JP2002016788A - Content copy tracking management system, content copy machine, center device, and their program recording media - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To centrally manage history information of who made a copy of a digital content, when and where, and to enable copy tracking even when copying is repeated a plurality of times. SOLUTION: A content copying machine 20 is a content copying machine.
The content ID is read from the copy document of the content in which D is embedded, and the read content ID and the information of the copy event attribute are transmitted to the content ID management center 10 via the network. The content ID management center 10 acquires the original of the content from the received content ID, assigns a new content ID, records the content ID and the information of the copy event attribute, and uses the new content ID as the original of the content. And embed it into the copy request source. The content copy machine 20 outputs it as a copy result.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for managing attribute information such as digital content and its copyright by a content identifier uniquely assigned to each content. The present invention relates to a content copy tracking management system capable of easily tracking content.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, distribution of various digital contents such as still images, moving images, music, and text data has been rapidly progressing. The problem in the distribution of such digital contents is how to build a mechanism for protecting and managing copyrights and promoting the use of contents.

[0003] In order to solve such a problem, a content I, which is a unique identifier for each digital content, is used.
It has been proposed to construct a system that assigns D and manages digital contents and attribute information of the contents, such as information for searching the contents and information on copyright, in a unified manner by a contents ID.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an outline of the content management system. Content ID management center 100
Is a unique content ID for each digital content
And a function of managing the assigned content ID and the original of the content. The content management database 120 stores the issued content ID 200
And the original content 210. It should be noted that the content ID 200 and the content original 210 need not necessarily be managed by one content management database 120, and the management of the content original 210 is sufficient if the content ID management center 100 can be accessed by some means. is there.

[0005] The content registration device 110 and the content use terminal 130 are information devices such as personal computers that can be connected to the content ID management center 100 via a network.

[0006] A person who has a copyright on digital contents, such as a content creator or a content seller, distributes the content when distributing the content.
0, a registration request including the original digital content and attribute information necessary for the registration of the content in advance is sent to the content I.
Send to D management center 100. Upon receiving the content registration request, the content ID management center 100 issues a unique content ID for the content, and registers the content ID and the content original in the content management database 120. Thereafter, the issued content ID or the digital content to which the content ID is added is returned to the content registration device 110.

[0007] The general user uses the content using terminal 130.
From the content ID management center 1 via the network
00, a content search request can be sent. Upon receiving the search request, the content ID management center 100 searches for the requested content based on the attribute information attached to the content ID, and if the use of the content is permitted, the content ID is added to the original content. The ID-attached content embedded with a watermark or the like is transmitted to the content use terminal 130. In response to a content purchase request from the content use terminal 130, the necessary charging process is performed by the content ID management center 100.
And transmits the ID-added content to the content use terminal 130 that made the request.

FIG. 9 shows an example of a data structure of a content ID in the content management system. Content ID
Numeral 200 is uniquely assigned to each digital content, and relates to an ID center management number including a center number and a center number, a copyrighted attribute such as a genre, a title, and a media type of the content, and a copyright. The information group includes information on distribution attributes such as a license condition attribute, a distribution history attribute, and royalty distribution information, and system control attributes for digital signature and digital watermark information.

The content ID 200 is managed in the content ID management center 100 by the content management database 120 and the like.
D200 or a part thereof is added to the content copied from the original content 210 in the form of a digital header, or is embedded in the content by an electronic watermark or the like.

[0010] Of the content ID 200 shown in FIG.
The part that actually has a unique value for each content is
Since this is the ID center management number, and the original content 210 can be specified by the ID center management number, only the ID center management number is hereinafter simply referred to as the content ID. In this case, the entire content ID 200 shown in FIG. 9 is referred to as content attribute information.

In particular, an ID is assigned to the original content 210.
Is embedded by a digital watermark or the like, only the part of the ID center management number (content ID in this specification) is embedded in order to reduce the amount of embedded information. When the content is added to the content in the form of a digital header (or may be inserted in a tail or in the middle), for example, XML (Exte
(nsible Markup Language) Adds content attribute information in document format.

In the distribution of digital contents in the above-described system, digital contents are always distributed in a form in which a content ID is embedded in an original of the content by a digital watermark or the like. Therefore, if the content ID is read from the copy of the distributed digital content, it is possible to easily specify from which content original the copy was obtained.

