recording medium; and update information of
second reproduction-restriction information associated with other
recording medium.
2. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the update
information includes release information of
reproduction-restriction of the other recording medium.
3. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the second
reproduction-restriction information includes region information
indicating a reproduction-allowed region of the other recording
medium, and the update information includes updated region
information of the other recording medium.
4. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the second
reproduction-restriction information includes time information
indicating a reproduction-restriction release time of the other
recording medium, and the update information includes updated time
information of the other recording medium.
5. The recording medium according to claim 4, wherein the time
information is defined for each region.
6. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the update
information includes server information indicating a server which
provides updated region information or updated time information of
the other recording medium.
7. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the update
information is defined for each title recorded in the other
recording medium.
8. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the update
information is recorded in a secure area of the recording
medium.
9. A method for reproducing data recorded in a recording medium
and/or a storage comprising: reading updated
reproduction-restriction information associated with other
recording medium from the data; and storing the updated
reproduction-restriction information.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: the updated
reproduction-restriction information is stored when the updated
reproduction-restriction information is different from pre-stored
reproduction-restriction information.
11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the updated
reproduction-restriction information includes region information
indicating a reproduction-allowed region of the other recording
medium.
12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the updated
reproduction-restriction information includes time information
indicating a reproduction-restriction release time of the other
recording medium.
13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the updated
reproduction-restriction information includes server information
indicating a server which provides either the data or
reproduction-restriction release information of the other recording
medium.
14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: receiving
the release information from the server using the server
information.
15. A method for reproducing data recorded in a recording medium
and/or a storage comprising: determining whether
reproduction-restriction of the data is released by referring to
update information of reproduction-restriction information
associated with the data; and determining whether to reproduce the
data according to the determined result.
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the update
information is recorded in a recording medium which comes out to a
market after the recording medium of claim 15.
17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: if region
information included in the update information is equal to setup
region information of a reproduction apparatus, allowing a
reproduction of the data
18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: if time
information included in the update information indicates that the
reproduction-restriction period of the data is expired, allowing a
reproduction of the data.
19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: receiving
updated region information or updated time information associated
with the data from a server denoted by server information, by
referring to the server information included in the update
information.
20. An apparatus for reproducing data recorded in a recording
medium and/or a storage comprising: a reading unit reading updated
reproduction-restriction information associated with other
recording medium from the data; a storage unit storing the updated
reproduction-restriction information; and a control unit
controlling the reading unit and the storage unit.
21. An apparatus for reproducing data recorded in a recording
medium and/or a storage comprising: a storage unit storing updated
reproduction-restriction information; and a control unit
determining whether reproduction-restriction of the data is
released using the updated reproduction-restriction information,
and determining whether to reproduce the data according to the
determined result.
22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the updated
reproduction-restriction information is recorded in a recording
medium which comes out to a market after the recording medium of
claim 21.
23. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the control unit
controls the data to be reproduced when region information included
in the updated information is equal to setup region information of
the reading unit.
24. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the control unit
controls the data to be reproduced when time information included
in the updated information indicates that the
reproduction-restriction period of the data is expired.
25. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising: a
transceiver connected to a server, Wherein the control unit
receives updated region information or updated time information
associated with the data from the server denoted by server
information included in the updated information.
26. A method for recording data in a recording medium comprising:
generating first reproduction-restriction information associated
with the recording medium and update information of second
reproduction-restriction information associated with other
recording medium; and recording the first reproduction-restriction
information and the update information in the recording medium.
27. An apparatus for recording data in a recording medium
comprising: a recording unit recording the data in the recording
medium; and a control unit generating not first
reproduction-restriction information associated with the recording
medium and update information of second reproduction-restriction
information associated with other recording medium, and controlling
the recording unit to record the first reproduction-restriction
information and the update information in the recording medium.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for
reproducing data, and a recording medium, and more particularly to
a recording medium for recording data therein, and a method and
apparatus for reproducing data recorded in the recording medium
and/or a storage.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] In recent times, there has been widely used an optical disc
acting as a recording medium capable of recording a large amount of
data therein. Particularly, with the increasing number of users who
desire to use high-quality video data and high-quality audio data,
there have recently been developed the HDTV and the MPEG2.
[0003] For example, provided that video data corresponding to a
single HDTV-grade movie is stored in a disc with an image quality
of the MPEG2, there is needed a new high-density recording medium
capable of recording/storing data of at least 20 Gbyte.
[0004] Due to the above-mentioned demand of the users, a Blu-ray
Disc (BD) or High-Definition Digital Versatile Disc (HD-DVD) based
on the next-generation recording medium technique has been
considered to be the next-generation optical recording solution
capable of storing much more data than a conventional DVD. Also, an
optical recording/reproducing apparatus to which the high-density
recording medium standard is applied is being intensively
developed.
[0005] However, the copyright of a content provider (CP) (i.e., a
content author) who provides users with content data stored in the
recording medium must be legally protected from others. However,
indeed, most content data of the content provider (CP) are being
illegally copied by fraudulent users without permission of the
content provider (CP), and are being illegally distributed to
unauthorized users.
[0006] Particularly, although there is a need to prevent specific
content data from being distributed to a specific region or
country, indeed, the specific content data is being rapidly
distributed to users of the specific region or country via a
variety of paths, such that the copyright of the content provider
(CP) acting as the author of the content data cannot be effectively
protected from fraudulent users.
[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the content
provider (CP) has widely used reproduction-allowed region
information or reproduction-allowed country information incapable
of reproducing data at a specific region or country.
