Automated monitoring and control of access to content from a source

• US 20060212435A1
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Narang, Varun, Rubens, Matthew J., Bibireata, Daniel, Siegel, Hilliard B., Williams, Brian R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5846 using extracted text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A provider of content may provide access to portions of content from a source, but not the source content in its entirety. In some embodiments, one or more access rules or criteria may be implemented that enable users to access portions of the source content up to an allowed limit or threshold (e.g., number or percentage of pages), after which access is prevented to the remaining content that has not previously been accessed. In other embodiments, one or more access rules or criteria may be implemented that enable users to access portions of content of only a certain type (e.g., index, bibliography, introduction, certain chapters, etc.). Unauthorized portions are suppressed or access to them is denied. The content source may be a textual work, an audio work, or a video work of any form. For example, the content may be in electronic form, such as images of pages of content.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing user access to a body of content from a source, the computer-implemented method comprising:

providing user access to a body of content from a source, wherein all of the body of content is initially accessible;

measuring a total of the body of content that has been accessed; and

when the total accessed content meets or exceeds a threshold, automatically restricting user access to the remaining content in the body of content that has not previously been accessed.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the content being accessed is determined at the time of access.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the source is a textual work.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the source is an audio work.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the source is a video work.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the body of content is comprised of images of pages of content.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring access to the body of content from multiple users, wherein measuring the total content that has been accessed includes aggregating access information of the multiple users.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein aggregating access information of multiple users comprises synchronizing multiple databases that record the content being accessed by the multiple users.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the content accessed by one or more users is excluded from the total accessed content.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein access to content by a user who has paid for the access is excluded from the total accessed content.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the total content that has been accessed is measured as a percentage of the total body of content.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the total content that has been accessed is measured as a number of portions of the body of content.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein if the total accessed content meets or exceeds the threshold and if a request is made by a user to access content that previously has not been accessed, the computer-implemented method further comprises providing a message indicating that the requested content is unavailable.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising enabling user selection of the content being accessed.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the content is selected as a result of a search of the body of content based on a search query.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing access to an excerpt of the content that previously has not been accessed and is otherwise restricted from access.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an authorized command that enables access to the content that is otherwise restricted from access.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the threshold is determined before the body of content is made available for access.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the threshold is determined after the body of content has been made available for access.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the threshold is determined based on a type of the source.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the threshold is based on a type of the content.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the threshold is based on an identity of a user.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the threshold is based on credentials of a user.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the threshold is based on a duration of access to the content.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the threshold varies over time.

26. A computer-implemented method for providing access to content from a source, the method comprising:

monitoring access to content from the source;

allowing access to a portion of content from the source being monitored if said portion of content satisfies a criteria; and

automatically embargoing a remaining portion of content from the source from access.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the criteria is a limit based on an amount of content.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, wherein the amount of content is determined as a percentage of the total content of the source.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, wherein the amount of content is determined as a number of portions of content from the source.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, wherein allowing access to the portion of content comprises measuring the portion of content that has been accessed;

comparing the measurement to the limit; and

if the measurement does not exceed the limit, allowing access to the portion of content.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 30, wherein the limit varies over time.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 30, wherein monitoring access to content from the source comprises monitoring access to the content from multiple users.

33. The computer-implemented method of claim 32, wherein measuring the portion of content that has been accessed comprises measuring the portions of content in aggregate that have been accessed by the multiple users to obtain a total accessed content.

34. The computer-implemented method of claim 33, the total accessed content is obtained by synchronizing multiple databases that record the content being accessed by the multiple users.

35. The computer-implemented method of claim 33, wherein the content accessed by one or more users is excluded from the total accessed content.

36. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the criteria is based on a type of content.

37. The computer-implemented method of claim 36, wherein allowing access to the portion of content comprises identifying the type of the portion of content being monitored;

comparing the type to the criteria; and

if the type satisfies the criteria, allowing access to the portion of content.

38. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the portion of the content being accessed is determined at the time of access.

39. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, further comprising providing a message indicating that the embargoed content is unavailable.

40. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, further comprising enabling user selection of the portion of the content.

