WO1999012087A2

WO1999012087A2 - System for transmitting with encryption and displaying electronic books

Info

Publication number: WO1999012087A2
Application number: PCT/US1998/018433
Authority: WO
Inventors: Charles V. Studebaker; Donald A. Ledford
Original assignee: Librius, Inc.
Priority date: 1997-09-05
Filing date: 1998-09-04
Publication date: 1999-03-11
Also published as: WO1999012087A3; AU1184999A

Abstract

A system for storing, selling and delivering literary works using a specialized master database repository (100), multiple sub-repository/database servers (300), multiple Librius Servers (500), a customer information database (700), encrypted telecommunications links utilizing a multiplicity of telecommunications mediums, and a specialized electronic device (3000) for decrypting and displaying the downloaded literary works.

Description

SYSTEM FOR TRANSMITTING WITH ENCRYPTION AND DISPLAYING

ELECTRONIC BOOKS

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention is in the field of processes for the publication of literary works via electronic, rather than paper means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For many years, inventors have been proposing designs for electronic books. The basic concept is a thin, flat electronic display with an interchangeable or rewriteable memory containing the text of a book and a battery power supply. Most of the earlier designs used a system of removable memories like video game cartridges. These memories are not rewriteable. The reader includes no facility for exporting the text of the book so it is not easy to make unauthorized copies of the contents of the memory. However, this system still requires book publishers to manufacture and distribute physical items and therefore does not achieve significant economies over the most popular system of book distribution: printed on paper.

To avoid to costs involved with manufacturing and distributing physical items containing the contents of each book to be read by a user, which items are then thrown away after being read, inventors have proposed distributing the books in electronic form via computer networks such as the Internet. The work of authorship would then be stored in a rewriteable memory for display in the electronic book reader. However, these proposals leave many opportunities for unauthorized duplication of the distributed works or authorship. The work can be copied out of the rewriteable memory of one electronic book and loaded into the memory of another. A copy of the work as it is being transmitted from a library server can be intercepted at one of the transmitting computers and copied. The present invention addresses these problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a method for minimizing unauthorized duplication and managing authorizations of distribution and a circuit configuration for implementing the method. The works of authorship will typically be entirely or mostly text. However, the method works equally well for images, including video images.

In this method, each time a text is transmitted, it is encrypted into a unique format which can be easily decrypted only with a decryption key stored in the user's reader wherein the key is unique to that reader. The encryption format for each book downloaded to that reader will be the same and the encryption format will be different from the encryption formats for books downloaded to all other readers. Consequently, one person's reader cannot display a book downloaded for use on another person's reader Therefore, even if a copy of the book is made at a computer along the way and then downloaded into a second reader, the reader cannot display it

A second aspect of the invention is that the memory in the reader is non-removable and its output is coupled only to a decryption circuit The decryption circuit is coupled to the memory as its only input and further coupled to the display as its only output There is no way to easily intercept the signals passing from the decryption circuit to the display to capture the text of the book in a form after it has been decrypted

The controls within the server distribution system work as follows The works of authorship are assembled in electronic form and stored in one or more large memories such as hard disk drives Once a user has paid or otherwise become authorized to receive a particular work, a server within the system receives a designation that such work may be electronically transmitted across a network to that user's reader The reader is identified to the system's server by an uncommon string of characters which can be read from an identification register memory within the reader A record for the user is then created within a database in the server system The record stores the uncommon string of characters which identifies the reader and, associated with that string, an identifier of each work of authorship that the reader is authorized to receive Typically, the user record will also store other information associated with the user The user then couples his reader to the network and transmits a request that one of the works which has been authorized for his reader be downloaded This begins an exchange of communications between the system's servers and the reader in which the identification register on the reader is read and the string of characters it contains is transmitted to the system The system compares the string of characters in the user record with the string of characters received from the reader If they match, the work is then uniquely encrypted so that it can be easily decrypted only with the decryption key stored within that reader and the encrypted form of the work is transmitted to the reader Because the user cannot pass on copies of the work to others except by loaning his physical reader, the user is allowed to download additional copies of the work to his reader any number of times In effect, instead of paying for each copy acquired, as under the present system used for books on paper, the user pays for the right to any number of electronic copies which are non- transferable and can only be held one at a time

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig 1 shows the relationship between the master library, the other various servers, and the reader

Fig 2 shows the process of checking the reader identification for downloading an authorized work