[0008] However, as time goes by, an initial time or condition for
providing the content data may be unexpectedly changed to others,
such that the reproduction-restriction of the
reproduction-unallowed region or country may be unavoidably
released, such that fraudulent users may illegally use the content
data of the content provider (CP).
[0009] In conclusion, there is needed a method for providing
updated information.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
[0010] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a
recording medium, and a method and apparatus for
reproducing/recording data from/in the recording medium that
substantially obviate one or more problems due to limitations and
disadvantages of the related art.
[0011] An object of the present invention devised to solve the
problem lies on a recording medium capable of recording
reproduction-associated update information of a specific region or
country.
[0012] Another object of the present invention devised to solve the
problem lies on a method for reproducing data including
reproduction-associated update information of a specific region or
country.
[0013] A further object of the present invention devised to solve
the problem lies on a method and apparatus for reproducing data
using the update information.
[0014] Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary
embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the
same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to
refer to the same or like parts.
[0015] A recording medium and a method and apparatus for
reproducing data from the recording medium will hereinafter be
described with reference to the annexed drawings.
[0016] Prior to describing the present invention, it should be
noted that most terms disclosed in the present invention correspond
to general terms well known in the art, but some terms have been
selected by the applicant as necessary and will hereinafter be
disclosed in the following description of the present invention.
Therefore, it is preferable that the terms defined by the applicant
be understood on the basis of their meanings in the present
invention.
[0017] The term "recording medium" is indicative of a medium in
which data is recorded, and may be indicative of any one of a
variety of optical discs, for example, DVD, BD, HD-DVD, and NFR
(Near Field Recording), etc.
[0018] The term "storage" is indicative of a storage unit included
in an optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1.
In more detail, the term "storage" is indicative of a component
capable of receiving necessary information or data from a user, and
storing the received information or data. For example, a general
storage may be indicative of a Hard Disc Drive (HDD), a system
memory, or a flash memory, but it should be noted that the term
"storage" of the present invention is not limited to the HDD, the
system memory, and the flash memory, and is applicable to other
examples as necessary.
[0019] In association with the present invention, the term
"storage" is used as a storage unit for storing data associated
with the recording medium, and the above-mentioned data may be
downloaded from an external part over a network.
[0020] In association with the present invention, partially-allowed
data may be directly read from the recording medium, or system data
(e.g., metadata) associated with the reproduction of data recorded
in the recording medium is created, such that the system data may
also be stored in the storage.
[0021] The term "Content" is indicative of content data of a title,
and is equal to data received from an author of a recording
medium.
[0022] In association with the above-mentioned description, a
person for providing content data used as an external source is
generally referred to as a content provider (CP).
[0023] The term "original data" is indicative of data recorded in
the recording medium. The term "additional data" is indicative of
data associated with the recording medium from among data stored in
the storage, and exists in the outside of the optical disc. The
original data and the additional data can be distinguished from
each other according to data acquisition methods. In other words,
data associated with the original data simultaneously existing in
the outside of the optical disc may act as additional data.
[0024] In association with the above-mentioned description, the
term "Title" is indicative of a reproduction unit (or a reading
unit) interfacing with a user. For example, if the optical disc is
a BD, each title is linked to a specific object, and a stream
associated with a corresponding title recorded in the disc is
reproduced according to a command or program of the object.
[0025] For the convenience of description, provided that a specific
title from among several titles, each of which records MPEG-based
high-quality moving images therein, supports a seamless
multi-angle, a multi-story, a language credit, and a director cut,
etc., this specific title is referred to as a movie title.
[0026] If a specific title from among several titles including the
high-quality moving images includes data composed of either "iHD"
or a "Java program", this specific title is called an interactive
title. In this case, the "iHD" or the Java program supports either
the update of a title included in the recording medium or a network
connection, such that it implements high interactivity.
[0027] The term "reproduction" or "playback" is indicative of a
process for reading the stored data, and may include a process for
executing a stored computer program and a process for
outputting/copying the stored data.
[0028] The term "region-restriction release information" is
indicative of specific information required for allowing a
reproduction of data, and may include region information for
allowing the data reproduction or time limit information for
restricting the data reproduction.
[0029] Particularly, the term "updated region-restriction release
information" is indicative of specific information generated when
the author updates information required for allowing the
reproduction of data recorded in a previous recording medium.
[0030] The term "Region information" is indicative of information
associated with a region at which data can be reproduced. For
example, the region information may be indicative of a code of a
region or country at which the data reproduction is allowed.
[0031] The term "Time Limit information" is indicative of specific
information associated with a reproduction-unallowed period (or a
reproduction-unallowed time). The time limit information may also
be indicative of a reproduction-enable period (i.e., a
reproduction-restriction release period) for reproduction-unallowed
data.
[0032] A period denoted by the time limit information may be
referred to as a restriction period, a restriction release period,
or a reproduction-restriction period.
[0033] In association with the above-mentioned description, it
should be noted that the above-mentioned terms are not limited to
the above-mentioned examples and meanings, and can also be applied
to other examples as necessary.
[0034] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a method for
reproducing data stored in a recording medium and/or a storage
using an optical recording/reproducing apparatus according to the
present invention.
[0035] The optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10 can
record/reproduce data in/from various optical discs having
different formats. If necessary, the optical recording/reproducing
apparatus 10 can record/reproduce specific data in/from only a
specific optical disc such as a BD, or can reproduce the data from
the optical disc without recording the data in the same.
[0036] It is well known in the art that the optical
recording/reproduction apparatus 10 is also applicable to a drive
embedded in a specific apparatus such as a computer.
