Transformation of ephemeral material

• US 5,341,429 A
• Filed: 12/04/1992
• Issued: 08/23/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ibuyline
• Original Assignee: TestDrive Corp (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Richards, Theodore S., Stringer, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, Tod R.
• Application Number:
  US07/986,105
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 380/3, 380/4, 380/23, 380/24, 380/25, 380/49, 380/50
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party

Abstract

A bidirectional process allows remote transformation of ephemeral materials between an original form and a denatured form without changing the content of the material from its original form and without restricting the resolution, functionality, and/or utility of the original material in the denatured form. The denatured material provides both a limited use form, which allows temporary full function evaluation of the material; and an enabled form, which allows unrestricted full function use of the material. A security system supervises conversion of the denatured material from the limited use form to the enabled form.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transformation of ephemeral materials, comprising:

a denaturing module for separating a portion of original material from said original material to produce a denatured version of the original material that is functionally identical to the original material, said denatured version including said separated portion and a residual portion of said original material, wherein said separated portion and said residual portion of said original material are physically stored on the same medium.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a trial module for supervising recombination of said separated portion with said residual portion of said original material to allow limited access to said original material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a transaction module for enabling fully functional access to said original material by recombining said separated portion and said residual portion of said original material.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, said trial module including a counter for limiting use of the original material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said denaturing module hides said separated portion of said original material, and wherein said denaturing module generates a denatured portion of said original material which replaces said separated portion of said original material.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said denatured portion is an altered version of said separated portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said transaction module further comprises:

a transaction code generator which provides a unique identifying code for said material to a remote transaction location; and

an enable code verifier which receives and validates an enable code provided by said remote transaction location in response to said identifying code;

said enable code verifier enabling fully functional access to said original material in response to a verified enable code.

8. An apparatus for transformation of ephemeral materials, in which a portion of original material has been separated from said original material to produce a denatured version of the original material that is functionally identical to the original material, said denatured version including at least said separated portion and a residual portion of said original material, comprising:

a trial module for supervising recombination of said separated portion with said residual portion of said original material to allow limited access to said original material; and

a transaction module for enabling unrestricted access to said original material by recombining said separated portion and said residual portion of said original material.

9. A process for bidirectional transformation of ephemeral materials, comprising the step of:

separating a portion of original material from said original material to produce a denatured version of the original material that is functionally identical to the original material, said denatured version including said separated portion and a residual portion of said original material, wherein said separated portion and said residual portion of said original material are physically stored on the same medium.

10. The process of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

supervising recombination of said separated portion with said residual portion of said original material to allow to said original material.

11. The process of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

enabling fully functional access to said original material by recombining said separated portion and said residual portion of said original material.

12. The process of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

limiting use of the original material.

13. The process of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

hiding said separated portion of said original material; and

generating a denatured portion of said original material which replaces said separated portion of said original material.

14. The process of claim 13, wherein said denatured portion is an altered version of said separated portion.

15. The process of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

providing a unique identifying code for said original material to a remote transaction location; and

receiving and validating an enable code provided by said remote transaction location in response to said identifying code, thereby enabling fully functional access to said original material in response to a verified enable code.

16. A process for bidirectional transformation of ephemeral materials, in which a portion of original material from said original material to produce a denatured version of the original material that is functionally identical to the original material, said denatured version including at least said separated portion and a residual portion of said original material, comprising the steps of:

supervising recombination of said separated portion with said residual portion of said original material to allow limited access to said original material; and

enabling unrestricted access to said original material by recombining said separated portion and said residual portion of said original material.

17. The process of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

limiting use of the original material.

18. The process of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

hiding said separated portion of said original material; and

generating a denatured portion of said original material which replaces said separated portion of said original material.

19. The process of claim 18, wherein said denatured portion is an altered version of said separated portion.

20. The process of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

providing a unique identifying code for said original material to a remote transaction location; and

receiving and validating an enable code provided by said remote transaction location in response to said identifying code, thereby enabling unrestricted access to said original material in response to a verified enable code.