DATA STORAGE AND ACCESS SYSTEMS

• US 20110066525A1
• Filed: 11/10/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smartflash LLC
• Original Assignee: Smartflash Technologies Limited
• Inventors: RACZ, Patrick Sandor, Hulst, Hermen-ard
• Granted Patent: US 8,118,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/61 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/0797 using dedicated hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/065 for conductive marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0457 the tickets being sent electronically
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/351 Virtual cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 : Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 : about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 : Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 : by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 : the copy protection signal being a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 : the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 : Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

Data storage and access systems enable downloading and paying for data such as audio and video data, text, software, games and other types of data. A portable data carrier has an interface for sending and receiving data, data memory for storing received content data, and payment validation memory for providing payment validation data to an external device. The carrier may also store a record of access made to the stored content, and content use rules for controlling access to the stored content. Embodiments store further access control data and supplementary data such as hot links to web sites and/or advertising data. A complementary data access terminal, data supply computer system, and data access device are also described. The combination of payment data and stored content data and use rule data helps reduce the risk of unauthorized access to data such as compressed music and video data, especially over the Internet.

Claims

1. A method of providing portable data comprising:

providing a portable data storage device including downloaded data storage means and payment validation means;

providing a terminal for Internet access;

coupling the portable data storage device to the terminal;

reading payment information from the payment validation means using the terminal;

validating the payment information; and

downloading data into the portable storage device from a data supplier.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising writing updated payment information into the payment validation means.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising communicating a result of the payment information validating to the data supplier.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising controlling access by the terminal to data from the data supplier using a control data processing system coupled to the Internet.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the control data processing system performs said validating of the payment information.

6. A method as claimed according to claim 1 wherein said coupling is performed by a mobile data retrieval device comprising:

a removable data storage means;

data access means, to access downloaded data on the data storage means;

storage interface means adapted to couple the data storage and data access means; and

data output means to output data derived from the downloaded data, to a user of the device.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

writing into the data storage device data relating to past use made of the downloaded data including at least one of data identifying downloaded data items, data identifying data suppliers used, and characterizing a user spending pattern.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said portable data storage device comprises an electronic memory card or smart card.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the downloaded data comprises at least one of compressed audio data and compressed video data.

10. A portable data carrier comprising:

a processor operable to execute instructions to generate an interface for reading and writing data from and to the carrier;

non-volatile data memory, coupled to the interface, for storing data on the carrier; and

non-volatile payment data memory, coupled to the interface, for providing payment data to an external device.

11. A portable data carrier as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

a program store storing code implementable by a processor; and

a processor, coupled to the content data memory, the payment data memory, the interface and to the program store for implementing code in the program store,

wherein the code comprises code to output payment data from the payment data memory to the interface and code to provide external access to the data memory.

12. A portable data carrier as claimed in claim 11, further comprising non-volatile use record memory, coupled to the processor, for storing a record of access made to the data memory and code to update the use record memory in response to external access made to the data memory.

13. A portable data carrier as claimed in claim 12, further comprising non-volatile use rule memory, coupled to the processor for storing data use rules,

wherein the code further comprises code for storing at least one data item in the data memory and at least one corresponding use rule in the use rule memory and code to provide external access to the data item in accordance with the use rule.

14. A portable data carrier as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a non-volatile access control memory coupled to the processor, for storing access control data and wherein said code to provide external access to the data memory includes code to receive access request data from the interface, code to determine access permission using the stored access control data and code to provide external access to the data memory in response to the result of the determination.

15. A portable data carrier as claimed in claim 14, further comprising non-volatile access record data memory, coupled to the processor, for storing a record of requests for external access to the data memory and wherein said code further comprises code to compare said access record data and said access request data and to erase stored content data in response to a result of said comparison.

16. A portable data carrier as claimed in claim 11, configured for storing supplementary data in said data memory and further comprising code to output the supplementary data from the interface in addition to the stored data, in response to an external request to read the data memory.

17. A portable data carrier as claimed in claim 11, further comprising data synthesis code to receive a first portion of data from the interface and to combine the first portion with a second portion of data stored in the data memory and to store the result in the data memory.

18. A portable data carrier as claimed in claim 10, further comprising non-volatile communications parameter memory for storing data for accessing a communications network to receive data from the communications network for storage in the data memory.

19. A portable data carrier as claimed in claim 10, wherein the data memory is partitioned for access on a block-by-block basis, each block comprising a plurality of data bytes read or written as a set.

20. A portable data carrier as claimed in claim 10 wherein said data memory has a capacity of greater than 1 MByte, more preferably greater than 100 MBytes, and most preferably greater than 1 GByte.

