User accessibility to electronic paper

• US 7,669,245 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2005
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Levien, Royce A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cervetti; David Garcia
• Application Number:
  US11/149,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20060282903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• Field of Search: 726/27, 705/51
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect

Abstract

A system and method helps to control “read” and/or “write” access to electronic paper (e-paper). Informational data may be on a restricted portion of e-paper material that is protected by a security methodology accessible to authorized entities. Some embodiments maintain a record of access activity regarding the restricted portion, and a record of access activity regarding use of an item or product or service related to the e-paper informational data. Some implementations include an authorization listing of a person or entity having a particular access privilege or a supervisory privilege to make authorization and data changes. Authorization records may involve an access privilege to receive a status output regarding prior access activity and/or current status.

Claims

1. A method for limiting access to a portion of electronic paper material, said method comprising:

providing an electronic paper document associated with an item or product or service, wherein the electronic paper document includes a restricted portion having usage information related to the item or product or service;

enabling one or more authorized persons to have an access privilege to the restricted portion in accordance with a predetermined security methodology;

enabling one or more authorized persons to have an access privilege for usage of the item or product or service associated with the electronic paper document, wherein the item or product or service associated with the electronic paper document is inaccessible without the access privilege for usage; and

making a record of access activity regarding the restricted portion.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said making the record of access activity includes:

making a record of “

read”

access activity regarding the restricted portion.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said making the record of access activity includes:

making a record of “

write”

access activity regarding the restricted portion.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said enabling one or more authorized persons to have an access privilege includes:

enabling one or more authorized persons to have only “

read”

access to the restricted portion.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said enabling one or more authorized persons to have an access privilege includes:

enabling one or more authorized persons to have both “

read” and

“

write”

access to the restricted portion.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the enabling one or more authorized persons to have an access privilege for usage of the item or product or service associated with the electronic paper document further comprises:

providing a communication link with a package or container for the item or product or service to facilitate access by one or more authorized persons to the item or product or service.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

making a record of usage activity regarding the associated item or product or service.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said enabling one or more authorized persons includes:

enabling one or more authorized persons to have “

read”

access to the restricted portion and “

use”

access to the associated item or product or service.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said enabling one or more authorized persons to have an access privilege includes:

enabling one or more authorized persons to have both “

read” and

“

write”

access to the restricted portion, and also to have “

use”

access to the associated item or product or service.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a status output based on one or more of the following;

authorization access table, a record of “

read”

access activity regarding the restricted portion;

a record of “

write”

access activity regarding the restricted portion;

a record of usage activity regarding the associated item or product or service;

supervisory authority listing, a record of authorized user listing changes, a record of authorized “

read”

access listing changes;

a record of authorized “

write”

access listing changes; and

a record of restricted portion data changes.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

enabling one or more authorized persons to have an additional access privilege to the status output.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

enabling one or more authorized persons to receive the following types of status output;

real time status readout data;

real time status summary;

email status readout data;

webpage status readout data; and

periodic status readout summary.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

maintaining a database record of one or more of the following;

restricted portion authorization listing;

restricted portion “

write”

authorization listing;

restricted portion “

read”

authorization listing;

restricted “

use”

authorization listing for item or product or service;

restricted portion access log;

restricted portion “

write”

access log;

restricted portion “

read”

access log;

item usage log;

product usage log;

service usage log; and

security methodology.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said enabling one or more authorized persons to have an access privilege includes:

providing restricted logon privileges to one or more authorized persons for “

read” and

/or “

write”

access to the restricted portion.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said enabling an access privilege to the restricted portion includes:

enabling an access privilege based on one or more of the following types of security methodology;

password, confidential user ID, personal identification number (PIN), unique access identity, coding scheme, cipher, key, algorithm, and encryption.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing at least one supervisor with change authority to add or delete a person with the access privilege to the restricted portion.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

making a record of change activity adding or deleting the person with the access privilege to the restricted portion.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing at least one supervisor with change authority to add or delete a person with the access privilege to use the associated item or product or service.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

making a record of change activity adding or deleting the person with the access privilege to use the associated item or product or service.

