MXPA00010101A - Information processing device and method, and program storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

A CPU (11) of a personal computer (1) instructs a CPU (32) of an adapter (26) comprising a semiconductor IC to calculate the hash value of a tune database for managing the contents recorded on an HDD (21) and to store the hash value in a nonvolatile memory (34). When the contents recorded on the HDD (21) are reproduced, the CPU (11) calculates the hash value of the tune database, compares it with the hash value stored in the nonvolatile memory (34), and control the reproduction of the contents from the HDD (21) according to the results of the comparison.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD OF INFORMATION PROCESSING AND PROGRAM STOCK MEDIA TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, and to a program storage medium, and more specifically, to an apparatus and method for processing information. information adapted to avoid falsification of a programmatic used with data in order to inhibit the fraudulent copying of data, and a program storage medium that has registered there an information processing program to avoid fraudulent copying. BACKGROUND OF THE TECHNOLOGY Recently, as digital technology has advanced and become more popular, it has been possible to digitally record or reproduce various music data, image data, etc., in a recording medium or from a medium register. As a result, it has been possible to obtain data with an image or sound quality no lower than the quality of the original data even after repeated copying of the data. With the development of digital technology, however, the following problems have arisen: (1) for example, when copying digital music data from a compact disc (CD) to a disc hard of a personal computer, the music data from the compact disc can be registered in the state in which they are, or compressed in the hard disk, in such a way that the music data can be distributed fraudulently in a large volume through a network such as Internet. (2) When copying digital music data from a compact disc to a hard disk of a personal computer, the music data will be distributed in a large volume since the number of copies is not limited. (3) When copying digital music data from a hard disk of a personal computer to an external device such as a portable device, the original digital music data remains on the hard disk after copying, in such a way that It can be copied and distributed in a large volume. (4) To avoid the problem (3) above, the programmatic for the personal computer must be designed in such a way that after copying the digital music data to the external device, the data on the hard disk that is the source of the data is erased (music data is moved). However, if the Hard disk content is backed up in another recording medium before being moved and the data backed up in this way is stored in the hard disk after the displacement, the data that has been moved will remain in the hard disk. (5) When digital music data on a hard disk of a personal computer is copied to an external device such as a portable device, said data may be transferred to an illegal device since the type of the external device is not confirmed. When digital music data is passed from an external device such as a portable device to a personal computer, said data will possibly be passed to an illegal program since the type of program that controls the personal computer is not confirmed. (6) When music data reproduced from a compact disc is handled on a personal computer, ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) included in the music data can be used to determine whether a Musical work is the same as the other. However, eventually, no ISRC data is included on the compact disc. In this case, it is not possible to judge whether the works musical are the same among them. (7) The above functions can be performed under the control of a programmatic on a personal computer. Thus, if the programmatic itself is altered, it will be possible to carry out an operation not foreseen by the system designer. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art by providing an information processing apparatus and a method adapted to positively prevent the fraudulent copying of data in a large volume by analyzing and falsifying a programmatic employed with the data, and a program storage medium that has the information processing program registered there. An information processing apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises a device for storing content data, a control device having a programmatic controlling the storage or reading of the content data in the content data storage device or from said content and device data storage device provided on an equipment independent of the control device for decoding and executing a coded program supplied from the control device and supply the result of the execution of the program to the control device; the control device controls the storage or reading of the content data to the content data storage medium or from the content data storage medium based on the execution result of the program supplied from the execution device of program. In the information processing apparatus, the storage device and content data also store management information with which the stored content data itself is handled, and the control device causes the program execution device to perform a calculation default based on driving information. Likewise, the control device can be a central processing unit, the content data storage device can be a hard disk, and the program execution device can be a central processing unit incorporated into a semiconductor integrated circuit. -conductor other than the one in which the central processing unit is integrated as a control device. Likewise, the above object can be achieved by providing an information processing method that includes, in accordance with the present invention, the step of controlling the storage or reading of content data in a device for storing content data or from said content data storage device based on the result of a program execution by a program execution device. Likewise, the aforementioned object can be achieved by providing a program storage medium wherein a program is recorded which includes, in accordance with the present invention, a step of controlling the storage or reading of content data in a storage device. of content data or from a content data storage device based on the result of a program execution by a program execution device. Likewise, the above object can be achieved by providing an information processing apparatus including, in accordance with the present invention, a device for entering content data, a device for storing the content data supplied from the input device, a device for compressing the content data stored in the content data storage device by default, a device for encoding the data stored in the content data storage device by default, and a device for controlling storage or data storage. reading on the device storage of content data or from the content data storage device of the content data compressed by the compression device and encoded by the coding device. Likewise, the above object can be achieved by providing an information processing method that includes, in accordance with the present invention, the steps of entering data, storing the data supplied from the data entry step, compressing the data stored in the data. data storage step by default, encode the data stored in the data storage step by default, and control the storage or reading of the compressed data in the compression step and encoded in the encoding step. Likewise, the above object can be achieved by providing a program storage means having registered there a program intended for execution by an information processing apparatus and which can be read by a computer, the program includes, in accordance with this invention, the steps of entering data, storing the data supplied from the data entry step, compressing the data stored in the data storage step by default, encoding the data stored in the data storage step by default , and control storage or reading of the compressed data in the compression step and encoded in the coding step. Also, the above object can be achieved by providing an information processing apparatus including, in accordance with the present invention, a device for entering content data, a device for storing the content data supplied from the data entry device of content, a device for preserving the handling information for the content data stored in the content data storage device, a device for making a predetermined calculation based on the handling information stored in the information storage device of handling, and a device for controlling the use of the content data stored in the content data storage device in accordance with a result of a comparison made between the calculation result made by the computing device and a past calculation stored in the device. the data storage device of co held. Likewise, the above object can be achieved by providing an information processing method that includes, in accordance with the present invention, the steps of entering data, storing the data supplied from the data entry step, conserving management information for the data. data stored in the data storage step, make a predetermined calculation based on the management information stored in the storage information management step, store the result of the calculation carried out in the calculation step, and control the use of the data stored in the data storage step in accordance with the result of a comparison made between the result of the calculation carried out in the calculation step with a past calculation stored in the data storage step. Likewise, the above object can be achieved by providing a program storage means having there recorded a program intended for execution by an information processing apparatus and readable in computer, the program includes, in accordance with the present invention, the steps to enter data, store the data supplied from the data entry step, keep the management information for the data stored in the data storage step, make a predetermined calculation based on the management information conserved in the step of conservation of management information, storing the result of the calculation made in the calculation step, and controlling the use of the data stored in the data storage step in accordance with a result of a comparison made between the result of the calculation made in the calculation step and a past calculation stored in the data storage step. Likewise, the above object can be achieved by providing an information processing apparatus including, in accordance with the present invention, a device for transmitting and receiving data to another apparatus and from another apparatus, a device for keeping a blocking key and a save key, an authentication device that uses the block key stored in the conservation device when transmitting and receiving data to another device and from another device to perform mutual authentication with the other device in order to generate a key of communication, a device for coding the communication key with the save key, and a device for storing the data received by the device for transmitting and receiving data and encoded with the communication key corresponding to the encrypted communication key by the coding device. Likewise, the above object can be achieved by providing an information processing method that includes, in accordance with the present invention, the steps of transmitting and receiving data to another device and from another device, preserving a blocking key and saving key. predetermined, use the lock key retained in the conservation step when transmitting and receiving data to the other device and from the other device to effect amutual authentication with the other device in order to generate a communication key, code the communication key with the save key, and store the data received in the data transmission and reception step and encoded with the communication key of corresponding to the communication key encoded in the coding step. Likewise, the above object can be achieved by providing a program storage medium that has registered Here, a program provided for its execution by an information processing device and readable in computer, the program includes, in accordance with the present invention, the steps of transmitting and receiving data to another device and from another device, keeping a password blocking and save key predetermined, use the lock key retained in the conservation step when transmitting and receiving data to the other device and from the other device k to make a mutual authentication with the other device to generate a communication key, encode the key communication with the key to store and store the data received in the step of transmission and reception of data and which have been encoded with the communication key in a manner corresponding to the communication key encoded in the coding step. 25 Likewise, the above object can be achieved by providing an information processing apparatus including in accordance with the present invention a device for storing data, a device for preserving the rule of use for the data stored in the data storage device, a device for evaluating whether or not, when they move the data stored in the data storage device to another device, the usage rule for the data stored in the data storage device is reproducible by the other device, and a device for moving, based on the result of the evaluation by the evaluation device, the data stored in the data storage device to the other device together with the rule of use for the data stored in the data storage device, which is stored in the storage device. Likewise, the above object can be achieved by providing an information processing method that includes, in accordance with the present invention, the steps of storing data, preserving the usage rule for the data stored in the data storage step, evaluating whether or not, when the data stored in the data storage step is moved to another device, the usage rule for the data stored in the data storage is reproducible by the other device, and displaced, based on the result of the evaluation in the step of evaluation, the data stored in the data storage device to the other device together with the usage rule for the data stored in the data storage step, which is retained in the conservation step. Likewise, the above object can be achieved by providing a program storage means having registered there a program provided for execution by an information processing apparatus and readable in computer, the program includes, in accordance with the present invention, the steps to store data, keep the storage rule for the data stored in the data storage step, evaluate whether or not, when the data stored in the data storage step is moved to another device, the usage rule for the data stored in the data storage step is reproducible by the other device, and to shift, based on the result of the evaluation in the evaluation step, the data stored in the data storage device to the other device together with the rule of use for the data stored in the data storage step, which is preserved in the conservation step. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a content data management system in accordance with the present invention. Figure 2 explains the configuration of a computer personnel employed in the content data management system. Figure 3 explains the configuration of a portable device included in the content data management system. Figure 4 is a block diagram of the personal computer for the explanation of the functions of the personal computer. Figure 5 shows an example of a display / operation window. Figure 6 shows an example of the window that the registration program displays by the display unit. Figure 7 is a flow chart of the operations performed when copying the content from a compact disc to a hard disk drive. Figure 8 is a flowchart of operations performed to check the time limit database in step S12 in the flow chart illustrated in Figure 7. Figure 9 shows an example of the time limit database. Figure 10 explains a watermark. Figure 11 shows an example of a music database.

Figure 12 is a flowchart of operations performed when moving the content from the disk drive hard towards a portable device. Figure 13 is a flow chart of operations performed when moving a content from the hard disk drive to a portable device. Figure 14 is a flow chart of operations performed when moving a content from the hard disk drive to a portable device. Fig. 15 is a flowchart of operations performed under review conditions to reproduce selected content in step S55 in the flow chart illustrated in Fig. 12. Fig. 16 explains the reproduction conditions handled by the portable device. Figure 17 is a flow chart of operations performed in format conversion in step S58 in the flow chart of Figure 12. Figure 18 is a flow chart of operations performed when copying a content from the hard disk drive towards a portable device. Figure 19 is a flow chart of operations performed when copying a content from the disk drive to a portable device. Figure 20 is a flow chart of operations performed when copying a content from the hard disk drive to a portable device.

Figure 21 is a flow diagram of the operations performed when copying a content from the portable device to a hard disk drive. Figure 22 is a flow chart of operations performed when copying a content from the portable device to a hard disk drive. Figure 23 is a flow diagram of the operations performed when copying a content from an electric music distribution server to a hard disk drive. Figure 24 is a flow chart of operations performed in accounting in step S204 in the flow chart illustrated in Figure 23. Figure 25 explains an accounting logbook. Figure 26 is a flow diagram of the operations performed when copying a content to the hard disk unit from an IEC60958 terminal of the personal computer. Figure 27 is a flow diagram of the operations performed when copying a content to the hard disk drive from an IEC60958 terminal of the personal computer. Figure 28 is a flow diagram of the operations performed when sending a content from the hard disk drive to the terminal of IEC60958. Figure 29 is a flow diagram of the operations performed when sending a content from the disk drive hard to the terminal of IEC60958. Fig. 30 is a flowchart of the operations performed to check the reproduction conditions in step S275 in the flow chart illustrated in Fig. 28. Fig. 31 is a flowchart of the operations performed in the sending of a content from the hard drive through the portable device. Figure 32 is a flowchart of the operations performed when sending content from the hard disk drive through the portable device. Figure 33 explains the operation of a non-volatile memory. Figure 34 is a flow chart of the operations performed on the adapter. Figure 35 shows the internal construction of the adapter.

Figures 36A and 36B show examples, respectively, of the internal construction of the non-volatile memory. Figure 37 shows an example of the internal construction of the non-volatile memory. PREFERRED MODE OF THE INVENTION The preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the content data management system according to the present invention.

The content data management system includes a personal computer 1 connected to a network 2 composed of a local area network or Internet. The personal computer 1 compresses music data (hereinafter referred to as "content") received from EMD (Electric Music Distribution) servers 4-1 to 4-3 or read from a CD (Compact Disc) which will be described further below by default (ATRAC3® for example), and encodes the compressed content, to register, through a coding method such DES (Data Coding Standard) or the like. The personal computer 1 also registers, for a coded and registered content, a rule of use in accordance with which the content must be used. The usage rule shows, for example, a number of portable devices (abbreviated as "PD" as the case may be) that can simultaneously use the content according to the rule of use. The number of portable devices referred to herein is a number of portable devices that can remove the content in accordance with what is described below. Even after a number of withdrawals included in the usage rule, the personal computer 1 may reproduce the content. Otherwise, the usage rule can show that the content can be copied. When the content is copied to the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3, the personal computer 1 can play the registered content. The content may be stored in portable devices 6-1 to 6-3 a number of times which is limited as the case may be. In this case, the content can be copied a number of times that will not be increased. Alternatively, the usage rule may show that the content may be moved to another personal computer. After the content is moved to the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3, the content registered in the personal computer 1 can not be used (the content is deleted or the usage rule is changed). The rule of use will be described in more detail later. The personal computer 1 stores the encoded and recorded content together with the data related to the content (for example, title, reproduction condition of each musical work) in the connected portable device 6-1 through a USB cable (Bus in Universal Series) 7-1, and updates the usage rule for the content stored in response to the storage of content on the portable device 6-1 (such operations are referred to as "removal" below.) More specifically, when the content is removed , the number of times a content can be withdrawn, included in the usage rule for the content and registered in the personal computer 1, decreases by one unit. Therefore, when the number of times a content can be removed reaches zero, the content in accordance with the usage rule can not be removed again. Likewise, the personal computer 1 stores the encoded and recorded content together with the data related to content in the connected portable device 6-2 through a USB type cable 7-2 and updates the usage rule for the content stored in the device. response to storage of content on the portable device 6-2. In addition, the personal computer 1 stores the encoded and recorded content together with the data related to content in the connected portable device 6-2 through a USB type cable (Universal Serial Bus) 7-3, and updates the usage rule for the content stored in response to the storage of content on portable device 6-3. Likewise, the computer 1 will cause the portable device 6-1 connected there by the USB type cable 7-1 to erase or disable the portable device 6-1 to use the content that the personal computer 1 has removed, thus updating the rule of use for the deleted content (this operation will be known as "income" below). More specifically, when the content has been entered, the number of times a content can be removed, included in the usage rule for the content and registered on the personal computer 1, they are increased by one. Also, the computer 1 will cause the portable device 6-2 connected to it by the USB cable 7-2 to erase or disable the portable device 6-2 to use the content that the personal computer 1 has removed, thus updating the rule of Use for deleted content. In addition, the computer 1 will make the portable device 6-3 connected by the USB cable 7-3 erase or deactivate the portable device 6-3 to use the content that the personal computer 1 has removed, thus updating the usage rule for the deleted content.