However, in the conventional technology, the content ID
Even if there is content embedded with
It is not possible to check when and where the attached content is copied from the original content managed by the content ID management center according to who request.

If the digital content with the content ID is, for example, an image, it is printed out on a printing sheet, so that a large number of duplicates converted into analog information can be easily generated. Further, the duplicate can be copied by a normal optical copying machine. It is not possible to know from the content ID which ID-attached content is such a copy first.

Known techniques related to the present invention include, for example, JP-A-6-22119 and JP-A-2000-322.
There is an "image processing apparatus" described in JP-A-53-53.
In this method, digital additional information for identifying a manuscript and a user or the like is embedded in an image portion of the manuscript in order to prevent illegal outflow due to copying, and the information can be read. However, in this technique, it is necessary to be able to embed the additional information in the original by using a multiple watermark method that can overwrite the additional information many times. Therefore, it is not possible to embed the additional information in the original by using a normal digital watermarking technique. This is because, in the case of a normal digital watermark, a new watermark ID cannot be added or overwritten on a document in which the watermark ID is already embedded. Further, according to this known technique, the content of additional information is directly embedded in a document in the form of raw data, and the entire additional information is not ID-coded and embedded in the document. There are problems such as large restrictions, difficulty in central management of additional information, difficulty in copying related contents, and difficulty in changing copy authority later.

Further, as a known technique related to the present invention,
There is a “digital content management system using a digital watermark” described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-7241. This means that a content monitoring program is resident in a microkernel in the terminal, and individual users IDs for each user are embedded in formal users with invisible watermarks for raw content distributed simultaneously by broadcasting, etc. A visible watermark (user name) is displayed for the user. Furthermore, this is combined with the public key method.

[0017] Also, an "apparatus for embedding information in a digital image" described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-191025.
This is done by making the descrambling device and the digital watermark embedding device inseparable, and embedding the personal ID of the person who executed the descrambled content with a digital watermark. Makes it possible to recognize the source of a copy.

In the "confidential document management device" described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-184609, information such as the person who made the hard copy, the purpose, and the date and time is embedded in the confidential document so that it can be later used. Makes it decipherable.

However, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 11-7241, 10-191025, and 7-1
The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 84069 discloses embedding watermark information so that the source of the copy can be traced only at the time of the first copy of the original content, so that a copy of a certain content is further copied. In such a case, it is impossible to track who made the second and subsequent copies, when and where, and from which copy. Further, for example, when the content is a book, it is not possible to make a copy of one page and a copy of another page.

[0020]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to provide a history record (log information) of who made a copy of a digital content and a place where the copy was made. It is an object of the present invention to centrally manage information including information and to enable tracking of copies even when copying is repeated a plurality of times. It is another object of the present invention to enable copying of the entire content or copying of another portion of the content from a part of the content, and to allow the center to centrally manage the history information.

[0021]

According to the present invention, a content copy machine reads a content ID from a copy document of a content in which the content ID is embedded, and transmits the read content ID and information of a copy event attribute relating to a copy status to a network. And a means for receiving and outputting ID-added content in which a new content ID is embedded in the original content from the content ID management center.

Further, the content ID management center acquires the original of the content or the content related thereto from the content ID received from the content copying machine, and assigns a new content ID to the acquired original of the content. , Its content ID and copy event attribute information, or the content I
The information added with D is recorded and managed as history information in a content ID management table or the like, and the newly assigned content ID is embedded in the original of the acquired content, and is transmitted to the content copying machine that has issued the copy request. Means for transmitting is provided.

Thus, when it is desired to know the source of a copy of a certain content, the content ID embedded in the content is compared with the information such as the copy event attribute recorded by the content ID management center so that the content can be obtained. It is possible to keep track of which content copier was copied when. The ID-added content copied according to the present invention can be considered as a so-called fingerprint-attached content.
Further, if the content is copied by the content copying machine according to the present invention, the content is copied not from the read original but from the original of the content managed by the content ID management center. The content is not degraded.

Further, when the content is composed of a moving image or a plurality of pages, and the copy original is one scene or one page of the moving image, the content copy machine outputs the contents such as a scene number and a page number. Means is provided for identifying position information in the whole and transmitting the position information and information designating a portion to be copied to the content ID management center.

