Secure portable electronic reference device

• US 20050216755A1
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ayecon Remote LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Franklin Electronic Publishers Incorporated (Saunders Acquisition Corp.)
• Inventors: Lipsky, Barry J., Ellis, Duane, Goszyk, Kurt, Winsky, Gregory, Skladany, Edward, Edler, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/193
• 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 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00

Abstract

An electronic reference device is disclosed that can be connected to an external computer. The electronic reference device functions as a dictionary for the reader to look up words as they read. It can also have various other functions that would be suitable for a portable electronic device. When connected to the computer, the system has sufficient security features to allow the user to copy databases between the devices and to still protect the digital rights of the databases in memory. The security features uses encryption techniques to tie the database to the location in memory to regulate the access and readability of the databases.

Claims

1. An electronic reference system comprising:

a portable electronic reference device having memory, a keyboard, a display and a processor;

a personal computer having a USB port, a keyboard, a display, memory and a processor;

an electric coupling capable of connecting said device to said personal computer through said USB port such that said memory in said device is accessible to said personal computer;

a reference database capable of being stored in memory;

said database being encrypted using an encryption key;

said encryption key being derived from a predetermined value that identifies an authorized location for storing said database; and

wherein said personal computer and said device access said memory of said device only by using authorized software.

2. The electronic reference system as recited in claim 1 wherein said predetermined value is a Device Serial Number assigned to said device.

3. The electronic reference system as recited in claim 1 wherein said predetermined value is a Device Serial Number assigned to said personal computer.

4. The electronic reference system as recited in claim 1 wherein said predetermined value is a file system serial number assigned to said memory on said device.

5. The electronic reference system as recited in claim 1 wherein said predetermined value is a file system serial number assigned to said memory on said device when said database is the first database stored on said memory;

and wherein is a Device Serial Number assigned to said device for any database stored on said memory subsequent to said first database.

6. The electronic reference system as recited in claim 2 wherein said authorized software will derive an encryption voucher from the Device Serial Number assigned to the device on which the database is stored in memory and decrypt said database only if said encryption key matches said encryption voucher.

7. The electronic reference system as recited in claim 3 wherein said authorized software will derive an encryption voucher from the Device Serial Number assigned to the personal computer on which the database is stored in memory and decrypt said database only if said encryption key matches said encryption voucher.

8. The electronic reference system as recited in claim 4 wherein said authorized software will derive an encryption voucher from a file system serial number assigned to the device on which the database is stored in memory and decrypt said database only if said encryption key matches said encryption voucher.

9. The electronic reference system as recited in claim 5 wherein said authorized software will derive an encryption voucher;

said encryption voucher being derived from a file system serial number assigned to the memory on which the database is stored if the database is the first database and said encryption voucher being derived from a Device Serial Number for any database stored on said memory subsequent to the first database; and

said software will only decrypt said database only if said encryption key matches said encryption voucher.

10. A method for securing digital rights of a database capable of being stored in memory on a portable reference device;

said device having a processor, a display and a keyboard, wherein said device is capable of being connected to a PC such that said PC can access said memory in said device, the method comprising the steps of;

encrypting said database with an encryption key;

said encryption key being derived from a file system serial number of an authorized location when said database is the first database stored on said memory;

said encryption key being derived from a Device Serial Number of said authorized location when said database is not the first database stored on said memory;

storing said database in memory;

storing said encryption key in a header on said memory associated with said database;

accessing said database by an authorized software program;

reading said header associated with said database to determine the encryption key;

calculating an encryption voucher;

said encryption voucher being derived from a file system serial number of the memory of the location on which the database is stored when said database is the first database and said encryption voucher being derived from a Device Serial Number of the location when said database is not the first database stored on said memory;

decrypting said database only if said encryption voucher matches said encryption key.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said PC is connected to said device via a USB port.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said encryption key is derived by using a mangling algorithm.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said authorized software program that is accessing said database is installed on the PC.

14. An electronic reference system, comprising:

a portable electronic reference device having a database stored in memory;

said device being capable of accessing said database and displaying the contents of said database;

said database being encrypted using an encryption key;

said encryption key being derived from a predetermined value that identifies an authorized location on which said database should be stored and said encryption key being stored in a header associated with said database;

an electrical coupling capable of connecting said device to a PC such that said PC is capable of accessing said database;

an authorized software program capable of being installed on said PC;

said software being capable of reading said database on said device;

wherein said software will calculate an encryption voucher derived from a predetermined value that identifies the location on which said database is stored and decrypt said database only if said encryption key stored in said header matches said encryption voucher.

15. The electronic reference system as recited in claim 14, wherein said value is the file system serial number.

16. The electronic reference system as recited in claim 14, wherein said value is the Device Serial Number.

17. The electronic reference system as recited in claim 14, wherein said value is the file system serial number if said database is the first database stored in memory and said value is the Device Serial Number if said database is not the first database stored in memory.