System and method for selecting, ordering and accessing copyrighted information from physical documents

• US 20060167754A1
• Filed: 07/23/2003
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carro, Fernando Incertis, Barbero, Jose Maria Varona
• Granted Patent: US 7,574,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• 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 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

The present invention discloses a system, method and computer program for selecting, ordering, accessing and displaying copyrighted information from physical documents such as printed publications or commercials. The invention allows the management and the direct sale from the editor to the final consumer of electronic information referenced on physical publications while respecting the copyrights attached to this electronic information. According to the present invention, a plurality of particular items (i.e., words, pictures, logos, etc.,) are defined on a physical document. These items are linked to copyrighted hardcopy or softcopy edited objets, such as chapters, notes, pictures, video or audio elements. For identifying and selecting the items defined in the physical document, these items are automatically illuminated by luminous signals (or light spots) generated by an opto-touch foil. The opto-touch foil operates under the control of a user workstation. An illuminated item is selected by the user by pressing the opto-touch foil over the illuminated position of this item. When the user selects a particular item among all illuminated items, the user workstation receives from the opto-touch foil a signal indicating the position of this selected item. The user workstation identifies and locates the edited object associated with the position of the selected item referring to an Edited Objects Table. If the user has already a license for the edited object, and if this edited object is already stored in the user workstation, then this edited object is accessed locally. If the user has no copyright for the edited object, a request is sent through a network to an Edited Objects server, to get a description and ordering information about the selected edited object. The edited object can then be downloaded and stored locally for a fee.

Claims

1. A method for processing edited objects associated with a copyrighted physical document, the method for use in a user workstation by a user, said method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

determining a position of a point pressed on a touch foil of an opto-touch foil aligned over or under a portion of the copyrighted physical document, said portion comprising a plurality of items, said point having been pressed to select an item of the plurality of items during illumination of the plurality of items by a light emitting foil of the opto-touch foil, said pressed point aligned proximate to the selected item;

identifying the selected item by correlating the determined position of the pressed point with a position of the selected item in a list of item positions recorded in an edited objects table that is stored in the user workstation, said list of item positions being associated with the plurality of items on the portion of the physical document;

identifying an edited object in the edited objects table from association of the edited object with the selected item in the edited objects table;

ascertaining whether the user has a license to use and/or copy the edited object; and

if said ascertaining ascertains that the user has the license then accessing the edited object from the user workstation and displaying the edited object, and if said ascertaining ascertains that the user does not have the license then obtaining the license and the edited object from an edited objects server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said ascertaining ascertains that the user does not have the license, and wherein said obtaining the license and the edited object from the edited objects server comprises:

sending an order for the license to an edited objects server;

receiving the edited object with the license from the edited objects server;

storing the edited object in the user workstation;

updating the edited objects table with a file path for accessing the stored edited object;

indicating in the edited objects table that the user has the license.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the edited objects server communicates with the user workstation via an Internet communication network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical document is a printed document comprising at least one page, and wherein the portion of the physical document is a page of the at least one page.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the order for the license comprises an identification of the selected physical document, the page, the selected item, and payment data relating to the selected item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the edited object comprises a chapter, notes, a picture, a video element, or an audio element.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said sending the order for the license to the edited objects server comprises sending required payment data to the edited objects server.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said sending the order for the license to the edited objects server comprises sending to the edited objects server a request for information concerning the edited object, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the requested information from the edited objects server; and

displaying or playing the received information concerning the edited object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the physical document is a printed document comprising at least one page, and wherein the portion of the physical document is a page of the at least one page, and wherein the requested information comprises:

license terms and conditions;

pricing and ordering information; and

an identification of the physical document, the page, and the selected item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining whether a file path to the edited object in the edited objects table exists on the user workstation and if said ascertaining ascertains that that said file path exists on the user workstation then said ascertaining ascertains that the user has the license.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the edited objects table comprises rows and columns, wherein each row is associated with a unique edited object, and wherein the columns comprise a column for item position, a column for item name, and a column for the file path for accessing the edited object

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user workstation is selected from the group consisting of an Internet enabled cell phone, an Internet appliance, a multimedia Personal Computer (PC), a set-top box, a WebTV, a game console, and a wireless IP enabled device.