[0037] The optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10 records or
reproduces data in/from the optical disc 30, receives an external
input signal, performs a signal process on the received signal, and
transmits the signal processed result to the external display 20,
such that a user can view the signal processed result on the
display 20. In this case, there is no limitation in a receivable
external signal. For example, representative external input signals
may be determined to be a digital broadcasting (Digital Multimedia
Broadcasting)-associated signal and an Internet-associated signal,
etc. Specifically, the Internet is indicative of a communication
network to which a user easily gains access, such that the user can
download specific Internet data using the optical
recording/reproducing apparatus 10, and can use the downloaded
data.
[0038] In association with the present invention, if data includes
identification (ID) information of a server for providing the
region-restriction release information with either updated region
information or updated time limit information, the updated region
information or the updated time limit information may be downloaded
over the Internet.
[0039] Detailed descriptions of the original data and the
additional data will hereinafter be described in detail.
[0040] For example, it is assumed that multiplexed AV (Audio/Video)
streams are recorded as the original data recorded in the optical
disc, and additional data for use in the Internet is an audio
stream different from an audio stream (e.g., Korean) of the
original data. In this case, some users may download a specific
audio stream (e.g., English) acting as additional data from the
Internet, may desire to reproduce the downloaded audio stream along
with the AV stream acting as original data, or may desire to
reproduce only the additional data.
[0041] In order to implement the above-mentioned desires of the
users, correlation between the original data and the additional
data must be established, and there is needed a systemized method
for managing/reproducing the above-mentioned data according to a
user request.
[0042] In order to implement the user request, there is a need to
configure a correlation file structure between the original data
and the additional data, and the file structure is defined for each
recording medium.
[0043] The optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10 according to
the present invention stores designated region codes, such that it
can reproduce data only when input data is equal to the designated
region code.
[0044] FIG. 2 exemplarily shows a map of the world to which region
codes are assigned according to the present invention.
[0045] Referring to FIG. 2, the world is divided into a plurality
of regions, such that unique region codes may be assigned to the
regions. In this case, the region code is indicative of rules
established by a title author, who manages the demand and supply of
titles and protects image industries. The region code restricts or
limits a usable region of the title, such that it prevents the
title from being reproduced at the restricted region.
[0046] In the case of using the region code, a movie unreleased at
a specific region is illegally configured in the form of a title
recorded in a recording medium, such that the copyright of the
illegal recording medium including the movie can be protected from
fraudulent users at the specific region.
[0047] For example, in the case of a DVD or HD-DVD, regions from 0
to 8 are identified by codes. The region code "0" is indicative of
a region-free. The region code "1" is assigned to the United States
the North America. The region code "2" is assigned to Japan and
Europe. The region code "3" is assigned to the Republic of Korea
and the Southeast Asia. The region code "4" is assigned to
Australia, New Zealand, and the South America. The region code "5"
is assigned to Russia and Africa. The region code "6" is assigned
to China.
[0048] For another example, countries are divided into A, B, and C
countries according to grades. The A-code country includes the
Republic of Korea, Japan, the United States, and the North America.
The B-code country includes Europe and Australia. The C-code
country includes Japan, Russia, and the Southeast Asia. For the
convenience of description, the present invention uses six region
codes as an example.
[0049] If necessary, the countries may be classified according to
region codes as described above, and the present invention may
indicate a reproduction-allowed country by a country code
designated by the title author.
[0050] The optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10 includes
region information indicating a designated region or country. The
region information is recorded in apparatus registration
information indicating a variety of parameters and
states/conditions of the optical recording/reproducing apparatus
10. In this way, only when the region information recorded in the
optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10 is equal to other region
information recorded in the optical disc 30, data of the optical
disc can be reproduced.
[0051] The optical disc 30 may further include not only a specific
period during which the data reproduction is restricted at a
reproduction-unallowed region or country, but also time limit
information indicating another period during which the data
reproduction is allowed at the reproduction-unallowed region or
country.
[0052] The time limit information may be denoted by a plurality of
bits to express a restriction start/end date and a release
start/end date. The time limit information may further include
different restriction periods or different allowed periods
according to individual countries or regions.
[0053] The data record structure of the optical disc 30 for storing
the region information and the time limit information will
hereinafter be described.
[0054] FIG. 3 is a structural diagram illustrating a data record
structure of an optical disc acting as a recording medium according
to the present invention.
[0055] As shown in FIG. 12, from the viewpoint of an inner area of
the disc, the above-mentioned disc structure sequentially includes
a file system information area serving as system information for
managing overall files; a database area for recording an index
file, an object file, a playlist file, a clip-info file, and a
metadata file to reproduce a recorded AV stream; and a stream area
for recording a plurality of streams composed of audio data, video
data, and graphic data.
[0056] A specific area for recording file information to reproduce
content data included in the data area is referred to as a
management area. The file system information area and the database
area correspond to the management area.
[0057] The management area may include data associated with
reproduction management. The reproduction-allowed region
information or time limit information associated with the
reproduction-allowed region may be recorded in the management area.
The management area in which the region information or time limit
information is recorded may be indicative of a secure area or a
certification area for preventing data from hacking or from being
illegally modified.
[0058] If necessary, the title author may desire to update the
region-restriction release information of a specific title
pre-introduced to the market.
[0059] For example, an author of the title (e.g., A title) may
desire to rapidly release the reproduction-restriction of the A
title because the A title has a low box-office record. In this
case, the author of the A title may desire to provide updated
region-restriction release information for reducing the
reproduction-restriction period.
