JP2001202280A - Content display device and content distribution system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To prevent the content of a content displayed by a browser that accesses a server through a network and display the content data from being displayed as required according to the content provider's intention, to prohibit screen capture, Provide a mechanism to apply content protection processing such as digital watermark insertion. Kind Code: A1 A content display device provided with content display means for accessing a content server on a network to receive and display content data, wherein the received data is content data to be subjected to content protection processing. In the case of a special data type indicating, is called from the content display means,
The problem is solved by a content display device including an additional software module that executes a predetermined content protection process.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a content display device for displaying digital contents distributed via a network or the like on a screen such as a CRT or a liquid crystal display.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Content distribution via a network,
As a display mechanism, a mechanism called WWW (World Wide Web) has become widespread. In the WWW, a content display device as a client is
By the operation of display software called a browser,
The content data is received from a specific WWW server on the network via a communication protocol specific to the WWW, and the content is displayed in a display memory area of the content display device to display the content.

[0004]

However, the conventional WWW
In a browser, content data such as images obtained from a WWW server can be freely copied on the content display device side, such as copying with a menu command or capturing a display screen, which is contrary to a copyright holder of the content. There was no mechanism for preventing secondary use, that is, no mechanism for content protection processing.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a content displayed by a browser on a content providing side as required by the content provider. It is to provide a mechanism for performing a protection process.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a content display apparatus having content display means for accessing a content server on a network, receiving content data, and displaying the content data. And additional software which is called from the content display means and executes a predetermined content protection process when the received data is a special data type indicating that the content data is content data to be subjected to the content protection process. A content display device comprising a module.

In the WWW browser, a program module serving as a component is added in order to cope with various data formats, so that the WWW browser can be recognized and displayed without changing the main body of the browser program. Some have a mechanism for easily adding a data format. Utilizing such a mechanism of the WWW browser, a data type representing the content data to be protected is defined, and the content display is performed so as to execute a desired content protection process in a program module corresponding to the data type. What is necessary is just to comprise an apparatus.

[0008] In a preferred aspect of the first invention, the additional type software module is a content display device that realizes a content protection process by not storing target content data in an auxiliary storage device of the content display device. Can be provided. In a normal WWW browser, the content data is stored in a cache area managed by the browser in order to speed up the display of a once displayed page when the page is accessed again. However, the additional software module has a special data type. This is because, when the data is processed, the content data cannot be copied from the cache area by not storing the data in the cache area.

In a preferred aspect of the first invention, the additional software module is configured to make the display window invisible on the content display device when the display window by the content display means is no longer an operation target. It is possible to provide a content display device that realizes content protection processing by setting the state. When copying the content data, the data held in the copy data holding area managed by the operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS) of the computer mounted on the content display device is transferred to some application program started separately from the browser. This is because an operation is required, but when such an application program is operated, the content display window is hidden at that moment, so that the copy operation becomes very difficult.

In a preferred aspect of the first invention, the additional software module can provide a content display device that realizes content protection processing by disabling a content data copy function of content display means. is there.

Further, as a preferred aspect of the first invention, the additional type software module can provide a content display device that realizes content protection processing by disabling a screen capture function of the content display device. .

A second invention for achieving the above object is a content distribution system including a content display device according to the first invention, wherein a digital watermark is inserted into content data to be protected.

Digital watermarking is a technique for embedding additional data, such as information on a right holder and data attribute information, in digital data such as images and sounds. By embedding the rights information as a digital watermark in the data, for example, when the contents with the embedded rights information are copied and distributed by a third party without permission, the embedded rights information is extracted from the distributed contents. By doing so, the creator or right holder of the content can be proved, so that unauthorized use of a third party can be proved.

As a preferred embodiment of the second invention, a content distribution system using a visible digital watermark as the digital watermark is considered. Digital watermarks can be broadly classified into invisible digital watermarks and visible digital watermarks, and visible digital watermarks are characterized in that embedded information can be specified. For example, a character string representing copyright information visibly written in a corner of a digital image is a kind of visible digital watermark.

Further, as a preferred embodiment of the second invention, a removable digital watermark is used as a digital watermark, and the additional type software module of the content display device displays the digital data when displaying the content data to be protected. A content distribution system that removes a watermark for display and a content display device for the system can be considered.

