Database usage metering and protection system and method

A secure data base access system comprising:

• at least one storage medium storing at least one textual database component and at least one index associated with said component;
• input means for providing database index search criteria in response to user input;
• searching means connected to said at least one storage medium and to said input means for searching said database, including reading means for referencing said index based on said search criteria, for identifying portions of said database in response to said index referencing, and for reading one of (a) all of said identified database portions, and (b) desired ones of said identified database portions from said at least one storage medium;
• and
• control means connected to said reading means for metering usage of information read by said reading means and for preventing said reading means from reading more than at least one predetermined percentage of said at least one database in response to said meter usage,
• wherein:
• said at least one storage medium stores at least one scrambled directory of the location of the contents of at least one of (a) said at least one index, and (b) said at least one database as stored on said at least one medium;
• and
• said reading means includes means for descrambling said at least one scrambled directory and reading said identified database portions from said medium in a manner determined by said descrambled at least one directory.

A secure data base access system comprising:

• at least one storage medium storing at least one textual database in encrypted form, said at least one database including at least one collection of textual information, said at least one storage medium also storing index information, said index information correlating portions of said at least one encrypted database with search information;
• at least one host signal processor, operatively connected to said at least one storage medium, said at least one processor preprogrammed so as to:
• (a) accept search criteria in response to user input thereto, (b) search said index information, (c) identify, in accordance with said search of index information, the portions of said at least one encrypted database which satisfy said search criteria, and (d) read at least one of said identified encrypted database portions from said at least one storage medium;
• means for decrypting at least one read portion of said encrypted at least one database to produce corresponding decrypted information;
• and
• decoder control logic means, coupled to said host at least one processor, and said decrypting means, for measuring the percentage of at least one information collection decrypted by said decrypting means, said decoder control logic means including means for preventing decryption of more than at least one predetermined percentage of said at least one information collection.

A method of providing information comprising the steps of:

• (1) providing at least one storage medium storing encrypted textual database information thereon;
• (2) searching said encrypted information to identify at least one portion of said encrypted information;
• (3) reading at least one of said identified portions from said at least one storage medium;
• (4) decrypting at least one of said read portions;
• (5) metering the usage of portions decrypted by decrypting step;
• and
• (6) calculating a usage fee in response to said measured usage.

A method of accessing a database comprising the steps of:

• storing encrypted text database information in digital form on a random access nonvolatile storage device;
• searching for and retrieving portions of said stored database based on search criteria at least in part determined by user input;
• determining the quantity of one of (a) all of said retrieved database portions and (b) only desired ones of said retrieved database portions ready said searching and retrieving step;
• metering information representing said determined quantity and storing said metered information in a further non-volatile storage device different from said first-mentioned storage device;
• and
• periodically conveying said stored quantity-representing information to a location remote thereto.

A method of securing access to a database comprising the steps of:

• providing at least one random access storage medium having at least one database in encrypted form stored thereon and also having index information stored thereon, said index information correlating portions of said encrypted at least one database with unencrypted search information;
• generating search information;
• searching said index information for specific portions of said encrypted at least one database which satisfy said generated search information;
• decrypting at least one of said specific portions of said encrypted at least one database to produce corresponding decrypted information;
• measuring the quantity of information decrypted by said decrypting step;
• and
• inhibiting said decrypting step from decrypting more than a certain percentage of said at least one database in response to said measured quantity.

A method of securing access to a database comprising the steps of:

• providing a random access mass storage means having at least one database in encrypted form stored thereon and also having index information correlating portions of said at least one encrypted database with index information stored thereon;
• providing a database search request determined at least in part by user input;
• searching said index information from said storage means with a digital signal processing means of the type capable of displaying data and also capable of performing at least one of the additional functions of copying, storing, printing and communicating data and searching, in accordance with said index information, for specific portions of said at least one encrypted database which corresponds to said search information;
• decrypting at least one of said specific portions of said at least one encrypted database to produce corresponding decrypted information;
• selectively enabling further processing of said decrypted information by at least one of said additional functions;
• determining a cost for performing said displaying step in response to at least one first cost rate and at least one of (a) the quantity of information displayed and (b) the time duration over which at least one of said above-mentioned steps is performed;
• determining a further cost in response to at least one second cost rate different from said first rate and in response to one of:
• (a) the quantity of information which is further processed by said additional functions and (b) the time duration of which at least one of the said additional functions is performed;
• and
• storing at least one of said determined costs.

A method of securing access to a database comprising the steps of:

• providing a random access mass storage means having at least one database in encrypted form stored thereon and also having index information correlating portions of said at least one encrypted database with index information stored thereon;
• providing a database search request determined at least in part by user input;
• searching said index information on said storage means with a digital signal processing means of the type capable of displaying data and also capable of performing at least one of the additional functions of copying, storing, printing and communicating data and searching, in accordance with said index information, for specific portions of said at least one encrypted database which correspond to said search information;
• decrypting at least one of said specific portions of said at least one encrypted database to produce corresponding decrypted information;
• restricting use of at least one of said specific portions of said decrypted information to display only and preventing performance of said additional functions with respect to said specific portions;
• determining at least one characteristic identifying said information decrypted by said decrypting step;
• and
• storing said determined characteristic.

