Database usage metering and protection system and method

A secure database access system operable by at least one user at a user site, said system comprising:

• an optical storage arrangement located at said at least one user site, said storage arrangement storing at least one database and at least one scrambled database component, said database being specially adapted for being searched and retrieved in response to search criteria;
• input means for providing database search criteria in response, at least in part, to user input;
• searching means, operatively connected to said storage arrangement and to said input means, for searching at least one part of said at least one database, including means for identifying portions of said at least one database in response to said search criteria;
• reading means, operatively connected to said searching means, for reading an identified database portion so as to provide digital electrical signals;
• descrambling means, operatively connected to receive provided digital electrical signals, for descrambling at least a portion of at least one scrambled database component so as to produce database information is useable form;
• and
• control means operatively connected to at least one of (a) said storage arrangement, (b) said searching means, (c) said reading means, and (d) said decrypting means, for metering at least one of (a) processing, and (b) usage, of descrambled database components and for facilitating communication of information representing said metered at least one of (a) processing, and (b) usage, to at least one location distant from said user.

A system for permitting a client user to access and retrieve from stored digitally encoded database information of a type that is specially adapted for being searched and retrieved from in response to user-provided search criteria, said system also preventing unlimited user access to said stored database information so as to prevent said client user from at least one of (a) copying, (b) otherwise using, and (c) otherwise processing, said stored database information in a manner at least one of (a) not authorized by the publisher of said database information, and (b) so as to ensure that the publisher of said database information is adequately compensated for at least one of (i) client user access, and (ii) client user use, said system including in combination:

• at least one housing located at said client site;
• at least one portable storage medium adapted to be accepted by said housing, said at least one storage medium storing, at least in part, at least one database having at least a part that is encrypted and stored in a form making said part unintelligible to said client user unless said part is decrypted, said database being at least in part indexed by at least one index;
• digital processor means operatively connected to said at least one storage medium so as to (a) generate a database access request, (b) read index information from said at least one storage medium so as to provide corresponding digital index signals, (c) identify, at least partially in response to said digital index signals, portions of said at least one database which satisfy the access request, and (d) read an identified database portion from the at least one storage medium so as to provide corresponding digital signals for at least one of (a) processing, and (b) usage;
• and
• control means operatively connected to at least one of (a) said digital processor means, and (b) said at least one storage medium, for metering at least one aspect of at least one of (a) processing, and (b) usage, of said at least one database, for storing digital signals indicative of at least one part of said metered at least one aspect in a form not easily modified by said client user, and for selectively limiting, in response to said at least one of metered (a) processing, and (b) usage, the further at least one of (a) processing, and (b) usage, of at least a part of said at least one database.

A secure database access system for permitting a user to access, retrieve from, and use stored digitally encoded database information, said system comprising:

• at least one housing;
• at least one storage medium located at said user site and adapted to be insertable into and physically removable from said housing by said user, said at least one storage medium comprising an optical storage medium, said at least one storage medium storing digitally encoded database information that is, at least in part, encrypted;
• input means for providing database search criteria at least in part specified by said user;
• searching means, operatively connected to said at least one storage medium and to said input means, for identifying a portion of said database information corresponding to said search criteria, said searching means also including reading means for reading at least one digital signal corresponding to at least part of said identified database from said at least one storage medium;
• means for decrypting said digital signals so as to produce corresponding, decrypted database information;
• and
• control means, connected to said searching means, for metering at least part of at least one of (a) processing, and (b) usage, of database information, and for preventing at least one of (a) processing, and (b) using, of at least a part of said at least one database in response to at least one of (a) said metered processing, and (b) said metered usage.

A secure database access system for permitting a client user to access and retrieve from digitally encoded database contents stored in a form at least in part specially adapted for being searched, said system also preventing unlimited user access to said stored database contents so as to prevent said user from at least one of (a) copying, (b) otherwise using, and (c) otherwise processing, said stored database contents in a manner at least one of (a) not authorized by the publisher of said database, and (b) so as to ensure that the publisher of said database is adequately compensated for at least one of (i) user access, and (ii) user use, said system comprising:

• at least one housing;
• at least one storage medium adapted to be accepted by said housing and storing at least part of at least one database, said at least one database having at least one encrypted component, said at least one database also comprising a digital collection of information, said digital collection of information having been processed at least in part so as to be searchable;
• at least one processor, operatively connected to said at least one storage medium, said at least one processor preprogrammed so as to:
• (a) accept search criteria at least in part specified by a user, (b) search at least one part of said at least one database in response to said search criteria, (c) identify, in accordance with said search, any portions of said at least one database which satisfy said search criteria, (d) read information from said at least one storage medium, and (e) provide signals corresponding at least in part to an identified database portion;
• decrypting means for decrypting signals provided by said processor so as to provide corresponding database contents in useable form;
• and
• control means, coupled to at least one of (a) said at least one processor, and (b) said decrypting means, for measuring the percentage of at least one part of said information collection decrypted by said decrypting means, for storing said measured percentage in a form not readily modifiable by said client user, and for preventing at least one part of said at least one information collection from being provided in useable form.

