Method and apparatus for controlling use of or access to electronic content
First Claim
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1. A method of controlling the use of or access to electronic content, comprising the steps of:
- specifying for said content a cost expressed in terms of computing units;
selling to a user a number of said computing units; and
permitting said user to use or access said content as long as said user has a positive balance of said -computing units.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling the use of or access to electronic content, the method comprising the steps of: specifying for the content a cost expressed in terms of computing units; selling to a user a number of the computing units; and permitting the user to use or access the content as long as the user has a positive balance of the computing units.
10 Citations
60 Claims
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1. A method of controlling the use of or access to electronic content, comprising the steps of:
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specifying for said content a cost expressed in terms of computing units;
selling to a user a number of said computing units; and
permitting said user to use or access said content as long as said user has a positive balance of said -computing units. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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10. A method of controlling the use of or access to electronic content, comprising the steps of:
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specifying for said content a unit of usage, corresponding to either;
1) a number of uses of or accesses to said content;
or2) a net duration of use of or access to said content;
selling to a user a number of said units of usage; and
determining the available number of said units of usage available to said user;
permitting said user to use or access said content for said available number of units of usage. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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25. An apparatus for controlling the use of or access to electronic content, comprising:
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computing means including input means for receiving from a user an order for a number of computing units, payment for said number of said computing units and a request for said use of or access to said content;
memory storage means for storing a cost of said content expressed in computing units, and for storing credit data for determining the number of said computing units available to said user;
authorization means for authorizing said use of or access to said content;
wherein said computing means is operable to receive said request, check said credit data and direct said authorization means to authorize said use of or access to said content as long as said user has a positive balance of said available computing units. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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33. An apparatus for controlling the use of or access to electronic content, comprising:
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computing means including input means for receiving from a user an order for a number of units of usage of said content and/or payment for said number of said units of usage, and a request for said use of or access to said content, each unit of usage corresponding to either;
1) a number of uses of or accesses to said content;
or
2) a net duration of use of or access to said content;
memory storage means for storing credit data for determining the number of said units of usage available to said user;
authorization means for authorizing said use of or access to said content;
wherein said computing means is operable to receive said request, check said credit data and direct said authorization means to authorize said use or access for said available number of units of usage. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification