1. A communication unit comprising:
a ciphering section which ciphers a given content signal with a cipher key and outputs a ciphered content signal;
a key ciphering section which has a static device key and a dynamic device key preliminarily stored in a storage region, ciphers the cipher key with the static device key and the dynamic device key, and outputs a ciphered cipher key;
a communication section which makes communication in order to record the ciphered content signal which is ciphered by the ciphering section at a predetermined unit on the network and record the ciphered cipher key outputted by the key ciphering section in a predetermined region on the network;
a key deciphering section which reads out the ciphered cipher key from the predetermined region through the communication section corresponding to user’s reproduction instruction, and deciphers to the cipher key with the static device key and the dynamic device key;
a deciphering section which reads out the ciphered content signal from the predetermined unit through the communication section, and deciphers to the content signal with the cipher key deciphered by the key deciphering section;
a reproducing section which reproduces the content signal deciphered by the deciphering section; and
a key updating section which, when the cipher key is abolished, updates the stored dynamic device key.
2. The communication unit according to claim 1, further comprising:
a restoration section which, when a circuit board loaded with the key ciphering section and the key deciphering section is replaced with a new one, restores the static device key and the dynamic device key of a previous circuit board in the new circuit board.
3. The communication unit according to claim 1, wherein the restoration section is provided on the circuit board, and the static device key of the previous circuit board is inputted by a user or a service person while as for the dynamic device key of the previous circuit board, the restoration section acquires the dynamic device key stored in a predetermined region on the network through the communication section and the network and stores it to restore the previous circuit board.
4. The communication unit according to claim 3, further comprising:
a registration section which registers a predetermined unit on the network for recording the content signal repeatedly and a predetermined region on the network for recording the ciphered cipher key repeatedly,
wherein as for the dynamic device key, the restoration section acquires the dynamic device key of the previous circuit board stored in the predetermined region on the network based on a registration of the registration section through the communication section and the network, and stores it to restore the previous circuit board.
5. The communication unit according to claim 3, wherein, when the content signal is moved or deleted, the key updating section changes the dynamic device key in the storage region to a new dynamic device key so as to disable the ciphered content signal on the network from being reproduced by disabling it from being deciphered and records a ciphered cipher key corresponding to all the ciphered content signals possible to reproduce currently in a predetermined region on the network.
6. The communication unit according to claim 1, wherein the storage region which stores the static device key and the dynamic device key is a nonvolatile memory.
7. The communication unit according to claim 1, further comprising:
a tuner section which receives a broadcasting signal to tune it and outputs a tuned signal; and
a demodulating section which supplies a videoaudio signal obtained by demodulating the tuned signal from the tuner section to the ciphering section as the content signal.
8. The communication unit according to claim 7, further comprising:
a signal processing section which supplies a videoaudio signal obtained by MPEG decoding the video audio signal outputted by the demodulating section to the ciphering section as the content signal.
9. The communication unit according to claim 1, wherein the communication section executes authentication with the predetermined unit on the network and a unit which provides the predetermined region, and after the authentication succeeds, transmits the ciphered content signal or ciphered cipher key.
10. The communication unit according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit includes at least one of a LAN terminal, a USB terminal and an i.Link terminal.
11. A communication method comprising:
ciphering a given content signal with a cipher key and outputting a ciphered content signal;
with a static device key and a dynamic device key preliminarily stored in a storage region, ciphering the cipher key with the static device key and the dynamic device key and outputting a ciphered cipher key;
making communication in order to record the ciphered content signal in a predetermined unit on the network and record the ciphered cipher key in a predetermined region on the network;
reading out the ciphered cipher key from the predetermined region corresponding to user’s reproduction instruction and deciphering to the cipher key with the static device key and the dynamic device key;
reading out the ciphered content signal from the predetermined unit through the network and deciphering to the content signal with the cipher key;
reproducing the deciphered content signal; and
when the cipher key is abolished, updating the stored dynamic device key.
12. The communication method according to claim 11, further comprising:
when a circuit board which executes the key ciphering processing and the key deciphering processing is replaced with a new one, restoring the static device key and the dynamic device key of a previous circuit board in the new circuit board.
13. The communication method according to claim 11, wherein the static device key of the previous circuit board is inputted by a user or a service person while as for the dynamic device key of the previous circuit board, the dynamic device key stored in a predetermined region on the network is acquired through the network and stored to restore the previous circuit board.
