Patents by Inventor Hiroo Okamoto

Hiroo Okamoto has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20080063379
    Abstract: A recording medium having recorded thereon, a plurality of picture information sets, presentation time values each of which is associated with the corresponding one of the picture information sets, picture information record marks each of which is associated with the corresponding one of said presentation time values, clip information specifying what position on the recording medium is associated with each of said presentation time values, and reproducing order specifying information specifying in what order the picture information sets are to be reproduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Inventors: Naozumi Sugimura, Hiroo Okamoto, Junji Shiokawa
  • Patent number: 7343012
    Abstract: In transmission of stream data protected for copyright on a bus, transcription of stream data once recorded on a recording apparatus to a medium of another recording apparatus is realized. Authentication is carried out between a stream recording and playback apparatus and another recording apparatus to interchange a key for data scramble. By using this key, data is added with copy control information used when the data is recorded initially and thereafter the data is transmitted. After the data has been recorded on the recording apparatus, the data is deleted from an original recording medium. During transmission of the data, authentication from a different apparatus is rejected to prevent a plurality of copies from being made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshimichi Kudo, Hitoaki Owashi, Atsushi Yoshioka, Hiroo Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7340613
    Abstract: In a digital information recording/reproducing apparatus, information recorded on a hard disk with copy restriction thereof is protected from being copied onto other hard disks by means of a PC, etc., to be produced a large number of illegal copies, i.e., infringing a copyright. The information is recorded onto a hard disk drive through encryption thereof, with using an identification being number unique thereto, when it is recorded onto the hard disk. With this, normal reproduction is prevented, since the drive identification number necessary for decryption is different from, even if it is copied onto the other hard disk. Also, a version information of the hard disc is memorized in an information management circuit. When the information is illegally copied onto the other hard disc, the version information is changes; therefore it does not coincide with the version information memorized in the information management circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroo Okamoto, Manabu Sasamoto, Atsushi Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20080031591
    Abstract: A digital information recording apparatus includes a recording circuit for recording information of a retention period included in the digital information and indicating a period for permitting the digital information to be held in the recording medium, starting with a time at which the digital information is recorded on the recording medium; and information of a playback permission period included in the digital information and indicating a period for permitting the digital information to be played back starting with a time at which the information is reproduced initially following recording of the digital information on the recording medium, permitting temporary recording or copying for the information permitted for “copy never” or “copy one generation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Inventors: Hiroo Okamoto, Hitoaki Owashi, Atsushi Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 7319808
    Abstract: A video signal input-output circuit and a recording-reproduction apparatus in which a digitally compressed video signal input in packet form can be recorded and reproduced efficiently and in stable fashion. In this apparatus, a clock reference is detected from a packet signal containing the clock reference and a digitally compressed video signal, a time stamp for a packet is generated using a clock signal in phase with the clock reference and added to the particular packet, and the packet signals with the time stamp added thereto are recorded closely to each other in a data storage element such as a magnetic recording medium. At playback, the packet interval is output by being restored to the original length on the basis of the time stamp added to the packet in store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroo Okamoto, Kyoichi Hosokawa, Hitoaki Owashi, Hiroaki Tachibana, Takaharu Noguchi
  • Publication number: 20080008446
    Abstract: A data reproduction method and apparatus includes first circuitry to produce an information signal from a storage medium. The information signal includes copy control information. Detection circuitry is provided to detect the copy control information. Control circuitry is provided to operate the first circuitry to selectively output the information signal based on the detection result of the detection circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Fukushima, Hiroyuki Kimura, Hiroo Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7310823
    Abstract: A digital information recording apparatus includes multiple recording circuits for making multiple copies. The apparatus limits the number of copies, however, in accordance with copy information provided within the digital information itself. When the number of copies is reached, if additional copies are to be made, then the source copy is disabled when a new copy is made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroo Okamoto, Hitoaki Owashi, Atsushi Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 7289721
    Abstract: A data reproduction method and apparatus includes first circuitry to produce an information signal from a storage medium. The information signal includes copy control information. Detection circuitry is provided to detect the copy control information. Control circuitry is provided to operate the first circuitry to selectively output the information signal based on the detection result of the detection circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Fukushima, Hiroyuki Kimura, Hiroo Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7263723
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and an apparatus that, when a copying is limited as “Copy One Generation”, prevent the copying from being made into infinite number of storage media without limitation, and thereby protect the profit of a copyright holder concerned. In the present invention, when outputting digital information whose copying is limited to external appliances connected to plural outputting circuits (315A, 315B, or 72A to 72D), the total number of external appliances to which the digital information is to be outputted is limited within a predetermined constant. In particular, a control circuit (311, or 73) limits the number in which to perform authentications of the external appliances connected to the plural outputting circuits. This makes it possible to limit, within the predetermined constant, the total number of the external appliances to which the digital information is to be outputted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroo Okamoto, Hitoaki Owashi, Atsushi Yoshioka, Yoshimichi Kudo, Makoto Aikawa
  • Publication number: 20070154184
    Abstract: A digital signal recording device including: a digital broadcasting receiver which receives a digital broadcasting signal; an analog tuner which receives an analog broadcasting signal in which an analog video signal and an analog audio signal are multiplexed; a video A/D converter which converts to a digital video signal; a recording selection unit which selects the digital signal received by the digital broadcasting receiver or the signal multiplexed by the multiplexer; a recording unit which records the digital signal selected by the recording selection unit; and wherein the digital signal recording device is operable in a first mode in which the received digital signal is recorded and in a second mode in which the multiplexed digital signal is recorded, and the clock selecting unit selects the clock inputted from the first clock generator in the first mode and selects the internal clock in the second mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Inventors: Yuji Hatanaka, Hiroo Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20070154175