[0016] In general, a visible digital watermark can clearly indicate embedded information, but has a disadvantage in that the design of the content is impaired. The visible digital watermark that can be removed is such that the embedded visible digital watermark can be removed as needed.
1-296661 discloses a method for realizing a visible digital watermark that can be removed. If this technology is applied to the additional module, the data is displayed in the original state when the content display means is displaying it. However, when the copy command is used or when the data is copied from the cache area, the digital watermark is displayed. It is possible to realize a content display device in which only data with a mark can be obtained.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable recording medium storing a program of an additional software module for realizing the content display device according to the first or second aspect of the present invention.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a content server which responds only to a transmission request from a content display device incorporating a program of an additional software module for realizing the content display device according to the first or second invention. A content distribution system includes one or more content display devices connected via a network.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a content distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This content distribution system is realized by a distribution server 1, a network 2, and a content display device 3. The content display device 3 is a personal computer 3
1 is realized by mounting the content display means 33, the additional software modules 710, and 720. In this embodiment, a WWW browser (hereinafter simply referred to as a browser) 700 is used as the content display unit 33. Therefore, the distribution server 1 needs to be loaded with WWW server software.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing of the distribution server 1. The distribution server 1 embeds a visible digital watermark in the stored original content data 10 as content data 11 (S3), and distributes the content data 11 to the content display device 3 via the network 2 (S7). In the content production process, the content data 11 in which the visible digital watermark is embedded may be produced, and the distribution server 10 may accumulate the content data 11 and distribute it as it is.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the hardware of the content display device 3. The content display device 3 is realized on a computer 31. The computer 31 includes an auxiliary storage device 32, and has a keyboard 200, a mouse 300, and a CRT monitor 400 as user interfaces.
And is controlled by an OS (operating system) having a GUI (graphical user interface). As for various kinds of application software operating on the computer 31, the content display means 33 is a kind of such application software.
The display data of the application software is output in an individual window appearing on the T monitor 400.

The keyboard 200 is provided with a screen capture key 201, so that all of the content displayed on the CRT monitor 400 or the content display means 33 is provided.
Of the displayed content or the content displayed on the screen by the application software 500 not related to the present invention,
It is defined by the OS of the computer 31 so that it can be captured as digital data.

The screen copy software 600 includes:
By operating this with the keyboard 200 or the mouse 300, the entire contents displayed on the CRT monitor 400 or the contents displayed on the window by the application software 500 not related to the present invention are taken in as digital data. be able to.

The browser 700 sends the content data 11 sent from the distribution server 1 via the network 2 in response to the request from the browser 700 to the computer 3 once.
Display data stored in the first auxiliary storage device 32 and specified according to designated display instruction information (this is also a type of content data obtained from the distribution server 1 and is data obtained first from the distribution server 1). And display it as a window 750 on the screen of the CRT monitor 400. The sent content data 11 may be directly displayed without being recorded in the auxiliary storage device 32.

As shown in FIG. 1, a browser 700 includes an additional software module 710 and an additional software module 7 as software components.
It operates in cooperation with the H.20. 710 and 720 are not necessary for the browser 700 to operate,
In a state that does not include both 10 and 720, the browser 700 can operate without the content protection function. When only one of 710 and 720 is included, the browser 700 operates with the function corresponding to the added software module, and when both include 710 and 720, The software module operates with both functions provided by the software module.

The relationship between the browser 700 and the additional software module will be further described. Each of the additional software modules 710 and 720 is called from the browser 700 according to the data type given to the content data 11 transmitted by the server 1. This data type is identified by the file extension of the content data 11. Between the distribution server 1 and the additional software modules 710 and 720, (a display method of) a data type requiring content protection is determined in advance, and the content type is displayed on the content display device 31 so that the browser 700 can appropriately handle the data type. Must be set to

As a setting method, a MIME type (Multipurpose In Multimedia In) designed to handle various data types in an application such as mail using the Internet is used.
Currently, it is easiest to set it according to the mechanism of Internet Mail Extension Type. That is, a MIME type indicating a data type requiring content protection and its display (file extension) are defined as an appropriate character string, and this module is included in the program codes of the additional software modules 710 and 720. MIME Type
Write a code that specifies whether the module handles the file in a predetermined format. Next, the additional software modules 710 and 720 are stored in a folder for storing the additional software modules specified by the browser 700. By doing so, when the browser 700 is started, the browser 700 sequentially checks the software modules in the same folder, and internally stores the corresponding MIME T
If there is a description specifying ype, the correspondence between the MIME Type and the software module is stored in the browser.

In this embodiment, the MIME type of the data into which the visible digital watermark is inserted is displayed with the extension “.xx0”, and the MIME type of the other data to be protected is displayed with the extension “.xx1”. I do. The additional module 710 is called for “.xx0”, and the additional module 720 corresponds to “.xx1”.