Fig 3 shows the process of downloading the text of a work through the cache memory on the gateway server

Fig 4 shows the process of managing the library catalog Fig 5 shows the process of using catalog information for downloading data through a server Fig 6 shows the process of using the library server catalog to control transfers of data Fig 7 shows the steps for processing data to generate the image on the display Fig 8 shows the process of interpreting commands mixed with data within the contents of a work for generating the display

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows an overview of all the main components of the invention These components can be classified into five areas 1 Databases - consisting of The Master Library 100 Library Database/Servers 300 Customer Database 700

2 Content Delivery Servers - consisting of Libnus Servers 500

Advertising Servers 1100

3 System Management Functions - consisting of

Content Management 2000 Accounting Management 2200 General System Management 2400

Advertising Management 2600 Network Management 2800

4 System Gateways 900

5 Reader Devices 3000 The Master Library 100 as shown in Figure 1 is the primary content repository for the literary works in the system The Master Library resides on computer equipment located in a data center In addition to full copies of the basic, or original works, this database also contains a variable number of versions and/or revisions to these works The data structures contained within the Master Library allow for a wide variety of complex, high speed searches of the database These structures include both inverted indexing techniques and relational data The Master Library uses a special file format for data storage

Caching of Data

Caching is a key design feature that reduces the time required to move data from the server memory to the Reader cache, while maintaining good overall system efficiency and costs The Master Library 100 is the "highest-level" of a "cascading cache" structure of data storage Works are divided into "blocks of data" Referring to Figure 1, blocks of data representing literary works are stored at the Master Library 100 level, again at the Library Server 300 level, again at the Libnus Server 500 level and finally at the System Gateway 900 level. Unlike conventional caching systems which typically cache the most recently requested block of data, the Librius cache retains the first block of the most frequently requested works. Additionally, storage space permitting, the first blocks of as many works in the Library as possible are also cached at each level. This structure ensures that user requests for works are satisfied at the earliest point possible. It also contributes to system redundancy by reducing single point of failure situations.

Operation of the cache

The Reader 3000 controls transmission of a work by requesting specific blocks of the work until it has collected all the blocks making up the work. When the Reader requests a block, the System Gateway checks its local cache for the block and, if it is not found, sends a request for the block to a Librius Server. Similarly the Librius Server checks its cache for the block and, if necessary, makes a request to a Library Server. This is normal cascading cache behavior. There are, however, two special characteristics of our cache's operation: first, the algorithm which determines which blocks to discard when making room in the cache heavily favors retaining the first block of each work; and second, when the System Gateway receives a request for the first block of a work, it assumes there will be requests for the remaining blocks of the work and it immediately begins to collect them.

Referring to Figure 1, the Master Library 100 is created and maintained via the Content Management System 2000. Content Management is a combination of computer processes and human decision making that results in the selection of literary works to be included in the Master Library and the steps necessary to convert these works into digital form. Typically, works are converted from printed works through the use of optical scanning devices, preferably scanning hardware developed in Germany by ImageWare Components GmbH, that are connected to and supported by the Content Management Software. The Content Management System also supports text input via other digital means such as downloads from Internet sites, conversion of works recorded on CDROM and from word processing files obtained directly from authors and publishers. Since these various forms of data input are obtained in a variety of file formats, the Content Management system software is able to recognize a wide variety of file formats, including BSCAN, ISIS TWAIN, HTML, SGML, and PostScript, as well as word processors and desktop publishing systems including PageMaker, MS Word, WordPerfect and others. These various formats are converted by the Content Management System into a standard file format for storage in the Master Library. Prior to conversion of the data, each incoming text is subjected to a series of editing and proofreading processes that include both automatic and manual steps to ensure that the text meets system quality and readability standards. Referring to Figure 1, the Content Management System 2000 creates and maintains the

Master Catalog 150 for the entire library system. The Master Catalog resides on the Master Library. It contains information on the author, title, known printed versions, original publication dates, and versions (e.g. translations, revisions, editions, etc.) of the literary work. It does not contain any information on the frequency of use of the work within the system This latter information is maintained by the system in other locations

