Archiving and retrieval method and apparatus

• US 6,959,308 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2001
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Truong, Hong Linh, Liver, Beat, Klett, Peter Micheal, Gramsamer, Ferdinand
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Shahid
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fleurantin, Jean Bolte
• Application Number:
  US09/789,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20010016851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,708 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 713182-185, 713/200, 709/203, 709/225, 715/501.1
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for maintaining an organized and automated archiving and retrieval system including a personal bibliography of original documents or other original real objects as well as an electronic archive containing copies of such original real objects with guaranteed access. Essentially this is done by establishing a machine and/or human readable “unique identifier” (UID) distributed with each original real object, a so-called personal archive allowing a person (or a group of persons) to maintain a personal bibliography, a managed storage containing electronic copies of the distributed original real objects, and means for a controlled, but guaranteed access to the stored electronic copies. The unique identifier UID will be established and controlled, usually by a service provider, and attached to each original (document) when it is distributed, usually by the publisher, so that it can be read by the user, preferably with a simple reader for entering it electronically into his personal archive. The personal archive may be maintained either by the person or by another (or the same) service provider, but is personalized in the sense that the user determines the contents of his/her archive. A controlled access system with access certificates, which may be time-limited, issued to the requesting user guarantees user access to the stored electrinic copies. Access control will again be provided as service, be it by the publisher or any of the service providers mentioned.

Claims

1. A method for managing a personal e-document archive of e-documents within a larger collection of e-documents including depositing and making available an electronic copy (E) of a real object to a first party as user (U) as part of the first party'"'"'s personal e-document archive by a second party (P) within the second party'"'"'s e-document archive, said method comprising

assigning and/or attaching a readable unique identifier (UID) to said real object,

creating and depositing said electronic copy (B) of said real object with its associated unique identifier (UID),

making available to said user (U) said real object together with said unique identifier (UID), said unique identifier (UID) being presentable to said second party (P) or a third party (S) during an authorization period in which said electronic copy (E) is available to said user (U) to obtain an access certificate (AC) in place of said electronic copy (E), the access certificate granting to the user (U) an option to obtain future access to said electronic copy (B) anytime during a predefined period that may be longer than said authorization period, and after no unique identifiers (UID) have been presented to the service provider (S) and the expiration of access certificates for the said electronic copy (E), deleting the said electronic copy (E).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unique identifier (UID) is obtained by the first party (U) from the real object.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unique identifier (UID) is printed on or attached to the real object and/or displayed with or attached to the electronic copy (E) thereof.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unique identifier (UID)

is selected out of a predetermined group of usable unique identifiers (UID), said group being preferably determined by an authorization instance, or

is selected by said authorization instance.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the access certificate (AC)

is validated for a limited amount of time, in particular to a specific user (U) and/or for a specific real object, or

expires generally after a time limit.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the access certificate (AC) is issued only if the user (U) presenting the unique identifier (UID) is found eligible under a predetermined access policy for the corresponding electronic copy (E), said access policy being preferably determined by the second party (P).

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second (P) party distributes the real object and provides the electronic copy (E),

the third party (S) assigns the unique identifier (UID),

said second party (P) or said third party (S) issues the access certificate (AC), and

said second party (P) or said third party (S) provides the access to the electronic copy (E).

8. Computer program product according to claim 1, comprising the program code means stored on a computer-readable medium.

9. A method for managing a personal e-document archive of e-documents within a larger collection of e-documents including archiving and retrieving an electronic copy (E) of a real object in a system with a plurality of e-documents and a plurality of first parties as users (U) and at least one second party (P or S) for distributing and/or providing archiving and retrieving services, said method comprising

assigning and/or attaching a unique identifier (UID) to said real object,

distributing said real object with said identifier (UID) attached,

storing an electronic copy of said distributed real object associated with its respective identifier (UID) in a first memory space,

storing, if selected by said user (U), said object'"'"'s identifier (UID) in a second memory space serving as personal archive allocated to and/or accessible by said user (U) as a personal e-document archive of e-documents of said user,

said unique identifier (UID) being presentable anytime during an authorization period for obtaining an access certificate (AC) by said user (U) in place of said electronic copy (E), said access certificate (AC) enabling said user (U) to obtain said electronic copy (E) in the future, and

after no unique identifiers (UID) have been presented to the service provider (S) and the expiration of access certificates for the said electronic copy (E), deleting the said electronic copy (E) from said second party'"'"'s e-document archive.

10. Arrangement for depositing and making available an electronic copy (E) of a real object to a first party as user (U) as part of an arrangement for managing a personal e-document archive of e-documents within a larger collection of e-documents including by a second party (P) and/or a third party (S), comprising

an output device for associating a readable unique identifier (UID) with said real object,

a device for depositing said electronic copy (E) with its associated unique identifier (UID),

said unique identifier (UID) being readable by said user (U) and presentable to said second party (P) or said third party (S) to obtain an access certificate (AC) in place of the electronic copy (E), said access certificate being an option to receive future access to said electronic copy (E);

and deleting said electronic copy upon the expiration of all of said access certificates for the electronic copy (E) associated with said unique identifier(UID).

11. Arrangement for a first party (U) to obtain an access right to a deposited electronic copy (E) of a real object, as part of an arrangement for managing a personal e-document archive of e-documents within a larger collection of e-documents comprising

a reader for reading a unique identifier (UID) from a real object,

a storage for storing at least said read unique identifier (UID), and

an authorization module at a second party (P) or a third party (S) for receiving said read unique identifier (UID) from said first party (U) and sending an access certificate (AC), to said first party in place of immediate access to said electronic copy (E), said access certificate (AC) serving as an option for said first party to obtain access to said electronic copy (E) in the future said authorization module adapted for deleting said electronic copy upon the expiration of all of said access certificates for the electronic copy (E) associated with said unique identifier(UID).