Personal computer 1 can not enter content other than personal computer (not illustrated) sent to portable device 6-1. Likewise, the personal computer 1 can not enter a content that the other personal computer has sent to the portable device 6-2. In addition, personal computer 1 can not enter content that the other personal computer has sent to portable device 6-3. As shown, the content data management system according to the present invention also includes an EMD 3 registration server. When computer 1 starts acquiring the content from the EMD servers 4-1 to 4-3 , the EMD 3 registration server responds to a request from the personal computer 1 to transmit to the personal computer 1 through the network 2 a password of authentication required for mutual authentication between the personal computer 1 and the EMD servers 4-1 to 4-3, and to the personal computer 1 a program for connection to the EMD servers 4-1 to 4-3. In response to the request of the personal computer 1, the EMD server 4-1 provides content along with data related to content (for example, the title or limit of reproduction of each musical work) to the personal computer 1 through the network 2. Likewise, the EMD server 4-2 responds to the request of the personal computer 1 to supply a content along with data related to content to the personal computer 1 through the network 2. Also, in response to the request of the personal computer 1, the EMD server 4-3 supplies a content along with data related to content to the personal computer 1 through the network 2. The contents supplied from the EMD servers 4- 1 through 4-3 are compressed in the same manner or in different ways, respectively. Likewise, the contents supplied from the EMD servers 4-1 through 4-3 are encoded in the same way or in different ways, respectively. As shown, the content data management system in accordance with the present invention also includes WWW (global network) servers 5-1 and 5-2. The WWW server 5- 1 responds to the request of the personal computer 1 for supplying the personal computer 1 through the network 2 with a compact disc from which a content has been read (for example, disk album name, or disk provider) compact) and data corresponding to the content read (for example, title or name of the composer of each musical work). In response to the request of the personal computer 1, the server of WWW 5-2 supplies to the personal computer 1 through the res 2 a compact disk from which a content and data corresponding to the content read has been read. The portable device 6-1 stores the content supplied from the personal computer 1 (ie, a sending content) together with data related to the content (for example, title or limit of reproduction of each musical work). Based on the data related to content, the portable device 6-1 reproduces and sends in stored content to a hearing aid or the like (not illustrated). For example, when attempting to play the content a greater number of times than the playback limit stored as data related to content, the portable device 6-1 will stop playing the corresponding content. Likewise, when an attempt is made to reproduce later that a limit of playback time stored as data related to content has passed, the Portable device 6-1 stop playing the corresponding content. The user can disconnect, for transport, the portable device 6-1 having a content stored there from a personal computer 1, and play the content stored in the portable device 6-1 to listen to a musical work corresponding to the content to through the hearing aid or similar. The portable device 6-2 stores the content supplied from the personal computer 1 together with data related to the content. Based on the data related to the content, the bearer device 6-2 will reproduce and send the stored content to a hearing aid or the like (not illustrated). The user will be able to disconnect, for transport, the portable device 6-2 that has a content stored there from the personal computer 1 and will be able to reproduce the content stored in the portable device 6-2 to listen to a musical work corresponding to the content through of the hearing aid or similar. The portable device 6-3 stores the content supplied from the personal computer 1 together with data related to the content. Based on the data related to the content, portable device 6-3 will play and send the stored content to a hearing aid or the like (not illustrated). The user can disconnect, to transport, the portable device 6-3 having a content stored there from the personal computer 1, and it will be able to reproduce the content stored in the portable device 6-3 to listen to a musical work corresponding to the content through the hearing aid or the like.

The portable devices 6-1 to 6-3 are simply referred to as "portable device 6" below when not individually mentioned. Figure 2 is an exemplary illustration of the configuration of the personal computer 1. As shown, the personal computer 1 comprises a central processing unit 11. The central processing unit 11 in fact executes several applications (to be further described below) and OS (operating system). A ROM (read-only memory) 12 is also provided in the personal computer 1, and generally stores basically fixed data of programs and computing parameters employed in the central processing unit 11. Likewise, a RAM (access memory) is included. random) 13 in the personal computer 1 to store programs used for execution of the applications and operating system by the central processing unit 11 and appropriately variable parameters in the execution of the applications and operating system. The central processing unit 11, read-only memory 12, and random access memory 13 are mutually connected between them by a host connection 14 composed of a central processing unit connection, etc. The guest connection 14 is connected to an external connection 16, for example PCI (interconnection / peripheral component interface) through a bridge 15. The personal computer 1 also has a keyboard 18 operated by the user to enter several commands to the central processing unit 11 and presents a mouse 19 used by the user to point and select a point on the screen of a display unit 20. the display unit 20 is a liquid crystal display unit or CRT (lightning tubes cathode) to display various information in the form of text and / or image. In addition, the personal computer 1 is equipped with an HDD (hard disk drive) 21 that drives a hard disk to write or read a program to be executed by the central processing unit 11 as well as information to the hard disk or from the hard disk . A unit 22 is also provided in the personal computer 1. The data or program unit 22 registered in any of a magnetic disk 41, an optical disk 42 (including compact disk), a magnetic-optical disk 43 and semiconductor memory 44, any connected to the unit 22, and supplies the read data or program to the random access memory 13 connected there by a network 17, external connection 16, bridge 15 and guest connection 14. Personal computer 1 is also equipped with USB type outputs of 23-1, 23-2 and 23-3. The USB output 23-1 has the portable device 6-1 connected there by means of the USB type cable 7-1, and sends data (including a content or a command to the portable device 6-1, for example) supplied from of the hard disk drive 21, central processing unit 11 or random access memory 13 to the portable device 6-1 through the interface 17, external connection 16, bridge 15 or host connection 14. The USB type port 23-2 has the portable device 6-2 connected there by means of the USB type cable 7-2, and sends data (including a content or a command to the portable device 6-2, for example) supplied from the unit. hard disk 21, central processing unit 11 or random access memory 13 to portable device 6-2 through interface 17, external connection 16, bridge 15 or guest connection 14. The port type USB 23-3 has the portable device 6-3 connected there by means of the USB type cable 7-3, and sends data (including a content or a command to the portable device 6-3, for example) supplied from the hard disk drive 21, central processing unit 11 or random access memory 13 to the portable device 6-3 through the interface 17, external connection 16, bridge 15 or host connection 14. The personal computer 1 is also equipped with an audio input / output 24 interface that has a terminal 24a of IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission ) 60958 24a. The audio input / output interface 24 connects a digital audio input / output or a digital analog audio input / output. The personal computer 1 also has a horn 45 which provides a predetermined sound corresponding to each content based on an audio signal supplied from the audio input / output 24 interface. The accessories including the keyboard 18 for the audio interface audio input / output 24 are connected to the interface 17 which in turn is connected to the central processing unit 11 by the external connection 16, bridge 15 and guest connection 14. Furthermore, the personal computer 1 has a communication block 25 connected to the network 32. The communication block 25 transmits, as stored in packets by default, data (for example, registration request or request to send a content) supplied from the central processing unit 11 or well from the hard drive 23 through the network 2 while sending data (for example, authentication key or content) stored in received packets to the central processing unit 11, random access memory 13, or hard disk drive 21 through the network 2. An adapter 26 formed integrally as a semiconductor integrated circuit is also provided for connection with the personal computer 1. It has a central processing unit 32, a random access memory unit 33, a non-volatile memory 34, a real-time clock RTC 35 and a read-only memory. The central processing unit 32 is connected to the central processing unit 11 in the personal computer via the external connection 16, bridge 15 and guest connection 14, and therefore cooperates with the central processing unit 11 to perform various processes. The random access memory 33 stores data and programs necessary to execute the various processes by the central processing unit 32. The non-volatile memory 34 stores data that must be retained even after the personal computer is turned off 1. The memory alone reading 36 stores a program for decoding a coded program transferred from the personal computer 1. The real-time clock 35 saves time to provide time information. The communication block 25 and the adapter 26 are connected to the central processing unit 11 through from external connection 16, bridge 15 and guest connection 14. USB ports 23-1 to 23-3 are simply referred to as "USB port 23" below when they are not mentioned individually. Likewise, USB cables 7-1 to 7-3 are simply mentioned as "USB cable 7" below when they are not mentioned individually. Referring now to Figure 3, the portable device 6 is illustrated schematically in the form of a block diagram. The portable device 6 includes a power circuit 52 that converts a voltage supplied from a dry cell 51 to an internal power of a predetermined voltage. By supplying power to components from a central processing unit 53 to a display unit 67, the power circuit 562 will drive the entire portable device 6. A USB driver 57 is provided in the portable device 6. When connected to the personal computer 1 through a USB 52 connector and USB cable 7, the USB 57 controller provides data that includes a content transferred from the personal computer 1 to the central processing unit 53 through an internal connection 58. Data to be transferred from the personal computer 1 are composed of data of 64 bytes per packet, and are transferred from the personal computer 1 at a speed of transfer of 12Mb? t? os / sec. Data to be transferred to portable device 6 consists of a header and a content. The header stores the content Id, file name, header size, content key, file size, encoder / decoder ID, file information, etc., and also reproduction limitation data, start date, date of termination, reproduction limit, reproduction counter, etc., which are necessary for feeding the reproduction. It will be noted here that the term "date" used herein refers to a date and a time. The content is encoded by the coding method such as ATRAC3 and cpptograflado. The header size indicates a data length of a header (for example, 33 bytes), and the file size indicates a length of content data (for example, 33,636,138 bytes). The content key is a key for decoding a cryptographic content, and is transmitted from the personal computer 1 to the portable device 6 in a cryptographic format based on a session key (provisional) generated through a mutual authentication between the computer personal 1 and the portable device 6. When the portable device 6 is connected to the USB port 23 of the personal computer 1 by the cable USB 7, a mutual authentication will be made between the portable device 6 and the personal computer 1. This mutual authentication is of the challenge-response type as for example. Note that a DSP (digital signal processor) 59 is also provided in the portable device 6 for describing a cryptographic content when a challenge-response type authentication is performed. The aforementioned challenge-response type mutual authentication is such that in response to a certain value (challenge) generated by the personal computer, for example, a value (response) is generated by the portable device 6 through the use of a key common private both to the portable device 6 and to the personal computer 1. in the mutual authentication of challenge-response type the value generated by the personal computer 1 varies in each authentication. Thus, even if, for example, a value generated by using the private key and sent from the portable device 6 is read, that is, what is known as an attack in disguise, the personal computer 1 can detect a fraudulent event placed that a subsequent mutual authentication is performed using a different value. The content ID is an ID for a content to identify the content. The encoder / decoder ID is an ID corresponding to a coding method for a content. For example, an encoder / decoder ID of "1" corresponds to ATRAC3 while an encoder / decoder ID of "0" corresponds to MP3 (audio layer 3 of MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) )). The file name is a data that results from the conversion of a content file (to be described later) that corresponds to a content and registered in the personal computer 1 to an ASCII (American National Standard Code for Information Interchange) code (Code National American Standard for Information Exchange). The file information is a data that results from the conversion of a title of a musical work (name of content), name of the artist who plays the musical work, name of the writer of the song of the musical work or name of the composer of the musical work in an ASCII code. The reproduction limitation data is to indicate whether there is a set reproduction period during which a content can be reproduced (ie, start date or end date) or a revolution limit (a limit number of times) that a content can be reproduced. When a reproduction limit is set, the reproduction limitation data is assigned "1". When a period is established during which a content can be played, the limitation data of playback are assigned "2". When there is no limit on reproduction times or reproduction periods (ie, when the content has been acquired, "0" is assigned) to the reproduction limitation data. The start date and end date are data indicating a range of a period during which a content can be played when "2" is assigned to the reproduction limitation data. For example, when the start date is "00040F" while the completion date is "00070F", a corresponding content can be reproduced from a period from April 15, 2000 to June 15, 2000. Primarily, the limit of reproduction and the reproduction counter are in accordance with the following. Namely, when "1" or "2" is assigned as reproduction limitation data, the reproduction limit is a predetermined number of times that a content can be reproduced and the reproduction counter is a number of times the content has has been reproduced and updated by the central processing unit 53 upon completion of this reproduction. For example, when the reproduction limit is "02", the content can be played twice. When the play counter is "01", this means that the content has been played once. When "2" is assigned to the limitation data of reproduction, the start date is "00040F", the completion date is "00070F" and the reproduction limit is "02", for example, the portable device 6 can reproduce a corresponding content twice a day during the period of 15 from April 2000 until July 15, 2000. Likewise, when the reproduction limitation data is assigned "1", the start date is "000000", the completion date is "000000", the limit of reproduction is "0" and the reproduction counter is "05", for example, a corresponding content can be played for an unlimited period, can be played 10 times and has been played 5 times. When the portable device 6 receives a content and a command to write content from a personal computer 1, the central processing unit 53 executing a master program read from a read-only memory 55 to a random access memory 54, they will receive the write command, control a flash memory controller 60 and write to a flash memory 61 the content received from the personal computer 1. The flash memory 61 has a storage capacity of approximately 64 Mbytes for storing the content. Likewise, the flash memory has stored in advance a reproduction code for the expansion of a content that has been compressed by default.

