Tags for unlocking digital content

• US 20070043670A1
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kurzweil Educational Systems Incorporated (Cambium Learning Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Kurzweil Educational Systems Incorporated (Cambium Learning Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dionne, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 10,733,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• 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 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]

Abstract

Unlocking digital content embodied in digital readable form on a digital media carrier is described. Unlocking the digital content includes evaluating a code provided by a user scanning a tag attached to a printed, physical copy of the digital content; and if the code corresponds to an authorized code, unlocking the digital content.

Claims

1. A method for unlocking digital content embodied in digital readable form on a digital media carrier, the method comprising:

evaluating a code, provided by a user scanning a tag attached to a printed, physical copy of the digital content; and

if the code corresponds to an authorized code,

unlocking the digital content.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the tag is a radio frequency identification tag.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital media carrier is a compact disk local to a user'"'"'s machine.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital media carrier is remote from a user'"'"'s machine, and the method further comprising:

sending a message containing the code in the tag to a server over a network; and

receiving a message corresponding to evaluating the code at the server, the message allowing unlocking of the digital content if the code corresponds to the authorized code.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the code in the tag is unique to the publication.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital content is unlocked to provide a text-based searchable file.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein a tag reader is used to read the code on the tag.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital content is a book stored on the digital media carrier and the physical copy corresponding to the digital content on the digital media carrier is a printed copy of the book.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital content is a book stored on the digital media carrier accessible through a web site on the Internet and the physical copy corresponding to the digital content on the digital media carrier is a printed copy of the book.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the tag is part of the printed, physical copy of the digital content, and the tag carries a bar code.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital media carrier is accessible through a web site on the Internet, and the method further comprises:

prompting the user to scan the RFID tag;

unlock content on the website if the code is verified.

12. A computer program product for unlocking digital content embodied in digital readable form on a digital media carrier comprises instructions for causing a computing device to:

evaluate a code provided by the user scanning the tag; and

if the code corresponds to an authorized code,

unlock the digital content.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the tag is a radio frequency identification tag and the computer program product comprises instructions to read the code from the radio frequency tag.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the digital media carrier is a compact disk is local to a user'"'"'s machine and the computer program product comprises instructions to read the code from the compact disk.

15. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the digital media carrier is remote from a user'"'"'s machine, and the computer program product further comprises instructions to:

send a message containing the code in the tag to a server over a network and

receive a message corresponding to evaluating the code at the server, the message allowing unlocking of the digital content if the code corresponds to the authorized code.

16. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the tag is part of the physical copy of the digital content and carries a bar code tag and the computer program product comprises instructions to read the code from the bar code.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising instructions to:

prompt a user to scan a tag attached to a printed, physical copy of the digital content.

18. An apparatus comprises:

a processor;

a computer readable medium storing a computer program product for unlocking digital content embodied in digital readable form on a digital media carrier comprises instructions to cause the processor to;

evaluate a code provided by a user scanning a tag attached to a printed, physical copy of the digital content; and

if the code corresponds to an authorized code,

unlock the digital content.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a tag reader.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the tag reader is a radio frequency identification tag reader.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the digital media carrier is remote from the apparatus and the computer program product further comprises instructions to:

send a message containing the code in the tag to a server over a network.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the tag is part of the physical copy of the digital content and carries a bar code tag and the computer program product comprises instructions to read the code from the bar code.