Library Servers 300, shown in Figure 1 are computers that service requests from Libnus Servers 500 for data that may reside either on the Library Servers themselves, or within the Master Library The overall library system may contain multiple Library Servers Each Library Server is capable of storing all the works within the library system, making each Library Server a mirror image of the Master Library When a new work is added to the Master Library, the Master Catalog is updated with information on the new work Each Library Server contains its own catalog reflecting the works that are stored on that server As shown in Figure 4, on a periodic basis, step 310, each Library Server interrogates the Master Catalog, to determine if there are any entries in the Master Catalog that do not appear in that server's own catalog, step 320 If there are such entries, the Library Server will request the new work from the Master Library, step 330

Referring to Figure 1, the Customer Database is the focal point of system operation All requests for new downloads of works, customer service transactions, and customer library management transactions are processed via the Customer Database The Customer Database is a conventional database that contains records pertaining to each user of the system The Customer Database resides on computer equipment located in a data center A customer record is established when a customer purchases a work for a Reader 3000 At that time the user provides the following information which is included in the customer record, as well as other information

Password (User chooses this) Serial Number (Stamped on Reader) Reader Type (Primary, Secondary, Institutional) e-mail address Billing Option

Credit Card, type, expiration date Monthly Statement, billing cycle COD Reading preference (multiple codes can be entered) Book Club memberships

As the customer continues to purchase and read literary works, the customer record will also contain a list of works purchased This list is called the user's "personal library" Works contained in personal library can be downloaded to the user's Reader cache any number of times Additionally, information on the user's reading habits is contained in a "reader profile" This profile is composed of weighted statistical averages derived from the user's own expressed reading interests, works actually purchased, and the user's library browsing patterns In addition to the data listed above, the customer database also contains pointers to the user's "reading list" The reading list is a list of purchased works that the user has indicated are to be made available for downloading to the user's Reader

When the system downloads works to the user's Reader, the system has the capability to include promotional materials that are oriented to the reading interests of that particular user The Advertising Servers 1100, shown in Figure 1, provide this promotional and advertising material to the Libnus Servers 500 based upon the user's "reader profile" So, for instance, a user who is an avid reader of mysteries will be informed of the latest publications of mystery titles, or the featured discount title of the month, or even of the existence of "clubs" focused on a type of work such as mystery novels

Referring to Figure 1, Advertising Servers are maintained by the Advertising Management function This function includes both computer programs and human decision making processes Advertising Management solicits advertisements from authors, publishers and reader interest groups The function designs advertising displays and maintains a library of these displays on the Advertising Server These advertising displays are segmented to correspond to standard reader interest categories Typically there is only one Advertising Server in use in a regional data center during normal system operation However, the system is designed to accommodate operation of multiple Advertising Servers

Libnus Servers 500 shown in Figure 1 are the 'data-switching hubs' of the system operation Libnus Servers interact with the System Gateways 900, the Customer Database and Library Servers to pass requests for literary works, library browsing requests, new customer/device registrations, and other Customer Service requests to and from the appropriate processing functions As with the Library Servers, the Librius Servers contain a catalog and database of literary works which include some or all of the text of the most often requested works The content of this database on a particular Libnus Server varies dynamically based upon the most frequently accessed works There are multiple Libnus Servers in the overall system It is expected that these servers will be physically distributed in on a regional, worldwide basis When a request for a work is received from the Customer Database, a Libnus Server first determines if the request can be filled from information already stored in the Server itself If not, the request is passed to the appropriate higher-level server for processing System Gateways 900, shown in Figure 1, are the primary transaction managers for the system They provide the interface between system functions and the Reader devices The System Gateway is both the point from which literary works are downloaded to Reader devices and also the point at which the system user communicates registration information, account update information, adds/deletes texts from the Reader device and presents information of the content of the user's reading list (list of next texts to be downloaded) to the system

Each user has the ability of maintaining a list of works to be read "next" The ranking of each entry on this list may change often The System Gateway presents the user this reading list including the title, author, and amount of text storage space required in the Reader, and an indication of whether the work is "purchased" and available in the user's Personal Library. The user can then decide which work to download into the Reader by matching the information previously presented concerning the number of pages in each work with the total amount of available text storage space. Routines are available to allow the user to revise the selections. System Gateways are contained in the following hardware devices.

Referring to Figure 1, the Sales Kiosk 910 is a public sales location for Librius work titles. The Reader is inserted into a receptacle in the Sales Kiosk and, depending on the type of Sales Kiosk, all or some of the following functions will be performed.

