EP0905928A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Game machine system, broadcasting system, data distribution system and its method, and program executing device and its method
Assignee: Sony Corp
•
Filing: 1997-12-25
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2017-12-25
Abstract
Abstract This game machine system includes a set top box 51 as a receiving unit for receiving digital data distributed using a broadcast system or a communication system. In a game dedicated device 52, starting of a game software item is inhibited until a software start enable signal is received by the receiving unit. Next to the software start enable signal, data for substitution or insertion for data of part of the game software is sent. This data can be commercial ads. The game dedicated machine 52 can judge whether or not the commercial ads have been introduced into and are in operation in the game software and, if the commercial ads are not in the game software, the game dedicated machine 52 can be made so as to be out of operation.
Inventors
- 👤 Kan Sony Corporation EBISAWA
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 12:52
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F21/00; G06F21/60; G06F21/62; G06F21/6218; A; A63; A63F; A63F13/00; A63F13/30; A63F13/33; A63F13/338; A63F13/35; A63F13/60; A63F13/61; A63F13/70; A63F13/73; A63F13/77; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; G06Q30/0241; G06Q30/0251; G06Q30/0265; G06Q30/0273; H; H04; H04H; H04H20/00; H04H20/10; H04H20/106; H04H60/00; H04H60/09; H04H60/13; H04H60/35; H04H60/37; H04H60/375; H04L; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/162; H04N7/163; A63F13/80; A63F13/803; A63F2300/00; A63F2300/20; A63F2300/201; A63F2300/40; A63F2300/409; A63F2300/50; A63F2300/55; A63F2300/5506; A63F2300/552; A63F2300/80; A63F2300/8017
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 77
Claim 1
Independent Claim
67 words
A broadcast system capable of distributing digital data in which in a receiving side system, software start enable signals are
repeatedly sent to a receiving side system at an interval and in
which an identification signal for said software and data for
substitution or insertion for a portion of the data during operation
of said software are distributed in an interval between said software
start enable signals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
19 words
The broadcast system as claimed in claim 1 in which the data
for substitution or insertion are commercial ads,
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The broadcast system as claimed in claim 1 in which the
software start enable signal is varied randomly.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The broadcast system as claimed in claim 3 in which the
software start enable signal updated contains the time information.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
90 words
A transmitting side system distributing the digital data by
exploiting the broadcast system, in which a software start enable signal, an identification signal for a
software started in the receiving side system and data for
substitution or insertion for a portion of the data during operation
of said software are stored in a storage device; said software start enable signal is sent to the receiving side
system and the software identification signal and the data for
substitution or insertion are sent in an interval between said
software start enable signals.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The broadcast system as claimed in claim 5 in which the data
for substitution or insertion are commercial ads.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The broadcast system as claimed in claim 5 in which the
software start enable signal is varied randomly.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The broadcast system as claimed in claim 7 in which the
software start enable signal updated contains the time information.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
60 words
A receiving side system for receiving digital data distributed
by exploiting a broadcast system, comprising: receiver means for receiving said digital data; and a game machine connected to said receiver means and capable
of running said software; said game software being prohibited from starting in said game
machine until the software start enable signal is received by said
receiver means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The receiving system as claimed in claim 9 wherein said game
machine is a game dedicated machine or a personal computer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
The receiving system as claimed in claim 9 wherein, if the
game machine receives an identification signal which is the same as
the identification signal for the software and the data for
substitution or insertion for a portion of the data during operation
of said software, said game machine substitutes or inserts the
portion of the software to continue its operation.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
41 words
The receiving system as claimed in claim 9 wherein, if the
game machine fails to receive an identification signal which is the
same as the identification signal for the started software, the game
machine continues its operation on the initial software.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The receiving system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the data
for substitution or insertion are commercial ads.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The receiving system as claimed in claim 9 wherein, if the
software enable signal is not changed to a pre-set signal, start of
the software is inhibited.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
The receiving system as claimed in claim 14 wherein said
software enable signal contains the time information and, if the
information shows an unusual value, the software is not started or
the operation thereof is interrupted.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
The receiving system as claimed in claim 15 wherein, if the
time information is smaller in value than the previously received
time information, it is deemed to be unusual and the software is
not started or the operation thereof is interrupted.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
77 words
The receiving system as claimed in claim 16 wherein, if the
software enable signal is received at least twice on startup or
during operation of the software, and the difference between the
previously received time information and the time information
received next differs from an integrated clock value, as found by
integrating the clocks in the receiving system since the previous
reception ands the next reception, the software is not started or the
operation thereof is interrupted.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
