Method for computer network operation providing basis for usage fees

• US 6,999,946 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2001
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Solutions Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Macrovision Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Nuttall, Francois-Xavier
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, MARY DA ZHI WANG
• Application Number:
  US09/757,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20010032187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 705 51- 53, 705/14, 705 26- 27, 705/35, 705/39, 705/44, 705 75- 79, 709201-203, 709/238, 707 9- 10, 707/104, 380/25
• US Class Current: 705/52
• 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: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A computer network having a requesting node and a providing node permits data transfer therebetween when permitted by an authorizing node. Reports generated in response to authorizations and reports generated in response to data transfers are reconciled at a reconciliation node to improve the accuracy of payments collected and paid for use of the data. Such payments include copyright royalties for audio, video, and other works recorded in digital format.

Claims

1. A method for managing access to a digital work, the method for execution by a reconciling node, the method comprising:

receiving at the reconciling node via a network a first report, the first report being provided in response to a transaction that provided the digital work from a content providing node to a content requesting node, the first report comprising a transaction identifier, the transaction conducted in response to a request originated by the content requesting node;

receiving at the reconciling node via the network a second report that originated from a content managing node in response to supplying by the content managing node information to validate the request, the second report comprising a value and a payee identifier;

comparing at the reconciling node the value and the transaction identifier; and

transmitting from the reconciling node onto the network a message enabling a credit to an account corresponding to the payee identifier, transmitting being in response to comparing.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first report comprises indicia of a difference, the difference prepared in accordance with a start report originating from the content requesting node and a summary report originating from the content requesting node.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first report comprises:

receiving via the network a plurality of records; and

determining the first report in accordance with a record of the plurality.

4. A memory device comprising indicia of the method of claim 1.

5. A method for managing access to a digital work, the method for execution by a reconciling node, the method comprising:

receiving at the reconciling node via a network a plurality of first reports, each first report being provided in response to a respective transaction that provided the digital work from a content providing node to a content requesting node, each first report comprising a respective transaction identifier and a respective first tracking value, each transaction being conducted in response to a respective request originated by the content requesting node;

receiving at the reconciling node via the network a plurality of second reports, each second report originating from a content managing node in response to supplying by the content managing node information to validate the respective request, each second report comprising a respective value, a respective payee identifier, and a respective second tracking value;

identifying at the reconciling node a particular first report and a particular second report, wherein the particular reports have corresponding tracking values;

comparing at the reconciling node the respective transaction identifier of the particular first report and the respective value of the particular second report; and

transmitting at the reconciling node onto the network a message enabling payment in accordance with the comparison.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein each tracking value comprises an address of the content requesting node.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving via the network a plurality of third reports, each third report comprising indicia of a respective debit in accordance with a respective transaction; and

detecting the occurrence of an invalid transaction wherein for the invalid transaction, at least one of the first report, the second report, and the third report are not timely received.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving via the network a plurality of third reports, each third report comprising indicia of a respective debit in accordance with a respective transaction; and

detecting the occurrence of an invalid transaction wherein for the invalid transaction, at least one of the first report, the second report, and the third report are not originated in a predetermined sequence.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:

the plurality of third reports is provided by a plurality of event reporting nodes;

each third report comprises indicia of time of day determined by a respective event reporting node; and

the method further comprises transmitting a second message via the network from which each event reporting node can adjust its time of day for eliminating error in sequence detection.

10. A memory device comprising indicia of the method of claim 5.

11. A method for managing access to a digital work, the method for execution by a first computer system, the method comprising:

receiving at the first computer system via a network a first report, the first report being provided in response to a transaction that transferred via the network the digital work from a second computer system to a third computer system, the first report comprising a transaction identifier, the transaction conducted in response to a request originated by the third computer system;

receiving at the first computer system via the network a second report that originated from a fourth computer system in response to supplying by the fourth computer system information for validating the request, the second report comprising a value and a payee identifier;

comparing at the first computer system the value and the transaction identifier; and

transmitting from the first computer system onto the network a message enabling a credit to an account corresponding to the payee identifier, transmitting being in response to comparing.

12. A memory device comprising indicia of the method of claim 11.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the first report comprises indicia of a difference, the difference prepared in accordance with a start report originating from the content requesting node and a summary report originating from the content requesting node.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving the first report comprises:

receiving via the network a plurality of records; and

determining the first report in accordance with a record of the plurality.

15. A method for managing access to a digital work, the method for execution by a reconciling node, the method comprising:

receiving at the reconciling node via a network a first report, the first report being provided in response to a transaction that provided the digital work from a content providing node to a content requesting node, the first report comprising a transaction identifier, the transaction conducted in response to a request originated by the content requesting node;

receiving at the reconciling node via the network a second report that originated from a content managing node in response to supplying by the content managing node information to validate the request, the second report comprising a value and a payee identifier;

comparing at the reconciling node the value and the transaction identifier; and

transmitting from the reconciling node onto the network a message enabling a credit to an account corresponding to the payee identifier, wherein;

transmitting is in response to comparing;

the first report comprises indicia of a difference, the difference prepared in accordance with a start report originating from the content requesting node and a summary report originating from the content requesting node; and

receiving the first report comprises receiving via the network a plurality of records and determining the first report in accordance with a record of the plurality.

