The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 17, 1991
Filed:
Aug. 06, 1990
Victor H Shear, Bethesda, MD (US);
Electronic Publishing Resources, Inc., Bethesda, MD (US);
Abstract
A 'return on investment' digital database usage metering, billing, and security system includes a hardware device which is plugged into a computer system bus (or into a serial or other functionally adequate connector) and a software program system resident in the hardware device. One or more data bases are encrypted and stored on a non-volatile mass storage device (e.g., an optical disk). A tamper-proof decrypting device and associated controller decrypts selected portions of the stored database and measures the quantity of information which is decrypted. This measured quantity information is communicated to a remote centralized billing facility and used to charge the user a fee based on database usage. A system may include a 'self-destruct' feature which disables system operation upon occurence of a predetermined event unless the user implements an 'antidote'--instructions for implementing the antidote being given to him by the database owner only if the user pays his bill. Absolute database security and billing based on database usage are thus provided in a system environment wherein all database access tasks are performed at the user's site. Moreover, a free market competitive environment is supported because literary property royalities can be calculated based on actual use.