A method of securing access to at least one database comprising the steps of:

• providing at least one portable medium located at a client site and storing at least one database composed, at least in part, of information organized as digital indicia in database searchable form, said at least one database having at least one encrypted part in order to preclude at least one of (a) unauthorized use, and (b) unauthorized access;
• generating database search criteria;
• searching at least one part of said at least one database to identify digital indicia corresponding to portions of said at least one database which satisfy said generated search criteria;
• decrypting at least one of (a) digital electronic signals corresponding to desired, identified, encrypted database portions, and (b) at least one digital electronic signal corresponding to an identified encrypted portion of said at least one database, to produce corresponding decrypted information;
• measuring at least one of (a) the quantity, and (b) the duration, of use of at least one portion of said at least one database and generating a result corresponding to said measurement;
• storing an indication of said generated result on a storage medium in a form which deters client tampering therewith;
• and
• selectively inhibiting at least one of (a) searching, (b) decrypting, and (c) otherwise using, in response to said result.

A database access system comprising:

• a storage arrangement storing at least one database at a customer site, said at least one database having at least one encrypted part, and also storing information representing at least one database usage ceiling corresponding to at least one portion of said at least one database;
• updating means, operatively connected to said storage arrangement for updating at least one part of said stored database usage ceiling information;
• input means, operatively connected to said storage arrangement, for generating database search criteria at least in part in response to user input;
• searching means, operatively connected to said storage arrangement and operatively connected to receive said generated search criteria, for searching at least one part of said at least one database and for identifying any portions of said at least one part of said at least one database which correspond to said search criteria;
• retrieving means for retrieving an identified portion of said database from said storage arrangement;
• decrypting means operatively connected to said retrieving means for decrypting a retrieved database portion;
• and
• control means operatively connected to at least said storage arrangement, for metering at least one parameter of usage of at least one portion of said at least one database, for comparing said metered usage to said at least one database usage ceiling, and for selectively preventing decrypting of at least one part of said encrypted database in response to the result of said comparison.

A secure database access system for permitting at least one client user to access, and retrieve from, digitally encoded database contents stored in a form at least in part adapted for being searched, said system also preventing unlimited user access to said stored database contents so as to prevent said at least one client user from copying or otherwise using or processing said stored database contents in a manner at least one of (a) not authorized by the publisher of said database, and (b) so as to ensure that the publisher of said database is adequately compensated for at least one of (i) user access, and (ii) user use, said database access system comprising:

• at least one database having at least one part in unusable form;
• at least one housing;
• at least one optical storage means located at the same physical site as said at least one client user and adapted to be accepted by said housing, said optical storage means for storing at least part of said at least one database;
• input means for providing database search criteria at least in part determined by client user input;
• searching means, operatively connected to said input means, for searching at least one part of said at least one database to identify database portions and for producing corresponding digital signals;
• transforming means, operatively connected to receive said corresponding digital signals, for transforming at least one digital signal representing at least one of (i) at least one database section, and (ii) any user desired database sections, from unusable form into useable form through the use of a key;
• metering means, operatively connected to at least one of (a) said searching means, (b) said transforming means, and (c) said at least one optical storage means, for metering at least one parameter indicative of at least one of (a) usage, and (b) processing, of database contents so as to produce a metered result;
• and
• preventing means, operatively connected to said metering means, for selectively preventing at least one of (a) transforming of database portions into useable form, and (b) use of useable form database portions, in response to said metered result.

A method of providing database information in a secure manner, said method comprising:

• providing at a client user site at least one portable storage medium storing at least a portion of a database having at least one encrypted part;
• inputting database search criteria determined at least in part by user input;
• searching at least one part of said database, identifying at least a portion of said database in response to said search, and providing digital signals corresponding to said identified at least a portion;
• decrypting said provided digital signals so as to at least one of (a) automatically decrypt at least one of said identified database portions, and (b) at least in part decrypt at least one of said identified database portions;
• monitoring at least one of (a) said searching step, (b) said selecting step, and (c) said decrypting step, so that at least one parameter indicative of the usage of database portions is metered and stored in a tamper resistant form;
• and
• preventing decrypting of at least a part of an encrypted database portion of said at least one database in response to said metered parameter.