Note that the flash memory 61 can be formed as a memory card that can be connected to the portable device 6 and removed from said device. When the central processing unit 53 receives a playback command corresponding to an operation of pressing a revolution / stop button (not shown) through an operation key controller 62, so that the flash memory controller 60 reads the reproduction code and contents of the flash memory 61 and transfer them to the DSP 59 of the portable device 6. After detecting an error in the content in the CRC method (cyclical redundancy check) in accordance with the reproduction code transferred from the flash memory 61, the DSP 59 will reproduce the content of the reproduced data (indicated with a reference DI in Figure 3) to a circuit 63 for converting digital to analog data. The DSP 59 is integrally formed with a transmission circuit (not shown) provided within the portable device 6 for reproducing a content based on an MCLK master clock from an external crystal oscillator 59A, and supplied to the data conversion circuit digital to analog 63 the master clock MCLK, a bit clock BCLK generated by an internal oscillation circuit based on the internal clock MCLK and having a predetermined sequence, and an operating clock LRCLK composed of a L-channel clock LCLK and an R-channel clock RCLK in the frames units. To reproduce a content, the DSP 59 supplies the aforementioned operation clock to the digital to analog data conversion circuit 63 in accordance with the reproduction code. When no content is played the DSP 59 suspends the supply of the operation clock in accordance with the playback code to turn off the digital to analog data conversion circuit 63, thus reducing the power consumption of the overall portable device 6. In this way similar the central processing unit 53 and the USB controller 57 have external crystal oscillators 53A and 57A connected there, respectively, and perform predetermined operations based on master clocks MCLK supplied from oscillators 53A and 57A, respectively. Due to the aforementioned construction the portable device 6 does not require a clock generation module to supply a clock to each of the following: central processing unit 53, DSP 59 and USB 57 controller and therefore can be designed in such a manner way that has a more compact and simpler circuit construction. The digital to analog data conversion circuit 63 converts a reproduced content into an audio signal The amplifier circuit 64 amplifies the audio signal and supplies it to a hearing aid (not shown) through a hearing aid connection 65. Thus, when the playback button is pressed / stop (not illustrated) the portable device 6 plays a content stored in the flash memory 61 under the control of the central processing unit 53. When the play / stop button is pressed during the course of the playback of a content, the device Portable 6 stops content playback. When the play / stop button is pressed after stopping the content playback operation, the portable device resumes playback of content in the position where the playback operation has been stopped under the control of the central processing unit 53. When a time of a few seconds has elapsed without the additional operation performed after the suspension of the reproduction operation by oppressing the play / stop button, the portable device 6 automatically suspends the power supply, thus reducing the power consumption. It will be noted here that when the play / stop button is pressed after turning off the power supply, the portable device 6 resumes playback in the first musical work or musical work number 1 without reproducing the content in the position where the reproduction operation had previously been stopped. Likewise, the central processing unit 53 of the portable device 6 causes an LCD controller 68 to display in a display unit 67 a reproduction mode (eg, repeat playback, repeat input, etc.), equalization adjustment ( for example gain setting for a frequency band of the audio signal), number for a musical work, playback time, playback modes such as playback, stop, fast forward or fast return, and information such as volume of sound and voltage level in the dry cell 51. In addition, the portable device 6 stores in an EPROM 68 numerous contents written in the flash memory 80, locations of blocks of the flash memory 61 where the contents are written, respectively, and what is known as FAT (file allocation table) for various information stored in memory. It will be noted that in this mode a content is taken as a block of 64 Kbytes and a block location for the content of each musical work is stored in the file allocation table. In the case of a stored file allocation table in the flash memory 61, when the content of a first musical work is written in the flash memory 61 under the control of the central processing unit 53, the location of a block corresponding to the content of the first musical work will be written as a table of allocation of files in the flash memory, and then when the content of the second musical work is written in the flash memory 61, the location of a block corresponding to the content of the second musical work will be written as a file allocation table in the flash memory 61 (in the same area where the first musical work was already written). In this way, a file allocation table is rewritten each time the content is written in flash memory 61, and in addition the same data will be written again for reservation in order to protect the data. When a file allocation table is written to the flash memory 61, the same area in the flash memory will be rescanned twice correspondingly to the writing of the first content. For this reason, when the content structure is performed a small number of times, a specified number of times to rewrite the flash memory 61 will be achieved, such that the flash memory 61 can no longer be rewritten. To avoid the above, the portable device 6 causes the EPROM68 to store the file allocation table of such so that the file allocation table can be rewritten a small number of times in flash memory 61 when writing each content. By storing in the EPROM68 a file allocation table that is rewritten a large number of times, the portable device 6 can be adapted in such a way that the content can be written to the flash memory 61 at a frequency tens of times greater than in the case in which the file allocation table is stored in the flash memory 61. Furthermore, since the central processing unit 53 causes the EPROM68 to store additionally the file allocation table, the same area in the EPROM68 is rewritten with a reduced frequency for ev-Car that the EPROM68 can not be rewritten early. When the portable device 6 is connected to the personal computer 1 through the USB cable 7 (what is known as "USB connection" below), it is recognized based on an interrupt signal supplied from the USB controller 57 indicating that the USB connection has been made. When the portable device 6 recognizes the USB connection, it receives an external power at a specified current value from the personal computer via the USB cable 7 and causes a power circuit 52 to suspend the power supply from the cell dry 51. When the USB connection is established, the central processing unit 53 will suspend the reproduction of a content by the DSP 59. Thus, the central processing unit 53 will prevent the external power supplied from the personal computer 1 from exceeding the value of specified current in such a way that the external power of the specified current value can always be supplied. Thus, when the USB connection is established, the central processing unit 53 makes a selection between the power supplied from the dry cell 51 and the power supplied from the personal computer 1. That is, the external economic power coming from of the personal computer 1 used and in this way less expensive energy is consumed supplied from the dry cell 51 whose cost is high. Thus, the dry cell 51 can be used for a longer service life. Note that when supplied with the external power from the personal computer 1 via the USB cable 7 the central processing unit 53 suspends the reproduction by the DSP 59 of a content to reduce the radiation coming from the DSP 59, in such a way that the radiation of the entire system including the personal computer 1 can be further reduced. Referring now to Figure 4, a diagram of blocks of the personal computer 1, wherein the functions of the personal computer 1 are explained, augmented by the execution of predetermined programs by the central processing unit 11. As shown, the personal computer 1 employs a content management program 111 composed of several programs including an EMD selection program 131, an input / output management program 132, a copy handling program 133, a movement management program 134, a cryptographic method conversion program 135, a compression method conversion program 136, a cryptography program 137, a compression / expansion program 138, a usage rule conversion program, a usage rule management program 140, an authentication program 141, a program of decryption 142, a portable device driver 143, acquisition programs 144 and 145. Among the programs mentioned above, the program of ma Content content 111 consists of displaced or mapped instructions, for example, to hide instructed operations from the outside to make interpretation of instructions difficult (for example, even if the user can directly read the content management program 111, said user can not identify the instructions). The EMD 131 selection program is not included in the content management program 111 when the latter is installed on personal computer 1 but is received from the EMD 3 registration server through network 2 at the time of EMD registration, which will be described later. The EMD selection program 131 selects a connection to any of the EMD servers 4-1 to 4-3 to allow an acquisition application program 115, acquisition program 144 or 142 to have a communication with any of the servers of the EMD. EMD 4-1 to 4-3 (for example, downloading a content for acquisition). Based on an adjustment of either input or output and from usage rule files 162-1 to 162-N recorded in a content database 114, the input / output management program 132 sends the content stored in the content files 161-1 to 161-N to any of the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3 or revises its content stored in the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3. In response to the completion of an entry or exit, the input / output management program updates the usage rule stored in the usage rule files 162-1 to 162-N which is recorded in the content database 114 Based on the usage rule files 162-1 to 162-N recorded in the content database 114, the copy handling program 133 copies the content stored in the databases. content files 161-1 to 161-N in any of the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3, or copy the contents of the portable devices 6-1 to -6-3 to the content database 114. Also, based on the usage rule files 162-1 to 162-N recorded in the content database 114, the movement management program 134 shifts the content stored in the content files 161-1 to 161 -N to any of the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3, or else contents of the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3 to the content database 114. The conversion program of cryptography method 135 converts in the same cryptographic method as that used with the contents stored in the contents files 161-1 to 161-N registered in the content database 114, the crypto-trapping method used with a content that the acquisition application program 115 receives from EMD server 4-1 at through network 2, a content that the acquisition program 114 receives from the EMD server 4-2 through the network 3 or a content that the acquisition program 145 receives from the EMD server 4-3 In addition, to send a content to the portable device 6-1 to -6-3, the cryptography method conversion program 135 converts the cryptography method used with the content to be sent in a computed method used in the portable device 6-1 or 6-3. The compression conversion method conversion program 136 converts to the same compression method as that employed with the content stored in the 161-1 to 161-N content files registered in the content database 114, the method of compression employed with a content that the acquisition application program 115 receives from the EMD server 4-1 through the network 2, a content that the acquisition program 144 receives from the EMD server 4-2 through the network 2 , or a content that the acquisition program 145 receives from the EMD server 4-3 through the network 2. Likewise, to send a content to the portable device 6-1 or 6-3, the conversion program of compression method 136 converts the compression method employed with the content to be sent in a compression method employed in portable device 6-1 or 6-3. The cryptography program is used to encrypt a content (not encrypted) read from a compact disk and supplied from a registration program 113, for example, in the same method of encryption as that used with the contents stored in the 161-1 to 161-N content files registered in the content database 114.

The compression / expansion program 138 encodes a content (uncompressed) read from a compact disc and supplied from a registration program 113 by the same coding method as that used with the contents stored in the content files. -1 to 161-N recorded in the content database 114. In addition, compression / expansion program 138 expands (decrypts) a coded content. The usage rule conversion program 139 converts to the same format as the usage rule stored in the rules of use rules 162-1 to 162-N recorded in the content database 114, a rule of use for a content that the acquisition application program 115 receives from the EMD server 4-1 through the network 2, a content that the acquisition program 144 receives from the EMD server 4-2 through the network 2, or a content that the acquisition program 145 receives from the EMD server 4-3 through the network. Likewise, to send a content to the portable device 6-1 or 6-3, a usage rules conversion program 139 converts the usage rule for the content to be sent into a usage rule in the portable device 6-1 or 6-3. Before executing a copy, movement, entry or exit of content, the use rules management program 140 detects a forgery of alteration of the rules of use based on in arbitrary values (which will be described in more detail below) that comply with the rules of use stored in the use rules files 162-1 to 162-N recorded in the content database 114. According to the rules of Use stored in the 162-1 A 162-N usage rules files registered in the content database 114 are updated together with a copy, movement, entry or exit of content, the use rules management program 140 updates the arbitrary values that comply with the rules of use. The authentication program 141 executes a mutual authentication between the content management program 111 and the acquisition application program 111, and a mutual authentication between the content management program 115 and an acquisition program 144. Likewise, the program authentication 141 stores an authentication key used in mutual authentication between the EMD server 4-1 and an acquisition application program 115, one employed in mutual authentication between the EMD server 4-2 and the acquisition program 144 , and one employed in mutual authentication between the EMD server 4-3 and the acquisition program 145. It will be noted that when the content management program 111 is installed on the personal computer 1, the authentication key of the authentication program 141 that is employed in the mutual authentication is not yet stored in the authentication program 141 but when a display instruction program called operation 112 has successfully registered the authentication key, the key will be supplied from the EMD 3 registration server and stored in the authentication program 141. The decryption program 142 decrypts a content when the personal computer 1 plays the content stored in the content files 161-1 to 161-N recorded in the content database 114. When a content is sent predetermined to the portable device 6-2 or when entering a predetermined content of the portable device 6-2, the PD 143 controller supplies the portable device 6-2 with the content or a command causes the portable device 6-2 to perform an operation default When a predetermined content is sent to the portable device 6-1 or when a predetermined content is input from the portable device 6-1, the PD 143 controller supplies the device driver 116-1 with the content or a command causes the 116-1 device driver do a default operation. When a default content is sent to the Portable device 6 - 3 or when content is entered predetermined from the portable device 6-3, the PD 143 controller supplies the device driver 116-2 with the content or a command causes the device driver 116-2 to perform a predetermined operation. The acquisition program 144 is what is known as a plug-in program. It is installed together with the content management program 111 on the personal computer 1, is supplied from the EMD registration server 3 through the network 2, or is supplied as registered on a predetermined compact disc. When installed on the personal computer 1, the acquisition program 144 will transmit or receive the content management program 111 and data through an interface of a predetermined form having the content management program 111. The acquisition program 144 it consists of shifted or encrypted instructions, for example, to hide operations instructed from the outside to make interpretation difficult in the instructions (for example, even if the user can directly read the acquisition program 144, he can not identify the instructions) . The acquisition program 144 requests, through network 2, that the EMD server 4-2 sends a predetermined content and therefore receives the content from the EMD server 4-2. When receiving server content 4-2 of EMD, the acquisition program 144 will post the content. The acquisition program 145 must be installed together with the content management program 111. It requires, through the network 2, that the EMD server 4-3 send a predetermined content and therefore receives the contents of the server 4-3 of EMD. Upon receiving the contents of the EMD server 4-3, the acquisition program 145 posts the content. Based on a filtering data file 181, display data file 182, image file 183-1 to 183-K or a history data file 184, the display / operation instruction program 112 displays an image of a predetermined window in the display unit 20, and gives input or delivery instructions to the content management program 111 in response to an operation of the keyboard 18 or mouse 19 by the user. The filtering data file 181 stores data to weight the contents stored in the content files 161-1 to 161-N recorded in the content database 114, and is recorded in the hard disk drive 21. The files of 183-1 to 183-N store images corresponding to the content files 161-1 to 161-N recorded in the content database 114 or images corresponding to packets to be described additionally below, and recorded on the hard drive 21. The image files 183-1 to 183-K will be known simply as "image files 183" below, when they do not have to be mentioned individually. The history data file 184 stores history data including the number of times the contents stored in the 161-1 to 161-N content files recorded in the 114 content database have been sent, the number of times the content has been entered, and the dates on which the shipments were made and the income. The history data file 184 is recorded on the hard disk drive 21. For the record, the display instruction program called operation 112 transmits, via the network, a pre-stored content management program ID 111 to the server 3 of EMD registration while receiving, through network 2, the authentication key and the EMD 131 selection program from the EMD registration server and supplying them to the content management program 111. The registration program 113 is used to display an image of a predetermined window and reads data such as for example a time of recording a content from a compact disk which is the optical disc 42 placed in the unit 22 in this mode in response to an operation of the keyboard 18 or mouse 19 by the user. Based on a recording time of a content recorded on a compact disc, the registration program 113 requests through network 2, that the server 5-1 of WWW or 5-2 of WWW send data corresponding to the compact disc such as album name or artist name or data corresponding to a content recorded on the compact disc such as the title of a musical work, and therefore receives, through network 2, the data corresponding to the compact disc or the registered content of the compact disc from server 5-1 or 5-2 of WWW. Likewise, the registration program 113 supplies the display / operation instruction program 112 with the received data corresponding to the compact disc or data corresponding to the content recorded on the compact disc.

Further, when supplied with a registration instruction, the registration program 1113 reads and sends content to the content management program 111 of a compact disc which is the optical disc 42 placed in the unit 22 in this mode. The content database 114 is stored in one of the content files 161-1 to 161-N a content supplied from a content management program 111 and which has been compressed by default and cryptographed by default (registers the content in the unit hard disk 21). The content database 114 stores usage rules for the contents stored in the content files 161-1 to 161-N in any of the 162-N 162-N usage rules files that correspond to the content files 161 -1 to 161-N where the contents are stored (record the usage rules on the hard drive 21). The content database 114 may register the content files 161-1 through 161-N or use rule files 162-1 through 162-N as registers. A usage rule for a content stored in the content file 161-1 as for example is stored in the usage rules file 162-1. a usage rule for content stored in the 161-N content file is stored in the 162-N usage rules file. Note that the data recorded in the usage rule files 162-1 to 162-N correspond to the data recorded in a time limit database or music database which will be described further below. That is, the content database 114 includes the time limit database and the music database. The content files 161-1 to 161-N will be known simply as "content file 161" below when there is no reference to an individual file. Likewise, the use rules files 162-1 to 162-N are they will simply know "use rules file 162" below when they are not referred to individually. The acquisition application program 115 is supplied from the EMD registration server 3 through the network 2 or as recorded in a compact disc of read-only memory. The acquisition application program 115 requires, through network 2, that the EMD server 4-1 send a predetermined content, thus receiving the contents of the EMD server 4-1 and supplying them to the management program of content 111. Likewise, upon receiving the content of the EMD server 4-1, the application and acquisition program 115 posts the content. Next, the correspondence between the data stored in the display data file 82 and the content files 161-1 to 161-N stored in the content database 114 will be described: First, a content stored in any of the files of contents 161-1 to 161-N belong to a predetermined package. More specifically, the package is any of an original package, selected package and filtering package. From the previous packages, the original package has more than one content that belongs to it. This package corresponds to content classification (that is, what is known as an album) on EMD servers 4-1 to 4-3 or to a compact disc. A content belongs to an original package and can not belong to several original packages. Thus 5 same, an original package 1 which belongs a content can not be modified. The user can edit a part of information that corresponds to an original package (for example, adding information or changing information added). 10 More than a content freely selected by the user belongs to my selected package. The user can arbitrarily edit contents for assignment to my selected packages, respectively. A content can belong to more than one of my selected packages at the same time. Ace same, a content may not belong to any of my selected packages. Selected contents based on filtering data stored in a filtering data file 181 belong to the filtering packet. The filtration data are supplied from server 4-1 to 4-3 of EMD or server 5-1 or 5-2 of WWW through network 2 or in accordance with that registered in a predetermined compact disc. The user can edit the filtering data stored in the filtering data file 181.