21. A portable data carrier as claimed in claim 10 substantially configured as an IC card or smart card.

22. A method of controlling access to data on a data carrier, the data carrier comprising non-volatile data memory and non-volatile parameter memory storing use status data and use rules, the method comprising:

receiving a data access request;

reading the use status data and use rules from memory; and

evaluating the use status data using the use rules to determine whether access to the stored data is permitted.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22 wherein said parameter memory further stores payment data and further comprising selecting a said use rule dependent upon said payment data.

24. A computer system for providing data to a data requester, the system comprising:

a communication interface;

a data access data store for storing records of data items available from the system, each record comprising a data item description and a pointer to a data provider for the data item;

a program store storing code implementable by a processor;

a processor coupled to the communications interface, to the data access data store, and to the program store for implementing the stored code, the code comprising;

code to receive a request for a data item from the requester;

code to receive from the communications interface payment data comprising data relating to payment for the requested data item;

code responsive to the request and to the received payment data, to read data for the requested data item from a content provider; and

code to transmit the read data to the requester over the communications interface.

25. A computer system as claimed in claim 24, wherein said data access data store further comprises payment distribution information indicating to whom payments should be made for a data item;

and further comprising code to output payment data for a data item for making payments for the item when the item is supplied to a said requester.

26. A computer system as claimed in claim 24, wherein said data access data store further comprises data item access rule data for output to the requester with said data item.

27. A computer system as claimed in claim 26, further comprising code to select access rule data for output with a data item in response to said payment data.

28. A computer system as claimed in claim 27, wherein said data access data store further comprises requester reward data associated with a said data item, and said code further comprises code to update said reward data in response to said payment data.

29. A computer system as claimed in claim 24, further comprising an access control data store coupled to said processor for storing access control data comprising a requester identifier, corresponding requester system access data and payment system data for identifying a payment system for use by the requester.

30. A computer system as claimed in claim 24, further comprising content synthesis code to generate substantially complete item data from partial item data provided from two or more sources.

31. A method of providing data to a data requester comprising:

receiving a request for a data item from the requester;

receiving payment data from the requester relating to payment for the requested data;

reading the requested data from a content provider responsive to the received payment data; and

transmitting the read data to the requester.

32. A method of providing data to a data requester as claimed in claim 31, further comprising:

reading payment distribution information from a data store; and

outputting payment data to a payment system for distributing the payment for the requested data.

33. A method of providing data to a data requester as claimed in claim 31, further comprising:

transmitting data access rule data to the requester with the read data.

34. A method of providing data to a data requester as claimed in claim 33, further comprising:

selecting said access rule data dependent upon said payment data.

35. A data access terminal for retrieving data from a data supplier and providing the retrieved data to a data carrier, the terminal comprising:

a first interface for communicating with the data supplier;

a data carrier interface for interfacing with the data carrier;

a program store storing code implementable by a processor; and

a processor, coupled to the first interface, to the data carrier interface and to the program store for implementing the stored code, the code comprising;

code to read payment data from the data carrier and to forward the payment data to a payment validation system;

code to receive payment validation data from the payment validation system;

code responsive to the payment validation data to retrieve data from the data supplier and to write the retrieved data into the data carrier.

36. A data access terminal as claimed in claim 35, further comprising code to transmit at least a portion of the payment validation data to the data supplier or to a destination received from the data supplier.

37. A data access terminal as claimed in claim 35, further comprising code to retrieve from the data supplier and output to a user-stored data identifier data and associated value data and use rule data for a data item available from the data supplier.

38. A data access terminal as claimed in claim 37, further comprising code to write use rule data for a data item into the data carrier with the associated data item.

39. A data access terminal as claimed in claim 37, further comprising code to read a stored value from the data carrier, code to compare said stored value with said value data;

and code to provide a modified output to a user of one or more of said stored data identifier data, said value data and said use rule data, in response to a result of the comparison.

40. A data access terminal according to claim 35, further comprising code for user input of access control data, code to output the access control data to the data carrier, code to receive access permission data from the card, and code to output data to the user in response to the received access permission data.

41. A data access terminal as claimed in claim 40, further comprising code to output a data erasure warning in response to the received access permission data.

42. A data access terminal according to claim 35, further comprising code to read reward data from the data carrier and to write modified reward data to the data carrier in response to said retrieval of data from the data supplier.

43. A data access terminal according to claim 35, further comprising:

code to read identity data from the data carrier;

code to transmit the identity data to the data supplier;

code to receive user characterizing data from the data supplier;

code to retrieve supplementary data in response to said characterizing data; and

code to output the supplementary data.

44. A data access terminal according to claim 35, further comprising a cash input device coupled to the processor, to provide cash input value data;

and code to update payment data in the data carrier, in accordance with the cash input value data.