A database access system which is capable of being operated by a user at a user site so as to electronically search digital database information in response to a search request, said system including the following combination of elements all located at said user site;

• an optical storage device storing thereon digitally encoded database information at least some of which is in a form that is unintelligible unless said information is processed using a key;
• a search/retrieval arrangement operatively coupled to said optical storage device, said search/retrieval arrangement causing a subset of said database information responsive, at least in part, to said search request to be retrieved from said storage device, processed using said key, and presented to said user;
• and
• a metering arrangement operatively associated with said optical storage device, said metering arrangement monitoring usage of said database information, storing information indicative of at least a portion of said usage, and selectively inhibiting said database information from being processed to said user in response to comparison of monitored usage with a predetermined limit.

A method for permitting user access to, and retrieval from, stored digitally encoded database contents, said database contents being adapted for searching and retrieving, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) storing database information on an optical storage device physically located at a client site in an encrypted form that is unintelligible to said user unless said information is processed using at least one key;
• (b) selecting at least one portion of said stored database information based on selection criteria determined at least in part by user input and providing digital electrical signals corresponding to selected information;
• (c) decrypting said provided digital electrical signals through the use of said at least one key so as to permit use of at least a part of said selected database portion;
• (d) metering information representing at least part of at least one of (a) use, and (b) processing, of said database portion processed by said step (c);
• (e) storing said representative information in a manner inaccessible to the typical user;
• and
• (f) selectively preventing decryption of at least one encrypted part of said database in response to said metered information.

A method for permitting user access to, and retrieval from, stored digitally encoded database contents, said database contents being adapted for searching and retrieving, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) storing database information on an optical storage device physically located at a client site in an encrypted form unintelligible to said user unless processed using at least one digital signal key;
• (b) selecting at least one portion of said stored database information based on selection criteria determined at least in part by user input and providing digital signals corresponding to selected information;
• (c) decrypting said provided digital signals through the use of at least one digital signal key so as to permit use of at least a part of said selected database portion;
• (d) metering information representing at least part of at least one of (a) use, and (b) processing, of a database portion so as to provide digital signals;
• and
• (e) conveying information reflecting at least some of said provided digital signals to at least one location distant from said client site.

A method of providing information responsive to search criteria for use by a client at a physical client site, said method comprising the steps of:

• (1) providing, for insertion into a reading device at said physical client site, at least one portable optical storage medium, said optical storage medium storing database information adapted to be searchable;
• (2) inserting said optical storage medium into said reading device;
• (3) searching said database information to identify database information which corresponds, at least in part, to said search criteria;
• (4) reading and processing identified database information from said optical storage medium using a key;
• and
• (5) metering at least one aspect of client usage of said database information and generating at least one parameter reflecting said usage.

A method of securing access to at least one database comprising the steps of:

• providing at least one storage medium located at a client site and storing at least one database having at least one encrypted database part, at least part of the contents of said at least one database having been preprocessed so as to be searchable;
• providing database search criteria determined at least partly by user input;
• searching at least one part of the at least one database for at least one portion of said at least one database corresponding to said search criteria;
• decrypting at least one of (a) at least one digital electronic signal corresponding to an encrypted database portion resulting from said searching, and (b) digital electronic signals which correspond to any user desired ones of any encrypted, database portions resulting from said searching, and producing corresponding decrypted information therefrom;
• and
• restricting use of at least a part of said produced decrypted information by preventing, under at least one circumstance, performance of at least one of copying, storing, printing, and communicating with respect to said useable information.

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

• providing at a client site at least one mass storage medium including optical memory means, said storage medium storing at least one searchable database, said database having at least some inaccessible contents;
• providing database search criteria determined at least in part by user input;
• searching at least one part of said at least one database in response to said database search criteria and locating any database portions which corresponds to said search criteria;
• making accessible at least one of (a) at least one portions of the inaccessible database contents resulting from said searching, and (b) any user desired ones of inaccessible database contents resulting from said searching, so as to provide corresponding useable information, including the step of processing said contents through the use of a key;
• and
• selectively restricting use of at least one portion of said at least one database by preventing, under at least one circumstance, at least one of copying, storing, printing and communicating.

