Systems and methods for distributing and viewing electronic documents

• US 20020035697A1
• Filed: 07/02/2001
• Published: 03/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zinio LLC (Naviga Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zinio LLC (Naviga Inc.)
• Inventors: Pai, Samuel Hong-Yen, Maggiotto, Richard, Kelleher, John, McCurdy, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,290,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32776 using an interactive, user-operated device, e.g. a computer terminal, mobile telephone H04N1/32782, H04N1/32784 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3246 of data relating to permitted access or usage, e.g. level of access or usage parameters for digital rights management [DRM] related to still images

Abstract

The invention relates to systems and methods for distributing and viewing electronic documents. In one embodiment, the invention provides a system for distributing electronic versions of printed documents comprising a memory device and a distribution system. The memory device is in operable communication with a content provider and stores at least one electronic document file that is based at least in part on a source electronic document provided by the content provider, wherein the source electronic document is an electronic version of a printed document. The distribution system is in operable communication with the memory device and is programmed for responding to requests from a client for delivery of an electronic document file, retrieving a copy of the requested electronic document file from the memory device, assigning at least one right to the copy of the electronic document file, the right defining the scope of at least one action capable of being be performed on at least a portion of the copy of the electronic document file, encrypting the copy of the electronic document file with a key based at least in part on the identity of the client and on the at least one right, and providing the copy of the electronic document file, with the associated key, to the client.

Claims

1. A system for distributing an electronic version of a printed document comprising:

a memory device storing at least one electronic document file that is based at least in part on a source electronic document provided by a content provider, wherein the source electronic document is an electronic version of a printed document;

a distribution system in operable communication with the memory device, the distribution system programmed for;

responding to requests from a client for delivery of an electronic document file;

retrieving a copy of the requested electronic document file from the memory device;

assigning at least one right to the copy of the electronic document file, the right defining the at least one action capable of being performed on at least a portion of the copy of the electronic document file;

encrypting the copy of the electronic document file with a key based at least in part on the identity of the client and on the at least one right; and

providing the encrypted copy of the electronic document file, with the associated key, to the client.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one right defines the scope of the action capable of being performed.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one right defines who is able to perform the at least one action.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one right relates to at least one action capable of being performed by the client receiving the copy of the electronic document file.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one right relates to at least one action capable of being performed by a client other than the client receiving the copy of the electronic document file.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one action includes at least one of the following actions:

annotating, copying, printing, forwarding, editing, highlighting, tabbing, storing, and making at least a portion of the electronic document file available to another client.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic document file stored in the memory device includes at least one element that was not present in at least one of the printed document and the source electronic document.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one element comprises an element capable of providing additional information to the client.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one element comprises a link enabling the client to communicate with the distribution system.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one element comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of audio information, video information, textual information, graphic information, and links to locations on a computer network.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a conversion module in operable communication with the memory device, the conversion module transforming the source electronic document into the electronic document file.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the conversion module transforms the source electronic document into the electronic document file by adding to the source electronic document an element not present in the source electronic document.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the conversion module transforms the source electronic document into the electronic document file by searching the contents of the source electronic file for a predetermined element and creating a link to another file based at least in part on the predetermined element.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the conversion module transforms the source electronic document into the electronic document file by creating at least one link in the electronic document file in response to an instruction specifying the at least one link to be created in the electronic document file.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the instruction defines at least one of the location of the link, the target of the link, and the data associated with the link.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the distribution system is further programmed for receiving payment information for paying for the electronic document file.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the distribution system is further programmed for receiving information relating to the usage of the electronic document file.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the distribution system is further programmed for receiving information from the client relating to usage of the electronic document file.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the distribution system is further programmed for receiving information relating to the client'"'"'s usage of the electronic document file.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the information relating to usage of the electronic document file includes information relating to at least one of the group consisting of readership of at least a portion of the electronic document file, at least one link visited by a user of the electronic document file, demographic information about at least one user of the electronic document file, and the passing along of at least a portion of the electronic document file from a first client to a second client.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the distribution system is programmed to generate a report about the client'"'"'s usage of the electronic document file.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of transmitting a copy of at least a portion of the electronic document file to another client, transmitting at least a portion of the actual electronic document file to another client, removing at least a portion of the electronic document file, annotating at least a portion of the electronic document file, and permitting another client to access at least a portion of the electronic document file.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic document file includes information relating to an item that a client can obtain by sending a request to the system.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the electronic document file includes at least one link enabling the client to send a request for the item to an entity capable of arranging the fulfillment of the request.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the request is a purchase request.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic document file comprises a document selected from the group consisting of written document, periodical, magazine, newspaper, journal, catalog, brochure, manual, book, text, handbook, booklet, workbook, newsletter, almanac, yearbook, paper, and encyclopedia.

