Information record infrastructure, system and method

• US 8,498,941 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2009
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: David Paul Felsher
• Inventors: Felsher, David Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nigh, James D
• Application Number:
  US12/507,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 705/50
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records

Abstract

A data security apparatus and method for controlling access to records provided within automated electronic databases, each record having an associated set of access rules, comprising: receiving, by a security processor, a request for access to records associated with at least one of an entity, attribute, and datum from a requestor; determining a set of records associated with the requested entity, attribute, or datum, contained in the automated electronic databases; authorizing access to the records within the determined set of records based on compliance with the associated set of access rules; defining an economic compensation rule, satisfaction of which is required for qualification for access to the set of records; selectively permitting access to records in dependence on satisfaction of the compensation rule; communicating the access permissions to the host automated electronic databases; and logging the request for retrieval and a respective access of each record.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access to a plurality of records provided within a plurality of automated electronic databases, each record having an associated set of access rules, comprising:

receiving a request from a requestor, the requestor having at least one attribute;

searching the plurality of automated electronic databases to find records in dependence on the request and on connections between respective records;

applying a set of access rules associated with each found record by at least one automated processor, to produce a set of accessible records;

linking the set of accessible records into an information polymer using a server device;

applying at least one compensation rule by at least one automated processor, dependent on the at least one attribute of the requestor;

logging at least the request for access by at least one automated processor; and

communicating the information polymer to the requestor.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising imposing a restriction on redistribution of at least one record of the information polymer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein found records associated with a respective entity are stored in the plurality of automated electronic databases, and a database index separate from the plurality of records stores the set of access rules for each respective record.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one compensation rule comprises at least two economic compensation rules which each require that advertising be included along with the information polymer, and wherein the set of access rules provide a plurality of respective rules which are independent of each other.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein information for defining the at least one compensation rule is communicated from the at least one automated electronic database to a central processor, further comprising accounting for the satisfaction of the at least one compensation rule.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating the information polymer to the requestor through the Internet in an encrypted form.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a set of access permissions, dependent on the correspondence of the at least one attribute of the requestor with the set of access rules, are communicated in the form of at least one electronic token to at least one automated electronic database.

8. An apparatus adapted for controlling access to a plurality of records provided within a plurality of automated electronic databases, each record having an associated set of access rules, comprising:

an input port configured to receive a request for access to one or more records associated with at least one entity from a requestor having at least one attribute; and

at least one processor configured to automatically;

define a query based on the received request;

send the query to the plurality of automated electronic databases;

determine a set of records associated with the at least one entity contained in each respective automated electronic database based on the query and connections between respective records identified by the query;

implement at least one compensation rule dependent on the at least one attribute of the requestor;

aggregate the determined set of records based on the received responses;

communicate, through a communications port, the aggregation of the determined set of records, available to the requestor in dependence on the access rules, from the plurality of automated electronic databases; and

log at least the request for access to the one or more records.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a set of access permissions are configured to control the aggregation of the set of records into an information polymer, wherein the associated set of access rules controlling access to at least two of the records provide respective rules which are independent of each other.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a database index separate from the plurality of records stores the set of access rules for each respective record.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the query represents at least one of an identity of the entity, an attribute of the entity, or a datum corresponding to the entity.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive, from an electronic database storing a respective record, at least one access rule associated with that record, and to apply the received access rule to determine compliance.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one compensation rule requires that advertising be included along with the aggregation of the determined set of records, and the at least one processor is configured to receive advertising information for inclusion along with the aggregation of the determined set of records and to account for satisfaction of the at least one compensation rule.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive an electronic payment or electronic payment obligation from the requestor based on the at least one compensation rule.

15. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to communicate access permissions in the form of at least one electronic token to each of a plurality of automated electronic databases.

16. A method for controlling access to a plurality of records provided within a plurality of automated electronic databases, each record having an associated set of access rules, comprising:

receiving a request from a requestor, the requestor having at least one attribute;

searching the plurality of automated electronic databases to find records relating to an entity corresponding to the request, and records having connections to records corresponding to the request, relating to transactions, relationships or communications between the entity and another entity;

applying a set of access rules associated with each found record by at least one automated processor, to produce a set of accessible records, at a server device;

applying at least one compensation rule by at least one automated processor, dependent on the at least one attribute of the requestor;

logging at least the request for access by at least one automated processor; and

communicating the set of accessible records.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said searching comprises finding records corresponding to an entity, and records corresponding to other entities having a predefined relationship with the entity.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein an access rule associated with a respective record is defined by the entity to which the record relates.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the request from the requestor defines a non-identifying characteristic of the entity.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein a content of the communicated set of accessible records is subject to a restriction on redistribution.