The filtering data is a reference for the selection of a predetermined content or for the calculation of a weight corresponding to the content. For example, filtering data corresponding to the ten best-placed popular songs of the J-POP week (popular songs from Japan) can be used by personal computer 1 to identify contents of Japanese popular songs numbers 1 to 10 of the week . The filtering data file 181 includes filtering data to select the content in the descending order of the period lengths during which they have been sent during the last month, filtering data to select the content in descending order of the number of times that have been sent during the last half year, or filtering data to select the content in which an "AI (love)" character is included in the titles of musical works (content name). Thus contained in the filtering packet are selected by comparing filtering data with content display data 221 (includes data that the user has set), history data 184 or the like. The driver 117 conducts the audio input / output 24 under the control of the content management program 111 or the like to input a content that is digital data supplied from the outside and supplies said content to the content management program 111, sends as digital data a content supplied from the content database 114 through the content management program 111 or sends an analog signal corresponding to a content supplied from the content database 114 through content management program 111. Figure 5 shows an example of the display / operation instruction window that the display / operation instruction program 112 displays by the display unit. 20. A button 201 for starting the registration program 113, a button 202 for starting the EMD selection program 131, a button 203 for displaying a field in which the entry is established are displayed in the display / operation instruction window 201. or the output, a button 204 to display a field in the cua. one should avoid my selected package, etc. When a button 205 is selected, data corresponding to an original package is displayed in a field 211 of the window. When a button 206 is selected, data corresponding to my selected packet is displayed in field 211. When a button 207 is selected, data corresponding to a filtering packet in field 2-1 is displayed. Data displayed in field 211 refers to a packet.

For example, it is the name of a package or the name of an artist. As shown in figure 5, a package name "FIRST" and an artist name "ATARO", a package name "SECOND" and an artist name "A TARO", etc. are displayed in field 211. The display / operation instructions window also has a field 212 where data corresponding to a content belonging to a selected package in field 211 is displayed. Data displayed in the field is a musical work title, playback time or numbers of times the content can be sent. In Figure 5, a packet corresponding to the package name "SECOND" is selected. Thus, the title of the musical work (content name) "MINAMI-NO-SAKABA" corresponding to the content that belongs to the package corresponding to the package name "SECOND", a number of times that the Content can be sent (for example, an eighth note is for one send and two eighth notes represent two submissions), and musical work title (content name) "KITA-NO-HAKABA" and number of times the content can be sent (for example, an eighth note corresponds to a shipment). Thus, an eighth note as the number of times a content can be sent, displayed in field 212, indicates that a corresponding content has been sent once. A pause as number of times that a content can be sent, displayed in field 212, indicates that a corresponding content can not be sent (the number of shipments is zero, however, personal computer 1 can reproduce this content). A key of do as number of times that a content can be sent, displayed in field 212, indicates that the number of shipments for a corresponding content is unlimited (the content can be sent as many times as desired). Note that the number of times a content can be sent can be indicated with a corresponding number of works of a predetermined form (it can be, for example, a circle, a star, a semicircle or similar) as shown in figure 5, as well as number. A field 208 is also displayed in the display / operation instruction window in which an image or the like is displayed corresponding to a selected packet or content (corresponding to any of the image files 183-1 to 183-K in Figure 4). In this field, a button 209 is pressed when a selected content is played (sending a sound corresponding to the content to the speaker 45). When a title of work, musical of a predetermined content (content name) displayed in the field 212 is selected and an erase operation is performed while the button 205 is selected and data corresponding to an original packet is displayed in field 211, the display / operation instruction program 112 will cause the content management program 111 to erase the predetermined content stored in the content database 114, which corresponds to the title of the selected musical work. When a content read from a compact disc is recorded in the content database 114 while selecting (activating) a button 255 (as will be described in more detail below) in the window displayed under the control of the registration program 113 , the display / operation instruction program 112 will cause the display / operation instruction window to display a field 213 in which a music work title of a content (content name) stored in any predesignated device of the devices is displayed. portable 6-1 to 6-3. When a content read from a compact disc is recorded in the content database 114 while selecting (activating) a button 255 (as will be described in more detail below) in the window displayed under the control of the registration program 113 , the display / operation instruction program 112 will cause the content management program 111 I sent the content registered in the content database 114 and read from the compact disc to any portable device predesignado between portable devices 6-1 to 6-3. It is displayed in field 213 in the leftmost position of the same that corresponds to the musical work title of a content (content name) a symbol that indicates whether the content can be entered into the personal computer 1. For example, a symbol "0" in the position to the left of field 213 indicates that a content corresponds to a title of musical work of a content can be entered into personal computer 1 (ie, it has been sent from the personal computer 1 ). An "x" symbol in the leftmost position of field 213 indicates that a content corresponds to a musical work title of a content can be entered into personal computer 1 (ie, it has not been sent from the computer personal 1, for example, has been sent from any other personal computer). When the display / operation instruction program 112 has displayed field 213 in the display / operation instruction window, the display / operation instruction program 112 will display in the display / operation instruction window in a field 214 in the which is displays the name of a portable packet (to which a content stored in any of the pre-designated devices between the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3 belongs), a button 210 to close the field 213, and button 215 to execute an operation of income or shipment. In addition, when the display / operation instruction program 112 has displayed field 213 in the display / operation instruction window, the display / operation instruction program 112 will display a button 216 in the display / operation instruction window. set up a send operation for a content corresponding to a musical work title selected in field 212, a button 217 to establish an entry operation for a content corresponding to a musical work title selected in field 213, a button 218 to establish an entry operation for all content corresponding to content names displayed in field 213, and a button 219 to cancel the input or output setting. Even with the input or output adjustment made by using the buttons 216 to 219, however, the personal computer 1 will not execute the input or output operation. When button 215 is pressed after an entry or exit established by using buttons 216 to 219, the operation / instruction instruction program 112 will cause the content management program 111 to execute the input or output. That is, when the button 215 is pressed, the display / operation instruction program 112 will, based on the input or output setting, have the content management program 111 transmit a content or a command to erase a predetermined content that corresponds to the input setting (e.g., a command to erase a predetermined content stored on any of the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3), to any of the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3, and to update the use rule stored in the usage rule file 162 that corresponds to the content or command transmitted in this way. When input or output is executed, the display / operation instruction program 112 will respond to the content or command transmitted to update the history data stored in the history data file 184. the history data includes information to identify a content that has been entered or sent or a date when the content has been entered or sent or a date when the content has been entered or sent, and the name of one of the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3 from which it has been sent the content. Since the income or shipment can be adjusted in a short period of time, the user can quickly know the status after the execution of an entry or shipment operation, so the number of times an entry or shipment operation is made can be reduced in order to minimize the total time (including the adjustment and execution of an entry or shipment operation) that is required for an entry or shipment procedure. Figure 6 shows an example of a window that the registration program 113 causes to display the display unit 20. Based on compact disk information received from the WWW server 5-2, for example, the registration program 113 will display a compact disc title such as "ACYNCHRONIZED" in a field 251. Likewise, based on the information on the compact disc received from the WWW server 5-2, the registration program 113 will display an artist name as for example "KUWAI" in a field 252. Based on information from the compact disc received from the WWW server 5-2, the registration program 113 will display titles of musical works such as "HEAT", "PLANET", "BLACK" "," SOUL ", etc. in a region of a field 253 where titles of musical works should be visualized. Similarly, the registration program 113 will display an artist name such as "KUWAI" in a region of field 253 where artist names should be displayed.

After receiving a predetermined compact disk information, the registration program 113 will store said information in a predetermined directory on the hard disk drive 21. Upon receipt of an instruction to acquire compact disk information by pressing a button 254, the program 113 will first search for the default directory on the hard disk drive 21. When the compact disc information stored in the directory is found, the registration program 113 will display a dialog box (not shown) to prompt the user to select will use the information on the compact disc stored in the directory. When a button 256 displayed in the window displayed by the registration program 113 is pressed and which instructs to initiate registration, the registration program 113 will read the contents of a compact disc placed in the unit 22, and supply said content together with the compact disk information to the content management program 111. The compression / expansion program 138 of the content management program 111 compresses the content supplied from the registration program 113 by default, and the encryption program 137 cryptography the compressed content. Likewise, the usage rule conversion program 139 generates a rule of use for the compressed and encrypted content. The content management program 111 will deliver the compressed and computer-mapped content along with the usage rule to the content database 114. The content database 114 will generate a content file 161 and usage rule file 162 for the content received from the content management program 111, and stores the content in the content file 161 and the usage rule in the usage rules file 162 When the content and use rule for the content are stored in the database of content 114, the content management program 111 supplies the compact disk information and usage rule received from the registration program 113 to the display / operation instruction program 112. The display / operation instruction program 112 displays data for storage in the display data file 182 in accordance with the usage rule for the content stored in the content database 114 through the registration or and CD information. The window displayed by the registration program 113 has a button 155 to automatically set if any of the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3 extracts a content read from the compact disc when the content read from the compact disc is registered in the database from content 114. For example, when the button 255 is pushed through the mouse the registration program 113 presents a menu showing a list of the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3. When the user selects any of the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3 from the menu, the personal computer 1 practically extracted the content recorded on the compact disc 1 portable device selected among the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3 . when the user select "DO NOT REMOVE", in the menu, the personal computer 1 does not send the content registered from the compact disc. Thus, when the content read from the compact disc is registered in the content database 114 with only the button 255 in the window displayed by the registration program 113 in active state, the personal computer 1 can make any predesignated portable device selected among the portable devices 6-1 to 6-3 extract in content read from the disk compact. Referring now to Figure 7, there is shown a flow chart of operations performed by the central processing unit executing the content management program 111, display / operation instruction program. 112, registration program 113 and content database 114 in the transfer of a content reproduced from a compact disc placed in the unit 22 to the hard disk drive 21 and the copying of this form of the content from the compact disc to the hard disk drive 21. 5 When the user operates the keyboard 18 or the mouse 19 to supply the central processing unit 11 through the interface 17, a command to transfer, to copy, a content reproduced from a compact disc (not illustrated) placed in the unit 22, the registration program 113 will display in step Sil, a GUI (graphic user interface) illustrated in figure 6, for example, to select a content that must be copied to the display unit 20 through the interface 17. More specifically, the registration program 113 will read a TOC (table of contents) of a compact disk placed in the unit 22, will acquire content information from 1 compact disk and display it in the display unit 20. Alternatively, the registration program 113 will read ISRC (registration code) international standard) 0 for content included in the compact disc, will acquire the content information and display it in the display unit 20. Alternatively, when the button 254 is pressed, the registration program 113 will have access to the server 5-1 or 5 -2 of WWW through a network 2, will acquire the 5 content information from the compact disk through the use of the TOC, and present a display of titles of musical works corresponding to the content in the field 253. Using the graphical user interface displayed in the display unit 20, the user operates on keyboard 18 or mouse 19, and selects a box for each of the titles of musical works displayed in field 253 to select a content to be copied. Then, in step S12, the registration program 113 causes the usage rule management program 140 to check the time limit database stored on the hard disk drive 21 (corresponding to the usage rule files). 162-1 to 162-N in the content database 114 illustrated in Figure 4). The detail of this revision of the time limit database will be described further below with reference to the flow chart illustrated in FIG. 8. In step S31, the usage rule management program 140 cooperates with the central unit processing 32 of the adapter 26 to calculate an arbitrary value of the full time limit database, and in step S32, it will compare the calculated arbitrary value with a previously saved arbitrary value. Note that when no data is recorded in the time limit database, the usage rule management program 140 will not calculate any arbitrary value.