A secure database access system comprising:

• at least one storage medium located at a customer site and storing database information on at least one removable, optical storage disc, with at least one part of said database information being stored encrypted form;
• input means for providing database search criteria in response, at least in part, to user input;
• searching means, operatively connected to said at least one storage medium and to said input means, for searching at least one portion of said database information so as to identify database portions corresponding to said search criteria;
• additional functions means, operatively connected to said searching means, for performing at least one of the additional functions of copying, storing, printing, and communicating at least one part of said identified database information;
• decrypting means, operatively connected to at least one of (a) said searching means, and (b) said at least one storage medium, for decrypting identified database information;
• displaying means, operatively connected to at least one of (a) said searching means, and (b) said decrypting means, for displaying database information;
• and
• selectively restricting means, operatively connected to said additional function means, for restricting the use of at least one database portion by permitting said displaying means to display, but precluding said additional functions means from at least one of copying, storing, printing and communicating, at least one part of identified database information.

A secure database access system of the type for electronically searching digital database information in response to a user search request, said system including a data processor arrangement coupled to writable volatile storage, writable non-volatile storage, a user input device, and a display, said system further including:

• at least one optical disk having encrypted digitally encoded database information stored thereon;
• an optical disk drive directly connected to and local with said data processor arrangement and adapted to physically accept and interact with said optical disk, said optical disk drive reading stored database information from said optical disk and providing corresponding signals to said data processor arrangement;
• said data processor arrangement being connected to receive said signals generated by said optical disk drive, said data processor arrangement being preprogrammed so as to perform the following functions:
• (a) cooperate with said optical disk drive so as to search said digitally encoded database information, at least in part, in response to a user search request inputted via said user input device and to retrieve signals representing at least some of said stored digitally encoded database information in response to said search,
• (b) decrypt at least some of said retrieved signals so as to provide corresponding decrypted signals,
• (c) display information responsive to at least some of said retrieved signals,
• (d) update at least one indication related to at least one of (a) processing, and (b) usage, of database information,
• (e) selectively permit, at least in part in response to said updated indication, information corresponding to at least some of said decrypted signals to be recorded on a non-volatile medium.

A method of securing the distributing of properties, said method comprising the steps of:

• installing at a client user site at least one portable storage medium having plural properties stored thereon in digital form, rights in said plural properties being owned by plural property owners, including the steps of providing at least one portion of said plural properties in encrypted form and the step of requiring at least one decryption key for transforming encrypted portions of said plural properties into a form allowing at least one of (a) their using, and (b) their accessing;
• selectively preventing the usage of at least one of (a) a percentage of any of said plural properties, (b) a subset of at least one portion of at least one plural property, (c) a percentage of all said plural properties, and (d) at least one of said plural properties;
• generating, at said client site, digital electronic signals for at least one aspect of client usage of said properties by at least one client;
• requiring said client to pay a payment;
• and
• apportioning at least a portion of client payments between plural property owners.

A secure digital access system for distributing properties in digital form, said system comprising:

• first storage means physically disposed at a client site and including an optical storage device, said storage means for storing plural properties thereon in digital from, rights in said properties being owned by plural property owners, the contents of at least a part of at least one of said plural properties being secured by at least one of (a) encryption, and (b) a password;
• digital processor means, operatively connected to said first storage means, for allowing at least one client user to select and electronically retrieve at least one part of at least one of said stored properties, said digital processor means also including means for allowing said client user to at least one of (a) access and (b) use, at least one secured part of said plural properties through use of at least one key;
• usage means, operatively connected to at least one of (a) said digital processor means, and (b) said first storage means, for providing digital usage information representing at least one aspect of user usage of properties;
• communicating means, operatively connected to at least one of (a) said further storage means, and (b) said digital processor means, for facilitating communication of indicia of said usage information to at least one location distant from said client site;
• determining means, operatively connected to said communicating means, for determining any client payments due;
• requiring means, operatively connected to at least one of (a) said digital processor means, (b) said determining means, (c) said communicating means, and (d) said usage means, for requiring payment from said client;
• and
• means, operatively connected to receive at least part of said digital usage information, to at least in part apportion amongst plural property owners at least a portion of said user payment, at least in part, at least one of (a) in response to said digital usage information, and (b) according to respective ownership rights of said plural property owners.

A method of distributing properties in digital form comprising:

• providing at least one optical storage means at a client site having plural properties stored thereon in digital form, rights in said properties being owned by plural property owners, at least part of at least one of said plural properties being encrypted;
• searching and electronically retrieving from at least one part of said stored plural properties;
• using at least one portion of a retrieved part of said plural properties;
• determining a payment due from said client;
• apportioning at least a portion of said client payment between plural property owners;
• and
• controlling user access to said plural properties.