[0060] For another example, if a reproduction-restricted region or
country can be designated by the author, the author may desire to
provide region-restriction release information capable of allowing
the data reproduction action at some regions or countries from
among all the reproduction-restricted regions or countries of the
pre-introduced title.
[0061] The present invention provides a method for recording the
updated region-restriction release information in an optical disc
in which a new-version title is recorded, and providing the optical
disc equipped with the updated region-restriction release
information.
[0062] The present invention records region-restriction release
information associated with the new-version title, and can allow
the author to record the updated region-restriction release
information associated with reproduction permission of a title
recorded in the previous optical disc.
[0063] The updated region-restriction release information may be
recorded in the reproduction management area or the
reproduction-allowed management area. In this case, a security mode
may be applied to the reproduction management area or the
reproduction-allowed management area to prevent data from being
illegally copied/modified.
[0064] For another example, server ID information (e.g., Uniform
Resource Locator) of a server capable of downloading the updated
time limit information or region information may also be recorded
in the optical disc. The ID information needs less recording
capacity than that of the time limit information. The
above-mentioned server ID information may be considered to be the
region-restriction release information.
[0065] The region in which the region-restriction release
information is recorded may be indicative of a secure area or a
certification area.
[0066] However, the regions of FIG. 3 are proposed for only
illustrative purpose, such that the scope of such regions is not
limited to arrangement structures of FIG. 3, and can also be
applied to other examples.
[0067] The above-mentioned time limit information and the
above-mentioned region information will hereinafter be described
with reference to FIGS. 4A.about.6B.
[0068] FIGS. 4A.about.4B exemplarily show a table including
region-restriction release information according to an embodiment
of the present invention. FIGS. 5A.about.5B exemplarily show a
table including updated region-restriction release information
recorded in a recording medium according to another embodiment of
the present invention. FIGS. 6A.about.6B exemplarily show a table
including region-restriction release information recorded in a
recording medium according to a yet another embodiment of the
present invention.
[0069] Referring to FIG. 4A, reproduction-allowed region
information (e.g., a region code and a reproduction-restriction
release period) configured in the form of "YYYY.MM.DD" may be
recorded in the recording medium. In this case, the above-mentioned
format "YYYY.MM.DD" indicating the period information may be
changed according to individual regions or countries.
[0070] With the increasing record capacity of a recording medium, a
plurality of titles may be recorded in a single recording medium.
FIG. 4B exemplarily shows a single recording medium in which at
least one title is recorded. As can be seen from FIG. 4B, different
reproduction-allowed regions or countries may be assigned to
individual titles of the recording medium.
[0071] In this case, unique ID information is defined and assigned
to each title, such that individual titles can be distinguished
from each other. Different reproduction-allowed regions or
different reproduction-restriction periods may be assigned to
individual titles.
[0072] After the title has been introduced to the market, the
content provider (CP) may desire to update the region-restriction
release information including the reproduction-allowed region or
reproduction-restriction period information. In this case, the
content provider (CP) may record the updated information in the
recording medium including a new title to be introduced to the
market, and may then provide a user with the recording medium
including the new title.
[0073] In this case, the updated region-restriction release
information associated with a plurality of optical discs or titles
may be configured in the form of an information table of FIGS.
5A.about.6B, and may be recorded in an optical disc, such that the
optical disc may be provided to the user.
[0074] As can be seen from FIGS. 5A.about.5B, the above-mentioned
table may include ID information of an optical disc or title,
region free flag information, and region free date information. In
this example, the region free date is indicative of a
reproduction-restriction expiration period, and is equal to a
reproduction-restriction period.
[0075] The ID information of the optical disc (See FIG. 5A) or the
title (See FIG. 5B) may be indicative of unique ID information
(i.e., unique ID code) designated when the optical disc or the
title has been manufactured. A restriction release flag may be
assigned to each optical disc or title.
[0076] If the flag value is set to the value of "0", this means
that data can be reproduced at only designated region(s).
[0077] If the flag value is set to the value of "1", this means
that data can be reproduced at all the regions. If the flag value
is set to the value of "1", a reproduction-restriction release
period (i.e., region free date) may be determined by the content
provider (CP). A reproduction-allowed period may also be determined
by the content provider (CP) using the region release period
field.
[0078] If the content provider (CP) may desire to designate at
least one reproduction-allowed region or country, and may provide
the designated region or country with the updated
region-restriction release information, the table including the
region-restriction release information may further include a
specific field for indicating the region code or the country code,
as can be seen from FIGS. 6A.about.6B.
[0079] For example, after the content provider (CP) has
manufactured the disc #1 (See FIG. 4A), data of which can be
reproduced at only the region 1 and can be reproduced at all the
regions irrespective of regions at a specific date "2007.10.01",
the content provider (CP) may desire to update the
region-restriction release information in order to reproduce data
at any one of several reproduction-unallowed regions. In this case,
as shown in FIG. 6A, the content provider (CP) may designate the
Region 3 at which data can be reproduced from a specific date
"2007.10.01", and may designate the Regions 4, 5, and 6 at which
data can be reproduced from a specific date "2007.03.01".
[0080] For another example, after the content provider (CP) has
manufactured the title #1 (See FIG. 4B), which can be reproduced at
only the Regions 1 and 2 and can be reproduced at all the regions
irrespective of regions at a specific date "2007.07.01", the
content provider (CP) may desire to update the region-restriction
release information in order to reproduce data at any one of
several reproduction-unallowed regions. In this case, as shown in
FIG. 6B, the content provider (CP) may designate the Region 3 at
which data can be reproduced from a specific date "2007.10.01", and
may designate the Regions 4, 5, and 6 at which data can be
reproduced from a specific date "2007.03.01".