46 words
An optical disc used in a receiving side system adapted for
receiving data distributed by exploiting the broadcast system or the
communication system, in which a software identification signal is appended to a recorded
software and said receiving side system can selectively use the
distributed data.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
56 words
A communication system for receiving/transmitting digital data
in which if an identification signal for a software to be started is
received from a receiving side system, a software start enable signal
is sent, at the same time as data for substitution or insertion for a
portion of the data during operation of said software are
distributed.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
The communication system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the
data for substitution or insertion are commercial ads.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The broadcast system as claimed in claim 19 in which the
software start enable signal is varied randomly.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
The broadcast system as claimed in claim 21 in which the
software start enable signal updated contains the time information.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
109 words
A transmitting side system capable of receiving and
transmitting digital data by exploiting the communication system, in
which a software start enable signal, a signal capable of identifying
a software started on a receiving side system and data for
substitution or insertion for a portion of the data during operation
of said software are stored in a storage device, and in which if the signal capable of identifying the started software is
received from the transmitting side system, a software start enable
signal is sent to the transmitting side system and data for
substitution or insertion for a portion of the data during operation
of said software are distributed.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
20 words
The transmitting side system as claimed in claim 23 in which
the data fro substitution or insertion are commercial ads,
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The transmitting side system as claimed in claim 23 in which
the software start enable signal is varied randomly.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
21 words
The transmitting side system as claimed in claim 25 in which
the software start enable signal updated contains the time
information.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
68 words
A receiving side system capable of receiving and transmitting
digital data by exploiting the communication system, comprising: communication function means; and a game machine capable of operating a software; said game machine transmitting, on starting the software, an
identification signal for the software adapted for starting, to a
transmitting side system, the starting of the software being inhibited
until acceptance of the software start enable signal sent next.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
57 words
The receiving side system as claimed in claim 27 in which the
game machine transmits an identification signal for the software
adapted for starting and, on reception of data for substitution or
insertion for a portion of the software data, substitutes or inserts
portions of data during operation of the software for executing a
game machine operation.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
54 words
The receiving side system as claimed in claim 27 in which the
game machine transmits, on starting the software, an identification
signal for the software for starting, and, if subsequently it fails to
receive data for substitution or insertion for a portion of the
software data, it continues its operation on the initial software.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
20 words
The receiving side system as claimed in claim 27 in which the
data for substitution or insertion are commercial ads.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
25 words
The receiving side system as claimed in claim 27 in which, if
software start enable signal is not updated, starting of the software
is inhibited.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
37 words
The receiving side system as claimed in claim 27 wherein said
software enable signal contains the time information and, if the
information shows an unusual value, the software is not started or
the operation thereof is interrupted.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
42 words
The receiving side system as claimed in claim 32 wherein, if
the time information is smaller in value than the previously received
time information, it is deemed to be unusual and the software is
not started or the operation thereof is interrupted.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
79 words
The receiving side system as claimed in claim 32 wherein, if
the software enable signal are received at least twice on startup or
during operation of the software, and the difference between the
previously received time information and the time information
received next differs significantly from an integrated clock value,
as found by integrating the clocks in the receiving system since the
previous reception and the next reception, the software is not
started or the operation thereof is interrupted.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
105 words
A data distribution system for distributing data to a plurality of
receiving devices, comprising: means for recognizing a software program started on a
receiving side device on reception of the supplied program
identification information; means for generating program start enable signal, which are
signals in meeting with a software program recognized by said
recognition means and which, if the software program is a regular
software program, enable starting of the regular software program;
and means for distributing said program start enable signal and for
distributing data for substitution or insertion of part of said
software program started in accordance with said program start
enable signal.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
54 words
The data distribution system as claimed in claim 35 wherein said
distribution means includes encryption means for encrypting said
program start enable signal to a state in which the encrypted
program start enable signal is decodable only if the software
program started on the side of the receiving side device is a regular
program.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
23 words
The data distribution system as claimed in claim 35 wherein said
program start enable signal are the information generated from the
time information.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
50 words
The data distribution system as claimed in claim 35 wherein,
