Method and apparatus for electronically distributing and viewing digital contents

• US 6,331,865 B1
• Filed: 10/16/1998
• Issued: 12/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SoftBook Press, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Pomeroy, Thomas W., Duga, Brady, Conboy, Garth, Walter, Erik, Sachs, James, Leshner, William S., Novicov, Aleksey, Wotiz, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/173,975
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 345/350, 345/339, 345/348, 345/349, 345/351, 345/329, 345/331, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 715/776
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0283 for data storage and retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The present invention is a method and system for electronically distributing digital contents. The digital contents include textual, graphical and pictorial information. At least one portable electronic book is operative to request a digital content from a catalog of distinct digital contents, to receive and display the requested digital content in readable form. An information services system is in electrical communication with the portable electronic book to perform authentication and rendering the requested digital content. An authentication server authenticates the identity of the requesting portable electronic book. A copyright protection server renders the requested digital content sent to the requesting portable electronic book readable only by the requesting portable electronic book. At least one primary virtual bookstore is in electrical communication with the information services system. The primary virtual bookstore is a computer-based storefront accessible by the portable electronic book. The primary virtual bookstore includes the catalog of distinct digital contents and a repository which stores the distinct digital contents listed in the catalog.

Claims

1. A system for electronically distributing digital contents, the digital contents including textual, graphical and pictorial information, the system comprising:

at least one portable electronic book, the portable electronic book operative to request a digital content from a catalog of distinct digital contents, to receive and display the requested digital content in readable form;

an information services system, in electrical communication with the portable electronic book, the information services system comprising;

an authentication server for authenticating the identity of the requesting portable electronic book; and

a copyright protection server for rendering the requested digital content sent to the requesting portable electronic book readable only by the requesting portable electronic book ensuring the digital content cannot be redistributed;

at least one primary virtual bookstore in electrical communication with the information services system, the primary virtual bookstore being a computer-based storefront accessible by the portable electronic book, the primary virtual bookstore including;

the catalog of distinct digital contents; and

a repository, in electrical communication with the primary virtual bookstore, for storing the distinct digital contents listed in the catalog.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a secondary virtual bookstore in electrical communication with the information services system, the secondary virtual bookstore including a second catalog of distinct digital contents.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the information services system further comprises a directory server, said directory server providing the portable electronic book with access to the secondary virtual bookstore.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the information services system further comprises a notice board server for sending messages from the primary virtual bookstore and/or the secondary virtual bookstore to a portable electronic book.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the information services system further comprises a registration server for keeping track of the active state of the account associated with each portable electronic book in the system and for ensuring that each portable electronic book is associated with a primary virtual bookstore in the system.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the information services system further comprises a centralized bookshelf associated with each portable electronic book, each centralized bookshelf storing all digital contents sent to and owned by the associated portable electronic book and allowing the associated portable electronic book to permanently delete any of said stored owned digital contents.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the portable electronic book uploads a marked-up copy of the displayed digital content to the information services system, the uploaded marked-up copy being stored in the associated centralized bookshelf, the marked-up copy including marks and annotations made by a user of the portable electronic book.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the portable electronic book downloads a copy of an owned digital content stored in the associated centralized bookshelf, the downloaded copy of the owned digital content being readable only by the portable electronic book.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the authentication server generates a secret session key after authenticating the identity of the requesting portable electronic book, the secret session key being known only to the requesting portable electronic book, the primary virtual bookstore and the associated centralized bookshelf.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein each distinct digital content stored in the repository is encrypted with a unique content key.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the information services system further comprises an Internet Services Provider for providing Internet network access to the portable electronic book.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable electronic book includes a local personal library, the local personal library allowing the portable electronic book to display titles of all the digital contents owned by the portable electronic book while being off-line.

13. A method for electronically and securely distributing digital contents, the digital contents including textual, graphical and pictorial information, the method comprising:

selecting a digital content from a catalog of distinct digital contents using a portable electronic book, said catalog being included in a primary virtual bookstore, the primary virtual bookstore being a computer-based storefront accessible by the portable electronic book via a communications medium;

receiving the request from the portable electronic book at an information services system;

authenticating the identity of the requesting portable electronic book using an authentication server included in the information services system;

rendering the requested digital content sent to the requesting portable electronic book readable only by the requesting portable electronic book ensuring the digital content cannot be redistributed, using a copyright protection server included in the information services system; and

sending the resulting requested digital content from a repository to the portable electronic book, the repository storing the distinct digital contents listed in the catalog;

receiving the sent digital content at the portable electronic book; and

displaying the received digital content in readable form on a display screen of the portable electronic book.

14. A system for managing a business transaction involving digital contents comprising:

a distributor operated by a content vendor for distributing the digital contents to a user over a communication network;

a protection server operated by a business entity for providing protection services to the digital contents; and

a viewing device operated by the user for accessing the digital contents distributed by the distributor,

wherein the protection services ensure the digital contents are readable only by the viewing device and cannot be redistributed.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the distributor comprises:

a repository for storing the digital contents.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the protection server maintains a directory containing catalogs of the digital contents.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the directory is accessible to the distributor and the user.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the protection services include at least one of a copyright protection, an access security protection, a distribution protection, and a sale transaction protection.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the business entity charges a processing fee to at least one of the content vendor and the user.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the distributor is one of a primary distributor and a secondary distributor.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the primary distributor has a predefined relationship with an aggregate of users with similar content needs.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the secondary distributor has a relationship with a general installed base of users.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the primary distributor maintains user account information.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the primary distributor maintains a personal library of digital contents purchased by a user.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the primary distributor maintains a local repository for storing personal documents forwarded to a user.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the primary distributor charges an access fee to the users accessing the digital contents distributed by the primary distributor.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the processing fee charged by the business entity to the primary distributor includes at least one of an operating fee, a licensing fee, and a maintenance fee for network access.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the business entity provides toolkits to the content vendor.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the toolkits include a distributor toolkit and a content conversion toolkit.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the distributor toolkit includes modules to set up at least one of a storefront associated with the distributor, the repository, a billing system, and an access to the protection services.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the content conversion toolkit includes at least a content generation module and an encryption module.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the encryption module encrypts the digital contents with an encryption key sealed in a secure digital envelope using a public key owned by the business entity.

33. The system of claim 14 wherein the distributor is one of an electronic book press (EBP)-hosted bookstore and a third-party bookstore.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the EBP-hosted bookstore is hosted by an EBP and administered by a bookstore licensee.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the bookstore licensee is the EBP.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein the digital contents within the EBP-hosted bookstore are provided by the bookstore licensee.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the bookstore licensee administers the EBP-hosted bookstore by performing at least one of content price setting, content adding, market promoting, and access controlling.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the EBP receives content sales revenue from the EBP-hosted bookstore.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the EBP pays a royalty to a copyright holder of a digital content sold by the EBP-hosted bookstore.

40. The system of claim 36 wherein the EBP performs billing for the bookstore licensee.

41. The system of claim 33 wherein the third-party bookstore is hosted and administered by a bookstore licensee.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein the bookstore licensee receives content sales revenue from the third-party bookstore.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the bookstore licensee pays a license fee to the EBP.