Sales Kiosks range from full featured stand alone units which would normally be placed in a location which lends itself to longer informational searches and data gathering sessions, to the "stop and drop" quick load units for the person on the run. All models include a 17 inch color monitor equipped with a touch sensitive screen, a credit card "swipe" reader and a Pentium based PC, a high speed modem (or cable modem), and a minimum 4 gigabyte hard drive. In most cases, the Sales Kiosk will be connected to the system via a dedicated data line. Each of the units also houses a microprocessor chip and the attendant circuitry which bypasses the 8051 microprocessor in the

Reader. This "exterior" microprocessor is of much greater power and speed and provides a means to quickly download text data into the cache unit in the Reader.

When not in active use, the kiosk units will scroll through a predefined advertising script which is designed to catch the attention of nearby foot traffic. Any touch of the sensor screen will immediately terminate the advertising script and launch the Sales Kiosk into its customer service mode. The touch screen is the user's only interface with the Sales Kiosk. When activated, the Sales Kiosk will present a master menu of selections which will lead the user through the options.

The full feature kiosk provides the user the ability to perform complex searches, to build reading lists and to communicate with Customer Service and Support. This kiosk is designed to be placed at libraries, book stores, or any location where a user has time to browse and search and explore all the capabilities of the system. The Kiosk has the appearance of a desk-like booth wherein the user can sit comfortably and browse through the library.

PC-Link 920, shown in Figure 1, allows customers to download works and maintain account information via a personal computer connected to either a direct dial telephone connection or to the Internet. The Link consists of a stand or bookend-like device that is used for both Reader storage and for connection to the system. The stand includes a means to recharge the batteries for Readers containing rechargeable batteries, and a communications link to the user's personal computer. The PC-Link unit also provides a handy reading stand which holds the Reader in an appropriate fashion so the user can read the text and have hands free. The stand has buttons which perform the same functions as the buttons built into the Reader.

Web Servers 930, shown in Figure 1 , are special-class system gateways that allow system users to access the library and customer service functions via the Internet. The benefit of this approach is that it allows the downloading of works via a PC (using the PC-Link system) from virtually anywhere. The limitation of this approach is that data transmission speeds can be limited by the loading/speed of the Internet itself. Beyond downloading services, Web Servers are used to advertise and promote the system to the general public, allowing prospective users to sample the potential benefits of the system, to become users of the system and to order additional Reader devices and PC-Links.

System Gateways are managed by the Network Management 2800 component shown in Figure 1.

The Reader As shown in Figure 1, the Reader 3000 is a hardware device for displaying works authorized for use in the user's personal library, to view a system user newsletter and informational text, to check on user current status, and to review past transactions. These tasks are accomplished via a communications protocol, methods of data encryption and special hardware and software "keys" that are unique to each individual Reader device. The Reader contains a non-removable, temporal cache storage capable of retaining a "portable" portion of the user's personal library. The cache may contain the complete text of one or more works and/or partial texts of multiple works and the system newsletter. The user is also able to download to the Reader's cache a summary document containing information about works for which usage rights have been granted, purchase date, purchaser, number of times the work has been downloaded and any surveys or comments they have made regarding the work. Data contained within the cache is encrypted in a manner that makes the encrypted data unique to that particular reader. Data is decrypted only prior to it being displayed on the Reader. Except for the actual data display process, data in the temporal cache cannot be otherwise displayed, extracted or physically removed from the Reader.

The Reader contains a receptacle for connection to the Sales Kiosk or to a PC-Link for the purposes of receiving works and responding to hardware test sequences sent by the Librius Servers. It also contains a receptacle for connection to an external power source. The Reader is also capable of operation using internal battery storage.

Reader Identification. Each Reader has an identifying number embedded within its electronics. When the Reader is inserted into a System Gateway this identifying number is passed to the system which will then interrogate the Customer Database for the registration information on this Reader unit. If none is found, the system will assume it to be a new, unregistered unit and default to registration processing. Otherwise, information in the Customer Database is used to determine what data contained within the system may be requested by this particular Reader. The unique Reader identification number is also used in the process of encrypting and downloading of portions of the user's personal library to the Reader's cache. This feature enables the Reader to retrieve authorized copies of works and other information stored in the system, for storage in the Reader's temporal cache, multiple times without the need for reauthoπzation each time the information is accessed