when transmitting the program start enable signal and said data via
data transmitting broadcast medium capable of transmitting data
only in one direction to said receiving device, said distribution
means distributes said program start enable signal at a pre-set
period.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
63 words
The data distribution system as claimed in claim 35 wherein,
when transmitting the program start enable signal and said data via
data transmitting broadcast medium capable of transmitting data
only in one direction to said receiving device, said distribution
means distributes said program start enable signal at a first period,
while transmitting said data at a second period longer than said first
period.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
85 words
The data distribution system as claimed in claim 35 wherein,
when transmitting the program start enable signal and said data via
data transmitting broadcast medium capable of transmitting data
only in one direction to said receiving device, said distribution
means distributes said program start enable signal and the data in
a pre-set format so that said receiving device can receive said data
only when said receiving device has been able to start said start
said software program in accordance with said program start enable
signal.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
61 words
The data distribution system as claimed in claim 35 wherein,
when transmitting the program start enable signal and said data via
data transmitting broadcast medium capable of transmitting data in
two directions to said receiving device, said distribution means
distributes the program start enable signal only if a request is made
for the program start enable signal by the receiving device.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
83 words
The data distribution system as claimed in claim 35 wherein,
when transmitting the program start enable signal and said data via
data transmitting broadcast medium capable of transmitting data in
two directions to said receiving device, said distribution means
distributes the program start enable signal and said data,
responsive to a request from the receiving device, so that said
receiving device can receive data before starting the software
program prior to start of the software program responsive to said
program start enable signal.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
52 words
The data distribution system as claimed in claim 35 wherein said
software program is recorded on a random-accessible recording
medium of said receiving device and wherein said distributing means distributes the data by a format which
correlates an address specifying the position of said data in said
software program with said data.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
102 words
A data distribution method for distributing data to a plurality
of receiving devices, comprising the steps of: recognizing a software program started on a receiving side
device on reception of the supplied program identification
information; generating program start enable signal, which are signals in
meeting with a software program recognized by said recognition
means and which, if the software program is a regular software
program, enable starting of the regular software program; and distributing said program start enable signal and for
distributing data for substitution or insertion of part of said
software program started in accordance with said program start
enable signal.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
71 words
A program executing apparatus for executing a software
program, comprising: reception means for receiving program start enable signal
distributed from a data distributing device and data for substitution
or insertion for original data of said software program; and control means for substituting or inserting the original data of
said software program for said data responsive to the program start
enable signal received by said reception means for executing said
software program.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
30 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 45
wherein said control means executes said software program only
when the software program to be executed is a regular software
program.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
68 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 45 wherein
said control means is responsive to said program start enable signal
to judge whether or not the software program is suited for being
started on the program executing apparatus; and wherein if said software program is judged to be suited for being
started on the program executing apparatus, said control means
causes the software program to be executed.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
60 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 45 wherein
the program start enable signal distributed by said data distribution
device is the information encrypted in accordance with a pre-set
algorithm so that said software program can be executed by said
control means only when the software program to be executed by
the program executing apparatus is a regular program.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
39 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 48 wherein
said control means decodes the encrypted program start enable
signal and causes the software program to be executed only when
the program start enable signal have been decoded regularly.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
24 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 48 wherein
said software program contains a program for decoding the
encrypted program start enable signal.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
49 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 48 wherein
said software program contains a program for decoding the
encrypted program start enable signal and a program for substituting
or inserting the distributed data for data of a portion of the
software program for executing the resulting software program.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
69 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 48 wherein
said software program contains a program for decoding the
encrypted program start enable signal and a program for substituting
or inserting the distributed data for original data of a portion of
the software program for executing the resulting software program;
and wherein said control means controls execution of said software program
using the decoding program and the executing program.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
24 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 45 wherein
said original data of the software program is recorded on a random-accessible
