Digital information recording apparatus, reproducing apparatus and transmitting apparatus

Abstract

A digital information recording apparatus includes a recording circuit for recording information of a retention period included in the digital information and indicating a period for permitting the digital information to be held in the recording medium, starting with a time at which the digital information is recorded on the recording medium; and information of a playback permission period included in the digital information and indicating a period for permitting the digital information to be played back starting with a time at which the information is reproduced initially following recording of the digital information on the recording medium, permitting temporary recording or copying for the information permitted for “copy never” or “copy one generation.”

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A digital information recording apparatus for recording digital information including video information and/or audio information on a recording medium, comprising: 
 a recording circuit for recording information of a retention period included in said digital information and indicating a period for permitting said digital information to be held in said recording medium, starting with a time at which said digital information is recorded on said recording medium; and information of a playback permission period included in said digital information and indicating a period for permitting said digital information to be played back starting with a time at which said information is reproduced initially following recording of said digital information on said recording medium.    
     
     
         2 . A digital information reproducing apparatus for reproducing digital information including video information and/or audio information from a recording medium on which said digital information is recorded, said digital information including information of a retention period indicating a period for permitting said digital information to be held in said recording medium, starting with a time at which said digital information is recorded in said recording medium and information of a playback permission period indicating a period for permitting said digital information to be played back starting with a time at which said digital information is reproduced initially following recording of said digital information on said recording medium, said apparatus comprising: 
 a detection circuit for detecting said retention period and said playback permission period from the reproduced digital information; and    a control circuit for controlling, on the basis of information of said retention period and playback permission period detected by said detection circuit, playback operation of said digital information or output operation of said digital information from said apparatus to the outside.    
     
     
         3 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said control circuit stops the playback operation of said digital information and/or the output operation of said digital information from said apparatus to the outside when the time for reproduction is the termination of either said detected retention period or said detected playback permission period.  
     
     
         4 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein when the time for reproduction is the termination of said detected retention period but is within said playback permission period and the reproduction operation continues to proceed, said control circuit continues the playback operation of said digital information and/or the output operation of said digital information from said apparatus to the outside within said playback permission period unless said apparatus is caused to stop or pause temporarily.  
     
     
         5 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said control circuit disables any of said digital information recorded on said recording medium that is once played back from being played back again.  
     
     
         6 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said control circuit disables said recording medium to be driven to a recording medium position at which said once played back digital information is recorded.  
     
     
         7 . A digital information reproducing apparatus for reproducing digital information including video information and/or audio information from a recording medium recording said digital information, said digital information including information of a retention period indicating a period for permitting said digital information to be held in said recording medium, starting with a time at which said digital information is recorded on said recording medium and information of a playback permission period indicating a period for permitting said digital information to be played back starting with a time at which said information is reproduced initially following recording of said digital information on said recording medium, said apparatus comprising: 
 a detection circuit for detecting the retention period and the playback permission period from the reproduced digital information; and    a disable circuit for disabling, on the basis of information of said retention period and playback permission period detected by said detection circuit, at least a part of said digital information recorded on said recording medium from being played back.    
     
     
         8 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein when the time for reproduction is the termination of either said detected retention period and/or playback permission period, said disable circuit erases at least a part of said digital information so as to disable said digital information recorded on said recording medium from being reproduced.  
     
     
         9 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein when the time for reproduction is the termination of said detected retention period and reproduction operation does not proceed, said disable circuit erases at least a part of said digital information so as to disable said digital information recorded on said recording medium from being played back.  
     
     
         10 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein when the time for reproduction is the termination of said detected retention period and reproduction operation proceeds, said disable circuit erases at least a part of said digital information so as to disable said digital information recorded on said recording medium from being played back after said playback permission period expires and/or the reproduction operation pause.  
     
     
         11 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said digital information is formed into a block in a predetermined unit and said disable circuit erases said digital information collectively within said block in a unit of block.  
     
     
         12 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said disable circuit erases encrypted information included in said digital information.  
     
