Patents by Inventor William M. Norr

William M. Norr has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7085377
    Abstract: Audio or other information is delivered to a user via a multi-stream digital broadcasting system in a partially-encrypted form. The information is encoded and separated into multiple bitstreams, at least a subset of which are left unencrypted. Both the encrypted and unencrypted bitstreams are received and stored by the user. A user is able, for at least a limited period of time, to access the information at a first quality level, e.g., an FM-quality level for audio information, without having the corresponding decryption key, by utilizing only the unencrypted bitstreams. The user can then access an electronic-commerce web site to purchase the decryption key. The key may be downloaded from the site to an information processing device of the user, and may be utilized to decrypt the partially-encrypted format, such that the user is provided with access to the information at a second quality level higher than the first quality level, e.g., a CD-quality level for audio information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: William M. Norr