This makes it possible to take out and copy the entire original content from a copy of a part of the content, or to take and copy an arbitrary original page from a copy of a certain page. The copied content is given a new content ID, and the history information is recorded and stored in the content ID management center along with the copy event attribute, so that the copy history can be tracked.

The copy permission / prohibition information for permitting or prohibiting copying based on the information of the copy event attribute such as the copy machine ID transmitted from the content copy machine is transmitted to the content I.
By providing the D management center, copying is permitted only for a copying request from a specific content copying machine, and copy prohibition control for confidentiality is performed such that copying requests from other content copying machines are rejected. It is also possible.

Further, by providing the content ID management center with copy permission / prohibition information for permitting or prohibiting copying according to the production time and version of the content indicated by the content ID, the content created before a certain date and time (old version) The processing of prohibiting copying of (content) of the user can be realized.

Content copy machine or content ID
In the management center, a program for realizing the above processing means by a computer can be stored in an appropriate recording medium such as a computer-readable portable medium memory, a semiconductor memory, and a hard disk.

[0029]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration according to the present invention. The content ID management center 10, the content registration device 30, and the content copy machine 20 are connected via a network. Content registration device 30
The content copy machine 20 is configured by an information device such as a personal computer having a communication function.
The content copy machine 20 may be in the form of a copy machine installed in a convenience store, for example.

The content ID management center 10 includes a transmission / reception unit 11 for communication via a network, a content management unit 12 for performing processing and control relating to management of digital content, and assigns a content ID to the original content and copy event attributes. Content ID issuing unit 13 and content registration unit 1 for registering the original content
4, a content original search unit 15 for searching and retrieving the original content, a content ID embedding unit 16 for embedding the content ID into the original content by a digital watermark or the like, and a content ID management table 1 for managing the content ID
7. It has a content original storage unit 18 for storing and storing the original content.

The content ID management center 10 only needs to be able to access the registered content originals, and does not necessarily need to directly hold the content originals. Therefore, the content original storage 18 can be provided in an external device. .

[0032] The content copying machine 20
An image reading unit 22 that reads a copy original 21 of a content (hereinafter, referred to as ID-added content) in which a D is embedded by a scanner or the like, a content ID detecting unit 23 that detects a content ID from the read image, A copy event attribute acquisition unit 24 for acquiring an organization name of the copyper, a copy machine ID, a copy date, a required copy quality, etc.), a copy portion designation unit 25 for designating a copy portion of the requested original content,
It has a transmission / reception unit 26 for communicating with the content ID management center 10, an output data generation unit 27 for generating output data from information received from the content ID management center 10, and an image output unit 28 for printing out the generated output data.

The copy original 21 is the ID of the side to be copied.
This is the attached content, which is printed out on paper. Further, it may be such that it is copied by a normal copying machine. The output content 29 is a content with an ID as a copy result.

Next, the operation of the system shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 shows an example of copying the entire content, and FIG. 3 shows an example of copying a part of the content.

In FIG. 2, a creator or distributor of the content issues a registration request for the original content 40 from the content registration device 30. The original content 40 is an original digital content in which a content ID is not embedded. In response to the registration request, the raw data of the original content 40 and the content attribute information are sent from the content registration device 30 to the content ID management center 10. The content attribute information is information such as the user ID of the producer or distributor, the organization name of the registration executor, the device ID of the content registration device 30, the registration date, the quality of the registered content, and the like.

In the content ID management center 10, when the transmission / reception unit 11 receives the registration request, the content management unit 12 sends the user ID or the device ID as necessary.
Authentication is performed to check whether or not registration of the original content 40 is possible. If registration is possible, content ID issuing unit 1
3, a content ID including a center number and a serial number in the center, which has not been issued, is generated.
0 is stored in the original content storage unit 18 and the content ID is stored in the content ID management table 17.
The content attribute information including D is registered. Here, it is assumed that the issued content ID is “0001”.

The content management unit 12 has a content ID
The embedding unit 16 embeds the content ID “0001” in the raw data of the original content 40 by using a digital watermark, and sends back the ID-added content 41 to the content registration device 30. The embedding of the content ID may be performed using a barcode, a special pattern mark, or the like, instead of using a digital watermark.

A user A who has obtained the ID-added content 41 or the copied ID-added content 41 ′
Is copied by the content copying machine 20A. The content 41 'with ID of the copy original is
The content 41 is converted into analog information by, for example, printing out the ID-added content 41 on paper.