     
         13 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 2  further comprising a disable circuit operable, when said digital information is reproduced from said recording medium, to disable at least a part of reproduced digital information on said recording medium from being played back following the reproduction operation irrespective of said retention period and playback permission period detected by said detection circuit.  
     
     
         14 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein said disable circuit erases at least a part of said thoroughly played back digital information on said recording medium.  
     
     
         15 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein said disable circuit erases encrypted information included in said thoroughly reproduced digital information on said recording medium.  
     
     
         16 . A digital information recording apparatus for recording digital information including video information ans/or audio information on a first recording medium, comprising: 
 a recording circuit for recording information of a copy permission period included in said digital information and indicating a period for permitting said digital information recorded on said first recording medium to be copied and recorded only once from said first recording medium onto a second recording medium different from said first recording medium after recording of said digital information on said first recording medium.    
     
     
         17 . A digital information reproducing apparatus for reproducing digital information including video information and audio information from a first recording medium on which said digital information is recorded, said digital information including information of a copy permission period indicating a period for permitting said digital information to be played back and recorded only once from said first recording medium to a second recording medium different from said first recording medium after recording of said digital information on said first recording medium, said apparatus comprising: 
 a detection circuit for detecting said copy permission period from the reproduced digital information; and    a control circuit for controlling, on the basis of the information of said copy permission period detected by said detection circuit, an operation for delivering the played back digital information to said second recording medium so as to copy and record said played back digital information onto said second recording medium.    
     
     
         18 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein when the time for reproduction is the termination of said copy permission period, said control circuit stops the output operation of said digital information.  
     
     
         19 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein even when the time for start of reproduction operation is within said detected copy permission period and during the reproduction operation, said copy permission period expires, said control circuit continues the output operation of said digital information during a period through which the playback operation continues to proceed.  
     
     
         20 . A digital information recording apparatus for recording digital information including video information and/or audio information on a first recording medium, comprising: 
 a recording circuit for recording information of move permission included in said digital information and permitting, even when said digital information is recorded on said first recording medium and thereafter inhibited from being copied and recorded onto a second recording medium different from said first recording medium, said digital information to be moved to said second recording medium on the premise that at least a part of said digital information on said first recording medium is to be disabled for reproduction.    
     
     
         21 . A digital information recording apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein said move permission information includes information indicative of the move permission count used when said digital information on said first recording medium is moved to said second recording medium.  
     
     
         22 . A digital information reproducing apparatus for reproducing digital information including video information and/or audio information from a first recording medium on which said digital information is recorded, said digital information including move permission information for permitting, even when said digital information is recorded on said first recording medium and thereafter inhibited from being copied and recorded from said first recording medium onto a second recording medium different from said first recording medium, said digital information to be moved to said second recording medium on the premise that at least a part of said digital information on said first recording medium is disabled for playback, said apparatus comprising: 
 a detection circuit for detecting the move permission information from the reproduced digital information;    a control circuit for controlling, on the basis of said move permission information detected by said detection circuit, an operation for delivering said reproduced digital information so as to move said reproduced digital information to said second recording medium; and    a reproduction disable circuit for disabling at least a part of the digital information on said first recording medium from being reproduced.    
     
     
         23 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein said digital information further includes move permission information for permitting, even when said digital information is recorded on said first recording medium and thereafter inhibited from being copied and recorded from said first recording medium onto a second recording medium different from said first recording medium, said digital information to be moved to said second recording medium on the premise that at least a part of the digital information on said first recording medium is disabled for reproduction; 
 said detection circuits detects said copy permission period and said move permission period from the reproduced digital information;    said control circuit moves said reproduced digital information to said second recording medium on the basis of said detected move permission information even when the time for reproduction expires within said detected copy permission period or control information indicative of inhibition of any more copying is detected; and    a reproduction disable circuit for disabling at least a part of the digital information on said first recording medium from being reproduced.    
     