    Abstract: A digital information recording-reproducing apparatus which records and reproduces a digital information signal transmitted together with an additional information includes a discriminator which discriminates a type of the digital information signal based on the additional information, a recorder which generates control information based on the additional information, adds the control information to the digital information signal, and records the digital information signal having the control information added thereto, a reproducer which reproduces the recorded digital information signal recorded by the recorder, and a controller which controls reproduction based on the control information. When the discriminator discriminates the type of the digital information signal as being a specific type and the digital information signal is recorded by the recorder, the reproducer reproduces the digital information signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Inventors: Nobutaka Amada, Takao Arai, Takaharu Noguchi, Hiroo Okamoto, Shigeru Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20070122122
    Abstract: A digital video signal recording method for recording on a magnetic recording medium by using a rotary head, a first digital compressed video signal having a predetermined number of bytes in a packet format and a second digital compressed video signal having a predetermined number of bytes in a packet format which is generated from said first digital compressed video signal, including: adding information representing a sequence of arrangement of said second digital compressed video signal to said second digital compressed video signal, said sequence representing information including at least information indicating a sequence within a predetermined region; and recording said second digital compressed video signal thus added, on a predetermined region on said magnetic recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Inventors: Hiroo Okamoto, Nobutaka Amada, Kyoichi Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 7197229
    Abstract: A digital signal recording device or a digital signal recording and playback device which receives an inputted digital signal having a predetermined packet format and including a digital video signal and a digital audio signal. The device also receives an inputted analog video signal and an inputted analog audio signal, converts the analog video signal and the analog audio signal to a digital video signal and a digital audio signal, compresses the digital video signal and the digital audio signal and multiplexes the compressed digital video signal and the compressed digital audio signal to produce a multiplexed digital signal having the selected one of the inputted digital signal and the multiplexed digital signal as a digital recording signal, and records the digital recording signal to produce a recorded digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Hatanaka, Hiroo Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7197232
    Abstract: A digital information recording-reproducing apparatus for recording a digital information signal which includes a recording circuit for recording the digital information signal together with control information, and a reproducing circuit for detecting the recorded control information at a time the recorded digital information signal is to be reproduced, and reproducing the recorded digital information signal only if the detected control information satisfies a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobutaka Amada, Takao Arai, Takaharu Noguchi, Hiroo Okamoto, Shigeru Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7174088
    Abstract: A digital signal recording and reproducing method and apparatus using first, second, third, and fourth information as information to protect a copyright, the first and second information are added to the digital signal, the third information is inputted from the digital interface together with the digital signal, a value of the fourth information is decided from a combination of the first to third information, and the fourth information is recorded onto the recording medium. The first information is information to control a copy restriction of the digital signal, the second information is information to perform a control about whether the signal is protected against the illegal use or not, the third information is information to indicate whether the signal has been encrypted or not, and the fourth information is information to control the copy restriction of the digital signal recorded on the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Aikawa, Hiroo Okamoto, Hitoaki Owashi, Manabu Sasamoto
  • Patent number: 7151888
    Abstract: The digital signal recording/reproducing apparatus inputs a digital signal having a control flag as to a temporary copy permission, and records the digital signal temporarily into a recording medium in accordance with conditions in the control flag, then reproducing the digital signal temporarily from the recording medium in accordance with the conditions in the control flag. The recording/reproducing of the temporary copy is permitted, depending on the following conditions: The recording medium's type, the re-producing point-in-time, the reproducing time-period, and the reproducing frequency. With this method employed, even in a program permitting no recording, the temporary recording/reproducing is permitted under a condition of being limited to the time-shift recording on the receiving side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tooru Matsumura, Hiroshi Yoshiura, Hiroo Okamoto, Hiroyuki Kimura
  • Publication number: 20060188233
    Abstract: The digital signal recording/reproducing apparatus inputs a digital signal having a control flag as to a temporary copy permission, and records the digital signal temporarily into a recording medium in accordance with conditions in the control flag, then reproducing the digital signal temporarily from the recording medium in accordance with the conditions in the control flag. The recording/reproducing of the temporary copy is permitted, depending on the following conditions: The recording medium's type, the reproducing point-in-time, the reproducing time-period, and the reproducing frequency. With this method employed, even in a program permitting no recording, the temporary recording/reproducing is permitted under a condition of being limited to the time-shift recording on the receiving side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tooru Matsumura, Hiroshi Yoshiura, Hiroo Okamoto, Hiroyuki Kimura
  • Publication number: 20060171674
    Abstract: In order to provide a recording and reproducing device that allows a user to select and manage arbitrary play lists, a unit of management for managing all registered play list information and an upper management hierarchical level are added. The unit of management is adapted to be handled on the same level with unified information that indicates a reproduction range of all AV data. User-defined unified information is adapted to be handled on the added management hierarchical level. The user-defined unified information is formed to allow arbitrary reproduction ranges contained on a lower hierarchical level to be registered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Yoshida, Junji Shiokawa, Hiroo Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20060077825
    Abstract: To solve the problem inhibiting the copyright protection caused by reason that there are no means for restricting the number of backups to other media, which makes it impossible for a copyright owner to specify the allowable number of backups for the content of “Copy One Generation”, disclosed herein is a digital information recording and reproducing method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Nonaka, Manabu Sasamoto, Hiroo Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20060039679
    Abstract: A recording medium having recorded thereon, a plurality of picture information sets, presentation time values each of which is associated with the corresponding one of the picture information sets, picture information record marks each of which is associated with the corresponding one of said presentation time values, clip information specifying what position on the recording medium is associated with each of said presentation time values, and reproducing order specifying information specifying in what order the picture information sets are to be reproduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Publication date: February 23, 2006
    Inventors: Naozumi Sugimura, Hiroo Okamoto, Junji Shiokawa