recording medium.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
55 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 53 wherein
said reception means receives said program start enable signal and
said data, said reception means also receiving the address
information specifying for which portion of the software program
recorded on the recording medium the data distributed by said data
distribution device is substituted or inserted.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
89 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 53 wherein
said reception means receives said program start enable signal and
said data, said reception means also receiving the address
information specifying for which portion of the software program
recorded on the recording medium the data distributed by said data
distribution device is substituted or inserted; and wherein said control means when executing said software program
causes the distributed data to be substituted or inserted for original
data of the software program at a position corresponding to said
address information.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
66 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 53 wherein
said control means is programmed so that, when the software
program is executed in accordance with the program start enable
signal, a routine is executed which executes the software program
using the distributed data in place of a routine of executing the
software program using original data on the recording medium
specified by said address information.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
24 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 53 further
comprising: a buffer memory for storing the data distributed by said data
distributing device.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
134 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 57 wherein
said reception means receives said program start enable signal and
said data, said reception means also receiving the medium address,
that is the address information specifying for which portion of the
software program recorded on the recording medium the data
distributed by said data distribution device is substituted or
inserted; said control means holding on memory the medium address and
the data in association with each other prior to execution of said
software program; and wherein if readout of data corresponding to said medium address is
commanded during execution of said software program, said control
means causes the software program to be executed using data stored
in said buffer memory without using the original data on said
software program corresponding to said medium address.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
65 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 58 wherein
said control means is programmed so that, when the software
program is executed in accordance with the program start enable
signal, a routine is executed which executes the software program
using the distributed data in place of a routine of executing the
software program using data on the recording medium specified by
said medium address.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
50 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 59
wherein, if said program start enable signal is supplied at a pre-set
interval from said data distributing device, said control means first decodes the encrypted program start
enable signal and then causes the data to be stored in said buffer
memory.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
84 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 57 wherein
said control means decodes the program start enable signal supplied
from the data distributing device; said control device causing the data to be stored in the buffer
memory if the program start enable signal has been decoded
regularly; said control device being programmed for substituting or
inserting the data stored in said buffer memory for part of the
original data of the software program recorded on said recording
medium for executing the software program.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
49 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 61 wherein
said control means decodes the program start enable signal
distributed from the data distributing device; said control device causing the execution of the software
program to be limited if the program start enable signal has not
been decoded regularly.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
53 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 57 wherein
the data distributed by said data distribution device has a format
correlated with the medium address which is the above-mentioned
address information specifying for which portions of the original
software program recorded on the recording medium the above data
is substituted or inserted.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
58 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 63 wherein
said control means causes the data distributed by said data
distribution device, a buffer address specifying the recording
position of distributed data in said buffer memory and the medium
address corresponding to the distributed data to be correlated with
one another for storage of the correlated data therein.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
115 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 64 wherein
said control means is programmed so that it is judged whether or not there is a readout request for data
on a recording medium corresponding to the medium address stored
in said buffer memory; if there is a readout request for data on a recording medium
corresponding to the medium address, data stored in said buffer
memory is read out in meeting with the buffer address stored in
association with the medium address in said buffer memory, without
reading out data corresponding to said medium address from said
recording medium; and so that the software program is executed using data readout from said
buffer memory.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
62 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 57
wherein if said program start enable signal is supplied at a pre-set
period from said data distributing device, said control means first judges whether or not the program
start enable signal has been decoded regularly and subsequently
causes the data distributed from said data distributing device to be
stored in said buffer memory.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
52 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 57 wherein
said control means is programmed so that, of plural sorts of data
distributed from said data distributing device, only data correlated
with the program ID representing the software program executed by
the program executing apparatus will be stored in said buffer
memory.