The user A sets the ID-added content 41 ′ of the copy document in the scanner section of the content copying machine 20 A, and reads it by the image reading section 22. The method of using the content copier 20A may be considered to be the same as that of a normal monochrome or color copier. The content ID detection unit 23 reads a content ID embedded with a digital watermark from the read image. A technique for reading information embedded in a digital watermark from image data in a bitmap format is a generally known technique, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The copy event attribute acquisition unit 24 stores copy event attributes such as the copy machine ID of the content copy machine 20A and the user ID of the user A, and
0A setting information and user input,
6 transmits the information of the content ID = 0001 read from the ID-added content 41 ′ and the acquired copy event attribute to the content ID management center 10 as the parameter 42 of the copy request.

In the content ID management center 10, when the transmission / reception unit 11 receives a copy request from the content copying machine 20A, the content management unit 12 searches the content ID management table 17 using the received content ID = 0001 as a key. I do. If the corresponding content ID is registered in the content ID management table 17 and the received copy event attribute is recorded as the copy permitted range as the content attribute information, the content ID is registered.
The publishing unit 13 publishes a content ID (0002) which has not been issued so far for the current copy event, and additionally writes the content ID in the content ID management table 17 together with the copy event attribute. Also,
The content ID = 0001 of the copy source document is described.

The content original search unit 15 reads the raw data of the content original corresponding to the received content ID = 0001 from the content original storage unit 18, and the content ID embedding unit 16 extracts the raw data of the content original. New content ID = 0002 issued by the content ID issuing unit 13 for the copy event
Is embedded with a digital watermark. The resulting ID-attached content 43 is returned to the content copying machine 20A together with content attribute information and output control information as necessary.

In the content copying machine 20A, when the ID-added content 43 is received by the transmission / reception unit 26, the output data generation unit 27 generates the output data of the ID-added content 43, and the image output unit 28 prints out the output data. As a result, the ID-added content 44 in which the content ID = 0002 is embedded is obtained.

The ID-attached content 44 is a copy of the ID-attached content 41 ', and has the same appearance, but the content ID embedded by a digital watermark in a form in which a human cannot recognize it is 0001, 0001. 00
02 is different. In addition, the ID-added content 41 ′
However, even if the image quality is degraded due to, for example, repetition of analog copying, the ID-added content 43 transmitted from the content ID management center 10 is created from the original content. Means that there is no deterioration in image quality.

Further, the user B obtains the ID-added content 44 or the ID-added content 44 'obtained by analog-copying the ID-added content 44.
4 'is copied by the content copy machine 20B.

The user B sets the ID-added content 44 'of the copy original in the scanner section of the content copying machine 20B, and presses the copy button of the apparatus. by this,
As in the case of the content copy machine 20A, the content ID = 0002 and copy event attributes such as the copy machine ID and the user ID are transmitted to the content ID management center 10 as the copy request parameter 45.

The content ID management center 10 receives the copy request and receives the received content ID = 000.
The content ID management table 17 is searched using 2 as a key. If the content ID is within the permitted copy range, the content ID (00
03), and the content ID is added to the content ID management table 17 together with the copy event attribute. The content ID of the copy source document is 0002, and that information is also described in the content ID management table 17.

Also, received content ID = 0002
From this, it is known that the content ID of the original is "0001", and a new content ID = 0003 is embedded in the raw data of the original of the content by an electronic watermark. The resulting ID-added content 46 is transferred to content copy machine 2
Return to 0B.

In the content copy machine 20B, as in the case of the content copy machine 20A, the output data generation unit 2
7, the output data is generated, and the image output unit 28 outputs the ID-added content 47 in which the content ID = 0003 is embedded.

In the content ID management table 17, there is recorded a copy event indicating who copied which content original by which content copier for each content ID, so that there is a content with an ID whose source is unknown. Also, by extracting the content ID and comparing it with the recorded data of the content ID management center 10, it is possible to know who copied the ID-added content by which content copying machine.

Next, FIG. 3 shows an example in which an arbitrary page of the content is taken out and copied from one copy of the original document of the content composed of a plurality of pages such as a book. Explanation will be given according to an example.