16. A method for managing access to a digital work, the method for execution by a reconciling node, the method comprising:

receiving via a network a plurality of first reports, each first report being provided in response to a respective transaction that provided the digital work from a content providing node to a content requesting node, each first report comprising a respective transaction identifier and a respective first tracking value;

receiving via the network a plurality of second reports, each second report originating from a content managing node, each second report comprising a respective value, a respective payee identifier, and a respective second tracking value;

identifying a particular first report and a particular second report, wherein the particular reports have corresponding tracking values;

comparing the respective transaction identifier of the particular first report and the respective value of the particular second report;

transmitting onto the network a message enabling payment in accordance with the comparison;

receiving via the network a plurality of third reports, each third report comprising indicia of a respective debit in accordance with a respective transaction; and

detecting the occurrence of an invalid transaction wherein for the invalid transaction, at least one of the first report, the second report, and the third report are not timely received, wherein;

the plurality of third reports is provided by a plurality of event reporting nodes;

each third report comprises indicia of time of day determined by a respective event reporting node; and

the method further comprises transmitting a second message via the network from which each event reporting node can adjust its time of day for eliminating error in sequence detection.

17. A method for managing access to a digital work, the method for execution by a reconciling node, the method comprising:

receiving via a network a plurality of first reports, each first report being provided in response to a respective transaction that provided the digital work from a content providing node to a content requesting node, each first report comprising a respective transaction identifier and a respective first tracking value;

receiving via the network a plurality of second reports, each second report originating from a content managing node, each second report comprising a respective value, a respective payee identifier, and a respective second tracking value;

identifying a particular first report and a particular second report, wherein the particular reports have corresponding tracking values;

comparing the respective transaction identifier of the particular first report and the respective value of the particular second report;

transmitting onto the network a message enabling payment in accordance with the comparison;

receiving via the network a plurality of third reports, each third report comprising indicia of a respective debit in accordance with a respective transaction; and

detecting the occurrence of an invalid transaction wherein for the invalid transaction, at least one of the first report, the second report, and the third report are not originated in a predetermined sequence, wherein;

the plurality of third reports is provided by a plurality of event reporting nodes;

each third report comprises indicia of time of day determined by a respective event reporting node; and

the method further comprises transmitting a second message via the network from which each event reporting node can adjust its time of day for eliminating error in sequence detection.

18. A reconciling node, for managing access to a digital work, the reconciling node comprising:

means for receiving via a provided network a first report, the first report being provided in response to a transaction that provided the digital work from a content providing node to a content requesting node, the first report comprising a transaction identifier, the transaction conducted in response to a request originated by the content requesting node;

means for receiving via the network a second report that originated from a content managing node in response to supplying by the content managing node information to validate the request, the second report comprising a value and a payee identifier;

means for comparing the value and the transaction identifier; and

means for transmitting from the reconciling node onto the network a message enabling a credit to an account corresponding to the payee identifier, transmitting being responsive to the means for comparing.

19. The reconciling node of claim 18 wherein the first report comprises indicia of a difference, the difference prepared in accordance with a start report originating from the content requesting node and a summary report originating from the content requesting node.

20. The reconciling node of claim 18 wherein receiving the first report comprises:

receiving via the network a plurality of records; and

determining the first report in accordance with a record of the plurality.

21. A reconciling node for managing access to a digital work, the reconciling node comprising:

means for receiving via a provided network a plurality of first reports, each first report being provided in response to a respective transaction that provided the digital work from a content providing node to a content requesting node, each first report comprising a respective transaction identifier and a respective first tracking value, the transaction conducted in response to a request originated by the content requesting node;

means for receiving via the network a plurality of second reports, each second report originating from a content managing node in response to supplying by the content managing node information to validate the request, each second report comprising a respective value, a respective payee identifier, and a respective second tracking value;

means for identifying a particular first report and a particular second report, wherein the particular reports have corresponding tracking values;

means for comparing the respective transaction identifier of the particular first report and the respective value of the particular second report; and

means for transmitting onto the network a message enabling payment in accordance with the comparison.

22. The reconciling node of claim 21 wherein each tracking value comprises an address of the content requesting node.

23. The reconciling node of claim 21 further comprising:

means for receiving via the network a plurality of third reports, each third report comprising indicia of a respective debit in accordance with a respective transaction; and

means for detecting the occurrence of an invalid transaction wherein for the invalid transaction, at least one of the first report, the second report, and the third report are not timely received.