[0081] FIGS. 7A.about.7B exemplarily show a table including
region-restriction release information recorded in a recording
medium according to a yet another embodiment of the present
invention.
[0082] For example, the content provider (CP) may not record the
updated region information and/or the time limit information in a
recording medium, and may provide only the ID information of a
provision server capable of downloading the updated region
information and/or the updated time limit information. In this
case, as can be seen from FIGS. 7A.about.7B, the content provider
(CP) may designate not only a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) field
but also URL information of the provision server capable of
transmitting the updated information to each disc or title.
[0083] The region-restriction release information may be recorded
in the certification area of the recording medium. The
region-restriction release information may be recorded in the
secure area for preventing data from hacking or from being
illegally modified.
[0084] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an optical
recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present
invention.
[0085] Referring to FIG. 8, the optical recording/reproducing
apparatus 10 includes a pickup unit 11, a servo unit 14, a signal
processor 13, a memory 15, and a microcomputer 16.
[0086] The pickup unit 11 reads original data recorded in the
optical disc and management information including
reproduction/management file information. The servo unit 14
controls operations of the pickup unit 11. The signal processor 13
receives a reproduction signal from the pickup unit 11, restores
the received reproduction signal to a desired signal value, or
modulates a signal to be recorded into another signal recorded in
the optical disc, such that it transmits the restored or modulated
result. The memory 15 stores a variety of information required for
reproducing/recording data from/in the optical disc.
[0087] The microcomputer 16 controls operations of the
above-mentioned components, i.e., the pickup unit 11, the signal
processor 13, the servo unit 14, and the memory 15.
[0088] In brief, the pickup unit 11, all of the servo unit 14, the
signal processor 13, the memory 15, and the microcomputer 16 may
also be referred to as a recording/reproducing unit.
[0089] From the viewpoint of data reproduction, the above-mentioned
recording/reproducing unit reads data from the optical disc 30 or
the storage 19 according to a control signal of the controller 12,
and transmits the read data to the decoder 17. In other words, from
the viewpoint of the data reproduction, the recording/reproducing
unit acts as a data player (or reader) for reading data.
[0090] From the viewpoint of data record, the above-mentioned
recording/reproducing unit receives the signal encoded by the AV
encoder 18, and records video- or audio-data in the optical disc
30, such that it can act as a data recorder.
[0091] The above-mentioned optical recording/reproducing apparatus
10 includes the controller 12 controlling the recording/reproducing
unit. The controller 12 controls all the components of the optical
recording/reproducing apparatus 10, controls a method for
reproducing data from the recording medium by interfacing with the
user, and controls a method for downloading data existing in the
outside of the recording medium according to a user command.
[0092] In association with the above-mentioned description, the
controller 12 and the microcomputer 16 may be separated from each
other, such that they can be operated independent of each other. If
necessary, the controller 12 and the microcomputer 16 may be
integrated in a single control unit. The control unit may be
implemented with software and/or hardware of the optical
recording/reproducing apparatus 10.
[0093] For the convenience of description, the controller 12 and/or
the microcomputer 18 may be generically referred to as the control
unit, and a detailed description of the present invention including
the control unit will hereinafter be described in detail.
[0094] The control unit according to the present invention
downloads additional data existing in the outside of the optical
disc according to a user command, stores the additional data in the
storage 19, and reproduces the additional data of the storage 19
and/or the original data of the optical disc upon receiving a
request from the user.
[0095] The AV decoder 17 finally decodes data of the recording
medium and/or data of the storage 19 into output data according to
a control signal of the control unit, and provides the user with
the decoded result. Specifically, the AV decoder 17 decodes AV
signals, and determines the presence or absence of a user command
associated with the reproduction of the above-mentioned specific
title. If the presence of the user command associated with the
reproduction of the title, the AV decoder analyzes the user command
using the control unit, such that it may act as a player for
determining a reproduction direction. The AV decoder 17 may be
composed of several decoders capable of decoding the video stream,
the audio stream, and the subtitle stream according to data
categories.
[0096] In association with the present invention, if the optical
disc is uploaded, the control unit determines the presence or
absence of updated region-restriction release information. If the
presence of the updated region-restriction release information is
determined, the control unit reads the updated region-restriction
release information, and stores it in the memory 15.
[0097] If the optical disc is uploaded, the control unit reads
region information from the optical disc, and determines whether
the read region information is equal to a region (i.e., a setup
region) set-up in the optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10.
If it is determined that the read region information is not equal
to the setup region of the optical recording/reproducing apparatus
10, the control unit determines the presence or absence of time
limit information in the optical disc. If the presence of the time
limit information is determined, the control unit reads the time
limit information from the optical disc, and determines whether a
restriction period designated in the time limit information has
expired.
[0098] If it is determined that the restriction period has not
expired, the control unit determines whether the region-restriction
release information corresponding to the title recorded in the
optical disc is included in the region-restriction release
information stored in the memory 15. If it is determined that the
region-restriction release information corresponding to the title
is included in the region-restriction release information stored in
the memory 15, the control unit determines whether to reproduce
data using the region-restriction release information.
[0099] A method for determining whether to reproduce data using the
above-mentioned region-restriction release information, and a
method for reproducing the data will be described at a later
time.
[0100] The optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10 includes the
AV encoder 18. The AV encoder 18 converts an input signal into a
specific format signal (e.g., an MPEG2 transport stream) upon
receiving a control signal from the control unit, and transmits the
converted result to the signal processor 13, such that it can
record the signal in the optical disc. Similar to the AV decoder
17, the AV encoder 18 may include a plurality of encoders.