More particularly, the time limit database is formed on the hard disk drive 21 and stores, as information for handling content recorded on the hard disk drive 21, ISRC pairs and date of copying of a content that has been recorded, as shown in Figure 9. In the example illustrated in Figure 9, an ISRC and copy effect area are stored for each of the three elements 1 to 3. In step S38, an arbitrary value of the entire time limit database, based on the ISRCs and dates of copying of all the contents recorded in the time limit database is calculated through the central processing unit 32 of the adapter 26 and is stored in non-volatile memory 34. The arbitrary value is a value obtained by applying an arbitrary function to the data. The arbitrary function is generally a unidirectional function to correlate long data of variable length with short data of fixed length, and is of a nature such that the arbitrary values do not necessarily conflict with each other. The arbitrary functions include SHA (arbitrary security algorithm), MD (message summary) 5, etc. In step S31, the usage rule management program 140 calculates an arbitrary value as in the calculation made by the central processing unit 32. Then, in step S32, the usage rule management program 140 requests the central unit processing 32 that reads an arbitrary value stored in the non-volatile memory 34, and in step S31, compares the arbitrary value transferred with the value that has been calculated. In step S33, the usage rules management program 140 determines whether the arbitrary value calculated in step S31 matches the arbitrary value of the previous time limit database stored in the non-volatile memory 34. When it is not find any match between the arbitrary values, the rules of use management program 140 determines that the time limit database has been falsified or altered, and causes the registration program 113 to generate a message of the type "since the The time limit database has been altered, no copying can be performed "for example, and it sends the message to the display unit 20 through the interface 17 in which the message will be displayed. Subsequently, copying is inhibited. That is, in this case, the playback of the content recorded on the compact disc for copying on the hard disk drive 21 is inhibited. When the arbitrary value calculated in step S31 matches the previous arbitrary value, the program for handling rules of use 140 proceeds to step S35 where it causes the registration program 113 to acquire from the compact disk an ISRC of a content designated in step Sil and selected as one of the contents to be copied. If no ISRC is found registered on the compact disc, the use rules management program 140 will cause the registration program 113 to read the table of contents data from the compact discs, and apply the arbitrary function to the data in order to acquire a data of an appropriate length such as 58 bits that should be used by the ISRC. In step S36, the usage rule management program 140 determines whether the ISRC (selected content) acquired in step S35 is registered in the time limit database (in Figure 9). If the ISRC is not registered in the time limit database, this means that the content has not yet been registered on the hard disk drive 21. Thus, the rule usage rule 140 continues until step S37. where the ISRC of the content and data present in the time limit database is recorded. Note that the usage rule management program 140 employs, as the current date, a value transferred from the central processing unit 32 and sent from the real-time clock (RTC) 35 of the adapter 26. In step S38 , the rules of use management program 140 reads data from the time limit database at the time and transfers them to the central processing unit 32 of the adapter 26. The central processing unit 32 calculates an arbitrary value of the transferred and awaits it in non-volatile memory 34. As in the case above, the arbitrary value saved in this way will be used as the arbitrary value previously saved in step S32. Then, in step S39, the usage rules management program 140 will set a non-registration marker indicating that the selected content is not registered in the time limit database. This marker is used in step S13 in Figure 7 to evaluate whether the selected content is registered in the time limit database. If it has been determined in step S36 that the ISRC of the selected content is registered in the time limit database, this means that the registered content is a content that has been registered in the hard disk unit 21 at least once. . In this case, the use rules management program 140 proceeds to step S40 where it will determine whether the current date (output of the RTC 35 of the adapter 26) is more than 48 hours from the date of the last registration of the selected content , registered in the time limit database. When the current time is already more than 48 hours from the registration date, this means that the content that has been registered has been registered at least once on the hard drive 21. However, since the current time is more than 48 hours from the date when the content was recorded, the content can not be substantially copied in large volume even if it is copied again. In this case, the content on the hard disk drive 21 is allowed to be copied. Next, the usage rules management program 140, proceeds to step S41 where the date in the time limit data base changes. from the date of the last registration to the current date (exit from RTC 35). Then, the usage rule management program 140 returns to step S38 where it will cause the central processing unit 32 to calculate an arbitrary value from the entire time limit database and store it in the non-volatile memory 34. In the step S39, the usage rules management memory 140 will establish a non-registration marker for this content. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S40 that the current date is not more than 48 hours from the registration date, an inhibition of copying the selected content on the hard disk drive 21 is presented. In this case, the usage rules management program 140 will proceed to step S42 where it will establish a registration marker for the selected content. If, in step S40, the predetermined time is not considered to have expired, the content can not be copied again in such a way that the copying of the content in a large volume required for fraudulent sales or fraudulent distribution for example is substantially disabled without unreasonable inhibition of copying the content for ordinary legal use. Note that the criterion for the trial, established in step S40, is that a time greater than 48 hours has elapsed, but it is not limited to 48 hours. The criterion can be any time within a range of 12 hours to 168 hours, for example. As in the previous case, a marker indicating whether the selected content is registered in the hard disk drive 21 is established through the revision of the time limit database. With reference to Figure 7 again the invention will be further described. In step S13, the copy management program 133 determines, based on the aforementioned marker, that the selected content has been registered in the time limit database. If the selected content has already been registered, the copy management program 133 will proceed to step S14 where it will cause the registration program 113 to display in the display unit 20, a message of the type "this musical work can not be copied since that it has not happened more than 48 hours since the copying of the musical work was made "for example. Thus, the user knows the reason why the content can not be copied to the hard drive 21. If it is determined in step S13 that the selected content has not been registered in the time limit database the copy handling program 133 continues to step 515 where the registration program 113 causes the unit 22 to read a content from the compact disk placed in the unit 22. This content has a watermark code inserted there in a predetermined position as shown in figure 10. The registration program 113 will extract the watermark code included in the content in step 516 and will establish, in step S17 if the watermark code indicates an inhibition of copying the content. If the watermark code indicates a copy inhibition, the copy management program 133 will proceed to step S18 where it will cause the registration program 113 to display a message of the "copied inhibited" type, for example, in the display 20 through interface 17, and the copying operation will end. On the other hand, if it is established in step S17 that the watermark code does not indicate copy inhibition, the copy handling program 133 will proceed to step S19 where the registration program 113 will cause the compression program / Expansion 138 compresses the content through a programmatic operation using a method such as ATRAC (Adaptive Transform acoustic coding) 3®. In step S20, the registration program 113 will cause the cryptography program 137 to encrypt the content through a method such as DES (Data Encryption Standard) (data encryption standard), FEAL (Fast Encipherment Algorithm) (fast encryption algorithm) or similar using a cryptography key that has been pre-established and stored in memory 13. The code of code can be a key formed based on a random number generated by a programmatic operation or a random number generated by the central processing unit 32 of the adapter 26. Via the code, the encryption key used by the personal computer 1 and the central processing unit 32 of the adapter 26 as a programmatic associated with the personal computer 1 in cooperative combination, a cryptography can be achieved that will make it more difficult to decipher the encrypted cryptographic key. Then in step S21, the registration program 113 transfers some encrypted data to the content database 114, presents a file name to the data and causes the hard disk drive 21 to save it as a file (as a file). 161 content). Alternatively, the registration program 113 may provide position information (e.g., a number of bytes from the top) as part of a file to the encrypted data before saving it to the hard drive 21. The data may be saved either separately or simultaneously with compression and encryption before mentioned. Furthermore, in step S22, the registration program 113 will cause the encryption program 137 to encrypt the encryption key with which the content has been encrypted, using a predetermined save key stored in the non-volatile memory 34 and by the method DES mentioned above, FEAL method mentioned above or similar store the encoded encryption key in the music database on the hard disk drive 21 (corresponding to the use rules files 162-1 to 162-N of the base Content data 114 illustrated in Figure 4) In step S23, the registration program 113 makes a set of information stored in the file, encoded encryption key, content information and title information elements of musical work supplied by the user through the graphical user interface, and registers it in the music database on the hard drive 21 (such as the rules files of use 162-1 to 162-N ). In step S24, the registration program 113 causes the processing center unit to calculate an arbitrary value of the entire music database and store it in the non-volatile memory 34. In this way, the music database As shown in figure 11, for example, it is recorded in the disk drive hard 21. In this sample music database, a file name, an encoded ciprographic key, a musical work title, a playback time length, playback conditions (start date, end date, etc.) are recorded. reproduction limit), reproduction counter, reproduction accounting condition, copy condition (copies), copy counter as well as copy conditions (SCMS) for each of items 1 to 3. In the method defined by SDMI ( Secure Digital Music Initiative) for example, the number of times that a content copied from a compact disc can be extracted (extraction limit) is set to 3. Since it is arranged that when the period of predetermined time has elapsed from the copying of a content from a compact disc to the hard disk drive 21, the content can be copied again, the content can be r copied several times allowed only for private use by the user. On the other hand, if you try to copy a content a number more times than the number allowed for private use by the user, for example, in a large volume the copying will require a very long time and in fact will be impossible. Likewise, even if the personal computer 1 has failed and the content registered on the hard disk drive 21 has been erased, the erased content can be copied again and registered on the hard disk drive 21 when a predetermined time has elapsed. Likewise, the contents of the time limit database registered in the hard disk drive 21 can be commonly shared through the network 2. The example in which a copy date is stored in a manner has been explained above. corresponding to ISRC. In addition, the ISRC, however, can be used any other information (title of musical work, album name or combination) with which you can identify a content and a compact disc. Then, the movement of a content from the hard disk drive 21 to the flash memory 61 (for example, stick memory (trademark)) in the portable device 6 and the extraction of the content, which is carried out by the central unit processing 11 executing the display / operation instructions program 112 and content management program 111 and the central processing unit 52 executing the main program, will be described below with reference to the flow chart illustrated in FIGS. 12 a 14. First, the movement of the content will be described below. In step S51, the management program of moves 134 causes the usage rule management program 140 to calculate the arbitrary value of the entire music database, and in step S52 compares the calculated arbitrary value with an arbitrary value that has been previously calculated by the central unit of processing 32 and stored in the non-volatile memory 34. When there is no match between these arbitrary values, the movement management program 134 proceeds to step S53 where it causes the display / operation instruction program 112 to display a message of type " possibly the database has been falsified or altered "in the display unit 20, and the operation ends. These operations are similar to the operations performed in steps S31 to S34 in FIG. 8. In this case, the movement of the contents from the hard disk drive 21 to the portable device 6 will not be performed. Then, in step S54, the motion management program 134 reads information about a content registered in the music database (included in the content database 114) formed on the hard disk drive 21, and causes the display / operation instruction program 112 displays the information as a graphical user interface in the display unit 20. The user selects a music work title (content name) and the button 216 is displayed in field 212 in Figure 5 to select the content to be shifted from the hard disk drive 21 to the portable device 6. Then, in step S55, the motion management program 134 examines the reproduction condition, copy condition, counting condition, etc. reproductions, etc. for the content that has been selected in step S5. This operation will be described further below with reference to the flowchart of Figure 15. Then, in step S56, a mutual authentication is performed between the authentication program 141 of the personal computer 1 and the central processing unit 53 of the device Portable 6 and a communication key is shared between them. For example, it is considered here that the flash memory 61 (or EEPROM68) of the portable device 6 has a master key KM stored in advance and the random access memory 13 of the personal computer 1 (or a predetermined file in the hard disk 21) has an individual KP key and an ID stored in advance. The central processing unit 53 receives the ID previously stored in the random access memory 13 from the authentication program 141 and applies the arbitrary function to this ID and its own master key MK to generate the same key as the individual key of the personal computer 1, stored in the random access memory 13. Thus, the personal computer 1 and portable device 6 will share a common individual key that is used to generate a provisional communication key. Alternatively, an ID and a master key KMP are stored in advance in random access memories 13 of the personal computer 1, and an ID and a master key KMM are stored in advance in the flash memory 61 of the portable device 6. The memory of random access 13 sends its ID and its master key to the flash memory 61 which also sends its ID and master key to the random access memory 13, and the random access memory 13 applies the arbitrary function to the ID and the master key received from the flash memory 61 while the latter applies the arbitrary function to the ID and the master key received from the random access memory 13. Thus, the random access memory 13 generates an individual key for the flash memory 61 while the latter generates an individual key for the random access memory 13. A provisional communication key will be generated additionally from the individual key. It should be noted that for the authentication method, for example, IOS 9798-10 (International Organization for Standardization) can be used. When mutual authentication is not performed correctly, the operation is terminated. When authentication mutually successful, the movement management program 134 causes the content database 114 to read the file name of the selected content of the music database in step S57, and reads a content having the file name (for example the file name has been encrypted in step S20 in figure 7) from the hard disk drive 21. In step S58, the motion management program 134 converts the compression method ( for the compression performed in step S19), cryptography method (for the mapping performed in step S20), format (for example, for the header), etc. used for the content that is a digital data read in step S57 to those employed in the portable device 6. The conversion will be described more fully below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 17. In step S59, of the program of handling of movements 134 causes the PD 143 unit to transfer the content converted in step S58 to the portable device 6 via the USB port 23. In step S60, the central processing unit 53 of the portable device 6 receives the transmitted count through the USB connector 56 and stores it in the state in which it is located in the flash memory 61. In step S61, the movement management program 134 will cause the use rules conversion program 139 to convert the conditions of reproduction (start date, termination date, reproduction limit, etc.) for the selected content, recorded in the music database, to the employees in the portable device 6. In step S62, the movement management program 134 will make 5 the use rules conversion program 139 convert the SCMS information into the copying condition for the selected content, registered in the music database, to a format handled by the portable device 6. Then in step S63, the program of movement management 134 causes the PD 143 unit to transfer to the portable device 6 the playback condition that has been converted in step S61 and the SCMS information that has been converted in step S62. The central processing unit 53 of the portable device 6 stores the The transferred playback condition and the SCMS information in the flash memory 61. In step S64, the movement management program 134 causes the PD 143 unit to transfer the playback condition to the portable device 6, the condition of counting of the 0 reproductions, the copying condition, etc. for the selected content, recorded in the music database, as in the format handled in the music database by the central processing unit 11, and stored in the flash memory 61. 5 In step S65, the movement management program 134 ago that the content database 114 reads the encoded encryption key for the selected content from the music database, and then in step S66, causes the decryption program 142 to decrypt the encryption key with the key stored in the random access memory 13, and the encryption program 137 encodes the decoded encryption key with the communication key. Then the movement management program 134 causes the PD 143 unit to transfer the encryption key encoded with the communication key to the portable device 6. In step S67, the central processing unit 53 of the portable device 6 decrypts the encryption key transferred from the personal computer 1 by using the common communication key generated by the mutual authentication, encodes it using its own save key, correlates it with the data already saved, and stores it in the flash memory 61. Al finish the action of saving the cryptography key, the central processing unit 53 will inform you, in step S68, to the personal computer 1 that the encryption key has been saved. When this information is received from the portable device 6, the movement management program 134 of the personal computer 1 will, in step S69, cause the content database 114 to delete the file of content 161 corresponding to the content, and the set of the content elements (ie, use rules file 162) from the music database. Thus, the content will be displaced, not copied. In step S70, the movement management program 134 transfers data in the music database to the central processing unit 32 of the adapter 326 and causes the central processing unit 32 to calculate the arbitrary value of the database of whole music and store it in the non-volatile memory 34. the arbitrary value will be employed in the state previously saved in step S52 that has been described above. Then, in the extraction of a content from the personal computer 1 towards the portable device 6 will be described below. This operation is similar to the movement of the content from the personal computer 1 to the portable device 6 that has been described above with reference to figures 12 to 14. That is to say, the extraction operation is basically similar to the operation of movements and content, except that the extraction operation is executed on the personal computer 1 through the input / output management program 132, and that in step S69 in figure 14, the number of times the content extracted and registered in the base of music data has been extracted (or can be extracted) is updated (in the movement of content, the content is deleted). Accordingly, the extraction operation will not be described further. "The central processing unit 11 executing the content management program 111 reviews the reproduction conditions +, etc., for a content selected in step S55 in FIG. 12. This revision operation will be described below with reference to the flow chart of Figure 15. In step S81, the management program of , 10 movements 134 causes the content database 114 to read various conditions from the music database. Then, in step S82, the movement management program 134 determines whether the copy counter in the conditions read in step S81 has already exceeded the limit of 15 copies. When the copy counter has already exceeded the copy limit, no additional copy is allowed, so that the motion handling program 134 will continue to step S83 where it will cause the display / operations instruction program 112 to present a 20 message of the type "the copy counter has already exceeded the copy limit" in the display unit 20, and the operation ends. If it is determined in step 82 that the copy counter has not exceeded the copy limit, the motion management program 134 proceeds to step S84 where 25 determines whether the date presented is after the date of completion of reproduction. The date presented is a date produced from the RTC 35 of the adapter 26. With this operation, the user may not use any present time of the personal computer 1, which may be obtained by intentionally correcting a past tense. The movement management program 134 receives the present time from the central processing unit 32, and determines the evaluation itself in step S84 or supplies, in step S81, the revolution conditions read from the music database to the central processing unit 32 of the adapter 26 and consequently causes the central processing unit 32 to perform the evaluation in step S84. If the present date is later than the reproduction termination date, the movement management program 134 proceeds to step S85, where it causes the content database 114 to erase the selected content of the hard disk drive 21 and the information about the content selected from the music database. In step S86, from the movement management program 134, the central processing unit 32 calculates the arbitrary value of the entire music database and stores it in non-volatile memory 34. Here the operation ends. Therefore, no content will be moved in this case. If it is determined in step S84 that the present date is not yet later at the end of the reproduction the program of movement management 134 will proceed to step S87, where it will determine whether the reproduction accounting conditions (eg rate or reproduction) for the selected content is recorded in the music database. If the reproduction count condition is recorded, the movement management program 134 will, in step S88, have the PD 143 unit communicate with the portable device 6 to judge whether the portable device 6 has a counting function. If the portable device 6 has no counting function, the selected content can not be transferred to the portable device 6. Accordingly, the movement management program 134 will, in step S89, make the display / operation instruction program. 112 present a message of type "the destination has no counting function" in the display unit 0, and finish the operation. If it is determined in step S87 that no condition of counting of reproductions is recorded or in step S88 that the portable device 6 has the counting function, the movement management program 134 proceeds to step? 90 where it will determine whether Other playback conditions, such as playback boundary, are registered for the selected content. If the other conditions of reproduction are recorded, the movement management program 134 will proceed to step S91 where will determine whether the portable device 6 has a function to follow the reproduction conditions. If the portable device 6 does not have such a function, the movement management program 134 will proceed to step S92 where it will cause the display / operation instruction program 112 to display a message of type "the destination has no function to follow the conditions of playback "on the display unit 20, and finish the operation. S it is determined in step S90 that no reproduction condition is recorded or if it is determined in step S91 that the portable device 6 has a function to follow the reproduction conditions, the review of the reproduction conditions will end, and the program of motion handling 134 will return to step S56 in FIG. 12. FIG. 16 shows an example of the handled reproduction condition (which can be followed) by the portable device 6. The reproduction conditions illustrated in FIG. 16 are stored in the EEPROM68. In this example, the start dates of reproduction and the date of completion of reproduction are recorded for each of the contents for items 1 to 3. However, a reproduction limit is recorded only for item 2, not for items Elements 1 and 3.

