Limited-use browser and security system

• US 8,868,450 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2011
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CDN Innovations, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Kualo Properties Au LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Howard, Christopher J., Levy, Peter S., de la Cuesta, Joshue D.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZURITA, JAMES H
• Application Number:
  US13/212,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20120042387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/27.1
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1064 Restricting content processing at operating system level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A limited-use browser and related security system control access to content stored on a server computer linked to a network. The security system secures the content on the server and only permits it to be downloaded to a client computer running the limited-use browser or a general purpose browser executing an add-in security module providing the same functions as the limited-user browser. The limited-use browser or module secures the downloaded content on the client computer and displays it in a “view-only” mode. While the secured content is being displayed, menu selections, key combination, or pointing device commands initiated on the client computer that would modify the content or create a copy of another medium are either disabled as a default or monitored to determine if the action is permitted.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

initiating, by a device, a presentation of content via a browser application;

identifying protected content included in the content; and

prohibiting at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation associated with the protected content, wherein the prohibiting the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation comprises;

determining that the browser application is operating as a background application on the device; and

in response to the determining, hiding the protected content from the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation by covering the protected content on a display of the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the prohibiting the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation further includes continually clearing a memory location of the device employable to copy the protected content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the covering comprises covering the protected content with a view cover on the display of the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the prohibiting the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation further includes encrypting a source code included with the protected content and prohibiting displaying, saving, or copying an unencrypted version of the source code on the client device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating another presentation of a request for compensation for enabling the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation associated with the protected content.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising confirming that the request for compensation is satisfied prior to the enabling of the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation associated with the protected content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the hiding the protected content from the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation further comprises clearing at least a portion of the protected content from a display of the client device.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory, communicatively coupled to a processor, the memory having stored therein executable instructions, comprising;

a limited use browser configured to at least;

identify protected content included in content for presentation by a web browser, and

prevent at least one non-ephemeral content operation associated with the protected content on the apparatus based on a determination whether the web browser is in operation in a background of the apparatus, and

in response to the web browser application being determined to be in operation in the background of the apparatus, obscure the protected content from the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation by instructing the web browser to display an overlay over at least a portion of the protected content on a display of the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the limited use browser is configured to prevent the at least one non-ephemeral content reproduction operation associated with the protected content on the apparatus by continual deletion of a memory location of the apparatus employable to copy the protected content.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the limited use browser is further configured disable a drag and drop function of the apparatus to prevent the at least one non-ephemeral content reproduction operation associated with the protected content on the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the limited use browser is further configured to encrypt a source code included with the protected content and to prohibit a display, a save, or a copy of an unencrypted version of the source code on the apparatus to prevent the at least one non-ephemeral content operation associated with the protected content on the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the limited use browser is further configured to present a request for compensation to allow the at least one non-ephemeral content reproduction operation in response to a payment.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the limited use browser is further configured to verify the payment in response to the request, and allow the at least one non-ephemeral content reproduction operation in response to the payment being determined to have been received.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage comprising executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a device comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

displaying content via a browser application;

identifying protected content included in the content; and

preventing at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation associated with the protected content; and

in response to determining that the browser application is a background application on the device, concealing the protected content from the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation, wherein the concealing comprises covering the protected content on a display of the device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage of claim 14, wherein the preventing the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation further comprises recurrently clearing a memory location of the device used for copying the protected content.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage of claim 14, wherein the covering comprises covering the protected content with a view cover on the display of the device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage of claim 14, wherein the preventing the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation comprises encrypting a source code included with the protected content and prohibiting displaying, saving, or copying an unencrypted version of the source code on the device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage of claim 14, wherein the concealing the protected content from the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation further comprises clearing at least a portion of the protected content from a display of the device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage of claim 14, the operations further comprising presenting a request for compensation for access or use of the protected content via the browser application.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage of claim 19, the operations further comprising receiving a payment in response to the request.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage of claim 20, the operations further comprising allowing the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation associated with the protected content in response to the payment being determined to have been received.

22. A device, comprising:

means for presenting content by an application;

means for identifying protected content included in the content; and

means for prohibiting at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation on the device with respect to the protected content; and

means for masking the protected content from the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation by covering the protected content on a display of the device in response to determining that the application is a background application on the device.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the means for prohibiting the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation comprises means for recurrently clearing a memory location of the device employable for copying the protected content.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the covering comprises covering the protected content with an overlay on the display of the device.

25. The device of claim 22, wherein the means for prohibiting the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation comprises means for encrypting a source code included with the protected content and means for prohibiting displaying, saving, or copying an unencrypted version of the source code on the device.

26. The device of claim 22, wherein the means for masking the protected content from the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation comprises means for clearing at least a portion of the protected content from a display of the device.

27. The device of claim 22, further comprising means for presenting a request for compensation for access or use of the protected content via the application.

28. The device of claim 27, further comprising means for receiving a payment in response to the request.

29. The device of claim 28, further comprising means for allowing the at least one non-ephemeral reproduction operation associated with the protected content in response to the receiving of the payment.