[0101] The control unit may record the video stream, the audio
stream, and the reproduction-management data, which have been
provided to the signal processor 13 after having been modified by
each encoder, in the optical disc.
[0102] The control unit generates the updated region-restriction
release information in associated with previous content data (e.g.,
title or optical disc), and may record the updated
region-restriction release information along with the video/audio
streams and the reproduction-management data in the optical disc
using the recording/reproducing apparatus.
[0103] A method for storing the updated region-restriction release
information using the optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10,
and a method for reproducing data recorded in the optical disc will
hereinafter be described in detail.
[0104] FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a method for storing
region-restriction release information according to an embodiment
of the present invention.
[0105] Referring to FIG. 9, if the recording medium is uploaded at
step S902, the optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10
determines whether updated region-restriction release information
is recorded in the recording medium at step S904. In this case, the
updated region-restriction release information may include region-
or time limit-information associated with a title introduced before
the recording medium is introduced to the market. The updated
region-restriction release information may further include ID
information of a provision server for providing the region
information or the time limit information.
[0106] The region information may be a region- or country-code of a
reproduction-allowed area for each title or each recording medium.
If necessary, the region information may include codes of several
regions or countries.
[0107] For example, provided that a reproduction-allowed region of
the title #1 has been set to "Region 1" when the disc is
manufactured, and then the reproduction-restriction is released at
"Region 2", a region code corresponding to the "Region 2" may be
designated.
[0108] The time limit information may be indicative of a
reproduction-restriction release period of the region or country at
which the reproduction-restriction is released.
[0109] For example, if the reproduction-restriction is released at
"Region 2", the content provider (CP) may determine a desired
reproduction-restriction release period. Therefore, the content
provider (CP) may designate reproduction-restriction release period
information.
[0110] ID information (e.g., URL information) of a server may be
recorded as the updated region-restriction release information such
that it prevents record capacity of the recording medium from being
reduced, wherein the server provides updated region information or
updated time limit information associated with another recording
medium. The optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10 gains access
to the server using the server ID information, such that it can
receive the updated region information or the updated time limit
information.
[0111] If the updated region-restriction release information is
recorded at step S904, the optical recording/reproducing apparatus
detects the updated region-restriction release information, and
stores the detected information in the memory 15 at step S906. In
this case, the memory 15 may be indicative of a memory capable of
storing only the updated region-restriction release information. In
this case, the updated region-restriction release information can
be directly stored in the memory 15, without passing the process
for determining whether the updated region-restriction release
information is equal to the region-restriction release information
pre-stored in the memory 15.
[0112] As described above, if the optical recording/reproducing
apparatus 10 receives the updated region information or the updated
time limit information from the server, it may store the received
information in the memory. Otherwise, only the server ID
information may be stored in the memory.
[0113] FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a method for storing
region-restriction release information according to another
embodiment of the present invention.
[0114] Referring to FIG. 10, if the recording medium is uploaded at
step S1002, the optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10
determines whether the uploaded region-restriction release
information is recorded in the recording medium at step S1004. If
it is determined that the uploaded region-restriction release
information is recorded in the recording medium at step S1004, the
optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10 reads the updated
region-restriction release information recorded in the recording
medium at step S1006.
[0115] The optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10 determines
whether the updated region-restriction release information is equal
to the region-restriction release information pre-stored in the
memory at step S1008, such that a combination table of the
region-restriction release information can be configured using the
pre-stored region-restriction release information and the other
region-restriction release information different from the
pre-stored region-restriction release information.
[0116] If it is determined that the updated region-restriction
release information is different from the region-restriction
release information pre-stored in the memory at step S1008, the
optical recording/reproducing apparatus updates the combination
table of the region-restriction release information pre-stored in
the memory using the region-restriction release information
different from the pre-stored region-restriction release
information at step S1010. In this case, the combination table of
the region-restriction release information may be composed of
several region-restriction release information for each title or
disc.
[0117] A method for reproducing data using the region-restriction
release information stored in the memory 15 will hereinafter be
described with reference to the annexed drawings.
[0118] FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a method for
reproducing data according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0119] Referring to FIG. 11, the reproduction unit (or reading
unit) reads a region code recorded in the recording medium, and
transmits the region code to the control unit at step S1102. In
this case, the number of the region codes may correspond to one or
more region codes. Not only the region code but also a country code
may be recorded in the recording medium.
[0120] For the convenience of description, it is assumed that a
single region code is set-up in the present invention.
[0121] The control unit determines whether the read region code is
equal to region code set-up in the optical recording/reproducing
apparatus 10 at step S1104. If the read region code is equal to the
region code set-up in the optical recording/reproducing apparatus
10 at step S1104, the control unit controls data to be reproduced
according to a user command at step S1114. In this case, if
individual titles have different region codes, the control unit can
control only a specific title having the same region code to be
reproduced.
[0122] Otherwise, if the read region code is different from the
region code set-up in the optical recording/reproducing apparatus
10 at step S1104, the control unit determines whether a restriction
period is recorded in the recording medium at step S1106. In this
case, the control unit may determine whether the time limit
information indicating a restriction period of a
reproduction-unallowed region or country is recorded in the
recording medium.
[0123] If it is determined that the restriction period is recorded
in the recording medium at step S1106, the control unit determines
whether the restriction period has expired at step S1108. In this
case, information of a date and time stored in the optical
recording/reproducing apparatus 10 may also be used at step S1108.
