Abstract: A user device receives the content, and pays a content fee, based on the usage control policy of the content, by electronic money up to the allowable amount of money set in an issue log. The user device then creates a usage log including a content identifier and sends it to a service provider. The service provider creates a receive log based on the usage log, and sends it to a clearing center. The clearing center performs settlement processing for the electronic money based on the receive log, and sends a transfer request to an account management institution. By performing the above-described series of processing by using encrypted data, the settlement of the content usage fee is safely performed.

Abstract: A security document processing apparatus is provided having a feed path for receiving documents and at least one imaging assembly for capturing image data from documents received in the apparatus. The apparatus may include a material detection imaging assembly for detecting the material composition of certain materials on documents received in the apparatus. The material detection imaging assembly may detect material on a document by detecting transmissivity characteristics, or by sensing radiation emission characteristics of a document in the case received documents are of a type including radiation wavelength sensitive additives incorporated therein.

Abstract: Electronic steganographic techniques can be used to encode a rights management control signal onto an information signal carried over an insecure communications channel. Steganographic techniques ensure that the digital control information is substantially invisibly and substantially indelibly carried by the information signal. These techniques can provide end-to-end rights management protection of an information signal irrespective of transformations between analog and digital. An electronic appliance can recover the control information and use it for electronic rights management to provide compatibility with a Virtual Distribution Environment. In one example, the system encodes low data rate pointers within high bandwidth time periods of the content signal to improve overall control information read/seek times.

Abstract: A method for downloading a document via a communications medium operatively associated with a communications interface, the method including receiving the document from the communications medium, placing an information storage smart card in removable operative association with the communications interface, and conditionally transmitting the document from the communications interface to the information storage smart card and storing the document in the information storage smart card. Other related methods and apparatus are also provided.

Abstract: In a fee charging system for video information, scramble signals including video information and charging information can be recorded on a recording media such that the signals are read later therefrom. The recording of the scramble signals is free of charge. In an operation to reproduce original unscrambled video signals from the signals read from the media by a recording and reproducing apparatus, the charging information is detected to conduct a charging process. Consequently, although the scrambled signals may be freely copied onto another recording media, the charging process is executed for each copying operation. First charging information and second charging information other than the first charging information are arranged with the video information. The video information includes first video information as main video information and second video information.

Abstract: A method for providing authentication, authorization and access control of software object residing in digital set-top terminals creates a fingerprint (“signature”) for each software object, associates each fingerprint with a service tier, encodes each association and creates an association table containing the information and downloads the association table to the digital set-top terminal. In addition, the method utilizes an entitlement management message, sent to each set-top terminal, indicating what software objects the set-top terminal may utilize, and provides a system routine at the digital set-top terminal that is invoked whenever software object is about to be utilized. The entitlement management message contains the access rights given to a particular set-top terminal, which must match the software object's access requirements for the software object to be utilized.

Abstract: Electronic steganographic techniques can be used to encode a rights management control signal onto an information signal carried over an insecure communications channel. Steganographic techniques ensure that the digital control information is substantially invisibly and substantially indelibly carried by the information signal. These techniques can provide end-to-end rights management protection of an information signal irrespective of transformations between analog and digital. An electronic appliance can recover the control information and use it for electronic rights management to provide compatibility with a Virtual Distribution Environment. In one example, the system encodes low data rate pointers within high bandwidth time periods of the content signal to improve overall control information read/seek times.

Abstract: To prevent unauthorized reception, storage, copying and reproduction of digital media objects it is defined in addition to a scrambled broadcast format a scrambled storage format which is different from the broadcast format. A user's terminal equipment cannot receive, store or reproduce protected objects without a key which is advantageously a bit sequence stored on a portable memory medium and which can be different according to the type of use it gives entitlement to. To prevent the storing and later reproduction as such of data in the broadcast format, a time stamp is included in the broadcast format representing the time of broadcasting. A playback device cannot reproduce a broadcast-format object if the reproduction time differs from the time stamp included in the broadcast format. The reproduction time is advantageously read from a real time clock of a portable memory medium.

Abstract: A data structure and method are disclosed for encapsulating a message with a verifiable message ID and a verifiable identification of message interpretation information. The encapsulated message includes a message set and a data generated message identifier. The message set includes a message body that contains the content of a message and a data generated interpretation identifier that verifiably identifies an interpretation file that may be used to interpret the message body. The data generated message identifier is a hash function of the message set that includes the message body and the data generated interpretation identifier. The data generated message identifier is determined such that the data generated message identifier verifiably identifies the message set.

Abstract: A crypt key system for decrypting encrypted data for use, by a permit key including a decryption key, comprising a database/charging center, a broadcasting station, a receiving device and a communication device. The permit key is supplied to the broadcasting station in advance from the database/charging center. The permit key is broadcast from the broadcasting station. The receiving device receives the permit key via the broadcast. A request for use is executed to the database/charging center via the communication device. The database/charging center transmits the encrypted data via a communication line to the communication device and charges a fee. The communication device decrypts the encrypted data with the permit key received by the receiving device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for extending secure communication operations via shared lists is accomplished by creating a shared list in accordance with authorization parameters by one user and subsequently accessing the shared list via the authorization parameters by this and other users. To create the list, a user within the secured communication system determines whether it has been enabled, or authorized, to create a shared list. If so, the user identifies at least one other user to be added to the shared list. Having identified another user, the user creating the shared list verifies that the secure communication parameters (which includes a public key certificate of an end-user or of a certification authority) it has received regarding the another user is trustworthy. If the secure communication parameters are identified as trustworthy, the secure communication parameters of the another user are added to the shared list. To authenticate the shared list, the user creating the list digitally signs it.

Abstract: The present invention provides a signing apparatus used for signing by a user on usage information of a source provided in a format made available by the use of key information. The apparatus includes a unit for generating the usage information which is to be signed, a unit for performing a first computation by utilizing the key information which has been encrypted and the usage information, a unit for performing a second computation by utilizing a user's private key and a result of the first computation. The apparatus further includes a unit for performing a third computation by utilizing a result of the second computation, and thereby generating the key information which has been decrypted and a result of the computation performed on the usage information by utilizing the user's private key. The apparatus further includes a unit for making the source available by utilizing the decrypted key information.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a transmitting system of which data is difficult to be tapped and which is suitable for flexibly determining a watching and listening fee. In order to achieve the object, there is provided a combination of a transmitting method comprising steps of, transmitting encoded data which has been encoded, to a receiving side, changing the encoding in a predetermined unit, and performing recording according to requirement, from the receiving side of information concerning decoding of the encoded data, and a receiving method comprising steps of, receiving the encoded data which has been encoded, from a transmitting side, requiring the information concerning the decoding of the encoded data, to the transmitting side, and decoding the encoded data by using the obtained information concerning the decoding.