Control of access to data content for read and/or write operations
First Claim
1. A data storage device having a non-volatile memory for storing data content, and a control processor operable to evaluate selected said data content to establish whether there is a match between a characteristic of or a derivative of, said selected data content and a reference data content characteristic, or derivative, and to take an action in response to establishment of a said match.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A data storage device has a non-volatile memory-storing data content, and a control processor for evaluating selected data content of the memory to establish whether there is a match between a characteristic of, or a derivative of, the data content and a reference data content characteristic, or derivative. The processor takes an action in response to the match.
146 Citations
69 Claims
- 1. A data storage device having a non-volatile memory for storing data content, and a control processor operable to evaluate selected said data content to establish whether there is a match between a characteristic of or a derivative of, said selected data content and a reference data content characteristic, or derivative, and to take an action in response to establishment of a said match.
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11. A method of operating a network attached storage device, the method comprising
upon receipt of a request to store content, attempting to identify the content to be stored, and following a set of rules to be followed if the data content is identified or is not identified as being known, and undertaking appropriate action in response to the identification of the identity of said data content to be stored in accordance with said set of rules.
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31. A network attachable file server having:
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a computer memory for storing files;
a file content monitor processor;
a reference library for file content related signatures and content-related attributes correlated with said signatures;
said processor being operable to evaluate content of a file for determining a content related attribute of the file and for acting in response to the evaluation of the content related attribute of the file;
the processor being operable to perform the evaluation by performing steps including obtaining from the library a signature or fingerprint of said file and comparing said obtained signature or fingerprint with stored signatures or fingerprints of said reference library for establishing a match, and for thereby establishing a correlated content-related attribute of said file, said processor being adapted to take said predetermined action dependent upon what content-related attribute of said file has been established. - View Dependent Claims (32, 34)
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- 35. A method of integrating storage of data files having a data content with management of rights associated with said data files using a network attached file server which is capable of accessing said data content of a file and which is capable of producing a report relating to at least one of (a) storage and (b) access of files having associated rights, the method comprising using said file server to assess files stored on it, or files to be stored on it, to determine if an attribute related to the content of accessed files can be established by screening said content against known attributes, thus establishing said content as belonging to a known file or class of files, using the results of the assessment to produce said report.
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38. A machine readable data carrier storing a program which when run on a processor of a computer memory network attached storage device having a processor, a non-volatile memory, and a library of signatures or fingerprints, is adapted to cause said storage device to:
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evaluate data content of a data content entity either stored in said memory or received by said device for storage in said memory and to create a signature or fingerprint derived from said data content and capable of identifying said data content;
and to compare said created signature or fingerprint with reference signatures or fingerprints held in said library of signatures or fingerprints for establishing whether said created signature or fingerprint matches a reference signature or fingerprint and for thereby establishing an identity of said data content; and
perform a predetermined act which is influenced by said identity of said data content. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 58)
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45. A programmed memory storing a program which when run on a processor of a computer memory network attached storage device having a processor, a non-volatile memory, and a library of signatures or fingerprints, is adapted to cause said storage device to:
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evaluate data content of a data content entity either stored in said memory or received by said device for storage in said memory and to create a signature or fingerprint derived from said data content and capable of identifying said data content;
and to compare said created signature or fingerprint with reference signatures or fingerprints held in said library of signatures or fingerprints for establishing whether said created signature or fingerprint matches a reference signature or fingerprint and for thereby establishing an identity of said data content; and
perform a predetermined act which is influenced by said identity of said data content. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A method of controlling access to a memory of a data storage unit, the method comprising using knowledge of content of data content entities stored in, or to be stored in, said memory and a knowledge of user identity, and acting dependent upon said knowledge of the content and the identity of the user, said act being causally connected with a communication to or from a third party different from the user.
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53. A network comprising:
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an attached storage device having a memory and having details of files accessible through said device, details of users entitled to access said device for at least one of read and write operations, and a set of rules specifying actions to be taken upon receipt of a request from allowable users to access files, said rules being dependent upon the identity of at least one of a user and content of the file concerned;
a network link for enabling said device to be connected to a third party on the network; and
a processor as part of said device configured to monitor access by users to files and to communicate with a network attached third party data that is user and/or file dependent and representative of user-data content access activity.
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60. A method of providing at least one of read and write access to a data record entity stored in a computer readable memory of a network attachable data storage device having stored therein or accessible thereto:
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(i) information correlating a plurality of data record entities stored in said memory and content-related characteristics adapted to identify an equivalent said data record entity; and
(ii) access authority parameters associated with said data record entities or said content-related characteristics;
the method comprising;
accompanying requests by a user access authority for at least one of read and write access to data content entities, there being a relationship between user access authorities and access authority parameters to enable a user to access data record entities for which the user has authority for read and/or write access, evaluating a user'"'"'s access authority indicia and an access authority parameter of a requested data content entity by using the network attachable storage device. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62)
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63. A method of integrated storage of rights-controlled data content entities and billing for at least one of storage and use of said rights-controlled data content entities, said method comprising
(i) evaluating requests for at least one of storage and read requests for access to memory of said device by using a network attached storage device, and comparing identities of users making said requests with content-related indicators by using a network attached storage device, and (ii) generating billing relating to user access request activity based upon user identity and content identity.
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65. A computer accessible data storage device comprising a data store and a processor,
said processor comprising reference data content characteristic means having or being adapted to obtain, reference data content characteristics representative of known data content, and content identifying means adapted to evaluate a selected data content against said reference characteristics from said reference characteristic means for determining whether a characteristic of said selected data content matches a said known data content characteristics; and said processor being programmed to take a consequential action in response to said content identifying means establishing that a characteristic of said selected data content matches a known characteristic.
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66. A Network Attached Storage Device having:
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a machine readable computer memory for storing data content entities in the form of files having a data content that is the information content of the entity; and
a memory access controller having a control processor operable to evaluate selected said data content to establish whether there is a match between a content-identifier, indicia, fingerprint or signature of said selected data content and a reference content-identifier, indicia, fingerprint or signature;
said control processor being adapted to (a) cause a file received by said Device and requested to be stored in the Device to be stored in computer memory, (b) cause data content of said received file to be evaluated for determining whether said file should continue to be stored or not, and (c) cause said received file to be stored for access by users or not stored for access in response to evaluation of said received file data content. - View Dependent Claims (67)
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68. A Network Attached Storage Device having:
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a machine readable computer memory for storing data content entities in the form of files having a data content that is the information content of the entity; and
a memory access controller having a control processor operable to evaluate selected said data content to establish whether there is a match between a content-identifier, indicia, fingerprint or signature of said selected data content and a reference content-identifier, indicia, fingerprint or signature;
said control processor being adapted to (a) cause a file received by said Device and requested to be stored in the Device to be stored in computer memory, (b) cause data content of said received file to be evaluated to determine whether said file should continue to be stored or not, (c) cause said received file to be stored for access by users or not stored for access in response to evaluation of said received file data content, or (a′
) monitor third party access to data content stored upon said device and to bill an appropriate entity for accessing said data content.
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69. In combination, a non-volatile memory for storing data content, and a control processor operable to take an action in response to a positive comparison between evaluated selected data content of the memory and a reference data content thereof.
Specification