45. A data access terminal according to claim 35 integrated with at least one of a mobile communication device, a personal computer, an audio/video player, and a cable or satellite television interface device.

46. A method of providing data from a data supplier to a data carrier, the method comprising:

reading payment data from the data carrier;

forwarding the payment data to a payment validation system;

retrieving data from the data supplier; and

writing the retrieved data into the date carrier.

47. A method of providing data from a data supplier according to claim 46, further comprising:

receiving payment validation data from the payment validation system; and

transmitting at least a portion of the payment validation data to the data supplier.

48. A method of providing data as claimed in claim 47, wherein the payment validation system comprises a payment processor at the data supplier.

49. A method of providing data as claimed in claim 46, further comprising:

retrieving from the data supplier a stored data item identifier and associated value data and use rule data; and

writing use rule data for the data item into the data carrier.

50. A method of providing data as claimed in claim 48, further comprising:

reading a stored value from the data carrier;

comparing the stored value with said value data; and

outputting to a user information indicating the result of said comparing.

51. A data access device for retrieving stored data from a data carrier, the device comprising:

a user interface;

a data carrier interface;

a program store storing code implementable by a processor; and

a processor coupled to the user interface, to the data carrier interface and to the program store for implementing the stored code, the code comprising;

code to retrieve use status data indicating a use status of data stored on the carrier, and use rules data indicating permissible use of data stored on the carrier;

code to evaluate the use status data using the use rules data to determine whether access is permitted to the stored data; and

code to access the stored data when access is permitted.

52. A data access device according to claim 51, further comprising code to write updated use status data to the carrier after user access to the stored data.

53. A data access device as claimed in claim 51, further comprising user access control code to input user access data, to transmit the user access data to the carrier, and to receive from the carrier user access permission data.

54. A data access device according to claim 53, further comprising code to select the use status and use rules data using the user access data.

55. A data access device as claimed in claim 53, further comprising code to retrieve and output supplementary data to the user.

56. A data access device according to claim 51 wherein said use rules permit partial use of a data item stored on the carrier and further comprising code to write partial use status data to the data carrier when only part of a stored data item has been accessed.

57. A data access device according to claim 51 wherein the device is portable and the data carrier interface is configured for interfacing with a removable data carrier.

58. A method of controlling access to data from a data carrier, comprising:

retrieving use status data from the data carrier indicating past use of the stored data;

retrieving use rules from the data carrier;

evaluating the use status data using the use rules to determine whether access to data stored on the carrier is permitted; and

permitting access to the data on the data carrier dependent on the result of said evaluating.

59. A method of controlling access according to claim 58, further comprising:

writing updated use status data to the carrier after an access attempt.

60. A method of controlling access according to claim 59, wherein said use rules permit partial access to a data item and wherein said writing writes a record of what part of the data item has been accessed when only part of the data item has been accessed.

61. A method of controlling access according to claim 58, further comprising:

inputting a user access data;

selecting the use rules dependent upon the user access data.

62. A data access system, comprising:

a data supply computer system for forwarding data from a data provider to a data access terminal;

an electronic payment system for confirming an electronic payment;

a data access terminal for communicating with the data supply system to write data from the data supply system onto a data carrier; and

a data carrier for storing data from the data supply system and payment data;

wherein data is forwarded from the data provider to the data carrier on validation of payment data provided from the data carrier to the electronic payment system.

63. A data access system according to claim 62, further comprising a payment distribution store and wherein the electronic payment system makes payments according to data in the payment distribution store associated with the forwarded data on confirmation of the payment and/or provision of the forwarded data to the card.

64. A data access system according to claim 63, further comprising a data use rule data store and wherein data use rule data is provided to the data carrier with the forwarded data for controlling user access to the forwarded data.

65. A data access system according to claim 64 wherein the data use rule data is selected dependent upon the payment data.

66. A portable data carrier comprising:

an interface for sending and receiving data from and to the carrier;

non-volatile data memory, coupled to the interface, for storing data on the carrier; and

a digital rights management processor for controlling access to the stored data.

67. A portable data carrier comprising:

an interface for sending and receiving data from and to the carrier;

non-volatile data memory, coupled to the interface, for storing data on the carrier; and

an access control processor;

wherein the data memory is partitioned as data blocks and the access control processor controls external access to the data blocks.