Reader Communications Protocol Referring to Figure 8, the Reader communicates with the Gateway devices via a proprietary protocol Data transmission is initiated by the Gateway device sending a command (Retrieve File) to the Reader, step 1525 The Reader then initiates a request to the gateway for the first encrypted data block representing the requested work, step 1540 The gateway retrieves the data block, encrypts it based upon the identification code of the requesting Reader, and transmits the requested block The Data block transmission is made via a unique, non-ASCII bit stream that is decryptable only by the receiving Reader No other Reader device is capable of decrypting the data When the requested data block is received, the Reader places the data block into the cache at the proper location and requests the next block, step 1520 Upon receiving and caching the last data block, step 1530, the Reader resets itself to await the next transaction, step 1580 If errors occur in this process, the Reader will re-start the request "N" number of times If the request remains unsuccessful, the Reader will discard any partially received works or data, and reset itself to await the next transaction, step 1580 The Reader can also receive special command codes from the Gateway requesting the Reader to perform certain tasks, step 1550, e g internal maintenance checks These codes are looked up in a command table, step 1560, and the appropriate action is executed, step 1570, after which the Reader resets itself to await the next transaction, step 1580

Reader Main Logic Processing

Referring to Figure 7, the main activity of the Reader is to display text and images stored in the Reader cache on an electronic display screen The data stored in the cache remains encrypted until it is needed for display The data is displayed one "page" at a time The Reader first "composes" the page, and then displays the page The data set for each work includes 1 An array of integer values representing offsets from the beginning of the work defining where the data for each page begins, 2 An array of integer values representing offsets from the beginning of the work defining where image definitions can be found, 3 The image definitions, in bit map form, for each character used in the work, considering each font change to be a different set of characters, as well as for each non-textual image (graphics and photographs) used in the work, 4 For each page, a set of numbers representing the textual and image data for the page, wherein one number is assigned to each image within the work, both textual character images and graphic images, preferably assigning low numbers to the most frequently used images and assigning higher numbers to the less frequently used images Each work contains its own image definitions allowing for each work to have its own fonts and illustrations

The image definitions, both for textual characters and for graphics, include bitmap data and delta x/y values which define how to advance the drawing location from the upper left corner of one image to the upper left corner of the next image after drawing the image The data associated with a page is a stream of integers encoded into variable length bit fields These integers represent images to be placed on the display and formatting commands

When the Reader starts to compose a new page it uses the page table to find the location of the data for the page to be composed, step 1410, and it initializes the drawing coordinates to the upper left corner for a block of memory representing the display, step 1420 The Reader then decodes the first integer from the data stream, step 1430 This integer will represent either a formatting command or an image to be displayed Formatting commands either update the drawing coordinates, step 1440 or indicate the end of the page has been reached, step 1485 In the latter case, the block of memory representing the new page is transmitted to the display hardware memory, step 1480 If the integer represents an image to be displayed, it is used to index into the array of image offsets to find the location for the image definition The image's bitmap is then processed into the block of memory representing the new page, and the drawing location is updated according to the image's definition to a new upper left corner for the next image

The Reader can be purchased preloaded with works or unloaded In the latter situation, the Reader is completely empty and the user must access the Librius World Library via a Sales Kiosk or PC Link The system will recognize an unregistered Reader and route the user to the registration system

Functions Power ON Sequence

Whenever the Reader is turned on, this sequence of events takes place

1 A battery check with a report of approximate time remaining before the batteries must be recharged or replaced

2 A check of the internal status code of the Reader and the display of any appropriate message for readers with a status other than ACTIVE,

3 Menu display list allowing quick access to the page(s) within the selection that was active when the Reader was last powered OFF The Reader keeps track of the current open work title and the currently viewed page Prior to normal power-off, this information is stored in a cache that is unaffected by power loss If for any reason the last position cannot be determined (e g after a battery failure) the default will be to display the main menu to the user

If the status of the Reader is "Unregistered", the user is instructed on how to register the Reader Then the main menu is presented so the user can access any text which was loaded at the time of purchase. This accommodates any users who receive the Reader as a gift, pre-loaded with text.

Power OFF Sequence

The Reader may be turned off by pressing the POWER ON/OFF button. The Reader also has an automatic power down feature which shuts down the unit after "n" minutes of inactivity - defined as no buttons having been pressed. The value of "n" may be chosen by the user. Prior to normal shutdown, information on the currently open work title and the currently displayed page(s) is stored in a cache that is unaffected by power loss.