20. A system for controlling access to electronic paper material, the system comprising:

electronic paper material with usage information that is protected by a predetermined security methodology, wherein the usage information relates to an item or product or service;

an authorization record that identifies a person or entity authorized to have access to the usage information on the electronic paper material;

an authorization record that identifies a person or entity authorized for restricted use of the item or product or service associated with the electronic paper document, wherein the item or product or service associated with the electronic paper document is inaccessible without the access privilege for usage; and

an activity record of one or more of the following;

“

write”

access activity regarding the usage information;

“

read”

access activity regarding the usage information;

“

use”

access activity regarding the related item or product or service;

change activity adding the person or entity authorized to have access to the usage information;

change activity deleting the person or entity authorized to have access to the usage information;

change activity adding a designated person or entity approved for restrictive use of the item or product or service; and

change activity deleting the designated person or entity approved for restrictive use of the item or product or service.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said authorization record further includes:

a listing that identifies a person or entity approved for restricted “

write”

access regarding the usage information on said electronic paper material.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein said authorization record further includes:

a listing that identifies a person or entity approved for restricted “

read”

access regarding the usage information on said electronic paper material.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein said authorization record further includes:

a listing that identifies at least one supervisor with change authority to add or delete the person approved for access to the usage information on the electronic paper material.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein said electronic paper material further includes:

electronic paper with usage information protected by an access privilege based on one or more of the following types of security methodology;

password, confidential user ID, personal identification number (PIN), unique access identity, coding scheme, cipher, key, algorithm, and encryption.

25. The system of claim 20 wherein said activity record further includes:

a database record of one or more of the following categories;

restricted “

write”

access authorization;

restricted “

read”

access authorization;

restricted “

write”

access log;

restricted “

read”

access log;

restricted item usage log;

restricted product usage log;

restricted service usage log;

authorization change log; and

security methodology.

26. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

a communication link with a package or container for the item or product or service to facilitate access by a person or entity to the item or product or service.

27. The system of claim 20 wherein said authorization record further includes:

a listing that identifies at least one supervisor with change authority to add or delete the person or entity approved for restricted use of the item or product or service.

28. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

another security methodology that enables restricted use of the item or product or service.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the another security methodology that enables the restricted use includes:

a restricted use privilege based on one or more of the following types of security methodology;

password, confidential user ID, personal identification number (PIN), unique access identity, coding scheme, cipher, key, algorithm, and encryption.

30. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

a status output indicator operably coupled to said activity record.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said authorization record further includes:

a listing that identifies a person or entity authorized to receive information provided by the status output indicator.

32. The system of claim 31 further comprising:

a listing that identifies at least one supervisor with change authority to add or delete the person or entity approved for receiving information provided by the status output indicator.

33. An electronic paper device comprising:

electronic paper material capable of storing informational usage data regarding a related item or product, wherein said electronic paper material is associatable with or attachable to the item or product or a package or container for the item or product;

a communication channel on said electronic paper material that allows an authorized party to have “

write”

access and/or “

read”

access to a restricted portion of said electronic paper material from a location separated from said electronic paper material, in accordance with a predetermined security methodology that limits “

write” and

/or “

read”

access to an authorized party; and

an external communication link to the item or product or to the package or container for the item or product, to facilitate an approved party to have restricted “

use”

access to the item or product in accordance with a given security methodology, wherein the item or product is inaccessible without the restricted “

use”

access.

34. The device of claim 33 further comprising:

a controller/driver module operably coupled to said communication channel of said electronic paper material to facilitate the “

write”

access and/or “

read”

access to the restricted portion of said electronic paper material.

35. The device of claim 33 further comprising:

a transceiver operably coupled to said communication channel of said electronic paper material to receive and/or transmit “

write”

access signals and “

read”

access signals with respect to informational usage data on the restricted portion of said electronic paper material.