68. A computer system for providing data to a data requester, the system comprising:

a communication interface;

a data access data store for storing records of data items available from the system, each record comprising a data item description and a resource locator identifying a data provider for the data item;

a program store storing code implementable by a processor;

a processor coupled to the communications interface, to the data access data store, and to the program store for implementing the stored code, the code comprising;

code to receive a request for a data item from the requester;

code to receive from the communications interface payment data comprising data relating to payment for the requested data item;

code, responsive to the request and to the received payment data to output the item data to the requester over the communication interface, the data access data store storing payment distribution information indicating to whom payments should be made for a data item; and

code to output payment data for a data item for making payments for the item when the item is supplied to a said requester.

69. A computer system for providing data to a data requester, the system comprising:

a communication interface;

a data access data store for storing records of data items available from the system, each record comprising a data item description and location data identifying an electronic address for a provider for the data item;

a program store storing code implementable by a processor;

a processor coupled to the communications interface, to the data access data store, and to the program store for implementing the stored code, the code comprising;

code to receive a request for a data item from the requester;

code to receive from the communications interface payment data comprising data relating to payment for the requested data item;

code responsive to the request and to the received payment data to output the item data to the requester over the communication interface, the data access data store storing data item access rule data for output to the requester with a said data item; and

code to select access rule data for output with a data item in response to said payment data.

70. A method of providing data to a data requester comprising:

receiving a request for a data item from the requester;

receiving payment data from the requester relating to payment for the requested data;

transmitting the requested data to the requester;

reading payment distribution information from a data store; and

outputting payment data to a payment system for distributing the payment for the requested data.

71. A method of providing data to a data requester comprising:

receiving a request for a data item from the requester;

receiving payment data from the requester relating to payment for the requested data;

transmitting the requested data to the requester; and

transmitting data access rule data to the requester with the read data.

72. A method of controlling access to content data on a data carrier, the data carrier comprising non-volatile data memory capable of storing content and non-volatile parameter memory storing use status data and use rules, the method comprising:

receiving a data access request from a user for at least one content item of the content data stored in the non-volatile data memory;

reading the use status data and use rules from the parameter memory that pertain to use of the at least one requested content item;

evaluating the use status data using the use rules to determine whether access to the at least one requested content item stored in the content memory is permitted; and

providing the user with a response which enables the user to discern whether access is permitted for each of the at least one requested content item stored in the non-volatile data memory,

wherein said parameter memory is further capable of storing payment data and further capable of selecting one of said use rules dependent upon said payment data.

73. A data access terminal for retrieving data from a data supplier and providing the retrieved data to a data carrier, the terminal comprising:

a first interface for communicating with the data supplier;

a data carrier interface for interfacing with the data carrier;

a program store storing code; and

a processor coupled to the first interface, the data carrier interface, and the program store for implementing the stored code, the code comprising;

code to read payment data from the data carrier and to forward the payment data to a payment validation system;

code to receive payment validation data from the payment validation system;

code responsive to the payment validation data to retrieve data from the data supplier and to write the retrieved data into the data carrier;

code responsive to the payment validation data to receive at least one access rule from the data supplier and to write the at least one access rule into the data carrier, the at least one access rule specifying at least one condition for accessing the retrieved data written into the data carrier, the at least one condition being dependent upon the amount of payment associated with the payment data forwarded to the payment validation system; and

code to retrieve from the data supplier and output to a user-stored data identifier data and associated value data and use rule data for a data item available from the data supplier.

74. A physical data carrier carrying computer program code to, when running:

read payment data from the data carrier and to forward the payment data to a payment validation system;

receive payment validation data from the payment validation system;

responsive to the payment validation data to retrieve data from the data supplier and to write the retrieved data into the data carrier; and

responsive to the payment validation data to receive at least one access rule from the data supplier and to write the at least one access rule into the data carrier, the at least one access rule specifying at least one condition for accessing the retrieved data written into the data carrier, the at least one condition being dependent upon the amount of payment associated with the payment data forwarded to the payment validation system; and

retrieve from the data supplier and output to a user-stored data identifier data and associated value data and use rule data for a data item available from the data supplier.

75. A data access terminal for retrieving data from a data supplier and providing the retrieved data to a data carrier, the terminal comprising:

a first interface for communicating with the data supplier;

a data carrier interface for interfacing with the data carrier;

a program store storing the code of claim 74; and

a processor coupled to the first interface, the data carrier interface, and the program store for implementing the stored code.

76. A method of controlling access to content data on a data carrier, the data carrier comprising non-volatile data memory storing content memory and non-volatile parameter memory storing use status data and use rules, the method comprising:

receiving a data access request from a user for at least one content item of the content data stored in the non-volatile data memory;

reading the use status data and use rules from the parameter memory that pertain to use of the at least one requested content item;

evaluating the use status data using the use rules to determine whether access to the at least one requested content item stored in the content memory is permitted; and

displaying to the user whether access is permitted for each of the at least one requested content item stored in the non-volatile data memory.