Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Access or authorization
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-30
2001-10-16
Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Access or authorization
C016S043000, C016S044000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302795
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing system and method that utilizes a program downloaded from outside, along with a data processing apparatus and method, and particularly to a data processing system and method, along with a data processing apparatus and method suitable for application to a system utilizing a video game machine and a portable information communications terminal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many types of home TV game apparatus such as video game machines and personal computers or other such home consoles use programs that are downloaded from outside. Examples of these programs include programs distributed as shareware. Shareware is a type of software that differs from public domain software and freeware in that it is permitted to be used for a certain fixed period of time on a trial-use basis, and is then paid for when it is to be used in earnest. Shareware can be obtained inexpensively by means of the Internet or other communications means or by CD-ROM or other recording media. By using such shareware, the user can use only the software that she or he likes.
In passing, such shareware is preferably utilized by being obtained on CD-ROM or other recording media which is loaded into a video game machine or other home console, or otherwise utilized in a portable terminal machine after being downloaded from a video game machine. However, the programs conventionally distributed as shareware have a problem in that once they are downloaded, they can be used indefinitely.
In particular, when a program recorded on CD-ROM or other recording media is downloaded from a video game machine, it is difficult to manage this downloading from the video game machine side or from the recording media side, so there is a problem in that a program recorded on a single recording media may be illegally downloaded multiple times.
The present invention came about in light of the aforementioned problems at the time that conventional shareware is downloaded, and its object is to provide a data processing system and method, along with a data processing apparatus and method whereby, when a program read out by a main unit is downloaded to a sub unit, the time of downloading is recorded in the program, so that the execution of the program downloaded to the sub unit may be controlled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to achieve the objects of the invention, the data processing system according to the present invention is a data processing system wherein a sub unit is removably connected via a connector to a main unit that performs data processing, the main unit has a program supply for supplying a program to the sub unit, and the sub unit has storage for storing the program supplied by the program supply and the time of communication with the main unit; a clock for marking time; a time comparitor for comparing a usage time limit, which is a time limit until the program is executable in the sub unit and which is obtained, based on the time of communication, against a time obtained from the clock; and an execution control that exerts control of the execution of the program based on the results of comparison performed by this time comparison means.
In the data processing system, the program provided by the main unit is downloaded to the sub unit, and the usage time limit obtained, based on the time when the download occurred, is compared against the current time obtained from the clock and the execution of the program downloaded to the sub unit is controlled depending on the results.
In addition, the data processing system has a program supplied from the main unit to the sub unit which is read by the main unit by a program reader from a recording medium removably loaded into the main unit; the main unit has a program comparator that compares the program stored in the sub unit storage against that which is read from the recording medium by the program reader; the sub unit has a time updating means for updating the usage time limit, and this time updating means updates the usage time limit of the stored program in depending on the results of comparison of the program comparator.
The data processing system according to the present invention compares the program which is read by the main unit from the recording medium against the stored program in the sub unit and updates the usage time limit of the stored program in the sub unit depending on whether or not the stored program of the sub unit is that which is read from the recording medium loaded in the main unit.
Moreover, the data processing system according to the present invention is characterized in that the sub unit has a wireless reception means that receives wireless signals from outside and absolutely accurate absolute time information. The current time obtained from the clock can be corrected based on the absolute time information.
The data processing system according to the present invention corrects the time obtained by the clock of the sub unit to the absolute time obtained by the wireless reception means.
The data processing method according to the present invention is a data processing method wherein a sub unit is removably connected to a main unit that performs data processing, wherein a program supplied from the main unit to the sub unit and the time of communication with the main unit are stored and a usage time limit, which is a time limit during which the program is executable in the sub unit and based on the time of communication, is compared against the current time; and control of the program is based on the results of this comparison.
The data processing method downloads a program supplied by the main unit to the sub unit, compares the current time against the usage time limit obtained based on the time when the download occurred, and controls the program downloaded to the sub unit depending on these results.
In addition, the program supplied from the main unit to the sub unit is one that the main unit had read from a recording medium removably loaded in the main unit, the program stored in the sub unit is compared against that read from the recording medium, and the usage time limit of the program stored in the sub unit is updated depending on the results of this comparison.
The data processing method compares the program read from the recording medium by the main unit against the program stored in the sub unit and updates the usage time limit of the program stored in the sub unit depending on whether or not the program stored in the sub unit is that read from the recording medium loaded in the main unit.
The data processing apparatus has storage means for storing a program supplied by data processing equipment and the time of communication with the data processing equipment; a clock for marking time; a time comparator for comparing a usage time limit, which is a time limit during which the program is executable in the sub unit and which is obtained based on the time of communication, against a time obtained from the clock and a control that controls the operation of the program based on the results of comparison performed by this time comparator.
The data processing apparatus downloads a program supplied by the data processing equipment, compares the current time obtained from the clock against the usage time limit obtained based on the time when the download occurred, and control of the operation of the downloaded program, depending on these results.
In addition, the program in the data processing apparatus is one read by the data processing equipment from a recording medium removably loaded into the data processing equipment; it has a time updater for updating the usage time limit, and this time updater updates the usage time limit of the program depending on the results of comparing the program against that read from the recording medium.
The data processing apparatus compares the program which is read by the data processing equipment from the recording medium against the stored program and updates the usage time limit of the stored program depending o
Helfgott & Karas P.C.
Martin-Wallace Valencia
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
White Carmen D.
LandOfFree
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