Cryptography – Video cryptography – Video electric signal modification
Reexamination Certificate
1995-10-04
2001-08-28
Buczinski, Stephen C. (Department: 3662)
Cryptography
Video cryptography
Video electric signal modification
C380S201000, C380S231000, C380S232000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06282293
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fee charging system for use in cases in which information such as video information is supplied for pay via a satellite broadcasting system, a community antenna television (CATV) system, a video cassette tape, or an optical disk and, in particular, to a charging system and a charging method for use in cases in which particular information such as information of commercial messages is simultaneously supplied as a portion of, for example, video information.
Conventionally, when information including video information is supplied via a CATV system or the like, if such particular information as information of commercials is not supplied together with video information in pay-television systems, for example, of the Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK) (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) and WOWOW (one of the broadcasting satellite services in Japan), the subscribers of such television broadcasting systems are uniformly charged for the received video information for each predetermined period of time. With the income, the broadcasting organizations conduct operations to supply various programs to the users. Furthermore, even when information is supplied to subscribers for pay via a video-cassette tape or an optical disk, for example, in a rental system, the particular information such as commercial information is not supplied together with video information. Namely, the amount of charge is decided for each program (for each videocassette tape or optical disk). In contrast therewith, for example, in a commercial broadcasting system using ground waves, the particular information including commercial information is supplied together with video information. That is, since such a broadcasting or so-called video information system is operated to serve the video information on the income from sponsors of the information, the viewers can obtain information free of charge.
Charging systems for pay-television broadcasting system have been described, in for example Japanese Patent Applications Un-examined Publication Nos. JP-A-5-95296 and JP-A-3-147490.
In the charging system of conventional pay-television broadcasting and pay information media, the charging operation is accomplished when transmitted digital video information is received and reproduced. The scrambled state of signals is thereafter descrambled. Alternatively, after an amount of charge is paid in advance, the digital video information is supplied to the pertinent user. Once the digital video information supplied to a user is descrambled as above, the information can be, in principle, arbitrarily recorded to produce copies thereof as many times as desired.
If the copying of digital information is allowed without limitation, it will be against copyrighter's interests. Moreover, this leads to decrease in the income of the supplier of video information. Additionally, when the amount of charge for information is determined the assumption of an arbitrary number of copies are to be made of the information on the user side, the amount of charge will be undesirably increased.
It is predictable that development and advance in multimedia will enhance expansion in utilization of video-on-demand services and CATV systems. Video-on-demand has a remarkable merit or feature in that necessary video information can be arbitrarily attained at a desired point of time. However, there is no room for particular information such as information of a commercial message. As a result, the cost of equipment as well as the maintaining cost necessary to supply services including the video-on-demand service are reflected in the amount of charge to be paid for the acquisition of video information. This therefore hinders a low-cost supply of video information.
Furthermore, in a commercial broadcasting system using ground waves, since commercial messages broadcasted during programs interrupt the stream of each program, the effect or quality of programs such as an entertaining feature thereof is deteriorated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fee charging system for a video information and a method for charging fees for a video information taking advantage of a feature of digital information that the quality thereof is rarely deteriorated even when the information is copied, so that video information is supplied to users at a low price while protecting the copyright of supplied information.
In an embodiment of a fee charging system for a video information according to the present invention, a scrambled signal in which video information is mixed with charging information can be recorded on a recording media so as to be later read therefrom. The charging operation may not be necessarily conducted for the recording, namely, copying of the scrambled signal. In consequence, the viewer or user is allowed to copy free of charge the scrambled signal including the video information and charging information an arbitrarily desired number of times. When a signal read from the recording media by a recording and reproducing apparatus is descrambled to attain the original signal for reproduction thereof, the charging information is detected in the obtained signal so as to carry out a charging process according to the charging information. Consequently, although the scrambled signal may be arbitrarily copied onto any recording media, the charging operation is accomplished each time the signal is descrambled for reproduction thereof.
Since the fee charging for the usage of video information is conducted for each reproduction thereof, the utilization fee of the information is appropriately paid to the author thereof. In consequence, when a copy of information produced by a first user is passed to a second user and the second user copies the obtained information again, the charging operation is also achieved for the copy of the second user. It is hence possible to lower the utilization fee of information which will be more frequently copied. Information is, in one hand, directly supplied to users via such media as a video tape and a laser disk. On the other hand, the copying of the information on the viewer or user side possibly increases the number of users of the information and hence the utilization fee thereof can be decreased. Additionally, the conventional system in which the charging operation is effected for copies of information or the amount of charge is paid before the signal is descrambled depresses or lowers the customers' interest in purchasing video information. In contrast therewith, according to a charging system in which the scrambled information is allowed to be arbitrarily copied in accordance with the present invention, when the user once attains video information, there will be more chances in which the information is copied for other purposes. Namely, the video information will be utilized in a broader range of viewers.
When commercials (i.e., advertisements) are added to the main video information, an amount of charge for the commercial messages (i.e., advertisements information) is obtained from the sponsor, which makes it possible to reduce the utilization fee of video information. To achieve the object of the present invention to supply video information at a possibly low cost, the video information includes, according to another embodiment of the present invention, first charging information and second charging information different from the first charging information. In this regard, the video information includes, for example, first video information as the main video information, such as a movie or a show, and second video information of commercials or the like. The first charging information is added to the first video information, whereas the second charging information is added to the second video information. A charge processing unit carries out a charging process according to the charging information. When the second charging information is detected, the charge processing unit executes the charging operation according to the second char
Aizawa Iwao
Itoh Shigeyuki
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Buczinski Stephen C.
Hitachi , Ltd.
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