Panasonic Corporation

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Yuusaku Ohta

Natsume Matsuzaki

Hiroki Yamauchi

Yuichi Futa

Masaya Miyazaki

Shinichiro Nishioka

Toshihisa Abe

Masaaki Harada

Hideki Taniguchi

Satoru Kuriki

Satomi Amano

Kaoru Yokota

Masashi Yamaguchi

Yoshihiro Morioka

Naoshi Usuki

Yasushi Ayaki

Satoshi Senga

Kozo Nishimura

A plurality of networks each having a host are connected to achieve a transparent transaction between devices belonging to the different networks. A target apparatus includes a station and a host. In response to a get device handle request from an initiator apparatus, the station acquires, from the host, configuration information of a target device and relays transactions between the initiator apparatus and the target device, without requiring involvement of the host.

Station, target apparatus, initiator apparatus, communication system, and communication method

To achieve efficient data transfer between a first network and a second network, and, in particular, to reduce processing load pertaining to address conversion, a transfer control device in the first network acquires an address of a transfer target device in the second network, and assigns the acquired address to a transfer device in the first network. When data transmitted through the first network is to be transferred to the transfer target device via the transfer device, there is no need to perform address conversion as the transfer device and the transfer target device are assigned the same address.

Transfer control device, integrated circuit thereof, transfer control method, and transfer control system

An objective of the present invention is to determine a function of each communication apparatus with few steps. A first communication apparatus () is capable of carrying out at least one of a function of an apparatus which receives an access thereto from a second communication apparatus (), and a function of a host which accesses the second communication apparatus (). The first communication apparatus () comprises: an access request issuing unit () which issues a request which denotes the function thereof to the second communication apparatus (); and a conflict assessment unit () which, either when the request and a request which the second communication apparatus () has issued conflict or when the request is rejected, makes the access request issuing unit () reissue a request to the second communication apparatus () which denotes another function.

Communication device, communication method, and communication program

The present invention performs efficient data transfer between devices. In particular, the present invention can reduce processing loads and power consumption of a response device and increase overall throughput. When a request device issues a direct transfer request to directly transfer data to or from a data storage unit included in the response device, the response device performs control so that data is directly transferred between a communication unit and the data storage unit. The request device is allowed to transparently and directly access the data storage unit included in the response device via the communication unit between the request device and the response device.

Response device, integrated circuit of same, response method, and response system

The data transfer control device of the present invention is capable of improving data transfer efficiency while discarding error data, a DMA parameter storing control unit () temporarily stores parameters to a store resource; a data processing unit () performs error detection processing for data that is transferred; a DMA parameter return control unit () causes parameters used at transfer time of data for which the processing result in the error detection processing was an error to be returned as parameters for subsequent data transfer use from the store resource; and a completion notification delay control unit (), with regard to the parameters, causes the completion notification to a host system that indicates that data transfer has completed normally for each of the parameters to wait for normal completion of data transfer that uses parameters that had been set earlier than each of the first-mentioned parameters.

Data transfer control device and data transfer control method

A data transfer control deviceincludes a read pointer update unitupdating a value of a global read pointer RPg with a value of a local read pointer (first local read pointer) RPlheld by a local read pointer hold unitwhen completion of data transfer is recognized and a position, in an order of reading descriptors, of a descriptor Dindicated by the local read pointer RPlis earlier than positions of descriptors Dand Drespectively indicated by local read pointers (second local read pointers) RPland RPlheld by the other data transfer control devicesand

Data transfer control device, integrated circuit of same, data transfer control method of same, data transfer completion notification device, integrated circuit of same, data transfer completion notification method of same, and data transfer control system

An encryption circuit is provided which generates encrypted text from plain text using a key. The encryption circuit includes a randomized 8-bit inverse element calculation circuit which receives randomized input data that is obtained by adding, to input data on which predetermined processing is performed with the key, a predetermined input mask value determined depending on a random number, and which generates randomized output data that is obtained by adding, to an inverse element of the input data, an output mask value that is an inverse element of the input mask value, wherein the encryption circuit generates the encrypted text from the generated randomized output data.

Encryption device using mask value to convert plain text into encrypted text

In a server, an echo-request transmitting unit transmits echo-request data to a target device, and an echo-reply receiving unit receives echo-reply data from the target device. A time measuring unit measures, as the target time, the time required between transmission of the echo-request data and reception of the echo-reply data, and compares the target time with the reference time. In this way, the server judges whether the target device connected to its network belongs to a predetermined group.

Group judgment device

In a server, an echo-request transmitting unittransmits echo-request data to a target device, and an echo-reply receiving unitreceives echo-reply data from the target device. A time measuring unitmeasures, as the target time, the time required between transmission of the echo-request data and reception of the echo-reply data, and compares the target time with the reference time. In this way, the server judges whether the target device connected to its network belongs to a predetermined group.

A content management system formed from a playback apparatus that requests and plays content, and a content management apparatus that manages duplication and deletion of content. The playback apparatus notifies group information of the playback apparatus to the content management apparatus, acquires information from the content management apparatus showing whether requests are permitted, and duplicates/deletes content. By judging whether the playback apparatus belongs to a group, and notifying whether a duplication request is permitted or rejected, based on in-group and out-group remaining numbers that show the remaining number of duplications permitted of apparatuses in-group and out-group, respectively, the content management apparatus relaxes restrictions on in-group content duplication as compared with out-group content duplication, and thus improves convenience for users in a home network, while protecting the rights of copyright holders, with respect to content duplication and usage.

Content-duplication management system, apparatus and method, playback apparatus and method, and computer program

A key delivery apparatus that prevents improper use of contents, and manages a decryption key for decrypting encrypted content and a suppliable number showing how many times the decryption key is suppliable, with respect to one or more terminal apparatuses connected to a network. The key delivery apparatus receives a supply request for the decryption key from a terminal apparatus, and if the terminal apparatus is a legitimate supply target, judges whether the terminal apparatus is a first-type that manages a content-usage period or a second-type that does not manage the content-usage period, and if the suppliable number has a remaining number, supplies to the terminal apparatus, the decryption key and a key-usage period of the decryption key when judged that the terminal apparatus is the first-type and the decryption key when judged that the terminal apparatus is the second-type.

Key delivery apparatus, terminal apparatus, recording medium, and key delivery system

The conventional method of limiting the number of receiving apparatus has a problem that if the limited number of appliances is reduced to limit distribution to unspecified appliances outside a home, distribution to appliances in the home is limited unnecessarily. If the limited number of appliances is increased, distribution to appliances outside the home cannot be sufficiently limited. The invention provides at least one receiving apparatus, (e.g., digital television sets and PCs,) connected to a network and capable of receiving and using predetermined data, and a transmitting apparatus, (e.g., an AV server) for transmitting the data to the receiving apparatus via the network. Use of the data on the network is managed based on the transmission time required for transmission of predetermined information between the transmitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus.

Data use management system, transmitting apparatus having management function, and data use management method

A server and a client hold common secret information in respective secret information holding units. A server Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) unit in the server generates a CRC code after adding the secret information to communication data, and transmits the communication data with the CRC code attached. A client CRC unit of the client generates a CRC code after adding the secret information to communication data, and checks whether or not an error has occurred in the communication data on the communication path. Since the client holds the secret information, the client determines that an error has not occurred, and obtains the communication data. On the other hand, a router, which does not hold the secret information, is unable to obtain the communication data. This prevents the communication data from being transferred to devices outside an authorized domain.

Transmission/reception system

A content distribution system in which content transmission/reception is suppressed when there is a high risk of contents being stolen by a third party during communication. A content server acquires a communication distance indicating how far the content server is from a terminal in data communication. The content server conducts content transmission/reception when the communication distance is less than or equal to a predetermined value, and suppresses content transmission/reception when the communication distance exceeds the predetermined value.

Content distribution system

A highly-convenient content duplication management system for allowing users to duplicate a content as long as the duplication is in compliance with a given usage right. In the system, a request destination device stores a content and a permitted number of duplications of the content. In response to a duplication request, the request destination device judges whether or not the request source device is an in-group device that belongs to the same group as the request destination device. When judging that the request source device is an in-group device, the request destination device transmits the content together with a permitted number that is equal to or smaller than the currently stored permitted number. The request destination device then updates the currently stored permitted number by subtracting the permitted number transmitted.

Growing community of inventors

Neyagawa, Japan

Yuusaku Ohta