Main Menu

The main menu consists of at least these selections. Work 1 (Title, author, storage required) Work 2 (Title, author, storage required) • Work 3 (Title, author, storage required)

Newsletter Go To Options Menu Exit Main Menu

When the Main Menu is displayed, the PAGE FORWARD/BACK buttons are used to "point" at the menu choices. The current choice is shown in reverse video or highlighted format. To select an option choice, the user presses the FUNCTION button.

Navigation

Moving about the text and menus is accomplished by pressing the control buttons. Generally, a single press results in a specific action. Sometimes more than one button is needed at a time. Here is a brief overview of some of the control button functions.

PAGE FORWARD

In its simplest form, this button imitates the traditional action of turning a page in a work. If the control button is held down, the pages will continue to be turned and the rate of change will increase allowing the user to page through a work very rapidly. However, under special circumstances when particular functions have been activated, this control button becomes a "down" control button which moves the highlight down through a menu of options. Also, when the dictionary function has been activated, this control button becomes a "right" control button which causes the highlight to move to the right one word at a time. When coupled with the SELECT control button, a series of words can be highlighted for further action.

PAGE BACK This control button is the inverse of the PAGE FORWARD control button Instead of progressing forward through the pages or words, the user will move backward through the text The PAGE BACK control button also operates with the SELECT control button

QK

This control button has a dual purpose It is the gateway into the Mam Menu and also the control button which causes a selected option to be executed and exit the main menu

ESCAPE The ESCAPE control button is used to move to the next higher level of menus in a multi-menu selection or to return to the main menu display screen

General System Operation

This section presents an overview of the main-line processing flow of the system starting with insertion of a Reader device into a System Gateway

When a Reader is inserted into a System Gateway device, a new system processing transaction ID is created as shown in Figure 2, step 950 This ID is used to maintain a record of the status of the transaction, allowing the system to retain "awareness" of the transaction until it has completed The system is a multi-Server, multi-threaded application in which parts of a single transaction may be in progress simultaneously in different parts of the overall system The System Gateway application is ultimately responsible for determining that all required parts of a transaction have completed

Reader Verification Referring to Figure 2, when the Reader is first inserted into a System Gateway device, the

Customer Database is accessed, step 952, and the hardware ID is checked to see if the device has been registered If no customer registration record is found in the Customer database, the System Gateway will initiate the device registration process, step 954 If the Reader is registered, the current status of the Reader is checked, step 956 The status categories include these items • Active - Everything is in order and the user is able to activate any type of transaction

• Inactive (warning) - Something has triggered a warning about the Reader The user may have requested that texts no longer be loaded into this unit, or possibly the account may be past due or have exceeded its' credit limit If the last text transfer did not go to a normal conclusion then the user can be notified that they may have corrupted text in their Reader and they may wish to reload the text This category will not prevent the user from creating additional transactions It will notify the accounting and support functions that a warning transaction has occurred and may warrant additional action • Inactive (critical) - A condition has occurred which merits the blocking of any type of transaction to this particular Reader, such as the Reader having been reported as lost or stolen, or the user has been placed on "credit hold" The conditions which trigger these various status settings are discussed in greater detail in the Accounting Section

Literary Work Downloading

Selection of works to be placed on a user's reading list is an interactive function of the System Gateway This process may be conducted without the Reader inserted in a system gateway device It is assumed that when a Reader is inserted in the System Gateway device, the user's reading list has been preset in the manner desired by the user, and that the user has "cleared" sufficient cache space in the Reader device to allow a new download to take place The System Gateway accesses the Customer Database and selects the next work from the reading list that matches the amount of storage available in the Reader device as shown in Figure 2, step 958

Before starting the actual download process, the System Gateway accesses the Customer Database to determine the user's reading interest profile Using this information, the System Gateway initiates a request to the Advertising Database to provide the standard on-screen advertising and in- Reader notices desired by this type of user as shown in Figure 2, step 959 The System Gateway devices are the main contact point between the system and the customer/users Via the Advertising Database, the system can download a great deal of information on a wide variety of topics while the Reader is connected via a System Gateway device

A small area of Reader cache is reserved for use by the system itself The system newsletter and other system management selected text are downloaded to the Reader each time the Reader is inserted into a System Gateway device For instance, when a warning message has been triggered, an appropriate message is downloaded to the Reader and placed in the newsletter section of the Reader's cache This message is displayed to the user the next two times the user turns the Reader on

Other system informational text includes, but is not limited to, book reviews, special offers, sample chapters, account status, personalized messages such as birthday greetings to the user, and program updates The system uses this capability to pass on "helpful hints" to the user As the user becomes more and more familiar with the Reader, the system can provide reviews of works in the categories most often used by the client Almost any type of information could be passed by the Advertising Server into this area of the Reader Finally, an updated list of the Reader's most recent transactions is stored in this section

The System Gateway initiates a search to determine if the required work is stored on that System Gateway's local storage Referring to Figure 3 at step 960, for heavily accessed works, it is likely that some or all of the requested work is available at the System Gateway level For less active works, it may be necessary for the System Gateway to initiate a request to the next higher level of storage, the Librius Server. Prior to initiating the request for data from the Librius Server, the System Gateway updates the status of the transaction in the transaction ID record.

