Systems and methods for providing digital content

• US 7,890,477 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2004
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Total Training Network, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Total Training Network, Inc.
• Inventors: Geurts, Brian, Cox, Gerald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo; James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black; Linh
• Application Number:
  US10/923,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20050076061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,370 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1-1041, 707/787, 707/694
• US Class Current: 707/694
• 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]

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus store and play licensed digital content in a plurality of files on a computer-readable medium. In addition, a plurality of dummy files are also stored on the computer-readable medium. The file names for the licensed digital content files and the dummy files are generated in a manner such that the licensed digital content files cannot be distinguished from the dummy files. The file names may comprise randomly generated characters, or sequential file names where the sequential file names are randomly assigned to the digital content files and the dummy files.

Claims

1. A computerized system for providing non-confidential digital content to authenticated users comprising:

a computer-readable removable medium in the possession of an authenticated user, the removable medium containing a plurality of computer readable licensed content files and a dummy files interspersed on the medium, said computer readable licensed content files and dummy content files each having a file name that disguises the file type or content so that the content and dummy files cannot be distinguished by the file names;

an authenticated user computer directly engaged with the computer-readable medium to retrieve the readable licensed content files;

a server remotely connected to and in communication with the authenticated user computer over a network, operable to maintain a database mapping a content title with the plurality of readable licensed content files contained on the computer-readable medium, and further operable to maintain a database of authorized users;

wherein the server performs the tasks of;

receive user indentifying information from the authenticated user computer;

authenticate the user as a proper party to receive content mapping information;

receive a selection of a content title from the authenticated user computer;

map the content title to at least one associated licensed content file; and

issue a command to the authenticated user computer identifying the associated readable licensed content file contained on the computer-readable medium and invoking a player on the authenticated user computer for the associated readable licensed content file to be played on the remotely connected authenticated user computer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the licensed content files and the dummy content files are stored across a plurality of directories, said directories named in a manner such that the licensed content files and the dummy content files cannot be distinguished by the directory name.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the licensed content file names and the dummy content file names comprise randomly generated characters.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the licensed content file names and the dummy content file names comprise sequentially generated file names.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the licensed content file names are randomly selected from the sequentially generated file names.

16. The computerized system of claim 1 wherein the media is a CD or DVD.

17. The computerized system of claim 1 wherein the server first performs the task of receiving a proper login from the authenticated user computer to validate the user'"'"'s authority to use the content on the medium.

18. The computerized system of claim 1 wherein the computer-readable medium is a CD or DVD and the content files are training programs that the server maps to file names on the CD or DVD.

22. The computerized system of claim 1 wherein details on the selection of particular content are logged in a database to create a viewable record of what content has been reviewed or not reviewed.

23. The computerized system of claim 1 wherein details on the selection of particular content are logged in a database to determine the popularity of various content.

24. The computerized system of claim 1 wherein the server contains a database of assigned courses, assigned course times, events, course catalogs, completed course listings or completed course data.

6. A method of retrieving non-confidential computer readable medium comprising:

providing a removable computer-readable medium to an authenticated user;

storing on the computer-readable medium a plurality of computer readable licensed content files;

each of said licensed content files having a file name; and

storing on the computer-readable medium a plurality of dummy content files, each of said dummy content files having a file name;

wherein the file names are disguised such that the licensed content files and the dummy content files cannot be distinguished by the file names;

providing a computer to the authenticated user to directly read the computer-readable medium;

remotely connecting the computer over a network to a server for communication with the server, said server having a database mapping a content title with one or more licensed content files contained on the computer-readable medium, and further operable to maintain a database of authorized users;

wherein the server performs the tasks of;

receiving user indentifying information from the authenticated user computer;

authenticating the user as a proper party to receive content mapping information;

receiving a selection of a content title from the remotely connected computer;

mapping the content title to at least one associated licensed content file on the computer-readable medium; and

issuing a command to the remotely connected computer identifying the associated licensed content file and invoking a player for the associated licensed content file on the authenticated user computer to play the associated licensed content file.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the licensed content files and the dummy content files are stored across a plurality of directories, said directories named in a manner such that the licensed content files and the dummy content files cannot be distinguished by the directory name.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the licensed content file names and the dummy content file names comprise randomly generated characters.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the licensed content file names and the dummy content file names comprise sequentially generated file names.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the licensed content file names are randomly selected from the sequentially generated file names.

19. The method of retrieving computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the media is a CD or DVD.

20. The method of retrieving computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the server first performs the task of receiving a user identification and password from the authenticated user computer to validate the user'"'"'s authority to use the content on the medium.

21. The method of retrieving computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the computer-readable medium is a CD or DVD and the content files are training programs that the server maps to file names on the CD or DVD.

11. A computer-readable CD or DVD in the possession of an authenticated user, the CD or DVD having non-confidential licensed training program files and computer executable instructions for performing a method of playing selected licensed training program files, the method comprising:

receiving a selection on a server over a network from a remotely connected authenticated user computer in direct communication with the CD or DVD of a selected licensed training program file of a plurality of licensed training program files stored on the CD or DVD with a plurality of dummy content files also stored on the CD or DVD;

each of said licensed training program files and dummy content files having a file name, wherein the file names are disguised such that the licensed training program files or types and the dummy content files or types cannot be distinguished by the file names

mapping from data stored on the server the training program files to a file name for the training program content; and

issuing from the server to the remote authenticated user computer a command to invoke a player on the authenticated user computer for the selected licensed training program file, said command including the file name for the licensed training program file.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an authenticated user identification and password from the remote computer to validate the authenticated user'"'"'s authority to access licensed training programs; and

displaying the content title on the remote computer.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the licensed content file names and the dummy content file names comprise randomly generated characters.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the licensed content file names and the dummy content file names comprise sequentially generated file names.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the licensed content file names are randomly selected from the sequentially generated file names.