Information distribution and processing system

• US 6,789,198 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2002
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Online News Link LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hark Chan
• Inventors: Chan, Hark
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrón, Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Application Number:
  US10/244,850
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 713/193, 713/172
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for delivering digital data to a plurality of processing units is disclosed. A plurality of portable memory device containing a first set of digital data is distributed to the plurality of processing units. The first set of digital data is unencrypted and comprises a content portion and an identification label. At least one of the processing units sends the identification label to a remote station. The remote station then encrypts a second set of digital data and delivers the encrypted data to the requesting processing unit. The requesting processing unit can decrypt the encrypted data, and combine the decrypted second set of data with the content portion.

Claims

1. A method for delivering data to a plurality of processing units, each of said processing units being located in a separate one of a plurality of remote sites and connectable to an output unit, each of said processing units communicable with a remote station via communication link, said method comprising:

providing a plurality of portable storage media, each of said plurality of portable storage media containing a set of digital data, said set of digital data comprising a content portion and an identification; and

distributing said plurality of portable storage media to said plurality of remote sites;

receiving by said station via said communication link said identification and first processing unit information from at least a first one of said processing units;

after receiving said identification and said first processing unit information from said first processing unit, delivering by said station a first encrypted digital data to said first processing unit;

receiving by said station said identification and second processing unit information from at least a second one of said processing units; and

after receiving said identification and said second processing unit information from said second processing unit, delivering by said station a second encrypted digital data to said second processing unit.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving by said station financial data from said first processing unit.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising authenticating said first processing unit by said station.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving by said station financial data from said second processing unit.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising authenticating said second processing unit by said station.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of portable storage media is an optically encoded storage media.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said first processing unit information is stored in a smart card.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said first processing unit information is stored in a first smart card and said second processing unit information is stored in a second smart card.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said content portion comprises video data.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said content portion comprises audio data.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said content portion comprises graphic data.

12. A method for delivering data to a plurality of processing units, each of said processing units being located in a separate one of a plurality of remote sites and connectable to an output unit, each of said processing units communicable with a remote station via communication link, said method comprising:

providing a plurality of portable storage media, each of said plurality of portable storage media containing a set of digital data, said set of digital data comprising a content portion and an identification, said content portion being encrypted at a first level; and

distributing said plurality of portable storage media to said plurality of remote sites;

receiving by said station via said communication link said identification and first processing unit information from at least a first one of said processing units;

after receiving said identification and said first processing unit information from said first processing unit;

generating by said station a first encrypted digital data, said first encrypted digital data being encrypted at a second level;

delivering by said station said first encrypted digital data to said first processing unit;

receiving by said station said identification and second processing unit information from at least a second one of said processing units; and

after receiving said identification and said second processing unit information from said second processing unit, generating by said station a second encrypted digital data and delivering said second encrypted digital data to said second processing unit, said second encrypted digital data being encrypted at said second level.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving by said station financial data from said first processing unit.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising authenticating by said station said first processing unit.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein each of said plurality of portable storage media is an optically encoded storage media.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said first processing unit information is stored in a smart card.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said first processing unit information is stored in a first smart card and said second processing unit information is stored in a second smart card.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein said content portion comprises video data.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein said content portion comprises audio data.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein said content portion comprises graphic data.

21. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving by said station financial data from said second processing unit.

22. The method of claim 12 further comprising authenticating by said station said second processing unit.