36. The device of claim 33 further comprising:

a power source operably coupled to said electronic paper material to facilitate the “

write”

access and/or “

read”

access with respect to the restricted portion of said electronic paper material.

37. The device of claim 33 wherein the external communication link includes:

a wireless communication link.

38. The device of claim 33 wherein the given security methodology includes a protected restricted “

use”

privilege based on one or more of the following types of security methodology;

password, confidential user ID, personal identification number (PIN), unique access identity, coding scheme, cipher, key, algorithm, and encryption.

39. The device of claim 33 further comprising:

an external communication link to said communication channel on said electronic paper material to facilitate the “

write”

access and/or the “

read”

access to the restricted portion of said electronic paper material.

40. The device of claim 39 wherein the external communication link includes:

a wireless communication link.

41. The device of claim 33 wherein said electronic paper material further includes:

electronic paper with usage material protected by an access privilege based on one or more of the following types of security methodology;

password, confidential user ID, personal identification number (PIN), unique access identity, coding scheme, cipher, key, algorithm, and encryption.

42. A computerized system for electronic paper data access and related usages, comprising:

an electronic paper document that includes informational usage data for a related item or product or service, wherein the informational usage data is protected by a predetermined security methodology;

a server system having a communication link with said electronic paper document;

a database operationally coupled with said server system, said database including first access authorization records regarding “

read”

access and/or “

write”

access to the informational usage data, said database further including second access authorization records regarding actual use of the related item or product or service, wherein the item or product or service is inaccessible without an access authorization record for actual use; and

an interface means capable of operable connection with said server system to help facilitate operational benefits of the first access and second access authorization records in accordance with the predetermined security methodology.

43. The computerized system of claim 42 wherein said interface means includes one or more of the following:

an output device for enabling an authorized party to have “

read”

access to the informational usage data incorporated on the electronic paper document;

an input device for enabling an authorized party to have “

write”

access to the informational usage data incorporated on the electronic paper document;

an output device for enabling an authorized party to receive a status output regarding “

read” and

/or “

write”

activity regarding the informational usage data; and

an output device for enabling an authorized party to receive a status output regarding actual “

use”

activity involving the related item or product or service.

44. A computer program product comprising:

(a) program instructions configured to perform a process that associates information in a computer system, the process including

maintaining an authorization database record that identifies a person or entity that has a “

read”

access privilege with respect to a restricted portion of an electronic paper document, wherein the restricted portion includes informational usage data regarding a related item or product or service;

maintaining another authorization database record that identifies a person or entity that has a “

write”

access privilege with respect to the restricted portion of the electronic paper document; and

maintaining a further authorization database record that identifies a person or entity that has a “

use”

access privilege with respect to the related item or product or service, wherein the related item or product or service is inaccessible without the “

use”

access privilege; and

(b) a computer-readable storage media bearing the program instructions.

45. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the process further comprises:

maintaining an activity database record regarding one or more of the following categories;

“

read”

access activity regarding the restricted portion;

“

write”

access activity regarding the restricted portion;

a change regarding a person or entity having a “

read”

access privilege;

a change regarding a person or entity having a “

write”

access privilege;

“

use”

activity regarding the related item or product or service; and

a change regarding a person or entity having a “

use”

access privilege.

46. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the process further comprises:

generating a status output to an approved person or entity regarding prior activity and/or current status with respect to one or more of the following;

“

read”

access regarding the restricted portion of the electronic paper document;

“

write”

access regarding the restricted portion of the electronic paper document;

“

use”

access regarding the related item or product or service.

47. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the process further comprises:

managing the aforesaid “

read”

access privilege, “

write”

access privilege, and “

use”

access privilege based on one or more of the following types of security methodology;

password, confidential user ID, personal identification number (PIN), unique access identity, coding scheme, cipher, key, algorithm, and encryption.