It is assumed that the content original 50 is a book composed of a plurality of pages. The process of sending the original content 50 from the content registration device 30 to the content ID management center 10 and registering the same is the same as in the example shown in FIG. 2 described above. Here, "00" is used as the content ID.
It is assumed that "10" has been given. This content ID is I
It is embedded in all pages of the content 51 with D.

Here, it is assumed that a certain user obtains the ID-added content 51 or the ID-added content 51 'of the copy thereof and copies it by the content copying machine 20A. Content 51 'with copy manuscript ID
The content of the content 51 is converted into analog information by printing out the content 51 with ID on paper.

The user A sets the ID-added content 51 ′ of the copy document in the scanner section of the content copying machine 20 A, and reads it by the image reading section 22. In this example, the fifth copy of the ID-added content 51 'is used as a copy original.
Assume that the third page is set.

The content copying machine 20A scans the set copy original by an optical method, and extracts the content I embedded with a digital watermark from the read image.
Read D. Also, information indicating the position of the copy document in the entire content (a page number in this example) is detected by character recognition or some other means. From the result, the read content ID = 0010 and the page =
The event ID information including the information 53 is used as the parameter 52 of the copy request as the content ID management center 10.
Send to

Upon receiving the copy request from the content copying machine 20A, the content ID management center 10 searches the content ID management table 17 using the received content ID = 0010 as a key. If the corresponding content ID is registered in the content ID management table 17 and the content attribute information indicates that the received copy event attribute is within the permitted copy range, the current copy event is The content ID (0011), which has not been issued, is added to the content ID management table 17 together with the copy event attribute and the content ID = 0010 of the copy source document.

The content original search unit 15 extracts the raw data of 53 pages specified by the parameter from the received content original corresponding to the content ID = 0010. The content ID embedding unit 16 embeds a new content ID = 0011 in the raw data of 53 pages of the original of the content using a digital watermark. The resulting content 53 with ID is transferred to the content copying machine 20.
Return to A.

The content copy machine 20A receives the ID-added content 53 and prints it out.
As a result, the content ID = 0011 embedded I
The content 54 with D is obtained. This is a copy of only the 53rd page of the original book content 50.

As described above, in the content copy machine 20A, the content ID and the partial information such as the page number are detected, and the information is stored in the content ID management center 10A.
By sending the content to the content portion, a content in which another content ID is embedded can be obtained. Further, it is also possible to take out another arbitrary page from some pages of the content and obtain a copy thereof.

For example, when it is desired to obtain a copy of the content of the next page from the ID-added content 54 of only 53 pages or the ID-added content 54 'obtained by analog-copying the ID-added content 54, the ID-added content 54' is first copied to the content copy machine 20B. And press the copy button on the device. Thus, the content ID = 0011 is detected in the content copy machine 20B. When the user instructs a copy request for the next page from the operation panel or menu, the contents I
A copy request using D = 0011 and the next page request information as the parameter 55 is transmitted to the content ID management center 10.

The content ID management center 10 receives the copy request, and receives the received content ID = 001.
The content ID management table 17 is searched using 1 as a key. Content ID = 0 from content ID management table 17
It is found that page 011 is page 53 of the original content of content ID = 0010, and since the next page is requested, new content ID = 0012 is assigned to page 54 of the original content, and the content ID and The copy event attribute information and the copy source content ID = 0011 are recorded in the content ID management table 17. A content ID = 0012 is embedded in the 54-page raw data of the original content by a digital watermark. The ID-added content 56 is returned to the content copying machine 20B.

The content copy machine 20B receives the ID-added content 56 and prints it out.
As a result, the content ID = 0012 embedded I
The content 57 with D is obtained. This is a copy of only the fifty-fourth page of the original book content 50.

From the part of the ID-added content obtained by copying the original content, another part of the content can be extracted, and a new content ID can be assigned to the extracted part. Since the information of the copy event is recorded and managed in the content ID management table 17, the copy history can be easily tracked. Similarly, for example, from the contents with IDs, which are digital contents of this month's issue of periodicals such as magazines,
Copying of related content, such as copying last month's content, can also be realized by designating the copy portion designating section 25 in the content copying machine 20.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the content registration device 30 and the content ID management center 10 when registering the original content.

The content registration device 30 stores the original digital content to be registered and its attributes (eg, user ID, organization name of registration executor, registration device ID, registration date, registered content quality, etc.) Sent to the management center 10 (step S1), and waits for a reply of the registration result from the content ID management center 10 (step S1)
2).

