Patents Examined by C. Aaron McIntyre
  • Patent number: 7877327
    Abstract: An authoring application for allowing users to create, control and distribute electronic content including a canvas interface for constructing a project of the electronic content from a plurality of resource files, the canvas interface having: a canvas area for constructing screen elements of the selected resource files to create screens; a path area for illustrating a relationship among the screens of the project; and a properties area for adjusting characteristics of the selected screen elements, a reader interface for allowing the users to view the project, the reader interface being accessible from the canvas interface and a resource interface for managing groups, membership in groups, and user accounts, said groups and user accounts having varying levels of control over the project.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Trintuition LLC
    Inventors: Ronald E. Gwiazda, Spencer S. Sanchez, Jonah Goldstein
  • Patent number: 7856404
    Abstract: A method is provided for a computing device to copy (burn) a playlist of tracks to a portable medium, where each track corresponds to a piece of digital content. At least one of the pieces of content is rights-management (RM) protected and accordingly is burned to the portable medium only in accordance with a corresponding digital license.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Brian P. Evans, Clifford P. Strom, Geoffrey Dunbar, Richard D. Prologo
  • Patent number: 7827113
    Abstract: Methods and systems of distributing digital content governed by a digital license are provided. In one aspect, the license has identification data for licensed content and is transmitted to a client device. A first item of content is transmitted to the client after receipt by the client of the license. The first item of content has first content identification data, and at least a portion of the first item of content is in encrypted form. A second item of content is transmitted to the client after receipt by the client of the license. The second item of content has second content identification data that is different from the first content identification data. At least a portion of the second item of content is in encrypted form. The encrypted portion of the first item of content is decrypted if the first content identification data corresponds to the identification data for licensed content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Keiko Saeki, Motomasa Futagami, Yoji Kawamoto, Motohiko Nagano
  • Patent number: 7822686
    Abstract: A method and system are provided in which a user is enabled to record, for example, a song or other radio and/or video content, on demand, and to account for and process appropriate payment for the use of the recorded content. The recorded material is saved and indexed by title and is retrievable for subsequent review, tabulation and/or playing at the user's convenience. In one example, a user is enabled to record received media content by pressing a single “ADD” button at any time while a favorite song is being received and played. The song then being played together with the title of the song or video presentation are then saved to memory for subsequent retrieval and playing. The received content is accounted for and tabulated and a payment for the use of the recorded song is processed by the user in accordance with a predetermined payment schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Viktors Berstis, Fabian F. Morgan
  • Patent number: 7818260
    Abstract: A system for managing subscriber access to content. The system may include a number of access points through which the subscribers access the content, a digital rights feature located remotely from the access points for storing digital rights of the subscribers to the content. Optionally, the digital rights feature is configured to control access to the content by the access points as function of digital rights individually associated with the subscribers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Clarke Stevens
  • Patent number: 7818259
    Abstract: A prepaid licensing method permits the prepaid licensing of software on a machine in a secure manner. The method includes storing information for licensing at least one prepaid use of software on a machine. The information, which can be in the form of a software option, includes unique and unchangeable information identifying the machine, and information for measuring a number of uses of the software on the machine. The method includes locally granting a license for the number of prepaid uses of the software on the machine, based upon the stored information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Klaus Moritzen
  • Patent number: 7809647
    Abstract: A method and system are provided in which a user is enabled to record, for example, a song or other radio and/or video content, on demand, and to account for and process appropriate payment for the use of the recorded content. The recorded material is saved and indexed by title and is retrievable for subsequent review, tabulation and/or playing at the user's convenience. In one example, a user is enabled to record received media content by pressing a single “ADD” button at any time while a favorite song is being received and played. The song then being played together with the title of the song or video presentation are then saved to memory for subsequent retrieval and playing. The received content is accounted for and tabulated and a payment for the use of the recorded song is processed by the user in accordance with a predetermined payment schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Viktors Berstis, Fabian F. Morgan
  • Patent number: 7788182
    Abstract: A method, system and software for permitting use of digital works having rights associated therewith within a system having repositories configured to enable use of the digital work in accordance with the rights, including associating a transfer right with a digital work, the transfer right specifying that the digital work is transferred from a first repository to a second repository; transferring the digital work from the first repository to the second repository in accordance with the transfer right; and in response to the transferring, step updating transfer right information in respect of the digital work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark J. Stefik, Peter L. T. Pirolli
  • Patent number: 7756793
    Abstract: The present invention is to provides a content data supply system, a content data supply apparatus and method, a content data reproduction apparatus and method, and a program. The content supply system supplies content data from a content data supply apparatus to a content reproduction apparatus via a network. The content reproduction apparatus includes notification means, content list acquisition means, activation file acquisition means, content data acquisition means, and license data acquisition means. The content data supply apparatus includes customer information management means, content list generation means, activation file generation means, storage means, content data supply means, and license data supply means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: SONY Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Murase, Takeshi Iwatsu, Noriyuki Sakoh
  • Patent number: 7720767
    Abstract: The invention relates to method for deriving a sub-right from a right, the right comprising a plurality of components, each of which specifies an aspect of the right. A component may be, for example, a principal, an action, a resource, and a condition. The invention also relates to a method for integrating a first right with a second right. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method of sharing rights by deriving a sub-right from a right, allowing use of the sub-right, and integrating the sub-right with the right.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Thanh Ta, Mai Nguyen, Eddie J. Chen, Xin Wang, Thomas Demartini
  • Patent number: 7698223
    Abstract: A pluggable file-based DRM (digital rights management) API (application program interface) layer for applications and engines. The invention defines a pluggable file-based DRM API layer such that mobile operators can choose to use any file-based DRM (FDRM) engine in their final product. An FDRM engine can be content agnostic (e.g., can range from an executable to a media file or ring-tone). In accordance with the invention, an application can become DRM aware by calling the novel file-based DRM APIs. Any FDRM engine can be plugged into the novel API layer such that applications can use the protected content. The API layer of the subject invention can be designed such that applications that are DRM aware by using the file-based DRM API layer can be DRM engine agnostic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew D. Padawer, Katharine O. Holdsworth, Miguel A. Claudio, Scott R. Shell, William E. Stelzel
  • Patent number: 7698227
    Abstract: A system and method for providing traceable acknowledgement of a digital data distribution license is presented. A license specifying terms applicable to a user requesting a distribution of data maintained in digital form is defined. The digital data distribution is encoded by application of a phrase used to convolute the digital data distribution. The phrase signifies an acknowledgement by the user to be bound by the license terms. The digital data is distributed. Access to the digital data distribution requires application of the phrase to deconvolute the digital data distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Graham Hamilton
  • Patent number: 7664708
    Abstract: A method, system and software for controlling the number of times that a usage right associated with a digital work can be exercised, including creating a digital work; determining a usage right for the digital work, the usage right specifying a digital ticket, the digital ticket indicating a number of times the usage right may be exercised; requesting access to the digital work including an identification of the usage right; determining the validity of the usage right based on a number of times the digital ticket has been used; granting or denying access to the digital work based on the result of the determining step; and updating the digital ticket if access to the digital work is granted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark J. Stefik, Peter L. T. Pirolli
  • Patent number: 7509285
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for offering and providing credit card products. The disclosed systems and method provide a credit card product whose credit limit is determined at the time of activation. The applicant receives a credit card that has not been activated. When the applicant contacts the issuer to activate the credit card and learn the credit limit, the actual credit limit for the credit card is determined based on the individual's credit history and answers to risk-splitting questions. After determining the credit limit, a customer account is established and the customer is notified of the credit limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Capital One Financial Corporation
    Inventors: Mayur Harshadray Maniar, Vivek Puri, Katherine Ella David, Shawn Michael Budde