Electronic book with restricted access features

• US 8,095,949 B1
• Filed: 06/25/1999
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adrea LLC (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Adrea LLC (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hendricks, John S., Asmussen, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): SALCE, JASON P
• Application Number:
  US09/344,492
• Time in Patent Office: 4,582 Days
• Field of Search: 725 25- 31, 345/901, 707/200, 707/203, 707781-786, 726 26- 30, 715741-743, 713/166, 713/185, 713192-193, 705/51, 705/54, 705/58, 705/59, 380/229, 380/231, 380/232, 434/317
• US Class Current: 725/29
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/02 Arrangements for relaying broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1058 Shopping and product ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2351 involving encryption of additional data arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44504 Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/602 : for digital sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 : in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/901 : Electronic book with display

Abstract

A viewer for displaying electronic books and having various features for restricting access to their content. A user may assign ratings to stored electronic books, or use standard ratings, and assign access levels to potential users. The ratings and access levels determine which electronic books, or portions of the electronic books, a particular user may access on the viewer.

Claims

1. A method for permitting a user to restrict access to a plurality of stored electronic books for display on a viewer, comprising:

storing and indexing a plurality of electronic books in a library unit;

receiving identification information from a user;

displaying a directory of the plurality of electronic books on a viewer, wherein the directory of the plurality of electronic books is displayed based on the identification information received from the user;

determining if the user is an authorized user;

receiving an assignment of a rating for each of the electronic books, the ratings being related to content of the electronic books;

receiving an assignment of an access level restriction for a potential user;

creating, at the viewer, restricted versions of electronic books to which access has been restricted by identifying restricted portions of the electronic book to be deleted from the unrestricted version of the electronic book, wherein the restricted versions maintain original formats of the electronic books;

receiving an assignment of a page order based restriction for each of the electronic books; and

receiving an assignment of a time based restriction for each of the electronic books, wherein each page of the electronic book must be displayed for a predetermined period of time; and

permitting at least one user other than the authorized user to have restricted access to the electronic books based upon the received assigned ratings and the received assigned access level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received assignment of a rating includes a received assignment of a particular rating within a range of ratings for each of the electronic books.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the permitting step includes selectively permitting access to the electronic books based upon the ratings within the range of ratings.

4. The method of claim 1, further including requiring receipt of a password in order to assign receive assignment of the ratings.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the received assignment of the rating is received from a default user.

6. A method for permitting a user to restrict access to a stored electronic book for display on a viewer, comprising:

storing and indexing an electronic book in a library unit;

receiving identification information from a user;

determining if the user is an authorized user;

receiving selected portions of the electronic book for use in restricting access to a content of the electronic book and rate access levels for at least one user other than the authorized user;

permitting at least one user other than the authorized user to have restricted access to the content of the electronic book based upon the received selected portions, wherein an access restriction is stored in a header file of the electronic book;

saving a restricted version of the electronic book in at least one of the library unit and the viewer, the restricted version having content from the restricted electronic book and having the received selected portions of the electronic book deleted without changing the original format of the electronic book; and

inserting a cross reference between the restricted version and an unrestricted version of the electronic book in at least one of the restricted version and the unrestricted version of the electronic book.

7. An apparatus for permitting a user to restrict access to a plurality of stored electronic books for display, comprising:

a memory that stores and indexes a plurality of electronic books;

a display that displays an index of the electronic book, wherein the index of the electronic book is displayed based on identification information received from a user;

a receiving module that receives;

an assignment of a rating for each of the electronic books, the ratings being related to content of the electronic books;

an assignment of an access level for each user other than an authorized user;

selected portions of an original electronic book for which access will be restricted by deleting the received selected portions of the electronic book;

an assignment of a page order based restriction for each of the electronic books; and

an assignment of a time based restriction for each of the electronic books, wherein each page of the electronic book must be displayed for a predetermined period of time;

a saving module for saving a restricted version of the original electronic book, the restricted version including at least part of the original content of the original electronic book and having the received selected portions deleted without changing an original format of the original electronic book; and

a permitting module that permits at least one user other than the authorized user to have restricted access to the electronic books based upon at least one of the received assigned ratings, the received assigned access level, the received assigned page order, and the received assigned time based restrictions, wherein the access restriction is stored in a header file of the electronic book.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the receiving module further includes receiving an assignment of a particular rating within a range of ratings for each of the electronic books.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the permitting module includes a selective permitting module that selectively permits access to the electronic books based upon the ratings within the range of ratings.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further including a password module that requires receipt of a password in order to receive assignment of the ratings.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the receiving module includes a rating module that receives assignment of the rating a default user.

12. An apparatus for permitting a user to restrict access to a stored electronic book for display, comprising:

a memory that stores and indexes an electronic book;

a display unit for displaying an index having the electronic book, wherein the index is displayed based on identification information received from a user;

receiving module that receives selected portions of the electronic book for use in restricting access to a content of the electronic book; and

a permitting module that permits users other than an authorized user to have restricted access to the content of the electronic book based upon the received selected portions, wherein the restriction is stored in a header file of the electronic book; and

a restricted version module that saves a restricted version of the electronic book in the library unit, the restricted version including at least some content from the original version of the electronic book and having the received selected portions deleted without changing an original format of the electronic book;

wherein the restricting module includes a cross reference section that inserts a cross reference between the restricted version and an unrestricted version of the electronic book in at least one of the restricted version and the unrestricted version of the electronic book.