Claim 68
Dependent Claim
63 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 57
wherein, if the program executing apparatus and the data
distribution device can communicate bi-directionally, said control
means transmits the program ID signal representing the software
program to said data distributing device in order to have the
program start enable signal and said data pertaining to said software
program distributed from said data distribution device.
Claim 69
Dependent Claim
46 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 68 wherein
said control means is responsive to said program ID signal to judge
whether or not the data is to be received on the basis of the
program start enable signal returned by said data distribution
device.
Claim 70
Dependent Claim
43 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 68 wherein
said control means is responsive to said program ID signal to limit
the starting of said software program on the basis of the program
start enable signal returned by said data distribution device.
Claim 71
Dependent Claim
48 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 68 wherein
said control means is responsive to said program ID signal to vary
the results of execution of said software program on the basis of
the program start enable signal and the data returned by said data
distribution device.
Claim 72
Dependent Claim
95 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 68 wherein the apparatus is connected to display means adapted for
displaying a video image generated on executing the software
program; said control means being programmed for switching from a
video image which might be displayed on said display means if the
software program is executed using only the data recorded on said
recording medium to a video image which might be displayed on said
display means if the software program is executed using data
returned form said data distributing device responsive to the
program ID signal.
Claim 73
Dependent Claim
183 words
The program executing apparatus as claimed in claim 57
wherein, if it is commanded to execute the software program
recorded on said recording medium, said control means performs first transmitting processing of transmitting the program ID
signal representing the software program to said data distributing
device in order to have the program start enable signal and said
data pertaining to said software program distributed from said data
distribution device; first judgment processing of judging whether or not the
distributed program start enable signal has been decoded regularly; causing data distributed from said data distributing device to
be stored in said buffer memory if the program start enable signal
has been decoded regularly in said first judgment processing; second transmitting processing of re-transmitting the program
ID signal to said data distributing device; and second judgment processing of re-judging whether or not the
distributed program start enable signal has been decoded regularly; said control means causing the software program to be
executed using the data store in said buffer memory if the program
start enable signal has been decoded regularly in said second
judgment processing.
Claim 74
Dependent Claim
79 words
A program updating apparatus in which original data of part of
the software program recorded on a recording medium is updated to
data distributed from a data distributing device, comprising: receiving means for receiving from the data distributing device
a program start enable signal for enabling starting of said software
program and said data; and updating means for updating the original data of part of said
software program only when said program start enable signal has
been decoded regularly.
Claim 75
Dependent Claim
78 words
A program executing method for executing a software program,
comprising: a receiving step of receiving program a start enable signal
distributed by said data distributing means and data for substitution
or insertion for original data of part of said software program; and a control step of substituting or inserting said data for
original data of part of said software program responsive to the
program start enable signal received in said receiving step for
executing the resulting software program.
Claim 76
Dependent Claim
98 words
A program start control apparatus for controlling the starting
of a software program, comprising receiving means for receiving from a data distributing device
data for substitution or insertion for original data of part of the
software program and encrypted program start enable signal; and limiting means for enabling execution of a program of
substituting or inserting said data for original data of part of the
software program if the encrypted program start enable signal can
be decoded regularly, said limiting means limiting starting of said
software program if the encrypted program start enable signal
cannot be decoded regularly.
Claim 77
Dependent Claim
97 words
A program start limiting method for limiting starting of a
software program, comprising: a receiving step of receiving from a data distributing device
data for substitution or insertion for original data of part of the
software program and encrypted program start enable signal; and a limiting step of enabling execution of a program of
substituting or inserting said data for original data of part of the
software program if the encrypted program start enable signal can
be decoded regularly and limiting starting of said software program
if the encrypted program start enable signal cannot be decoded
regularly.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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