41. The computer-implemented method of claim 40, wherein the portion of the content is selected as a result of a search of the content based on a search query.

42. The computer-implemented method of claim 40, wherein the portion of the content is selected based on its location in the content from the source.

43. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, further comprising providing selective access to the embargoed portion of content.

44. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, further comprising receiving an authorized command that enables access to the embargoed portion of content.

45. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the criteria is determined before the content of the source is made available for access.

46. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the criteria is determined after the content of the source has been made available for access.

47. A system for providing access to content from a source, the system comprising:

a database for storing access rules that govern what content may be accessed from a source; and

a computing device in communication with said database that is operative to;

monitor access to content from the source;

allow access to a portion of the content from the source being monitored if said portion of content satisfies an access rule stored in the database; and

automatically embargo a remaining portion of content from the source from access.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the access rule is based on an amount of content.

49. The system of claim 47, wherein the amount of content is determined as a percentage of the total content of the source.

50. The system of claim 47, wherein the amount of content is determined as a number of portions of the content from the source.

51. The system of claim 47, wherein the computing device is operative to allow access to the portion of content by measuring the portion of content being accessed;

comparing the measurement to the access rule; and

if the measurement satisfies the access rule, allowing access to the portion of content.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein the computing device is operative to monitor access to content from the source by monitoring access to the content from multiple users.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the computing device is operative to measure the portion of content that has been accessed by measuring the portions of content in aggregate that have been accessed by the multiple users to obtain a total accessed content.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the content accessed by one or more users is excluded from the total accessed content.

55. The system of claim 47, wherein the access rule being applied is based on a type of content.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the computing device is operative to allow access to the portion of content by identifying the type of the portion of content being monitored;

comparing the type to the access rule; and

if the type satisfies the access rule, allowing access to the portion of content.

57. The system of claim 47, wherein the portion of the content being accessed is determined at the time of access.

58. The system of claim 47, wherein the computing device is further operative to provide a message indicating that the embargoed content is unavailable.

59. The system of claim 47, wherein the computing device is further operative to enable user selection of the portion of the content.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the portion of the content is selected as a result of a search of the content based on a search query.

61. The system of claim 59, wherein the portion of the content is selected based on its location in the content from the source.

62. The system of claim 47, wherein the computing device is further operative to provide selective access to the embargoed portion of content.

63. The system of claim 47, wherein the computing device is further operative to receive an authorized command that enables access to the embargoed portion of content.

64. The system of claim 47, wherein the access rule is determined before the content of the source is made available for access.

65. The system of claim 47, wherein the access rule is determined after the content of the source has been made available for access.

66. A computer-accessible medium having instructions encoded thereon that provide access to content from a source, and wherein the instructions, when executed by a computing apparatus, cause the computing apparatus to:

detect access to content from the source;

allow access to a portion of the content from the source if said portion of content satisfies a criteria; and

automatically restrict access to a remaining portion of the content from the source when access to the remaining portion is detected.

67. The computer-accessible medium of claim 66, wherein the criteria is a limit based on an amount of content.

68. The computer-accessible medium of claim 67, wherein the amount of content is determined as a percentage of the total content of the source.

69. The computer-accessible medium of claim 67, wherein the amount of content is determined as a number of portions of the content from the source.

70. The computer-accessible medium of claim 67, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing apparatus, cause the computing apparatus to allow access to the portion of content by measuring the portion of content that has been accessed, comparing the measurement to the limit, and if the measurement does not exceed the limit, allowing access to the portion of content.

71. The computer-accessible medium of claim 66, wherein the criteria is based on a type of content.

72. The computer-accessible medium of claim 71, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing apparatus, cause the computing apparatus to allow access to the portion of content by identifying the type of the portion of content that has been accessed, comparing the type to the criteria, and if the type satisfies the criteria, allowing access to the portion of content.

73. The computer-accessible medium of claim 66, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing apparatus, further cause the computing apparatus to provide access to an excerpt of the remaining portion of content that is otherwise automatically restricted from access.

74. The computer-accessible medium of claim 66, wherein the criteria is determined before the content of the source is made available for access.

75. The computer-accessible medium of claim 66, wherein the criteria is determined after the content of the source has been made available for access.