     
         24 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein said move permission information includes information indicative of the move permission count used when the digital information on said first recording medium is moved to said second recording medium; and 
 when move of said digital information is permitted by said move permission count, said control circuit rewrites the move permission count contained in the digital information reproduced from said first recording medium into one decremented count and then moves said digital information to said second recording medium.    
     
     
         25 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein said move permission information includes information indicative of the move permission count used when the digital information on said first recording medium is moved to said second recording medium, and when move of the digital information is permitted by the move permission count but said second recording medium is a medium which cannot perform move of information to another recording medium, said control circuit rewrites the move permission count included in the digital information reproduced from said first recording medium to zero and moves said digital information to said second recording medium.  
     
     
         26 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein when said digital information is moved to said second recording medium, said reproduction disable circuit forms said digital information on said first recording medium into a block in a predetermined unit and erases said digital information in a unit of block.  
     
     
         27 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein when said digital information is moved to said second recording medium, said disable circuit erases encrypted information included in said digital information on said first recording medium.  
     
     
         28 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein when said digital information is moved to said second recording medium, said reproduction disable circuit erases the digital information on said first recording medium in a unit of video or audio program.  
     
     
         29 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein when said digital information is moved to said second recording medium, said reproduction disable circuit erases, following reproduction of digital information form said first recording medium, at least a part of the reproduced digital information on said first recording medium.  
     
     
         30 . A digital information recording apparatus for recording digital information including video information and/or audio information on a recording medium, comprising: 
 a recording circuit for recording information of a playback longevity period included in said digital information and indicating a period for permitting said digital information recorded on said recording medium to be played back.    
     
     
         31 . A digital information reproducing apparatus for reproducing digital information including video information and/or audio information from a recording medium on which said digital information is recorded, said digital information including a playback longevity period indicating a period for permitting said digital information recorded on said recording medium to be played back, said apparatus comprising: 
 a detection circuit for detecting the playback longevity period from the reproduced digital information; and    a control circuit for controlling a reproduction operation of said digital information and/or an output operation of said digital information from said apparatus to the outside on the basis of information of the playback longevity period detected by said detection circuit.    
     
     
         32 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein when the time for reproduction is the termination of said detected playback longevity period, said control circuit stops a reproduction operation of said digital information and/or an output operation of said digital information from said apparatus to the outside.  
     
     
         33 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein even when the time for reproduction reaches the termination of said detected playback longevity period after the reproduction operation has started, said control circuit continues the reproduction operation of said digital information and/or the output operation of said digital information from said apparatus to the outside unless the reproduction operation of said apparatus is caused to stop or temporarily pause.  
     
     
         34 . A digital information recording apparatus for recording digital information including video information and/or audio information to a recording medium, comprising: 
 a recording circuit for recording information of a playback longevity count included in said digital information and indicating the count by which said digital information recorded on said recording medium is permitted for reproduction.    
     
     
         35 . A digital information reproducing apparatus for reproducing digital information including video information and/or audio information from a recording medium on which said digital information is recorded, said digital information including information of a playback longevity count indicating the count by which said digital information recorded on said recording medium is permitted for reproduction, said apparatus comprising: 
 a detection circuit for detecting the playback longevity count from the reproduced digital information; and    a control circuit for controlling a reproduction operation of said digital information and/or an output operation of said digital information from said apparatus to the outside on the basis of the information of said playback longevity count detected by said detection circuit.    
     
     
         36 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according  claim 35 , wherein when the playback count is within said playback longevity period, said control circuit executes a reproduction operation from said recording medium and after rewriting the playback longevity count contained in said reproduced digital information to a one decremented count, performs the output operation from said apparatus to the outside.  
     
     
         37 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 36 , wherein said control circuit rewrites said playback longevity count after a predetermined time has elapsed following start of the reproduction.  
     
     
         38 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 36 , wherein when the reproduction operation is stopped on the way following start of the reproduction, said control circuit rewrites said playback longevity count at the timing of stoppage.  
     
     
         39 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 36 , wherein when said recording medium is fed backward after start of reproduction, said control circuit rewrites said playback longevity count at the timing of backward feed.  
     