There are multiple Librius Servers in the system. The Librius Servers process requests for information for both literary works and for data from the Customer Database and the Advertising Database. Referring to Figure 5 step 510, in the case of requests for literary works, the Librius server checks its catalog to determine if the required data, or parts thereof, are resident on that Server, step 520. If data is available, an upload of that data is initiated to the requesting Gateway Server, step 540. If the requested work is not available, or if only part of the work is available, the Librius Server initiates a request for the remaining data to a Library Server, step 530. There are multiple Library Servers in the system. Library Servers communicate only with

Librius Servers and with the Master Library. When the Library Server receives a request for a work, as shown in Figure 6 step 310, the Library Server checks its catalog to determine if the required data, or parts thereof, are resident on that Server, step 320. If data is available, an upload of that data is initiated to the requesting Librius Server, step 340. If the requested work is not available, or if only part of the work is available, the Library Server initiates a request for the remaining data to the Master Library, step 330.

Customer Services

Referring to Figure 1 - 4000, the system includes a robust customer service capability). Customer Service includes services to assist new users in registering with the system, assisting with technical difficulties and assisting in billing and other account issues.

Other System Functions

Registration Before a Reader can be used to download works, the owner must register with the system.

All Readers are shipped with a status code embedded in the hardware. This status code will identify the condition the Reader was shipped in and if the Reader has been registered. Every time the

Reader is placed in a System Gateway Device the status is checked and the appropriate action taken.

The Registration process includes a series of questions, some of which require user responses and some are optional for the user to answer.

The Registration process updates the status code, assigns the user a Customer Number and places the date of the registration into the customer record.

Once the Reader has been registered, the user is free to avail themselves of the full capabilities of the system.

Billing and Payments

The paying for the purchased works can be COD, monthly billing, or a combination of both. The COD option requires that the user produce a valid credit card at the time of the purchase. The COD transaction will be routed into the accounting system under "credit card sales" and handled accordingly. The monthly billing option requires that at the time of registration the user's account be set up to bill on a monthly cycle and that a valid credit card be on file to guarantee the payment of any purchase. Once the account has been established, the purchase of a work will trigger a delayed billing transaction which will then appear on the user's next regularly scheduled billing cycle. When a payment is received, it is routed to the appropriate accounts payable subroutine to record the receipt of the payment.

Claims

We claim:

1 An electronic reader for displaying works of authorship which stores works in encrypted form, comprising

a) a rewritable, electronic cache memory which stores an encrypted work of authorship and is electronically coupled to a decryption circuit,

b) the decryption circuit being electronically coupled to the cache memory for its sole input and electronically coupled to a display for its sole output,

c) the decryption circuit having a data register storing a decryption key, and

d) the decryption circuit including means for decrypting the encrypted work using the decryption key only when the work is copied from the cache through the decryption circuit to the display

2 The electronic reader of claim 1 wherein said cache memory is non-removably coupled to said decryption circuit and said decryption circuit is non-removably coupled to said display

3 A method in an electronic library system for making works of authorship from a library available only to a specific reader which stores works in encrypted form, comprising

a) storing in an electronic library a plurality of works of authorship in electronic form,

b) receiving at a system server a designation that one of said works may be electronically transmitted across a network to a reader identified by an uncommon string of characters in an identification register within said reader,

c) storing in a user record on a system server said uncommon string of characters and, associated therewith, an identifier of said one of said works,

d) via said network, receiving from said reader coupled to said network a request for a downloading of an identified work,

e) via said network, reading said identification register on said reader and, if it contains a string of characters which matches the string of characters in said user record and said identified work is listed in said user record, copying from said library a copy of said identified work to a cache memory within said reader where said cache memory is coupled to a decryption circuit which:

(i) uses a decryption key stored in a register within said decryption circuit to decrypt data from said cache memory,

