System and method for controlling access to protected information
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus of encouraging distribution, registration, and purchase of free copyable software and other digital information which is accessed on a User'"'"'s System via a Programmer'"'"'s Program. Software tools which can be incorporated into a Programmer'"'"'s Program allow the User to access Advanced Features of the Programmer'"'"'s Program only in the presence of a valid Password which is unique to a particular Target ID generated on an ID-Target such as the User'"'"'s System. Advanced features will thus re-lock if the Password is copied to another ID-target. If a valid Password is not present, the User is invited to obtain one, and provided with the means of doing so, and of installing that Password in a place accessible to the User'"'"'s System on subsequent occasions. The present invention also provides Programmers with means to invoke business operations as well as computational operations with their programs, and thus to automatically obtain payment from Users who elect to obtain passwords.
93 Citations
206 Claims
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1-24. -24. (Canceled).
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25. A method for providing a password to a first program to control access to protected information, the method comprising:
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receiving a first identifier, the first identifier being based at least in part on one or more characteristics of an entity to which access to the protected information is linked;
generating a password, based at least in part on the first identifier, which password may only be validated using at least data accessible to the first program including the first identifier; and
storing the password in a first location accessible to the first program. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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- 32. The method of 25, wherein the first identifier is based at least in part on a characteristic of a user of the first program.
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51. A system for providing a password to a first program to control access to protected information, the system comprising:
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means for receiving a first identifier, the first identifier being based at least in part on one or more characteristics of an entity to which access to the protected information is linked;
means for generating a password, based at least in part on the first identifier, which password may only be validated using at least data accessible to the first program including the first identifier; and
memory means for storing the password in a first location accessible to the first program. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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77. A computer usable medium or media storing program code which, when executed on one or more computerized devices, causes the one or more computerized devices to execute a method for providing a password to a first program to control access to protected information, the method comprising:
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receiving a first identifier, the first identifier being based at least in part on one or more characteristics of an entity to which access to the protected information is linked;
generating a password, based at least in part on the first identifier, which password may only be validated using at least data accessible to the first program including the first identifier; and
storing the password in a first location accessible to the first program. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102)
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103. A method for providing access to protected information, the method comprising:
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receiving an identifier, the identifier being based at least in part on a characteristic of an entity to which access to the protected information is linked;
generating a password, based at least in part on the identifier, using a technique which does not require any additional information that is characteristic of the entity; and
storing the password in a first location accessible to the first program. - View Dependent Claims (104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113)
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114. A system for providing access to protected information, the system comprising:
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means for receiving an identifier, the identifier being based at least in part on a characteristic of an entity to which access to the protected information is linked;
means for generating a password, based at least in part on the identifier, using a technique which does not require any additional information that is characteristic of the entity; and
memory means for storing the password in a first location accessible to the first program. - View Dependent Claims (115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124)
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125. A computer usable medium or media storing program code which, when executed on one or more computerized devices, causes the one or more computerized devices to execute a method for providing access to protected information, the method comprising:
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receiving an identifier, the identifier being based at least in part on a characteristic of an entity to which access to the protected information is linked;
generating a password, based at least in part on the identifier, using a technique which does not require any additional information that is characteristic of the entity; and
using the password to control access to the protected information. - View Dependent Claims (126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135)
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136. A method for providing a password to a first program to access protected information, the method comprising:
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a user processor generating a first identifier using information about the user processor;
transmitting the first identifier from the user processor to a licensing processor;
the licensing processor generating a password, based at least in part on the first identifier, which password may only be validated using at least data accessible to the first program including the first identifier; and
transmitting the generated password from the licensing processor to the user processor. - View Dependent Claims (137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146)
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147. A system for providing a password to a first program to access protected information, the system comprising:
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a user processor generating a first identifier using information about the user processor;
means for transmitting the first identifier from the user processor to a licensing processor;
the licensing processor generating a password, based at least in part on the first identifier, which password may only be validated using at least data accessible to the first program including the first identifier; and
means for transmitting the generated password from the licensing processor to the user processor. - View Dependent Claims (148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157)
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158. A method for controlling access to protected information using a first program, the method comprising:
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generating a first identifier, the first identifier being based at least in part on one or more characteristics of an entity to which access to the protected information is linked;
transmitting the first identifier to a licensing processor;
receiving a password based at least in part on the first identifier, which password may only be validated using at least data accessible to the first program including the first identifier; and
storing the password in a first location accessible to the first program. - View Dependent Claims (159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168)
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169. A method for providing a password to a first program to control access to protected information, the method comprising:
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receiving a first identifier, the first identifier being based at least in part on one or more characteristics of an entity to which access to the protected information is linked;
generating a password, based at least in part on the identifier, using a technique which does not require any additional information that is characteristic of the entity; and
transmitting the password to a device accessible to the first program. - View Dependent Claims (170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179)
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180. A system for providing a password to a first program to control access to protected information, the system comprising:
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means for receiving a first identifier, the first identifier being based at least in part on one or more characteristics of an entity to which access to the protected information is linked;
means for generating a password, based at least in part on the identifier, using a technique which does not require any additional information that is characteristic of the entity; and
means for transmitting the password to a device accessible to the first program. - View Dependent Claims (181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190)
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191. A computer usable medium or media storing program code which, when executed on one or more computerized devices, causes the one or more computerized devices to execute a method for providing a password to a first program to control access to protected information, the method comprising:
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receiving a first identifier, the first identifier being based at least in part on one or more characteristics of an entity to which access to the protected information is linked;
generating a password, based at least in part on the identifier, using a technique which does not require any additional information that is characteristic of the entity; and
transmitting the password to a device accessible to the first program. - View Dependent Claims (192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203)
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204. A method for accessing protected information using a first program, the method comprising:
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retrieving a first password stored in a location accessible to the first program;
retrieving a first identifier generated based at least in part on one or more characteristics of an entity to which access to the protected information is linked;
generating a second password using the first identifier;
comparing the first password to the second password; and
if the first password is the same as the second password, using the first password to access the protected information. - View Dependent Claims (205, 206)
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Specification