Access usage data storing and transmitting program and storage medium

• US 7,231,589 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamagata, Junichi, Kunieda, Takayuki, Wakita, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon; Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blackwell; James H
• Application Number:
  US10/446,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20040030729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500, 715/751, 715/741, 715/745, 717/178, 709/223, 709/225, 705/51, 705/53, 705/14, 713/181, 713/193, 713/18, 713/19, 713/32, 726/27, 726/2, 726/7, 726/22, 726/23, 726/24, 707/104, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00188 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised devices recording or reproducing contents to/from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00695 said measures preventing that data are read from the recording medium
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00702 said measures preventing that data are recorded on the recording medium

Abstract

An external storage medium storing a computer readable access control program and a plurality of files. The access control program performs a first accessing process permitting a computer to access only the access control program when the computer attempts to access any of the files. A file view process is performed so as to display a view of the files when the computer accesses the information via the access control program. A second accessing process is performed when the computer accesses the information via the access control program while a user designates a prescribed file from the file view. The access control program stores information related to accessing executed by the second accessing process in the storage medium as access usage information.

Claims

1. A storage medium storing a computer readable access control program and a plurality of files, said access control program containing instructions for causing a computer to perform the acts of:

permitting, during a first accessing process, a computer access only to the access control program when a computer attempts to access the plurality of files stored in said storage medium;

displaying a view of the plurality of files stored in said storage medium, when the access control program is executed; and

allowing the computer access to the plurality of files during a second accessing process, when the computer accesses the plurality of files via the access control program, in response to selection of a prescribed file from said view of the plurality of files.

2. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein said access control program contains instructions for causing said computer to store information related to accessing executed by the second accessing process in the storage medium as access usage information.

3. The storage medium according to claim 2, wherein said information includes at least a name of a file accessed and a number of times the file is accessed by the second accessing process.

4. The storage medium according to claim 2, wherein said access control program contains instructions for causing said computer to perform the act of transmitting the access information stored in the storage medium to a prescribed location in a network.

5. The storage medium according to claim 4, wherein said prescribed location is a Web server.

6. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein said Web server is operated by a supplier of the storage medium.

7. The storage medium according to claim 4, wherein said transmitting process is performed with consent of a user.

8. The storage medium according to claim 4, wherein said transmitting process is automatically performed periodically.

9. The storage medium according to claim 4, wherein said transmitting process is performed in response to an input device entry.

10. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein said access control program contains instructions for causing said computer to display information related to an award on a display, said award being offered to encourage consent to transmission of said access usage information to a Web server.

11. The storage medium according to claim 4, wherein consent is obtained by receiving messages indicating a request for consent, displayed on a display in accordance with the access control program, is acknowledged.

12. A computer readable access control program stored in a storage medium together with a plurality of files, said access control program containing instructions for causing a computer to perform the acts of:

permitting a computer to access only the access control program when the computer attempts to access information contained in the plurality of files;

displaying a view of the plurality of files when the access control program is executed; and

allowing the computer to access the information contained in the plurality of files as a second accessing process when the computer accesses the information, via the access control program, in response to selection of a prescribed file from said view of the plurality of files.

13. The computer readable access control program according to claim 12, wherein said access control program contains instructions for causing said computer to store information related to accessing executed by the second accessing process in the storage medium as access usage information.

14. The computer readable access control program according to claim 13, wherein said information includes at least a name of a file accessed and a number of times the file is accessed by the second accessing process.

15. The computer readable computer readable access control program according to claim 13, wherein said access control program contains instructions for causing said computer to perform the act of transmitting the access information stored in the storage medium to a prescribed location in a network.

16. The computer readable access control program according to claim 15, wherein said prescribed location is a Web server.

17. The computer readable access control program according to claim 15, wherein said transmitting process is performed with consent of a user.

18. The computer readable access control program according to claim 15, wherein said transmitting process is automatically performed, periodically.

19. The computer readable access control program according to claim 15, wherein said transmitting process is performed in response to an input device entry.

20. The computer readable access control program according to claim 19, wherein said access control program contains instructions for causing said computer to display information related to an award on a display, said award being offered to encourage consent to transmission of said access usage information to a Web server.

21. The computer readable access control program according to claim 16, wherein said Web server is operated by a supplier of the storage medium.

22. The computer readable access control program according to claim 15, wherein said consent is obtained by receiving messages indicating request for consent displayed on the display in accordance with the access control program is acknowledged.

23. A method for controlling and recording access to files comprising:

executing a computer readable access control program, wherein said computer readable access control program during execution causes a computer to perform the acts of;

permitting access only to said access control program when attempt is made to access said files;

displaying a view of said files when the access control program is executed; and

allowing access to said files in response to a selection of one of said files from said view of said files.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said computer readable access control program during execution further causes said computer to perform the act of storing usage information related to accessing said selected file.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said usage information includes at least a name of said files accessed and a number of times said file was accessed.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein said computer readable access control program during execution further causes said computer to perform the act of transmitting said stored usage information to a prescribed location in a network.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein said location in a network is a Web server.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein said access control program during execution causes said computer to display information related to an award, said award being offered to encourage consent to transmission of said access usage information to a Web server.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein said Web server is operated by a supplier of a storage medium on which said files are stored.

30. The method according to claim 26, wherein said transmitting is performed periodically.

31. The method according to claim 23, wherein said files are stored on a storage medium.

32. A method of transmitting access usage information comprising:

recording access usage information by an access control program on a storage medium;

encouraging consent to said transmitting of said access usage information by offering premiums; and

forwarding said access usage information to a Web server via the Internet.

33. A system for controlling and recording access to files comprising:

a processor;

a storage medium for storing data files and an access log file; and

an access control program, wherein said access control program causes said processor to perform the following acts when invoked;

permitting access only to said access control program when attempt is made to access said files;

displaying a view of said files when the access control program is executed; and

allowing access to said files in response to a selection of one of said files from said view of said files.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein said access control program is stored on said storage medium in computer readable form.