     
         40 . A digital information transmitting apparatus for transmitting digital information including video information and/or audio information to a recording and reproducing unit, comprising: 
 a transmitting circuit for transmitting information of a retention period included in said digital information and indicating a period for permitting said digital information to be held in said recording medium, starting with a time at which said digital information is recorded on said recording medium; and information of a playback permission period included in said digital information and indicating a period for permitting said digital information to be played back starting with a time at which said information is reproduced initially following recording of said digital information on said recording medium.    
     
     
         41 . A digital information transmitting apparatus for transmitting digital information including video information and/or audio information to a recording and reproducing unit having a first recording medium, comprising: 
 a transmitting circuit for transmitting information of a copy permission period included in said digital information and indicating a period for permitting said digital information to be only once copied and recorded onto a second recording medium different from said first recording medium following recording of said digital information on said first recording medium.    
     
     
         42 . A digital information transmitting apparatus for transmitting digital information including video information and/or audio information to a recording and reproducing unit having a first recording medium, comprising: 
 a transmitting circuit for transmitting, even when the digital information is inhibited from being copied and recorded onto a second recording medium different from said first recording medium after said digital information has been recorded on said first recording medium, move permission information, included in said digital information, for permitting said digital information to be moved to said second recording medium on the premise that at least a part of the digital information on said first recording medium is disabled for reproduction.    
     
     
         43 . A digital information transmitting apparatus for transmitting digital information including video information and/or audio information to a recording and reproducing unit, comprising: 
 a transmitting circuit for transmitting information of a playback longevity period included in said digital information and indicating a period for permitting said digital information recorded by said recording and reproducing unit to be reproduced.    
     
     
         44 . A digital information transmitting apparatus for transmitting digital information including video information and audio information to a recording and reproducing unit, comprising: 
 a transmitting circuit for transmitting information of a playback longevity count included in said digital information and indicating a count by which said digital information recorded by said recording and reproducing unit is permitted for reproduction.    
     
     
         45 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein when the time for reproduction is the termination of said detected playback longevity period, said control circuit disables at least a part of said digital information from being played back so as to inhibit said digital information recorded on said recording medium from being reproduced.  
     
     
         46 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 45 , wherein said digital information is formed into a block in a predetermined unit and digital information in the block is disabled from being reproduced in a unit of block.  
     
     
         47 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 45 , wherein said digital information is disabled for reproduction by erasing encrypted information included in said digital information.  
     
     
         48 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 45 , wherein at least a part of said digital information is disabled for reproduction so as to inhibit playback of said digital information recorded on said recording medium within a predetermined time after said playback longevity period has elapsed.  
     
     
         49 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 48 , wherein at least a part of said digital information is disabled for reproduction so as to inhibit playback of said digital information recorded on said recording medium within one minute after said playback longevity period has elapsed.  
     
     
         50 . A digital information reproducing apparatus for reproducing digital information including video information and/or audio information from a first recording medium on which said digital information is recorded, comprising: 
 a control circuit for controlling, even when said digital information is inhibited from being copied and recorded onto a second recording medium different from said first recording medium after said digital information has been recorded on said first recording medium, an operation for delivering said digital information for the purpose of moving said digital information to said second recording medium on the premise that at least a part of said digital information on said first recording medium is disabled for reproduction; and    a reproduction disable circuit for disabling at least a part of said digital information on said first recording medium from being reproduced.    
     
     
         51 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 50 , wherein said digital information is formed into a block in a predetermined unit and the digital information in the block is disabled for reproduction in a unit of block.  
     
     
         52 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 50 , wherein said digital information is disabled for reproduction by erasing encrypted information included in said digital information.  
     
     
         53 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 50 , wherein in order to prevent said information recorded on said recording medium within a predetermined time after said digital information is delivered for move, at least a part of said digital information is disabled for reproduction.  
     
     
         54 . A digital information reproducing apparatus according to  claim 53 , wherein in order to prevent said information recorded on said recording medium within one minute after said digital information is delivered for move, at least a part of said digital information is disabled for reproduction.