Accordingly, when the content for item 2 is taken as the selected content, it is possible to follow the reproduction limit as a reproduction condition (the number of times a content can be reproduced), but when the content for item 1- 3 is taken as the selected content, it is not possible to follow the reproduction limit. Next, the format conversion effected in step S58 in FIG. 12 will be described by the central processing unit 11 executing the content management program 111, with details, with reference to the flow chart illustrated in FIG. 17. In step S101, the movement management program 134 reviews the format of the selected content (for example, a header that includes reproduction conditions, usage rules, copying conditions), registered in the content database 114. In In step S102, the movement management program 134 will review the conditions that can be set at the destination (the portable device 6 in this case). That is, the motion management program 134 investigates the central processing unit 53 of the portable device 6 for these conditions that can be adjusted and acquires a response from the central processing unit 53. In step S103, the motion management program 134 will determine based on the conditions reviewed in step S102, some conditions selectable in the destination between the conditions in the format registered in the music database. In step S104, the movement management program 134 determines if there are conditions that can be established at the destination. If no such conditions exist, the movement management program 134 proceeds to step S105, where it will inhibit the movement of a content towards the portable device 6. That is, in this case, since the conditions registered in the database of music can not be followed by the portable device 6 the movement of the content towards the portable device 6 is inhibited. If it is determined in step S104 that there are such conditions that can be established, the movement management program 134 proceeds to step S106 where it will cause the use rules conversion program 139 to convert the conditions into those in the function format of the destination (for example, conditions that are stored in the header when the selected content is transferred to the portable device 6). Then, in step S107, the movement management program 134 will establish the conditions converted to the destination. As a result, the portable device 6 could reproduce the content in accordance with the established conditions (or following the conditions).

Next, the copying of a content from the hard disk drive 21 to the portable device 6, effected by the central processing unit 11 executing the software of the program will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIGS. content management 111 and the central processing unit 53 executing the main program. The operations in steps SIII to S127, in FIGS. 18 to 20, are performed by the copy handling program 133. These operations are similar to the operations in steps 51 to 67 for the movement of the contents from the disk drive. hard 21 towards the portable device 6 as in figures 12 to 14. Likewise, in this case, the music database is checked to determine if it has been falsified or altered, and then the reproduction conditions for the selected content are checked against the conditions registered in the music database. Further, after performing the mutual authentication between the portable device 6 and the personal computer 1, the content is transferred from the hard disk drive 21 of the personal computer 1 to the flash memory 61 of the portable device 6, where you save. Then, in step S128, the copy management program 133 will increment the copy counter in the music database by 1. In step S129, the copy handling program 133 causes the central unit of processing 32 calculate the arbitrary value of the entire music database, and store it in the nonvolatile memory 34. Next, the movement of content from the portable device 6 towards the flowchart of FIG. 21 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. the hard disk unit 21 and the entry operation performed by the central processing unit 21 executing the content management program 111 and the central processing unit 53 executing the main program. First, the movement of content will be explained. In step? 161, the movement management program 134 requests the central processing unit 53 of the portable device 6 to read the content information stored in the flash memory 61. Upon receiving the request from the motion management program 134 , the central processing unit 53 will transmit to the personal computer 1 the content information stored in the flash memory 61. Based on the information, the motion management program 134 causes the display unit 20 to display GUI for selection of the contents stored in the flash memory 61. In accordance with the graphic user interface (GUI) displayed in the display unit 20, the user will operate the keyboard 18 or the mouse 19 to designate a content to be moved from the portable unit 6 to the hard disk drive 21 (content database 114). In step S162, the movement management program 134 causes the authentication program 141 to perform mutual authentication with the central processing unit 53 to generate a communication key for common use among them. This operation is similar to the operation performed in step S56 in FIG. 12. Then, in step S163, the central processing unit 53 will read the selected cryptographic content stored in the flash memory 61, and transfer it to the personal computer 1. In step S164, the movement management program 134 takes, as a file, the content transferred from the portable device 6 and It gives a file name and save it in the content database 114 (on the hard disk drive 21). This conservation can be done with position information of 1 file (for example, number of bytes from the top) given as part of a file. In step S165, the central processing unit 53 reads the coding key encoded for the selected content, registered in the flash memory 61, decrypts it with its own save key, the cryptography additionally with the communication key, and the transfer 5 to the personal computer 1. The encryption key is a key that has been stored in the flash memory 61 in the operation performed in step S67 in figure 14, for example. Receiving the encryption key transferred from of the portable device 6, the movement management program 134 makes, in step S166, that the decryption program 142 decipher the code key with the communication key, and that the key of the computer 137 encode it with your own save key. In step t 10 S167, the movement management program 134 causes the content database 114 to record, in the music database on the hard disk drive 21, the file name content and the content saved in step S164, the name of the musical work (name of content) entered by the user through the graphical user interface (GUI), the encryption key encoded in step S166, etc. Then, in step 168, the movement management program 134 makes, through the central processing unit 32, that the driving program of rules of use 140 calculate the arbitrary value of the entire music database, which is stored in the non-volatile memory 34. In step S169, the motion management program 134 informs the portable device 6 that the key cpptografiado has been saved, and requests that the content. When asked to leave the personal computer 1 to erase the content, the central processing unit 53 will erase the content stored in the flash memory 61, in step S170. Next, the entry of a content from the portable device 6 into the personal computer 1 will be described. The operations of entering content from the portable device 6 to the personal computer is similar to the movement of the content from the portable device 6 tds the personal computer 1 as shown in Figure 21. That is, the mgr4asdop operation is performed by the I / O management program 132 on the personal computer 1, and the operations in steps S162 to S166 in Figure 21 they are omitted. Likewise, the personal computer 1 will update in step S167 in figure 21, the extraction limit, that is, the number of times the content entered can be extracted, registered in the music database, and after finishing the operation in step S170, operations basically similar to those found in the movement of content except for the confirmation that the removal of the content file has been performed. Accordingly, the operations will not be further described. Note that when the flash memory 61 of the device portable 6 is removable as a memory card, personal computer 1 will perform mutual authentication in step S162 in figure 21 in the login procedure. In the following, the copying of content from the portable device 6 to the hard disk drive 21, which is effected through the central processing unit 11 running the program of operation will be described in relation to the flowchart of Fig. 22. content management 111 and the central processing unit 53 executing the main program. The operations in steps S181 to S188 in Fig. 222 are similar to the operations in steps S161 to S168 (in Fig. 21) in the movement of content from the portable device 6 to the hard drive 21. That is, copying is effected by the copy handling program 133, and the copying operation is basically similar to the movement operation except for the omission of the operations in steps S169 and S170 in figure 21. Accordingly, the copying operation will not be described further. Next, the copying of the content transferred from the EMD server 4 to the hard disk unit 21, effected by the EMD server 4 and the central processing unit 11 executing it, will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 23. the content management program 111. When the user presses the 202 button on the figure 5 to create an instruction for access to the EMD server 4, the acquisition program 144 makes, in step S201, that the communication block 25 has access to the EMD server 4 through the network 2. In response the access the EMD server 4 will transfer information such as number of musical work, title, information of a content stored there to the personal computer 1 through the network 2. When acquiring the information, the acquisition program 144 makes the program of display / operation instructions 112 display the information in the display unit 20 through the interface 17. Using the graphical user interface displayed in the display unit 20, the user will designate in step S 202, a content that he wishes to copy . The designated information will be transferred to the EMD server 4 through the network 2. In step S203, the acquisition program 144 will mutually authenticate itself and the EMD server 4 through the network, to generate a key of communication for common use among them. The mutual authentication performed between the personal computer 1 and the EMD server 4 can be performed using a public key and a private key defined in ISO 9798-3 for example. In this case, the personal computer 1 has its own private key and a public key for the EMD server 4 in advance, and the EMD server 4 has its own private key The mutual authentication between the personal computer 1 and the EMD server 4 is carried out using those keys. The public key of the personal computer 1 may be available for the personal computer 1 by its transfer from the EMD server 4 or a certificate that has been previously distributed to the personal computer 1 for certification by the EMD server 4. Furthermore, in step S204, the acquisition program 114 will perform an accounting operation between itself and the EMD server 4. The accounting operation will be described below with details with reference to the flow diagram of Figure 24. Then, in step S205, the EMD server 4 transfers the computer-mapped content designated in step S202 to the personal computer 1 through the network 2. At this time, it transfers a time information at any time to the personal computer 1. In step S206, the acquisition program 144 will provide a file name to the transferred content and will make the content database 114 save it as a content file 161 on the hard drive 21. In step S207, the EMD server 4 will additionally encode the cryptography key for the content using the communication key common to the server and the personal computer 1, generated in step S203, and will transfer the cryptographic encoding key to the personal computer 1.