The content ID management center 10 waits for a request from the content registration device 30 (step S3), and upon receiving the request, proceeds to step S4. In step S4, the raw data of the original content transmitted from the content registration device 30 is
The content is stored in the original content storage unit 18 in the D management center 10 (or an external database management device).
Next, a content ID that has not been issued so far is generated, and the content ID is embedded in the raw data of the original content with an electronic watermark (step S5). The content ID is added to the content I together with the content attribute information.
It is additionally described in the D management table 17 (step S6). The ID-attached content in which the content ID is embedded with the electronic watermark is sent back to the content registration device 30 that has issued the registration request (step S7), and the registration process ends.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart when the content copy machine 20 copies the content. The content copying machine 20 scans the ID-added content set on the scanner as a copy original (step S1).
0). A digital watermark is detected from the read data and the content ID of the copied document is read (step S1).
1). After reading the content ID, the scanning data is discarded.

Next, copy event attributes such as a user ID, an organization name of a copy executor, a copy machine ID, a copy date, a required copy quality, and the like are obtained by a user input or the like. In addition, position information such as a page number in the requested content is read as needed. If the user wants to copy a specific part of the content or the related content, the user inputs the designation information via the user Internet such as a menu (step S).
12).

The content ID of the copy original and the acquired copy event attribute are stored in the content ID management center 10.
(Step S13), and waits for the return of the result from the content ID management center 10 (step S14). If there is a reply from the content ID management center 10,
It is determined whether or not the ID-added content has been sent (step S15).
Print out the attached content (step S1)
6). When a message indicating that copying is impossible is sent from the content ID management center 10, copying is stopped, the user is notified of this, and the process is terminated (step S17).

FIG. 6 is a flowchart when the content ID management center 10 copies a content. The content ID management center 10 waits for a request from the content copying machine 20 (step S20), and upon receiving the copy request, the content ID of the original of the notified copy document.
From the content ID management table 17 (step S21).

Whether the corresponding content ID exists in the content ID management table 17 and whether the original of the content (or the original of the related content when a copy of the related content is designated) is registered, If it is registered, it is checked whether or not the copy event attribute received from the content attribute information is within the permitted range (step S22). If the original of the content is not registered or is not within the permitted range, a message indicating that copying is impossible is transmitted to the content copying machine 20 (step S23).

If the original content registration information of the received content ID exists in the content ID management table 17 and the copy event attribute is within the permitted range, a new content that has not been issued so far for the current copy event An ID is generated, and the content ID is embedded in the raw data of the corresponding original content by an electronic watermark (step S24). The content ID, together with the copy event attribute and the content ID of the copy source document,
An additional description is made in association with the original content ID (step S25), and the ID-added content in which the content ID is embedded by the digital watermark is sent back to the content copying machine 20 (step S26).

FIG. 7 shows a configuration example of the content ID management table 17. The content ID management table 17 includes a content ID, a classification of a content ID assigned to an original or a content ID assigned to a copy event (also referred to as a copy event ID), information on a copy execution attribute, and a copy original. Are stored.

Information on the copy execution attribute includes the user ID of the registrant or the copy executor, the name of the organization to which the registrant or the copy executor belongs, the copy machine ID indicating the copying apparatus, the copy execution date and time, the resolution and the number of colors, etc. In the case of a copy event, the position of the copied original such as a page number, the content ID of the original document, and the like are described. The content ID of the copy source document is the content ID sent from the content copy machine 20, which may be the content ID of the original content (in the case of the first copy from the original). It may be the attached content ID, that is, a copy event ID (in a case other than copying from the original). By recording the content ID of the copy source document, the copy chain can be traced from this information.

The information related to the attribute of the copy original includes the content I of the copy original content.
D, information such as the version of the original copy or the date of creation. As the information on the copy permission attribute, copy permission conditions for a user who permits copying, a department, a copying machine, a copy execution date and time, and a copy quality are described.

A description will be given of the history of registration of the registration information in the content ID management table 17 shown in FIG. 7 and an example of processing for a copy request. First, the user ID of the General Affairs Department = 032
One user registered an original of 100 pages from a copier (terminal) of “General Affairs 01” on March 3, 2000, and permitted copying only within the company. The content ID = 001 was assigned to this original.

On the other hand, although a copy request was made from a content copying machine outside the company, a copy of the original was not sent due to the determination of the copy permission conditions.