24. The reconciling node of claim 21 further comprising:

means for receiving via the network a plurality of third reports, each third report comprising indicia of a respective debit in accordance with a respective transaction; and

means for detecting the occurrence of an invalid transaction wherein for the invalid transaction, at least one of the first report, the second report, and the third report are not originated in a predetermined sequence.

25. The reconciling node of claim 24 wherein:

the plurality of third reports is provided by a plurality of event reporting nodes;

each third report comprises indicia of time of day determined by a respective event reporting node; and

the reconciling node further comprises means for transmitting a second message via the network from which each event reporting node can adjust its time of day for eliminating error in sequence detection.

26. A reconciling node for managing access to a digital work, the reconciling node comprising:

means for receiving at the first computer system via a network a first report, the first report being provided in response to a transaction that transferred via the network the digital work from a second computer system to a third computer system, the first report comprising a transaction identifier, the transaction conducted in response to a request originated by the third computer system;

means for receiving at the first computer system via the network a second report that originated from a fourth computer system in response to supplying by the fourth computer system information to validate the request, the second report comprising a value and a payee identifier;

means for comparing at the first computer system the value and the transaction identifier; and

means for transmitting from the first computer system onto the network a message enabling a credit to an account corresponding to the payee identifier.

27. The reconciling node of claim 26 wherein the first report comprises indicia of a difference, the difference prepared in accordance with a start report originating from the content requesting node and a summary report originating from the content requesting node.

28. The reconciling node of claim 26 wherein the means for receiving the first report comprises:

means for receiving via the network a plurality of records; and

means for determining the first report in accordance with a record of the plurality.

29. A reconciling node for managing access to a digital work, the reconciling node comprising:

means for receiving via a provided network a first report, the first report being provided in response to a transaction that provided the digital work from a content providing node to a content requesting node, the first report comprising a transaction identifier, the transaction conducted in response to a request originated by the content requesting node;

means for receiving via the network a second report that originated from a content managing node in response to supplying by the content managing node information to validate the request, the second report comprising a value and a payee identifier;

means for comparing the value and the transaction identifier; and

means for transmitting from the reconciling node onto the network a message enabling a credit to an account corresponding to the payee identifier, wherein;

(1) the first report comprises indicia of a difference, the difference prepared in accordance with a start report originating from the content requesting node and a summary report originating from the content requesting node; and

(2) the means for receiving the first report comprises means for receiving via the network a plurality of records and determining the first report in accordance with a record of the plurality.

30. A reconciling node for managing access to a digital work, the reconciling node comprising:

means for receiving via a provided network a plurality of first reports, each first report being provided in response to a respective transaction that provided the digital work from a content providing node to a content requesting node, each first report comprising a respective transaction identifier and a respective first tracking value;

means for receiving via the network a plurality of second reports, each second report originating from a content managing node, each second report comprising a respective value, a respective payee identifier, and a respective second tracking value;

means for identifying a particular first report and a particular second report, wherein the particular reports have corresponding tracking values;

means for comparing the respective transaction identifier of the particular first report and the respective value of the particular second report;

means for transmitting onto the network a message enabling payment in accordance with the comparison;

means for receiving via the network a plurality of third reports, each third report comprising indicia of a respective debit in accordance with a respective transaction; and

means for detecting the occurrence of an invalid transaction wherein for the invalid transaction, at least one of the first report, the second report, and the third report are not timely received, wherein;

(1) the plurality of third reports is provided by a plurality of event reporting nodes;

(2) each third report comprises indicia of time of day determined by a respective event reporting node; and

(3) the reconciling node further comprises means for transmitting a second message via the network from which each event reporting node can adjust its time of day for eliminating error in sequence detection.

31. A reconciling node for managing access to a digital work, the reconciling node comprising:

means for receiving via a provided network a plurality of first reports, each first report being provided in response to a respective transaction that provided the digital work from a content providing node to a content requesting node, each first report comprising a respective transaction identifier and a respective first tracking value;

means for receiving via the network a plurality of second reports, each second report originating from a content managing node, each second report comprising a respective value, a respective payee identifier, and a respective second tracking value;

means for identifying a particular first report and a particular second report, wherein the particular reports have corresponding tracking values;

means for comparing the respective transaction identifier of the particular first report and the respective value of the particular second report;

means for transmitting onto the network a message enabling payment in accordance with the comparison;

means for receiving via the network a plurality of third reports, each third report comprising indicia of a respective debit in accordance with a respective transaction; and

means for detecting the occurrence of an invalid transaction wherein for the invalid transaction, at least one of the first report, the second report, and the third report are not originated in a predetermined sequence, wherein;

(1) the plurality of third reports is provided by a plurality of event reporting nodes;

(2) each third report comprises indicia of time of day determined by a respective event reporting node; and

(3) the reconciling node further comprises means for transmitting a second message via the network from which each event reporting node can adjust its time of day for eliminating error in sequence detection.