In step S208, the acquisition program 144 will cause the decryption program 142 to decode the encryption key transferred from the EMD server 4 using the communication key independently or in cooperation with the central processing unit 32 of the adapter 26 , and will cause the encryption program 137 to encode the decoded computer code with its own save key. In step S209, the acquisition program 144 will cause the content database 144 to record in the music database on the hard disk drive 21 a set of the file name of the content, content information, title of the work. music recorded by the user, and cryptographic encoding key. Further, in step S210, the acquisition program 144 causes the central processing unit 32 to calculate the arbitrary value of the entire music database, and store it in the non-volatile memory 34. Note that in step S205, EMD server 4 will transmit the content along with the time data to the personal computer 1. The time data is transferred from personal computer 1 to adapter 26. Upon receiving the time data transferred from the personal computer 1, the central processing unit 32 of the adapter 26 corrects the time of the RTC 35 in step S 11. Thus, based on the time information provided from an external device that has been recognized as a correct device as a result of mutual authentication, the time information of the RTC 35 of the adapter 26 is corrected, such that the adapter 26 can always maintain a correct time information . Next, the flowchart of FIG. 24 will be described below with reference to the accounting performed in step S204 in FIG. 23 by the EMD server 4 and the central processing unit 11 executing the content management program 111. In step? 221, the acquisition program 144 reads price information from 1 content selected in step S202 from the price information transmitted from the EMD server 4 in step S201, and writes it in a accounting logbook on hard disk drive 21. In figure 25, an example of such an accounting logbook is shown. In this example, the user has copied items 1 through 3 from EMD server 4, and the price of items 1 and 2 is 50 yen while for item 3, the price is 60 yen. The arbitrary value of this accounting logbook has been calculated by the central processing unit 32, and recorded in the non-volatile memory 34. Then, in step S222, the acquisition program 144 will read the accounting logbook written in step S221 to starting from the hard drive 21, and transferring it to the EMD server 4 through the network 2. In step S223, the EMD server 4 will perform a calculation based on the accounting logs transferred from the computer personal 1. That is, the EMD server 4 adds to a database provided there an accounting logbook transmitted from the user of the personal computer l to update the database. In step S224, the EMD server 4 determines whether the accounting logbook should be liquidated immediately. When it is determined that the accounting logbook should be settled immediately, the EMD server 4 proceeds to step S225 where it transfers to a settlement server (not illustrated) a business name, a quantity of money, etc., necessary for the settlement . Then, in step S226, the settlement server will effect a settlement to the user of the personal computer 1. If it is determined in step S224 that the accounting logbook should not be settled immediately, the operations of steps S225 and S226 will be skipped. . That is, these operations will be carried out periodically, such as once a month. Then, it will be described below with reference to the flow chart illustrated in FIGS. 26 and 27, the copying on the hard disk drive 21 of a content that has been reproduced by a compact disc player (not illustrated) and recorded in the terminal IEC60958 24a of the audio input / output terminal 24, performed by the central processing unit 11 executing the content management program 111. In step S241, the user connects the output terminal from IEC60958 of the compact disc player to the terminal 24a of IEC60958 of the audio input / output 24 of the personal computer 1. In step S242, the user operates the keyboard 18 or the mouse 19 to enter the title of the work music of a content to be copied from the compact disc player (or a number for the content). Then, step S243, the user operates a button on the compact disc player to start compact disc player operation. In the case in which a control signal transmission / reception line is connected between the compact disc player and the personal computer 1, the user can operate the keyboard 18 or the mouse 19 of the personal computer 1 to enter a playback start instruction to make the compact disc player start playing the compact disc. When the compact disc player starts playing the compact disc, a content read from the compact disc is transferred in step S244, to personal computer 1 through terminal 24a of IEC60958. In step S245, the copy handling program 133 reads data from SCMS (serial copy management system) from the data entered through terminal 24a of IEC60958. The SCMS data includes copying condition information such as copy inhibition, permission to make a copy, permission to make a free copy, etc. In step S246 the central processing unit 11 determines whether the SCMS data indicate copy inhibition. If the SCMS data indicates copy inhibition, the copy management program 133 proceeds to step S247 where it causes the display / operation instruction program 112 to display a "copy inhibited" message on the display unit 20. , and the copy operation ends. In this case, copying is inhibited on the hard disk drive 21. In step S246, when it is determined by the central processing unit 11 that the SCMS information read in step S243 does not indicate any copy inhibition, the copy handling program 133 proceeds to step S248 where it reads a watermark code, and in step S249 determines whether the watermark code indicates copy inhibition. When the watermark code indicates copy inhibition, the copy handling program 133 proceeds to step S247 where it causes the display / operation instruction program 112 to display a predetermined message as in the previous case and complete the copy operation. If it is determined in step S249 that the watermark code does not indicate any inhibition of copying, the copy management program 133 proceeds to step S250 where it reviews the time limit database. If the selected content has already been registered as a result of the revision of the time limit database, the operation ends with the operations in steps S251 and S252. These operations are similar to the operations performed in steps S13 and S14 illustrated in figure 7. If the content selected is not a content that has not yet been recorded in the hard disk drive 21 it will be recorded in steps S253 to S258. The operations in steps S253 to S258 are similar to the operations performed in steps S19 to S24 in Figure 7, except that the SCMS information supplied from terminal 24a of IEC60958 is also recorded in the music database in step S257. Therefore, the operation will not be described in more detail. Next, it will be described with reference to the flow chart illustrated in FIGS. 28 and 29 in the output (reproduction) of a content from the hard disk drive 21 to the terminal 24a of IEC60958 effected by the central unit 11 executing the content management program 111. In steps S271 to S273, the arbitrary value of the entire music database is calculated as in steps Slll to S113 of Fig. 18 and it is determined whether the arbitrary value matches a previously saved arbitrary value to check if the music database has been falsified or altered. If it is determined that the music database has not been faked, the display / operation instruction program 112 proceeds to step S274 where it will, through the content management program 111, make the content database 114 have access to the music database on the hard disk drive 21, read the information about musical works recorded in the music database and display it on the display unit 20. Observing the display the user operates the keyboard 18 or the mouse 19 in an appropriate manner to select a content that the user wishes to reproduce. In step S275, the program 112 display / operation instructions reviews the playback conditions for the selected content. The revision of the reproduction conditions will be described in more detail with reference to the flow chart in Fig. 30. Then, in step S276, the display / operation instruction program 112 is done through the content management program 111, that the content database 114 reads from the music database a codeword for the content selected in step S274, and that the decryption program 142 decodes the encryption key with the save key. In step S277, the display / operation instruction program 112 makes, through the content management program 111, 5 that the content database 114 reads from the music database SCMS information of the content selected and determine the SCMS information to be sent from terminal 24a of IEC60958 in accordance with the rule for the SCMS system. For example, when the number of times that a content can be reproduced is limited (that is, as a reproduction limit), the reproduction counter is incremented by one. The reproduction count incremented in this way is taken as new information from SCMS. In step S278, the program of display / operation instructions 112 will further, through the content management program 111, that the content database 114 read the ISRC for the content selected from the music database. Then, in step S279, the instruction program of The display / operation 112 will, through the content management program 111, have the content database 114 read the file name from the content selected from the music database, and then read the content. from the hard drive 21 based on the name of the file. In addition, the program display / operation instructions 112 will, through the content management program 111, have the content database 114 read an encoding key for the content coming from the music database, and that the program decryption 142 decode the code key with the save key and then decrypt the content encoded with the decoded encryption key. The compression / expansion program 138 will decode (perform the expansion) additional compression code for the content. In step S280, the display / operation instruction program 112 will cause the unit 117 to issue, in IEC60958 24a, the decrypted content (digital data) read in step S279 together with the SCMS information determined in step S277 and the ISRC information read in step S278 in accordance with the rule of IEC60958. In addition, the display / operation instruction program 112 will activate a program such as real player (registered trademark, not illustrated) to convert the content that is digital data into analog data and send it to the analog output terminal of the 24-bit interface. audio input / output. In step S281, the display / operation instruction program 112 will, through the content management program 111, have the content database 114 increment the reproducing counter in the music database by one. At Step S282, it is determined if the selected content has reproducing accounting conditions aggregated there. If the selected content has the reproduction accounting conditions aggregated there, the display / operation instruction program 112 proceeds to step S283 where it causes, through the content management program 111, the content database 114 to write a corresponding fee in the accounting logbook. In step S284, the display / operation instruction program 112 causes, through the usage rule management program 140, the central processing unit 322 to calculate the arbitrary value of the entire music database and store it. n non-volatile memory 34. If it is determined in step S282 that the selected content does not have playback accounting conditions aggregated there, the display / operation instruction program 112 skips operations in steps S283 and S284. Next, the revision of the reproduction conditions in step S 275 in FIG. 28 made by the central processing unit 11 which executes the management program of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the flow chart illustrated in FIG. 30. content 111. In step S301, the display / operation instruction program 112 will cause it, through the content management program 111, the content database 114 reads several conditions in the music database. In step S302, the usage rule management program 140 determines whether the count of reproductions in the conditions read from the music database is above the reproduction limit. If the reproduction count is above the reproduction limit, the usage rule management program 140 proceeds to step S303 where, through the content management program 111, it will cause the content database 114 delete the selected content of the hard disk drive 21 and the information about the content selected from the music database. In step S304, the display / operation instruction program 112 will, through the usage rule management program 140, cause the central processing unit 32 to calculate a new arbitrary value from the music database and store it in non-volatile memory 34. In this case, reproduction (production) is inhibited. If it is determined in step S302 that the count of reproductions has not exceeded the reproduction limit, the usage rule management program 140 proceeds to step S305 where it will evaluate whether the end date is after the present date. If the end date of reproduction is later than the present date, the instruction program display / operation 112, in step S 303, will cause the usage rule management program 140 to erase the selected date of the hard disk drive 21 and also from the music database as above. In step S304, a new arbitrary value of the music database is calculated and saved. Also in this case, playback (output) is inhibited. If it is determined in step S305 that the end date of reproduction is not later than the present date, the central processing unit 32 proceeds to step S306 where it will determine whether the selected content has accounting conditions of reproductions added ah. If the selected content has the reproducing accounting conditions aggregated there, the display / operation instruction program 112 proceeds to step S307 where it will cause the display unit 20 to display a message of the addition of the reproduction accounting conditions and a fee. If it is determined in step S306 that the selected content does not have reproducing accounting conditions aggregated there, the operation in step S307 will be skipped. Next, the reproduction (output) of a content of the hard disk drive 21 through the portable device 6, effected by the unit, will be described with reference to the flow chart illustrated in FIGS. processing center 11 executing the content management program 11 and through the central processing unit 53 executing the main program. In steps S3201 to S325, the music database is reviewed to determine any forgery or alteration, the selected content is designated, and the reproduction conditions for the selected content are reviewed. These operations are similar to the operations performed in steps S271 to S275 in Figure 28, and will not be described further. In step S326, a mutual authentication is performed between the portable device 6 and the personal computer 1 in order to generate a communication key for common use among them. In step S327, the display / operation instruction program 112 instructs the portable device 6 to reproduce a cryptographic content to be supplied. In step S328, the display / operation instruction program will, through the content management program 111, have the content database 114 read S324 from the music database the designated file name of the content selected in the step, and the content having the file name from the hard disk drive 21. In step S329, the display / operation instruction program 112 will cause the content management program 111 to convert the content compression method, cryptography method and format in the employees in the portable device 6. Furthermore, in step S330, the display / operation instruction program 112 will cause the encryption program 137 to encode the content converted to step S329 with the communication key, and transfer it to the portable device 6. In step S331, the central processing unit 53 to the portable device 6 responds to an instruction transferred from the personal computer 1 in step S327 to decrypt each data transferred with the communication key and plays it. In step S332, the display / operation master program 112 makes, through the content database 114, that the content management program 111 increments the reproducing counter in the music database by one. Furthermore, in step S333, the display / operation instructions program -12 will determine whether the selected content has reproducing accounting conditions aggregated therein. If the selected content has the playback accounting conditions aggregated there, the display / operation instruction program 112 will, through the content management program 111 in step S334, have the content database 114 write a fee for reproduction in an accounting log. In step S335, the program of display / operation instructions 112 will cause the central processing unit 32 to calculate and store a new arbitrary value of the entire music data. If the selected content does not have such reproduction conditions added there, the operations in steps S334 and S335 are skipped. The present invention offers several arrangements to prevent a content from being copied fraudulently. For example, the program for operating the central processing unit 11 is what is known as an intrusion-proof programmatic whose execution sequence varies with each operation of the central processing unit 11. In addition, the function of the central processing unit is processing 11 is partially shared by adapter 26 as a piece of equipment such that both the central processing unit 11 and the adapter 26 work together to execute various operations. Thus, a greater data security is ensured. For example, the arbitrary value of the music database is not stored in the music database itself as in the previous case, but in the non-volatile memory 34 of the adapter 26. That is, in the comparison with the arbitrary value previously saved as in steps S32 and S33 in Figure 8, for example, the arbitrary prior value for comparison is stored in non-volatile memory 34. For accordingly, all records that include a content stored on the hard disk drive 21 can be backed up before being copied or moved to any other means of registration. After copying or moving a content stored on the hard disk drive 21 from said hard disk drive 21 to any other recording means, a content included in the records backed up on the hard disk drive 21 can be restored to another Once, it is possible to prevent the content from being copied or transferred in a substantially unlimited way without taking into account the rule of use. For example, when contents A and B are stored on hard disk drive 21 as shown in FIG. 33, arbitrary values are stored for cortenides A and B in non-volatile memory 34. It is considered here that in this condition, part or all of the recorded data including the contents A and B on the hard disk drive 21 are backed up on another recording medium 271. When the content A on the hard disk drive 21 is transferred to a medium of additional record 272 after this, only the content B will remain in the content registered in the hard disk drive 21, such that the arbitrary value in the non-volatile memory 34 also changes to an arbitrary value for the content B. When part or all of the data recorded in the hard disk drive 21, backed up in the recording medium 271 are restored to the hard disk drive 21 afterwards and the contents A and B are again stored in the hard disk drive, an arbitrary value calculated from the information of the content B will be stored in the non-volatile memory 34 while the arbitrary value calculated from the information of the contents A and B will not be stored in the non-volatile memory 34. Thus, the arbitrary value calculated on the basis of the contents A and B stored in the hard disk drive 21 will not match the previous arbitrary value stored in the non-volatile memory 34, and it will be detected that the music database has been falsified. As a result, the use of the contents A and B stored in the hard disk drive 21 will then be limited. Furthermore, as described above, the adapter 26 incorporates the RTC 35. The RTC 35 has the corrected time information based on in time data transferred from any other device (for example, EMD server 4) that could be authenticated correctly. A present date produced from the RTC 35 is used, and not any date handled by the personal computer 1. Accordingly, the user will not be able to intentionally edit the present date on the personal computer 1 at any time past to prevent the present time is evaluated as after the end date of reproduction included in the conditions of reproduction. Likewise, the adapter 26 is designed to decrypt a cryptographic program transferred in accordance with a program previously stored in the read-only memory 36 and to execute the program in such a way that a higher data security can be ensured. This will be further described below with reference to the flow chart illustrated in Figure 34. More specifically, when the personal computer 1 is about to execute a predetermined operation for the adapter 26, it will encode in step S351, a program to be executed by the adapter 26 with a cryptography key previously stored in the random access memory 13, and transfer it to the adapter 26. The random access memory 13 of the adapter 26 has previously stored there a program transferred from computer 1 and intended to decrypt and execute the cpptography program. The central processing unit 32 follows this program stored in the random access memory 36 to decrypt in the step S352 the cryptographic program stored in the random access memory 36. The central processing unit 32 will develop the decrypted program to the access memory randomly 33 in step S313 and execute it in step S354.

As described above, when the adapter 26 calculates an arbitrary value of the music database on the hard disk drive 21, for example, the central processing unit 11 of the personal computer 1 will encode the data in the base of music data with the cryptographic key and will transfer them to the central processing unit 32 of the adapter 26. The central processing unit 32 will apply the arbitrary function to the data transferred in the music database to calculate an arbitrary value. The arbitrary value calculated in this way is stored in the non-volatile memory 34. Alternatively, the central processing unit 32 compares the arbitrary value with a previous value that has been stored in advance, and transfers the result of the calculation to the central unit of processing 11 of the personal computer 1.

Figure 35 shows in detail the internal construction of the adapter 26. The adapter 26 is formed of an integrated semiconductor circuit. As shown in Figure 35, the adapter 26 includes, in addition to the interface 31, a central processing unit 32, a random access memory 33, a non-volatile memory 34, an RTC 35, a read-only memory 36, as shown in Fig. 2, a random access memory controller 301 for controlling writing in random access memory 33 and reading from said random access memory 33, and a logic circuit 302 provided for use to produce directly from the adapter 26 a cryptographic content that has been deciphered as indicated above. The blocks from the interface 31, to the read-only memory 36, random access memory controller 301 and logic circuit 302 are integrally constructed in the semiconductor integrated circuit in such a way that they can not be disassembled from the outside. In addition, a crystal oscillator 311 is provided to generate a clock for a reference in the execution of several operations by the adapter 6. Also, an oscillator circuit 312 is provided for putting the RTC into operation. The adapter 26 also includes a battery 313 that supplies backup power to the oscillator circuit 312, the non-volatile memory 34 and the RTC 35. In addition, the component circuits of the adapter 26 receive power from a power supply circuit 321 of the personal computer 1. The Non-volatile memory 34 may be composed of an erasable read-only memory. If it is composed of a random access memory backed by the backup power of the battery 313, however, a protective aluminum layer 351 can be formed on the non-volatile memory 34 and a power source pattern 352 for supplying non-volatile memory 34 the energy coming from the battery 313 formed flush with the protective aluminum layer 351, as shown in Figures 36A and 36B, for example. Thus, if the user attempts to remove the protective aluminum layer 351 to alter the non-volatile memory 34, the energy source pattern 352 flush with the non-volatile memory 34 will also be removed, the memory power supply will be suspended. non-volatile 34, and the data stored in memory 34 will be erased. In this way, resistance to intrusion is further improved. In addition, the adapter 26 has wires 401-1 to 401-3 for writing data into the non-volatile memory 34 or for reading data from said non-volatile memory 34. The wires 401-1 to 401-3 are formed to be vertically joined. between them as shown in Figure 37. Thus, to read data from the lowest wire 401-3, wires 401-1 and 401-2, above wire 401-3, must be removed. Thus, the data can not be read simultaneously from wires 401-1 to 401-3. Likewise, the wires 401-1 to 401-3 of the non-volatile memory 34 can be formed redundantly. For example, when the wires 401-1 to 401-3 formed within the non-volatile memory 34 are used to connect elements such as transistors forming the non-volatile memory 34, trajectories are formed for them non-linearly even when the elements can be connected linearly by wires, but they are formed in such a way that they have a predetermined length. Thus, wires 401-1 to 401-3 will be longer than required and will have a higher parasitic capacitance than what would be if the wires had the minimum required length. The dedicated circuit (incorporated in the adapter 26 which is a semiconductor integrated circuit) designed to read data from the non-volatile memory 34 can normally read data stored in the non-volatile memory 34 when an impedance is established that corresponds to its parasitic capacitance . However, when a probe is connected to the wires 401-1 to 401-3 in order to read data from the nonvolatile memory 34, the combination of the parasitic capacitance and probe capacitance will result in an influence due to which the data can not normally be read from the non-volatile memory 34. Above, the portable device 6 has been used to explain the recording medium, but it will be noted that the present invention can be applied in transferring or copying data to any other means of registration. The content may be an image or other data in addition to the musical sound data such as music or audio data. As described above, the present invention offers the following advantages: (1) In accordance with the present invention, data is encrypted for registration on the hard disk drive 21 and the cryptography key is encoded with the save key for registration on the hard disk drive 21. Thus, even when a content registered in the hard disk drive 21 is copied, it can not be deciphered in such a way that it can not be copied in large volume for distribution. (2) In accordance with the present invention, when a predetermined musical work is copied once, its title and date of registration are recorded in the music database in order to prevent the musical work from being copied during a period of time. predetermined time (48 hours in the aforementioned example). Thus, the number of times the musical work can be copied can be limited to prevent the musical work from being copied in large volume for distribution. Furthermore, in accordance with the present invention, each time the database is updated, the arbitrary data data is calculated and saved. Thus it is easy to prevent the falsification or alteration of the database. (3) In accordance with the present invention, once a content is passed to a device external, a corresponding content is erased on the hard disk drive 21. Thus, the content that is an original digital data will not remain on the hard disk drive 21 and may not be copied in large quantities for distribution. (4) In accordance with the present invention, the music database is provided on the hard disk drive 21 to check the arbitrary value of the entire music data each time. Thus, even if a content on the hard drive 21 is backed up before being moved and the backed up data is restored on the hard drive 21 just after the content is moved, it is possible to positively delete the data in the content source. . (5) In accordance with the present invention, before transferring the data from the personal computer 1 to an external device, a mutual authentication is performed between the personal computer 1 and the external device.

Thus, it can be prevented that the data is transferred to an erroneous device. (6) In accordance with the present invention, before transferring the data from any external device to the personal computer 1, it is confirmed by means of mutual authentication between the external device and the personal computer 1 if the programmatic of the personal computer 1 is a legal programmatic. Thus, it is possible to prevent a content from being transferred to an erroneous programmatic. (7) In accordance with the present invention, ISRC is used to identify a musical work, and if ISRC is not available, TOC is used. Thus, even when ISRC is not available for a musical work, it is possible to identify the musical work. (8) In accordance with the present invention, a predetermined part of the programmatic function of the personal computer 1 is performed by the adapter 26 equipped as an external device connected to the personal computer 1 Thus, only with analysis of the programmatic of the personal computer 1, it is not possible to know how the program works globally. Therefore, it is impossible to add a function to the programmatic one by means of its falsification or alteration. Note that the operations that must be performed by the adapter 26 can be performed by the central unit of processing 11 in accordance with a security program. In this case, save keys that have the same value are generated by the content management program 111 when a save key becomes necessary, for example. Similarly, the arbitrary value is hidden to be saved by the content management program 111. Likewise, when an operation to be performed by the adapter 26 is performed by the central processing unit 11 in accordance with the program of security, the personal computer 1 downloads some present time data from a predetermined server (e.g., EMD registration server 3) connected to network 2 instead of a present time supplied from RTC 35 of the adapter 26 , and makes an assessment based on the present time data. Likewise, the personal computer 1 may be designed for this purpose in order to store present times at predetermined time intervals and visualize an error when a time is set before a stored stored time, thereby accepting any intentional adjustment of time.