Then, on March 4, the user of the development department (user ID = 0431) sends the I of content ID = 0001
A monochrome copy of only 53 pages from the content with D was requested. Content I in the copy event of the request
D = 002, and the content ID = 0 by digital watermarking the 53 pages of the original content in monochrome.
02 is embedded and sent to the copy machine of "development D4" of the request source.

On March 22, the sales department user (user I
D = 0411), a copy request for the next page was issued from a 53-page copy original in which the content ID = 002 was embedded, and a 54-page full-color copy was obtained. The copy is given content ID = 003.

The copy event of the content ID = 004 is generated by the user of the manufacturing department (user ID = 0481) from the 54-page copy original with the content ID = 003 embedded on April 3 from the original of the content ID = 001. All pages are copied.

On April 6, the original (content ID = 00
The user who registered 1) registered a new version of the original with 20 pages added thereto, and instructed to replace the original with the original. The new version of the original contains the content I
D = 010 was assigned.

After April 6, the sales department user performed the same operation as the copy on March 22 based on the 53-page copy original in which the content ID = 002 was embedded. (Content ID = 001) has already been replaced with the new version of the original (Content ID = 010), and the original with Content ID = 010 cannot be copied because copying is permitted only to a copying machine in the manufacturing department. Was.

On May 3, a user of the manufacturing department (user ID
= 0481), the same copy operation as on April 3 was performed based on the 54-page copy manuscript in which the content ID = 003 was embedded, and the original was copied (content ID = 001). Since the original of the new version (content ID = 010) was registered, a copy of the original of the new version (content ID = 010) was obtained. However, the original of the new version (content ID = 0
Since the copy permission condition of 10) is that only monochrome copying is permitted, the output is monochrome copying. The content ID = 011 is assigned to this copy event.

[0084]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The centralized management of historical information, such as who made a copy of a manuscript, when and where, and from which copy, the ID was used to identify the ID.
Content ID read from the source of the attached content or its copy (including grandchild copy)
Can be specified. Further, by enabling the copy chain to be traced by the history information managed by the center, it is possible to identify the outflow route when an illegal copy is circulated, and prevent subsequent outflow.

Further, according to an aspect of the present invention, for a content original which is originally composed of a plurality of pages like a book, an arbitrary page of the content original is extracted from one copy of the original. It becomes possible to take out a copy of the related content.

Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, the security level of the copy original can be managed by the center.
The center determines whether copying is permitted or not based on a copy identifier or a user identifier obtained from the copy event attribute, and prohibits copying by a specific copy machine or a specific user for each original content.

Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, the time at which a copy document is created (document version) can be managed by the center, so that a document created before a certain time (document of an old version) can be managed. Copying can be banned all at once. That is, revocation of a document can be easily realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration example of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of copying the entire content.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of copying a part of content.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a content registration apparatus and a content ID management center at the time of registering an original content.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart at the time of content copying by the content copying machine.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the content ID management center when copying content.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a content ID management table.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an outline of the background art of the present invention.

9 is a diagram showing a data configuration example of a content ID in the system shown in FIG. 8;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Content ID management center 11 Transmission / reception part 12 Content management part 13 Content ID issuing part 14 Content registration part 15 Content original search part 16 Content ID embedding part 17 Content ID management table 18 Content original storage part 20 Content copy machine 21 Copy original 22 Image Reading unit 23 content ID detection unit 24 copy event attribute acquisition unit 25 copy part designation unit 26 transmission / reception unit 27 output data generation unit 28 image output unit 29 output content 30 content registration device

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06F 17/60 142 G06T 1/00 500B G06T 1/00 500 B41J 29/00 Z (72) Inventor Junichi Kishigami Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, 2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (72) Inventor Sachiko Irie F-term, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, 2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 2C061 AP01 AP04 BB17 CL10 5B017 AA06 BB10 CA16 5B049 AA05 AA06 5B057 AA11 BA11 CE08 CH01 CH11 5C076 AA14 BA06

Claims (10)