FIG. 4 shows the additional software module 7.
10 is a flowchart showing a process when the browser 700 including the content 10 displays content. If the type of the data obtained from the distribution server 1 is “.xx0”, the browser 700 calls the additional module 710. The called additional module 710 creates the content data 12 by removing the visible digital watermark from the received content data 11 before displaying the content (S).
10). Next, the data is developed in the screen display memory area of the browser 700 (S12), and the control is returned to the browser 700. The content data 12 from which the visible digital watermark has been removed is not recorded in the auxiliary storage device 32. Therefore, C
Although displayed in the window 750 on the RT monitor 400, it is not stored in the cache area for the browser 700.

Since the contents 12 displayed as the window 750 are in a state where the visible digital watermark is removed, the design of the original contents 10 is not impaired. On the other hand, the original content data 1 transmitted by the network 2
1 has a visible digital watermark embedded therein, so that even if the content data 11 is illegally obtained from the network 2, the visible digital watermark can be seen as it is, so that secondary use contrary to the copyright holder's will is prevented. Can be deterred.

The additional software module 710 includes:
The received content data 11 may or may not be recorded in the auxiliary storage device 32. Auxiliary storage device 32
When the content data 11 is recorded in the content data 11, secondary use of the content by duplicating the content data 11 from the auxiliary storage device 32 can be suppressed by the visible digital watermark embedded in the content data 11. If the content data 11 is not recorded in the auxiliary storage device 32, the content data 11 cannot be copied.

FIG. 5 shows the additional software module 7.
20 is a flowchart showing a process when the browser 700 including the content 20 displays content. If the type of the data obtained from the distribution server 1 is “.xx1”, the browser 700 calls the additional module 720. The called additional module 720 defines the function of the screen capture key 201 so as to perform nothing before displaying the content and prior to displaying the content (S20). Then, the content data is transmitted to the browser 700.
(S22). next,
The event processing relating to the mouse operation in the frame in which the content data is now displayed is reset (S24). Here, for example, it is also possible to set so that the copy command cannot be selected from a menu that appears when the cursor is moved to the content data display frame and right-clicked. Next, in order to change the menu operation itself of the browser 700, first, the event processing setting information in the display frame of the browser 700 is saved in an appropriate memory area that can be processed by the additional software module 720 (S26). Then, the event processing setting information of the display frame of the new browser 700 is set (S28).

How to set the event processing setting information depends on the specifications of the WWW browser used. The details are omitted because they are not essential to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining an event process newly set by the additional module 720. The event processing of the browser 700 when the additional module 720 is activated will be described.

In step S28, the additional module 720 determines that the event processing handler of the browser 700
If the operator has switched the operation to an application other than the browser 700 on the computer 31, step S1
01 when the operation target returns to the browser 700 from an application other than the browser 700 (step S10).
Event processing setting information is set so as to execute Step 2. Immediately thereafter, it is in a state of waiting for an event in step S00. Thereafter, when an event such as a click of the mouse 300 occurs, the event processing handler of the browser 700 operates to check what event has occurred, and calls a processing routine corresponding to the event (S99). When the operator switches the operation to an application other than the browser 700 on the computer 31, the display frame 750 of the browser 700 is minimized so that the display contents are not visible (S101). Further, when the operator uses an application other than the browser 700,
When the operation target is returned to 00, the browser 7 minimized
The display frame 750 of 00 is returned to the original size (S102).
For other events, the same processing as the conventional event is performed (S100). After executing each process, the process returns to step S00 and waits for the occurrence of the next event.

After the protected content data is displayed on the browser 700 by the process of step S101, even if the user tries to operate the screen capture software 600, the display window 750 is hidden, so that the content data cannot be copied.

When a series of processing by the additional type software module 720 shown in FIG. 5 is executed, even if the screen capture key 201 is pressed, the processing corresponding to the key 201 is changed, and the screen copy processing is not performed. Not executed.

The additional software module 720 includes:
Screen copy suppression means other than the above may be provided.
In step S28, event processing information for the browser display frame 750 is set. Here, it is also possible to set so that a copy command cannot be selected from the menu of the browser 700.

According to the specifications of the WWW server, an additional module 7 is provided at a certain timing (for example, when the browser 700 is operated to display a different content page).
A termination processing routine of 20 is executed. The operation contents of the termination processing at this time are shown in the flowchart of FIG.

In the end processing, first, the key setting of the keyboard 200 is returned to the original (S30). As a result, the screen capture key 201 becomes valid again. Next, the browser display frame 7
The event processing setting information related to 50 is returned to the original state (S32). As a result, all operations of the browser 700 are in a state before the additional software module 720 is started, that is, in steps S101 and S102 in FIG.
Returns to the state of the operation flow in which no exists.