14. The communication method according to claim 13, further comprising:
registering a predetermined unit on the network for recording the content signal repeatedly and a predetermined region on the network for recording the ciphered cipher key repeatedly,
wherein as for the dynamic device key of a previous circuit board, the previous dynamic device key stored in the predetermined region on the network is acquired based on the registration through the network and stored to restore the previous circuit board.
15. The communication method according to claim 13, further comprising:
when the content signal is moved or deleted, changing the dynamic device key in the storage region to a new dynamic device key so as to disable the ciphered content signal on the network from being reproduced by disabling it from being deciphered and further recording a ciphered cipher key corresponding to all the ciphered content signals possible to reproduce currently in a predetermined region on the network.
16. The communication method according to claim 11, wherein the storage region which stores the static device key and the dynamic device key is a nonvolatile memory.
17. The communication method according to claim 11, further comprising:
receiving a broadcasting signal to tune and output it and supplying video audio signal obtained by demodulating the tuned signal for the ciphering processing as the content signal.
18. The communication method according to claim 17, further comprising:
supplying the video audio signal obtained by MPEG decoding the video audio signal for the ciphering processing as the content signal.
19. The communication method according to claim 11, further comprising:
executing authentication with the predetermined unit on the network and a unit providing the predetermined region, and after the authentication succeeds, transmitting the ciphered content signal or ciphered cipher key.
20. The communication method according to claim 11, wherein communication processing of the network uses at least one of a LAN terminal, a USB terminal and an i.Link terminal.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of managing a plurality of electronic devices, the method comprising:
detecting a change in orientation of a first electronic device, performed by the first electronic device;
communicating the change in orientation from the first electronic device to a second electronic device associated with the first electronic device via a wireless link; and
modifying a first set of services available at the second electronic device based on the change of orientation of the first electronic device.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:
wherein detecting the change in the orientation of the first electronic device is performed with respect to a pre-defined reference position;
generating a signal based on the change in the orientation; and
transmitting the signal to the second electronic device.
3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the pre-defined reference position is based on the geometrical features of the first electronic device.
4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein modifying the first set of services comprises:
receiving a signal from the first electronic device, wherein the signal is based on the change in the orientation of the first electronic device; and
manipulating the first set of services available with the second electronic device based on the signal.
5. The method as recited in claim 4 further comprising:
generating an alert signal based on the manipulated first set of services.
6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the alert signal is at least one of an audio signal, a video signal, an audio-video signal and a tactile signal.
7. A first electronic device comprising:
a receiver configured to receive a signal based on a change in orientation of a second electronic device; and
a processor configured to modify a set of services available with the first electronic device based on the signal, wherein the processor is operatively coupled with the receiver.
8. The first electronic device as recited in claim 7, further comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit a signal to communicate the change in orientation of the first electronic device, wherein the transmitter is operatively coupled with the processor.
9. The first electronic device as recited in claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to generate an alert signal based on the modified set of services.
10. The first electronic device as recited in claim 9, wherein the alert signal is at least one of an audio signal, a video signal, an audio-video signal and a tactile signal.
11. The first electronic device as recited in claim 7 further comprising:
a sensor configured to detect the change in the orientation of the first electronic device, performed by the first electronic device, wherein the sensor is operatively coupled with the processor.
12. The first electronic device as recited in claim 11, wherein the sensor is at least one of an electronic sensor, a mechanical sensor, an electro-mechanical sensor and an electro-magnetic sensor.
13. The first electronic device as recited in claim 11, wherein the change in the orientation is based on a pre-defined reference position.
14. The first electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the pre-defined reference position is based on the geometrical features of the first electronic device.
15. The first electronic device as recited in claim 7, wherein the set of services comprises:
a set of operational modes for the first electronic device; and
a set of application features for the first electronic device.
16. The first electronic device as recited in claim 7 further comprises:
a user-interface for displaying a list of the modified set of services available with the first electronic device.
17. An electronic device comprising:
a first part, wherein the first part comprises:
a sensor configured to detect a change in orientation of the first part, performed by the first part; and
a transmitter configured to transmit a signal to communicate the change in orientation, wherein a first set of services is available with the first part; and
a second part communicably coupled to the first part, wherein the second part comprises:
a receiver configured to receive the signal from the first part; and
a processor configured to modify a second set of services available with the second part based on the signal.
18. The electronic device as recited in claim 17, wherein the change in the orientation is based on a pre-defined reference position.
19. The electronic device as recited in claim 18, wherein the pre-defined reference position is based on the geometrical features of the first part of the electronic device.
20. The electronic device as recited in claim 17, wherein the sensor is at least one of an electronic sensor, a mechanical sensor, an electro-mechanical sensor and an electro-magnetic sensor.