The date and time information cannot be changed by the user.
[0124] If it is determined that the restriction period has expired
at step S1108, the optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10 may
reproduce data according to the user command at step S1114.
[0125] In this case, if different restriction periods are assigned
to the individual titles, it should be noted that only a specific
title of which restriction period has expired can be
reproduced.
[0126] Otherwise, if it is determined that the restriction period
has not expired at step S1108, the control unit determines the
presence or absence of specific information corresponding to the
recording medium from among the region-restriction release
information stored in the memory 15 of the optical
recording/reproducing apparatus 10 at step S1110.
[0127] In this case, the region-restriction release information is
indicative of the updated information provided from another
recording medium. If the individual titles have different
region-restriction release information, the control unit determines
the presence or absence of specific information corresponding to
each title.
[0128] If the absence of specific information corresponding to the
recording medium is determined at step S1110, the control unit may
display a warning message indicating a reproduction-unallowed state
at step S1116.
[0129] Otherwise, if it is determined that the specific information
corresponding to the recording medium is included in the
region-restriction release information at step S1110, the control
unit determines whether a restriction period denoted by the time
limit information included in the corresponding region-restriction
release information has expired at step S1112. In this case, if
different time limit information is assigned to individual regions,
the control unit determines whether the region code (i.e., setup
region code) set-up in the optical recording/reproducing apparatus
is equal to a code of another region at which the
reproduction-restriction is released. If the se-tup region code is
equal to the code of another region at which the
reproduction-restriction is released, the control unit determines
whether the restriction period has expired.
[0130] If it is determined that the restriction period has not
expired at step S1112, the control unit may display a warning
message indicating that data recorded in the recording medium
cannot be reproduced at step S1116. Otherwise, if it is determined
that the restriction period has expired at step S1112, the control
unit reproduces the data according to a user command at step
S1114.
[0131] FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating a method for
reproducing data according to another embodiment of the present
invention. In more detail, if the region-restriction release
information does not include the updated reproduction-allowed
region information or the updated reproduction-allowed time limit
information, and only the server ID information may be included in
the region-restriction release information, a method for
reproducing data is shown in FIG. 12.
[0132] Referring to FIG. 12, the reading unit reads a region code
recorded in the recording medium, and transmits the region code to
the control unit at step S1202. In this case, the number of region
codes may correspond to one or more region codes, and may also
indicate not only the region code but also a country code.
[0133] For the convenience of description, it is assumed that a
single region code is established in the present invention for only
illustrative purpose.
[0134] The control unit determines whether the read region code is
equal to region code set-up in the optical recording/reproducing
apparatus 10 at step S1204. If the read region code is equal to the
region code set-up in the optical recording/reproducing apparatus
10 at step S1204, the control unit can control data to be
reproduced according to a user command at step S1220. In this case,
if individual titles have different region codes, the control unit
can reproduce only a specific title which has the same region code
as the set-up region code.
[0135] Otherwise, if the read region code is different from the
region code set-up in the optical recording/reproducing apparatus
10 at step S1204, the control unit determines whether a restriction
period is recorded in the recording medium at step S1206. In this
case, the control unit may determine whether the time limit
information indicating a restriction period of a
reproduction-unallowed region or country is recorded in the
recording medium.
[0136] If it is determined that the restriction period is recorded
in the recording medium at step S1206, the control unit determines
whether the restriction period has expired at step S1208.
[0137] If it is determined that the restriction period has expired
at step S1208, the optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10 may
reproduce data recorded in the recording medium according to the
user command at step S1220.
[0138] Otherwise, if it is determined that the restriction period
is not recorded in the recording medium at step S1206 or the
restriction period has not expired at step S1208, the control unit
determines the presence or absence of specific information
corresponding to the recording medium from among the
region-restriction release information stored in the memory 15 of
the optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10 at step S1210.
[0139] In this case, the region-restriction release information is
indicative of the updated information provided by another recording
medium. If the individual titles have different region-restriction
release information, the control unit determines the presence or
absence of specific information corresponding to each title.
[0140] If the absence of specific information corresponding to the
recording medium is determined at step S1210, the control unit may
display a warning message indicating a reproduction-unallowed state
at step S1218.
[0141] Otherwise, if it is determined that the presence of specific
information corresponding to the recording medium is determined at
step S1210, the control unit gains access to the server using the
server ID information (e.g., URL) included in the above-mentioned
region-restriction release information at step S1212.
[0142] The control unit may receive either information of a
specific region at which the reproduction-restriction is released
or time limit information indicating a restriction period at step
S1214. In this case, the updated information may be downloaded in
the certified optical recording/reproducing apparatus 10 of a
server certified by a security system. In this case, the security
system may be indicative of a Security Sockets Layer (SSL), a
Transport Layer Security (TLS), or a personal security channel,
etc.
[0143] It is determined whether the restriction period denoted by
the received time limit information has expired at step S1216. In
this case, if different time limit information is assigned to
individual regions, the control unit firstly determines whether a
first region code set-up in the optical recording/reproducing
apparatus 10 is equal to a second region code of a region at which
the reproduction-restriction is released. If it is determined that
the first region code is equal to the second region code, the
control unit determines whether the restriction period has
expired.
[0144] If it is determined that the restriction period has not
expired at step S1216, the control unit may display a warning
message indicating that data recorded in the recording medium
cannot be reproduced at step S1218. Otherwise, if it is determined
that the restriction period has expired at step S1218, the control
unit reproduces the data according to a user command at step
S1220.