In the example described above, the additional software modules are independent modules 710 and 720 by the content protection means. However, the additional software modules may be configured as one additional software module having each function. Good. In addition, the browser 700 may be configured to display the content 11 as it is, as an operation when the content 11 is received when the additional software modules 710 and 720 are not installed, so that the content is not displayed. May be configured.

Additional software modules 710, 7
After performing the processing and before returning control to the browser 700, the additional software module 7 may be configured to send any received message to the distribution server 1.
It is also possible to configure 10, 720. in this case,
On the distribution server side, when the received message arrives after sending the protected content data, it is possible to confirm that the additional software module is incorporated in the browser 700 side. If the end message does not return normally,
It is also possible to configure the distribution server 1 so as not to reply to a subsequent request from the same browser 700.

For example, when the distribution server 1 has the browser 700
(In this case, data such as the cover of the entire content is sent to the browser 700) at the time of replying to the first request from the browser, a special program for distributing the protected content data thereafter is generated. The subsequent transmission of the content data in response to the request from the browser 700 is processed by this dedicated program.
The dedicated program may confirm the presence or absence of the end message and distinguish subsequent responses. This dedicated program automatically disappears when it has sent a piece of content. By using such a distribution server 1, it is possible to reject distribution of the entire content including the protected content data to a browser 700 in which a necessary software module is not incorporated.

Although the embodiment in which the additional type software module is called from the browser 700 according to the data type by using the MIME Type has been described,
The gist of the present invention is not limited to this. As a minimum, the content display means 33 only needs to have a function of recognizing the data type of the content data and calling an appropriate additional module according to the type.

Further, WW is used as the content display means 33.
Although the embodiment using the W browser has been described, the gist of the present invention is not limited to this. The data transfer protocol between the distribution server 1 and the content display means 33, the method of describing the content, and the method of realizing the content display means 33 themselves are not limited to the currently widespread WWW technology, but are unique. You may.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention, a content protection function such as a digital watermark function and a screen copy suppression function is added to a browser, and the content displayed by the browser is secondarily used in a manner not intended by the copyright holder. To prevent
Or they can be deterred. By using the present invention, a service for providing additional software and content to specific members via a network, a service for distributing additional software modules to unspecified users free of charge and selling content for a fee, The present invention is obviously extremely practical because it is possible to distribute the content itself to specific users free of charge and sell additional software modules for a fee, and to sell additional software modules and content for a fee. And useful technology.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a content display device 3 and a content distribution system including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating processing of a distribution server 1.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a content display device 3.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing contents of an additional software module 710.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating processing contents of an additional software module 720;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the termination processing content of an additional software module 720;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the processing operation of the content display means 33 after the additional software module 720 is activated.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 distribution server 2 network 3 content display device 10 original content data 11 distribution content data 31 computer 32 auxiliary storage device 33 content display means 200 keyboard 201 screen capture key 300 mouse 400 monitor 500 application software 600 screen capture software 700 browser 710, 720 Additional module 750 Window displayed by browser 700

Continuation of the front page F term (reference) 5B017 AA06 BA08 BB09 CA15 CA16 5B075 KK54 PP02 PP03 PQ02 5B082 GA11 5B085 AE06 BG07

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A content display device provided with content display means for accessing content servers on a network to receive and display content data, wherein the received data is content data to be subjected to content protection processing. A content display device comprising an additional software module which is called from the content display means and executes a predetermined content protection process when the data type is a special data type. 2. The additional software module, comprising:
The content display device according to claim 1, wherein the content protection processing is realized by not storing the target content data in the auxiliary storage device of the content display device. 3. The additional software module comprises:
2. The content display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content protection processing is realized by making the display window invisible when the display window by the content display means is no longer an operation target on the content display apparatus. 4. The additional software module comprises:
2. A content protection process is realized by disabling a content data copy function of a content display means.
A content display device according to claim 1. 5. The additional software module,
The content display device according to claim 1, wherein the content protection process is realized by disabling a screen capture function of the content display device. 6. A digital watermark is inserted in content data to be protected.
A content distribution system including the content display device according to any one of the above. 7. The content distribution system according to claim 6, wherein a visible digital watermark is used as the digital watermark. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein a removable digital watermark is used as the digital watermark, and the additional software module removes and displays the digital watermark when displaying content data to be protected. A content display device used in the content distribution system according to 1. 9. An additional software module for realizing one of the content display device according to claim 1 and the content display device used in the content distribution system according to claim 6. Computer-readable recording medium on which the program of the present invention is recorded. 10. A network connected to a content server which responds only to a transmission request from a content display device incorporating an additional software module recorded on the computer-readable recording medium according to claim 9. A content distribution system including at least one content display device.