A computer system comprising:

• memory means for storing at least one characterized of database usage;
• and
• signal processing means, operatively connected to said memory means and also operatively connected to at least one database including at least one encrypted textual component and associated index information, for performing the following functions;
• searching said at least one database component in response to search criteria determined at least in part by user-input and retrieving at least one portion of said at least one textual database component which satisfies said search criteria;
• decrypting said at least one retrieved portion of said at least one textual database component and producing a stream of signals corresponding to a decrypted version of said retrieved portions,
• processing a portion of said signal stream in a first manner,
• processing a portion of said signal stream in a second manner different from said first manner, and
• storing in said memory means at least one of (a) the quantity of signals processed and (b) the time duration over which at least one of said first manner processing step and said second manner processing step is performed.

A method of accessing at least one database comprising the steps of:

• storing text database information on a random access storage device;
• searching for at least one portion of said stored at least one database based on search criteria determined at least in part by user input;
• retrieving at least one portion located by said searching step;
• using said retrieved at least one portion,
• determining a time duration corresponding to at least one of said searching and using steps;
• metering information representing said determined time duration and storing said metered information in a further storage device different from said first-mentioned storage device;
• and
• conveying said stored quantity-representing information to a location remote thereto.

A database access system comprising:

• storage medium means for storing at least one encrypted textual database and at least one index associated with and corresponding to said at least one encrypted textual database;
• memory means for storing information representing at least one database usage ceiling;
• first input means operatively connected to said memory means for updating said stored at least one database usage ceiling;
• further input means for generating database index search criteria in response to user input;
• searching and retrieving means, operatively connected to said storage medium means and to said input means, for searching said at least one database, for referencing said at least one index based on said search criteria and for retrieving at least one portion of said encrypted at least one database from said storage medium means at least partially in response to said index referencing;
• means operatively connected to said searching and retrieving means for decrypting said retrieved at least one encrypted database portion;
• and
• control means operatively connected to said decrypting means and to said memory means for metering parameters of usage of information decrypted by said decrypting means, for comparing said metered usage with said at least one corresponding database usage ceiling stored in said memory means, and for preventing further decrypting by said decrypting means if said corresponding at least one database usage ceiling does not exceed said metered usage.

A database access system comprising:

• storage medium means for storing at least one encrypted textual database and at least one index associated with and corresponding to said at least one encrypted textual database;
• memory means for storing information representing a time of cessation of database usage;
• real time clock means for providing an indication of real time;
• first input means operatively connected to said memory means for updating said cessation time;
• further input means for generating database index search criteria in response to user input;
• searching and retrieving means, operatively connected to said storage medium means and to said input means for searching said at least one database, for referencing said at least one index based on said search criteria and for retrieving at least one portion of said at least one encrypted database from said storage medium means at least partially in response to said index referencing;
• means operatively connected to said searching and retrieving means for decrypting said retrieved at least one encrypted database portion;
• and
• control means operatively connected to said decrypting means, said real time clock means and said memory means for metering parameters of usage of information decrypted by said decrypting means, for comparing said real time with said stored cessation time, and for preventing further decrypting by said decrypting means if said stored cessation time is not later than said real time.

A secure data base access system comprising:

• at least one storage medium storing at least one encrypted textual database component and at least one index associated with said component;
• input means for providing database index search criteria in response to user input;
• searching means operatively connected to said at least one storage medium and to said input means for searching said database, including means for referencing at least one index based on said search criteria, for identifying portions of said encrypted at least one database in response to said index referencing, and for reading one of (a) all of said identified database portions, and (b) desired ones of said identified database portions from said at least one storage medium;
• means operatively connected to said searching means, for decrypting at least one portion of said read encrypted information;
• and
• control means operatively connected to said decrypting means for metering usage of information decrypted by said decrypting means and for preventing decryption of more than a predetermined percentage of said at least one database.

A secure database access system comprising:

• at least one storage medium storing at least one textual database in encrypted form, said at least one database including at least one collection of textual information, said at least one storage medium also storing index information, said index information correlating portions of said at least one encrypted database with search information;
• at least one host signal processor, operatively connected to said at least one storage medium, said at least one processor preprogrammed so as to:
• (a) accept search criteria in response to user input thereto, (b) search said index information, (c) identify, in accordance with said search of index information, the portions of said at least one encrypted database which satisfy said search criteria, and (d) reach at least one of said identified encrypted database portions from said at least one storage medium;
• means for decrypting at least one portion of said at least one encrypted database to produce corresponding decrypted information;
• and
• decoder control logic means, operatively coupled to said host processor and said decrypting means and adapted for operatively connecting to a telecommunications network, for metering the usage of information decrypted by said decrypting means,
• wherein said decoder control logic means includes means for telecommunicating said metered usage over said telecommunications network to a remote location.