[0145] In association with the above-mentioned description,
although the present invention has disclosed using the region
information and the time limit information as an example, it should
be noted that the scope of the present invention can also be
applied to a variety of processes for updating various information
capable of restricting the data reproduction.
[0146] For example, in the case of allowing the data reproduction
at a specific reproduction-allowed region, the present invention
may determine whether high-definition content images or
standard-definition content images will be displayed for each
country of a specific reproduction-allowed region.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0147] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a
further understanding of the invention, illustrate embodiments of
the invention and together with the description serve to explain
the principle of the invention.
[0148] In the drawings:
[0149] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a method for
reproducing data stored in a recording medium and/or a storage
using an optical recording/reproducing apparatus according to the
present invention;
[0150] FIG. 2 exemplarily shows a map of the world to which region
codes are assigned according to the present invention;
[0151] FIG. 3 is a structural diagram illustrating a data record
structure of an optical disc acting as a recording medium according
to the present invention;
[0152] FIGS. 4A.about.4B exemplarily show a table including
region-restriction release information according to an embodiment
of the present invention;
[0153] FIGS. 5A.about.5B exemplarily show a table including updated
region-restriction release information recorded in a recording
medium according to another embodiment of the present
invention;
[0154] FIGS. 6A.about.6B exemplarily show a table including
region-restriction release information recorded in a recording
medium according to a yet another embodiment of the present
invention;
[0155] FIGS. 7A.about.7B exemplarily show a table including
region-restriction release information recorded in a recording
medium according to a yet another embodiment of the present
invention;
[0156] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an optical
recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present
invention;
[0157] FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a method for storing
region-restriction release information according to an embodiment
of the present invention;
[0158] FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a method for storing
region-restriction release information according to another
embodiment of the present invention;
[0159] FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a method for
reproducing data according to an embodiment of the present
invention; and
[0160] FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating a method for
reproducing data according to another embodiment of the present
invention.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0161] The object of the present invention can be achieved by
providing a recording medium for recording data comprising: first
reproduction-restriction information associated with the recording
medium; and update information of second reproduction-restriction
information associated with other recording medium.
[0162] The update information can include release information of
reproduction-restriction of the other recording medium.
[0163] The second reproduction-restriction information can include
region information indicating a reproduction-allowed region of the
other recording medium, and the update information can include
updated region information of the other recording medium.
[0164] The second reproduction-restriction information can include
time information indicating a reproduction-restriction release time
of the other recording medium, and the update information can
include updated time information of the other recording medium.
[0165] The time information can be defined for each region.
[0166] The update information can include server information
indicating a server which provides updated region information or
updated time information of the other recording medium.
[0167] The update information can be defined for each title
recorded in the other recording medium.
[0168] The update information can be recorded in a secure area of
the recording medium.
[0169] In another aspect of the present invention, provided herein
is a method for reproducing data recorded in a recording medium
and/or a storage comprising: reading updated
reproduction-restriction information associated with other
recording medium from the data; and storing the updated
reproduction-restriction information.
[0170] In a further aspect of the present invention, provided
herein is a method for reproducing data recorded in a recording
medium and/or a storage comprising: determining whether
reproduction-restriction of the data is released by referring to
update information of reproduction-restriction information
associated with the data; and determining whether to reproduce the
data according to the determined result.
[0171] In a further aspect of the present invention, provided
herein is an apparatus for reproducing data recorded in a recording
medium and/or a storage comprising: a reading unit reading updated
reproduction-restriction information associated with other
recording medium from the data; a storage unit storing the updated
reproduction-restriction information; and a control unit
controlling the reading unit and the storage unit.
[0172] In a further aspect of the present invention, provided
herein is an apparatus for reproducing data recorded in a recording
medium and/or a storage comprising: a storage unit storing updated
reproduction-restriction information; and a control unit
determining whether reproduction-restriction of the data is
released using the updated reproduction-restriction information,
and determining whether to reproduce the data according to the
determined result.
[0173] In a further aspect of the present invention, provided
herein is a method for recording data in a recording medium
comprising: generating first reproduction-restriction information
associated with the recording medium and update information of
second reproduction-restriction information associated with other
recording medium; and recording the first reproduction-restriction
information and the update information in the recording medium.
[0174] In a further aspect of the present invention, provided
herein is an apparatus for recording data in a recording medium
comprising: a recording unit recording the data in the recording
medium; and a control unit generating first
reproduction-restriction information associated with the recording
medium and update information of second reproduction-restriction
information associated with other recording medium, and controlling
the recording unit to record the first reproduction-restriction
information and the update information in the recording medium.
[0175] The above-mentioned best modes are presented for describing
the present invention. Thus, it is apparent that the present
invention is not limited in the above-mentioned best modes.
[0176] As apparent from the above description, if the content
provider (CP) desires to release the reproduction-restriction of
pre-introduced content data at a specific region or country due to
the reproduction environment or distribution condition, or the
occurrence of other conditions associated with the data
reproduction, the present invention may allow the content provider
(CP) to provide reproduction-restriction release information via
another recording medium.
[0177] The present invention records updated restriction release
information of other recording medium in the recording medium, and
induces users or consumers to buy a new recording medium, resulting
in the increased economical profits of the content provider
(CP).
[0178] Also, the present invention induces the user to buy a new
recording medium recording other contents, receives restriction
release information from the content provider (CP) without paying
the content provider (CP) the usage fee of reproduction-restricted
contents, such that the user can freely use desired contents having
been protected from being reproduced.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0179] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made in the present invention
without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. It is
intended that the present invention cover the modifications and
variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of
the appended claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *