US 7,269,576 B2
Content rendering apparatusGeneral
US 7,269,576 B2
Content rendering apparatus
Tech Center:
3600 Transportation, Construction, Electronic Commerce, Agriculture, National Security and License and Review
Examiner:
Andrew J. Fischer
Art Unit:
3621 Business Methods — Incentive Programs, Coupons; Operations Research; Electronic Shopping; Health Care; Point of Sale, Inventory, Accounting; Cost/Price, Reservations, Shipping and Transportation; Business Processing
Agent:
Inventors:
Mark J. Stefik; Peter L.T. Pirolli; Ralph C. Merkle
Assignee:
Priority:
11/23/94
Filed:
02/09/04
Granted:
09/11/07
Expiration:
10/14/19
Abstract
A system for controlling the distribution and use of digital works using digital tickets. In the present invention, a “digital ticket” is used to entitle the ticket holder to exercise some usage right with respect to a digital work. Usage rights are used to define how a digital work may be used or distributed. Each usage right may specify a digital ticket which must be present before the right may be exercised. Digital works are stored in repositories which enforce a digital works usage rights. Each repository has a “generic ticket agent” which punches tickets. In some instances only the generic ticket agent is necessary. In other instances, punching by a “special ticket agent” residing on another repository may be needed.
Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)
H04H04L2209/603H04N21/23412H04LG06Q30/0601G06F2221/2135G06QY10S707/99939Y10SA61B2017/0046A61M25/0113A61B