27. The system of claim 1, further comprising a reader module in operable communication with the distribution system, the reader module programmed for:

receiving the electronic document file;

displaying the electronic document file to the user; and

permitting user interaction with the electronic document file in accordance with the at least one right.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the reader module displays the electronic document file to a user so that the electronic document file appears, to the user, the same as the printed document.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of permitting user interaction with the electronic document file comprises treating facing pages of document as single page for the purposes performing operations on the page.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of recording information relating to usage of the electronic document file.

32. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of providing the recorded information relating to the usage of the electronic document file to another entity.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of recording information further comprises recording information relating to the readership of at least a portion of the electronic document file.

35. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of recording information further comprises recording information relating to a first user'"'"'s passing along of at least a portion of the electronic document file to a second user.

36. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of displaying the electronic document file further comprises enabling the user to request an item referred to in the electronic document file.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising the step of sending the request for the item to an entity capable of arranging the fulfillment of the request.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the request is a purchase request.

39. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of displaying an electronic document file containing at least one element capable of providing additional information outside of the electronic document file to the user.

40. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of displaying an electronic document file containing at least on element further comprises displaying at least one element from the group consisting of audio information, video information, textual information, graphic information, and links to locations on a computer network.

41. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of displaying an animated image when an action is performed on the electronic document file.

42. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of displaying an animated image occurs when at least one of the following actions occurs:

turning a page, clipping a page, annotating a page, zooming in on a page, and zooming out on a page.

43. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of storing at least one electronic document file obtained by a user.

44. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of displaying information relating to at least one electronic document file that a user can obtain.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the step of displaying information relating to the at least one electronic document file that a user can obtain comprises displaying a representation of a newsstand.

46. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying an electronic document file further comprises displaying at least one of the following:

printed document, periodical, magazine, newspaper, journal, catalog, brochure, manual, book, text, handbook, booklet, workbook, newsletter, almanac, yearbook, paper, and encyclopedia.

48. The system of claim 47 further comprising a means for converting the source electronic document into an electronic document file.

49. The system of claim 47 further comprising a means for reading the electronic document file.

29. A method for viewing electronic documents, comprising:

sending a request for an electronic document file to a server, the request associated with a given user;

receiving an electronic document file, the electronic document file encrypted by a key uniquely associated with the user, wherein the key is associated with at least one right defining an action capable of being performed on the electronic document file;

displaying the electronic document file to the user; and

permitting interaction with the electronic document file in accordance with the at least one right.

47. A system for distributing an electronic version of a printed document, comprising:

means for storing at least one electronic document file, the electronic document file being based at least in part on a source electronic document provided by a content provider, where the source electronic document is an electronic version of a printed document;

means for receiving a request for a copy of the electronic document file from a client;

means for encrypting a copy of the electronic document file with a key defining at least one right associated with the client that sent the request, the means for encrypting being in operable communication with the means for storing and the means for receiving, wherein the right defines at least one action capable of being performed on at least a portion of the copy of the electronic document file;

a means for distributing the electronic document file in communication with the means for encrypting, the means for distributing providing a copy of the encrypted electronic document file and the key to the client requesting a copy of the electronic document file