The aforementioned series of operations can be carried out both by the team and by the programmatic. In the latter case, a program that forms the programmatic will be installed from a program storage medium in a computer incorporated in a dedicated computer or a personal computer for general purposes, for example, where you can carry out various functions in accordance with various programs installed there. As shown in Figure 2, the program storage medium that stores a program installed on a computer and that can be executed by the computer includes a magnetic disk 41 (including a floppy disk), an optical disk 42 (CD-ROM (= compact disk of read-only memory)), DVD (digital versatile disk), magneto-optical disk 43 (MD (= m? n? d? sco)), medium of package formed from semiconductor memory 44, read-only memory 12 wherein the program is temporarily or permanently stored, or hard disk drive 21. The program is stored in the program storage medium through the interface as for example the communication block 25 as necessary by using the network 2 as for example a local area network (LAN) or the Internet, means of communication by cable or radio, such as, for example, digital satellite broadcasting. Note that the program description operations for storage in a program storage medium, mentioned herein, include operations that are performed in series over time together with a described sequence, and operations that are not performed in series over time but in parallel or individually.

Note also that the term "system" referred to herein refers to an assembly of several devices. As indicated above, the information processing apparatus and method, and the program storage means, in accordance with the present invention, are adapted to controlling the accumulation of content data in the storage device or to read content data from the storage medium by means of a control device consisting of a programmatic based on the operations results of the program execution device provided in the equipment, thus enabling the fraudulent copying of data to be positively prevented through analysis and falsification of the programmatic

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS n information processing apparatus comprising: a device for storing content data; a control device having a programmatic that controls the storage or reading of the content data in the content data storage device or from said content data storage device; and devices provided in an equipment independent of the control device for deciphering and executing a cryptographic program supplied from the control device and for supplying the result of the execution of the program to the control device; the control device controls the storage or reading of the content data to the content data storage device or from said content data storage device based on the result of the execution of the program supplied from the program execution device. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the content data storage device also stores management information with which handle the content data stored in itself; and the control device causes the program execution device to perform a predetermined calculation based on the handling information. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the control device is a central processing unit; the content data storage device is a hard disk; and the program execution device is a central processing unit incorporated in a semiconductor integrated circuit other than a circuit in which the central processing unit is integrated as a control device. n information processing apparatus comprising: a storage medium for storing content data and content handling information for the content data; a process controller formed of a programmatic to control the storage or reading of content data on or from the storage medium, and a program execution controller provided in a semiconductor chip independent from the process controller and receiving a cryptographic program from the process controller, it decrypts the program and supplies the result of the execution of the program to the process controller; the process controller controls the storage or reading of the content data in the storage medium or from said storage medium based on the result of program execution by the program execution controller; and the program execution controller is adapted in such a way that its internal operations can not be confirmed from outside the semiconductor chip, and it performs a calculation to check any falsification made with respect to the content management information. n information processing method for use in an information processing apparatus, comprising: a device for storing content data; a control device having a programmatic that controls the storage or reading of the content data in the content storage device or from said content content data storage device; and devices provided in an equipment independent of the control device for deciphering and executing a computer program supplied from the control device and for supplying the execution of the program to the control device; the method comprises a step of: controlling the storage or reading of content data in the content data storage device or from said content data storage device based on the result of program execution by a device of program execution. n information processing method for use in an information processing apparatus, comprising: a storage medium for storing content data and content management information for the content data; a process controller formed from a programmatic to control the storage or reading of content data in the storage medium or from said storage means; and a program execution controller provided in a semiconductor flake independent of the process controller and receiving a cryptographed program from the process controller, it decrypts the program and supplies the result of the program execution to the process controller; the process controller controls the storage or reading of the content data in the storage medium or from said storage medium based on the result of program execution by the program execution controller; and the program execution controller is adapted in such a way that its internal operations can not be confirmed from outside the semiconductor flake, and performs a calculation to check any forgery of the content management information. n program storage means for use in an information processing apparatus comprising: a device for storing content data; a control device having a program that controls the storage or reading of the content data in the content data storage device or from said content data storage device; and a device provided in a separate computer of the control device for deciphering and executing a cryptographic program supplied from the control device and for delivering the result ™ of the execution of the program to the control device; 5 the control device has registered there a computer readable program comprising the step of controlling the storage or reading of the content data in the content data storage device or from said data storage device 10 of content based on the result of program execution by the program execution device. 8. An information processing apparatus comprising: 15 devices for entering content data; devices for storing the content data supplied from the input devices; k devices for compressing the content data stored in the storage devices of 20 content data by default; devices for encrypting the data stored in the content data storage device by default; and devices to control storage or 25 reading, in the data storage device of content or from said content data storage device, of the content data compressed by the compression device and encrypted by the cryptographic device. 9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the compression device compresses, or the encryption device, cryptography different data supplied from the input device in the same manner. 10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the compression device or the cryptography device compresses different data supplied from the input device in different ways, 15 respectively, and takes a predetermined common compression or encryption form to send the read data from the content data storage device to a predetermined device. 11. An information processing device that 20 comprises - an interface through which content data is supplied from a predetermined registration means or server; a storage medium for storing content data supplied through the whole face; a compression program for compressing content data for storage in the storage medium by default; a cryptographic program for encrypting the content data for storage on the storage medium by default; and a controller for controlling the storage or reading, in the storage medium or from said storage means, of the content data that has been compressed by the compression program and encrypted by the cryptography program; the compression program or the cryptography program compresses the content data supplied through the machine and that have been processed in different ways, in the same way or in different ways, respectively, for storage in the storage medium and compresses , when reading from the storage medium the content data that has been compressed or mapped in the different ways, respectively, to deliver to a predetermined portable device the content data in such a way that it can be compressed or mapped in a manner common to this apparatus and portable device. n information processing method comprising the steps of: entering data; store the data supplied from the data entry step; compress the data stored in the data storage step by default; encrypt the data stored in the data storage step by default; and controlling the storage or reading of the compressed data in the compression step and cryptographs in the computed step. n information processing method comprising the steps of: entering content data from a predetermined recording medium or server; store content data provided in the data entry step; compress the content data stored in the data storage step by default; encrypt the content data stored in the compression step by default; and controlling the storage or reading, in the storage medium or from said means of storage. storage, of the content data that has been compressed in the compression step and encrypted in the encryption step; the compression step compresses, or the step of encrypted cryptography, the content data supplied in the data entry step and has been processed in different ways, in the same way or in different ways, respectively, for storage in the storage medium , and for conversion, when reading from the storage medium the content data that has been compressed or encrypted in the different ways, respectively, for delivery to a predetermined portable device, the content data in such a way that they can be compressed or encrypted in a common way both to this device and to the portable device. n means of storage of programs that have registered there a program planned for execution by an information processing device illegible by a computer, the program includes the steps of: entering data; store the data supplied from the data entry step; compress the data stored in the data storage step by default; cpptograph the data stored in the data storage step by default; and controlling the storage or reading of the compressed data in the compression step and computed in the encryption step. n information processing apparatus comprising: a device for entering content data; a device for storing the content data supplied from the content data entry device; a device for preserving handling information for the content data stored in the content data storage device; a device for being a predetermined calculation based on the management information stored in the management information storage device; and a device for controlling the use of the content data stored in the content data storage device in accordance with a result of a comparison made between the result of the calculation effected by the computing device and the result of the last calculation stored in the device. the content data storage device. 16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the calculating device makes the calculation using an arbitrary function as the driving information. The apparatus in accordance with that set forth in claim 15, wherein the data is music data and the handling information includes identifying information to identify the music data. 18. An information processing apparatus comprising: an interface for entering content data and identifying information of the content data, a storage means for storing content data supplied through the medium; a first memory to store, as a file of rules of use, the identification information of the content data stored in the medium of 20 storage; a management program to perform a calculation with the arbitrary function applied to the identification information stored in the first memory; a second memory to store the result of the 25 calculated by the management program, and a controller for comparing the result of the calculation by the management program with the result of a past calculation stored in the second memory to inhibit, when there is no match between the results of calculations, the copying or movement of the content data stored in the storage medium. n information processing method comprising the steps of: entering data; store the data provided in the data entry step; save the handling information for the data stored in the data storage step; make a predetermined calculation based on the management information stored in the management information conservation step; store the result of the calculation made in the computation step; and comparing the result of the calculation made in the computation step with a past calculation result stored in the data storage step to control the use of the data stored in the data storage step. n information processing method comprising the steps of: entering content data and identifying information of the content data; store the content data supplied in the input step in a storage medium; keep, as a file of usage rules, the identification information of the content data stored in the storage step; make a calculation with the arbitrary function applied to the identification information stored in the conservation step; store the result of the calculation made in the calculation step; and comparing the result of the calculation in the calculation step with a past calculation result stored in the storage step to inhibit, when there is no match between the calculation results the copying or the movement of the content data stored in the medium of storage. 21. A program storage medium that has registered there a program planned for execution by an information processing device and readable by a computer, the program comprises the steps of: entering data; store the data supplied from the data entry step; keep management information for the data stored in the data storage step; 5 elaborate a predetermined calculation based on the management information conserved in the conservation information management step; store the result of the calculation made in the calculation step; and controlling the use of the data stored in the data storage step in accordance with a result of a comparison between the result of the calculation effected in the calculation step and the past calculation result stored in the data storage step 15 . 22. An information processing apparatus comprising:) a device for transmitting data to another apparatus and for receiving data from another apparatus; 20 a device for storing a predetermined lock key and a save key; an authentication device employing the blocking key retained in the preservation device when data is transmitted to the other device and when 25 receive data from the other device to perform a mutual authentication with the other device in order to generate a communication key; a device for encrypting the communication key with the save key; and a device for storing the data received by the transmission and reception device and which have been encrypted with the communication key in a manner corresponding to the communication key encrypted by the encryption device. The apparatus according to the provisions of claim 22, further comprising: a decryption device for encryption key to decrypt the communication key stored in the storage device using the key to save; and a device for deciphering the data stored in the storage device. n information processing apparatus comprising: an interface through which data is transferred between the apparatus and a portable device or server connected to the apparatus; a memory to preserve a master key and a default save key; an authentication program that employs, when data must be transferred to the portable device or server or from the portable device or server, the master key stored in the memory for mutual authentication with the portable device or server in order to generate a communication key; a cryptographic decryption program for deciphering, with the communication key, a cryptographic key with which the content data transmitted from the portable device or server have been encrypted and for encrypting the encryption key with the save key; a storage means for storing the content data received through the interface and encoded with the communication key in correspondence with the cryptographic key encrypted with the save key; a decryption program of encryption key to decrypt, with the key to save, the encryption key stored in the storage medium; and a data decryption program for deciphering content data stored in the storage medium with the cryptographic key deciphered by the decryption program of cryptographed 25. An information processing method comprising the steps of: transmitting data to other devices and receiving data from other devices; keep a lock key and a default save key; using the blocking key stored in the conservation step when they are transmitted to the other devices and when data is received from the other devices to perform mutual authentication with the other devices in order to generate a communication key; cryptograph the communication key with the save key; and storing the data received in the step of transmission and reception of data and which have been encrypted with the communication key in a manner corresponding to the communication key encrypted in the computing step. 26. An information processing method comprising the steps of: transferring data between the apparatus and a portable device or server connected to the apparatus; keep a master key and default save key; mutually authenticate with the portable device or server, when data must be transferred to the portable device or server or from the portable device or server, using the master key preserved in the conservation step to generate a communication key; decipher, with the communication key, a cryptographic key with which the content data transmitted from the portable device or server have been encrypted and the encryption key encrypted with the save key; store the content data received through the interface and encrypted with the communication key correspondingly with the coding key encoded with the save key; decrypt, with the save key, the cryptographic key stored in the storage medium in the storage step; and decrypting the content data stored in the storage medium with the cryptography key decrypted in the cryptography decryption step. n means of storage of a program that has registered there a program planned for its execution by an information processing device and readable by a computer, the program comprises the steps of: transmitting data to another device and receiving data from another device; keep a lock key and default save key; employ the blocking key stored in the conservation step when data is transmitted to another device and when data from another device is received to perform mutual authentication with the other device in order to generate a communication key; cpptograph the communication key with the save key; and storing the data received in the step of transmitting and receiving data and which have been encrypted with the communication key in a manner corresponding to the communication key mapped in the step of computing. n information processing apparatus comprising: a device for storing data; a device for preserving the rule of use for the data stored in the data storage device; a device to evaluate yes or no, when moving the data stored in the device storage of data towards another device, the rule of use for the data stored in the data storage device can be reproduced by the other device; and a device for moving, based on the result of the evaluation performed by the evaluation device, the data stored in the data storage device to the other device together with the rule of use for the data stored in the storage device of data, which is conserved in the conservation device. the apparatus according to the provisions of claim 28, wherein the rules of use for the data include: condition of reproduction limitation, condition of reproduction count; or condition of copy limitation. n information processing apparatus comprising: a storage device for storing content data; a memory to preserve a rule of use for the content data stored in the storage device; and a movement management program to determine, when the content data stored in the storage device must be moved to a portable device, if the portable device complies with the rules of use; the movement of the content data stored in the storage device to the portable device is inhibited when it is determined that the result of the evaluation by the movement management program that the portable device does not comply with the rules of use. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the movement includes copying, moving or extraction, and the rule of use includes condition of reproduction limitation, condition of reproduction count, or condition of copy limitation. n information processing method comprising the steps of: storing data; retain the usage rule for the data stored in the data storage step; determine whether or not, when moving the data stored in the data storage step to another device, the usage rule for the data stored in the data storage step can be reproduced by the other device; and displace, based on the result of the evaluation in the evaluation step, the data stored in the data storage device to the other device together with the usage rule for the data stored in the data storage step, which it is conserved in the conservation step. n information processing method comprising the steps of: storing content data in a storage device; keep in a memory a usage rule for the content data stored in the storage device; and evaluating, when the content data stored in the storage device must be moved to a portable device, if the portable device complies with the usage rule; inhibit the movement of the content data stored in the storage device to the portable device when it is determined that the portable device does not comply with the usage rule. The method according to claim 33, wherein the movement includes copying, movement or extraction, and the rule of use includes condition of limitation of reproduction, condition of reproduction count or condition of limitation of copying. In the case of a storage medium for a program that has registered there a program planned for execution by an information processing device and readable by a computer, the program comprises the steps of: storing data; keep the rule of use for the data stored in the data storage step, determine whether or not, when moving the data stored in the data storage step to another device, the usage rule for the data stored in step Data storage can be reproduced by the other device; and based on the result of the evaluation in the evaluation step, move the data stored in the data storage device to the other device together with the usage rule for the data stored in the data storage step, which is Preserves in the storage step.