[Claims] A center for managing an original of each content and a content identifier for uniquely identifying each content; and a means for embedding the content identifier in the original of each content, and a center connected to the center via a network. A content copying machine connected to copy the content in which the content identifier is embedded, wherein the content copying machine reads a content identifier from all or a part of the content to be copied; Means for transmitting, to the center, information of a copy event attribute relating to a copy status including a content identifier and a user identifier or a copier identifier; and means for outputting the content received from the center, wherein the center includes: Received from machine Means for acquiring the original of the content or the content related thereto from the acquired content identifier, assigning a new content identifier to the acquired original of the content, and recording at least the content identifier and the information of the copy event attribute. Management means; means for embedding a newly assigned content identifier in the original of the acquired content; means for transmitting the content in which the new content identifier is embedded to the content copying machine. Content copy tracking management system. 2. The content copy tracking management system according to claim 1, wherein the means for recording and managing the content identifier and the information of the copy event attribute further includes a content of the copy source content received from the terminal device. A content copy tracking management system characterized by recording and managing an identifier. 3. The content copy tracking management system according to claim 1, wherein, when the content set as an object to be copied is a part of one content, the content copy machine performs the operation of the content. Means for acquiring position information, means for inputting designation of which part of the entire content is to be copied, and means for transmitting the position information and information designating the part to be copied to the center, The content copy tracking management system, characterized in that the center includes means for embedding a new content identifier in a content portion designated as a portion to be copied in the original content and transmitting the new content identifier to the content copy machine. 4. The content copy tracking management system according to claim 1, wherein the center permits or prohibits copying based on copy event attribute information transmitted from the content copy machine. Means for storing copy permission / non-permission information to be copied, and means for transmitting information indicating the prohibition to the content copying machine when the copy permission / prohibition information indicates that the copy is prohibited. A content copy tracking management system, wherein copying is not performed when a content is received. 5. The content copy tracking management system according to claim 1, wherein the center permits or prohibits copying according to a production time or a version of each of the contents. And means for transmitting information indicating prohibition to the content copying machine when the copy permission / prohibition information indicates that copying is prohibited, wherein the content copier receives the information indicating prohibition. A content copy tracking management system, characterized in that copying is not performed. 6. A content copy tracking management system according to claim 1, wherein the embedding of the content identifier in the original of the content is performed by a digital watermark. Tracking management system. 7. A content copying machine for copying content in which a content identifier for uniquely identifying each content is embedded, means for reading a content identifier from all or a part of the content to be copied, Means for transmitting, via a network, copy event attribute information relating to a copy status including a user identifier or a copy machine identifier to a center for managing the original content and the content identifier; Means for receiving, from the center, content having a unique content identifier embedded therein and outputting the content. 8. A center apparatus comprising: means for managing an original of each content and a content identifier for uniquely identifying each content; and means for embedding the content identifier in the original of each content. Means for receiving, from the connected content copy machine, a content identifier read from all or a part of the content to be copied by the content copy machine, and copy event attribute information relating to a copy status including a user identifier or a copy machine identifier; Means for acquiring the content corresponding to the received content identifier or the original of the content related thereto, and assigning a new content identifier to the acquired original of the content;
Means for recording and managing at least the content identifier and the information of the copy event attribute; means for embedding the newly assigned content identifier in the original copy content; and means for embedding the content in which the new content identifier is embedded. Means for transmitting to a content copying machine. 9. A recording medium recording a program for copying a content in which a content identifier for uniquely identifying each content is embedded, wherein the content identifier is read from all or a part of the content to be copied. The information of the copy event attribute relating to the copy status including the content identifier and the user identifier or the copier identifier is transmitted to the center for managing the original of the content and the content identifier via the network, and the original of the content to be copied is newly updated. A program recording medium for a content copying machine, wherein a program for causing a computer to execute a process of receiving and outputting a content in which a unique content identifier is embedded from the center is recorded. 10. A program executed in a center apparatus comprising: means for managing an original of each content and a content identifier for uniquely identifying each content; and means for embedding the content identifier in the original of each content. A copy status including a content identifier read from all or a part of the content to be copied by the content copy machine and a user identifier or a copy machine identifier from a content copy machine connected via a network on a recorded recording medium. Receiving the copy event attribute information, acquiring the original of the content corresponding to the received content identifier or the content related thereto, assigning a new content identifier to the acquired original of the content, and at least providing the content identifier And before Recording and managing the information of the copy event attribute, embedding the newly assigned content identifier in the original of the content to be copied, and transmitting the content in which the new content identifier is embedded to the content copier. A program recording medium for a center device, which records a program to be executed by a computer.