13-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A computer program product, comprising having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code including instructions adapted to be executed on a user workstation for carrying out a method for processing edited objects associated with a copyrighted physical document, the method for use by a user, said method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

determining a position of a point pressed on a touch foil of an opto-touch foil aligned over or under a portion of the copyrighted physical document, said portion comprising a plurality of items, said point having been pressed to select an item of the plurality of items during illumination of the plurality of items by a light emitting foil of the opto-touch foil, said pressed point aligned proximate to the selected item;

identifying the selected item by correlating the determined position of the pressed point with a position of the selected item in a list of item positions recorded in an edited objects table that is stored in the user workstation, said list of item positions being associated with the plurality of items on the portion of the physical document;

identifying an edited object in the edited objects table from association of the edited object with the selected item in the edited objects table;

ascertaining whether the user has a license to use and/or copy the edited object; and

if said ascertaining ascertains that the user has the license then accessing the edited object from the user workstation and displaying the edited object, and if said ascertaining ascertains that the user does not have the license then obtaining the license and the edited object from an edited objects server.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said ascertaining ascertains that the user does not have the license, and wherein said obtaining the license and the edited object from the edited objects server comprises:

sending an order for the license to an edited objects server;

receiving the edited object with the license from the edited objects server;

storing the edited object in the user workstation;

updating the edited objects table with a file path for accessing the stored edited object;

indicating in the edited objects table that the user has the license.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said sending the order for the license to the edited objects server comprises sending to the edited objects server a request for information concerning the edited object, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the requested information from the edited objects server; and

displaying or playing the received information concerning the edited object.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the physical document is a printed document comprising at least one page, and wherein the portion of the physical document is a page of the at least one page, and wherein the requested information comprises:

license terms and conditions;

pricing and ordering information; and

an identification of the physical document, the page, and the selected item.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining whether a file path to the edited object in the edited objects table exists on the user workstation and if said ascertaining ascertains that said file path exists on the user workstation then said ascertaining ascertains that the user has the license.

20. A system comprising a user workstation adapted to execute a computer program to implement a method for processing edited objects associated with a copyrighted physical document, said method for use by a user, said method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

determining a position of a point pressed on a touch foil of an opto-touch foil aligned over or under a portion of the copyrighted physical document, said portion comprising a plurality of items, said point having been pressed to select an item of the plurality of items during illumination of the plurality of items by a light emitting foil of the opto-touch foil, said pressed point aligned proximate to the selected item;

identifying the selected item by correlating the determined position of the pressed point with a position of the selected item in a list of item positions recorded in an edited objects table that is stored in the user workstation, said list of item positions being associated with the plurality of items on the portion of the physical document;

identifying an edited object in the edited objects table from association of the edited object with the selected item in the edited objects table;

ascertaining whether the user has a license to use and/or copy the edited object; and

if said ascertaining ascertains that the user has the license then accessing the edited object from the user workstation and displaying the edited object, and if said ascertaining ascertains that the user does not have the license then obtaining the license and the edited object from an edited objects server.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said ascertaining ascertains that the user does not have the license, and wherein said obtaining the license and the edited object from the edited objects server comprises:

sending an order for the license to an edited objects server;

receiving the edited object with the license from the edited objects server;

storing the edited object in the user workstation;

updating the edited objects table with a file path for accessing the stored edited object;

indicating in the edited objects table that the user has the license.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said sending the order for the license to the edited objects server comprises sending to the edited objects server a request for information concerning the edited object, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the requested information from the edited objects server; and

displaying or playing the received information concerning the edited object.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the physical document is a printed document comprising at least one page, and wherein the portion of the physical document is a page of the at least one page, and wherein the requested information comprises:

license terms and conditions;

pricing and ordering information; and

an identification of the physical document, the page, and the selected item.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining whether a file path to the edited object in the edited objects table exists on the user workstation and if said ascertaining ascertains that said file path exists on the user workstation then said ascertaining ascertains that the user has the license.