(ii) is coupled to said cache memory as its sole input, and

(iii) is coupled to a display as its sole output; and,

f) prior to transmission of said authorized work to said reader, encrypting said work by a method based upon said decryption key such that said work can be decrypted only with said decryption key.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

g) receiving from said reader a second request for a downloading of said identified work; and

h) reading said identification register on said reader and, if it contains a string of characters which matches the string of characters in said user record and said identified work is listed in said user record, copying from said library to said cache memory within said reader a second copy of said authorized work.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

storing in said user record a plurality of identifiers of works comprising a list of all works for which the system server has received a designation that said work may be electronically transmitted across a network to said reader.

6. A method in an electronic library system for giving to a user long term usage rights to a work of authorship and repeatedly conveying to a cache memory for use by the user a temporal copy of the work of authorship, comprising:

a) storing in an electronic library a plurality of works of authorship in electronic form;

b) receiving at a system server a designation that an identified one of said works shall be made available to a reader identified by an uncommon string of characters in an identification register in said reader; c) storing in a user record on said server said string of characters and an identifier of said identified work;

d) receiving at a system server from said reader a request for a downloading of a work;

e) reading said identification register in said reader and, if it contains a string of characters which matches the string of characters in said user record and the requested work is listed in said user record, copying a portion of said requested work from said library to a non- removable, temporal cache memory which is embedded within said reader such that the contents of said cache memory can be displayed on a display within said reader but cannot otherwise be copied out of said memory;

f) receiving from said reader a second request for a downloading of said portion of said identified work;

g) reading said identification register on said reader and, if it contains a string of characters which matches the string of characters in said user record and the requested work is listed in said user record, copying from said library to said cache memory within said reader a second copy of said portion of said requested work.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

8. A method for displaying works of authorship on an electronic reader which stores works in encrypted form, comprising:

a) storing an encrypted work of authorship in a rewritable, electronic cache memory which is electronically coupled to a decryption circuit which is electronically coupled to the cache memory for its sole input and electronically coupled to a display for its sole output; and

b) decrypting the encrypted work only when the work is copied from the cache through the decryption circuit to the display using a decryption key stored in a data register in the decryption circuit.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said cache memory is non-removably coupled to said decryption circuit and said decryption circuit is non-removably coupled to said display.

10. An electronic library system for making works of authorship from a library available only to a specific reader which stores works in encrypted form, comprising:

a) an electronic library memory containing a plurality of works of authorship in electronic form;

b) means for receiving at a system server a designation that one of said works may be electronically transmitted across a network to a reader identified by an uncommon string of characters in an identification register within said reader;

c) a system server memory containing a user record containing said uncommon string of characters and, associated therewith, an identifier of said one of said works;

d) means for, via said network, receiving from said reader coupled to said network a request for a downloading of an identified work;

e) means for, via said network, reading said identification register on said reader and, if it contains a string of characters which matches the string of characters in said user record and said identified work is listed in said user record, copying from said library a copy of said identified work to a cache memory within said reader where said cache memory is coupled to a decryption circuit which:

(ii) is coupled to said cache memory as its sole input, and

(iii) is coupled to a display as its sole output; and,

f) means for, prior to transmission of said authorized work to said reader, encrypting said work by a method based upon said decryption key such that said work can be decrypted only with said decryption key.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising: g) means for receiving from said reader a second request for a downloading of said identified work; and

h) means for reading said identification register on said reader and, if it contains a string of characters which matches the string of characters in said user record and said identified work is listed in said user record, copying from said library to said cache memory within said reader a second copy of said authorized work.

12. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

said user record containing a plurality of identifiers of works comprising a list of all works for which the system server has received a designation that said work may be electronically transmitted across a network to said reader.

13. An electronic library system for giving to a user long term usage rights to a work of authorship and repeatedly conveying to a cache memory for use by the user a temporal copy of the work of authorship, comprising:

b) means for receiving at a system server a designation that an identified one of said works shall be made available to a reader identified by an uncommon string of characters in an identification register in said reader;

c) a user record in a memory on said server containing said string of characters and an identifier of said identified work;

d) means for receiving at a system server from said reader a request for a downloading of a work;

e) means for reading said identification register in said reader and, if it contains a string of characters which matches the string of characters in said user record and the requested work is listed in said user record, copying a portion of said requested work from said library to a non-removable, temporal cache memory which is embedded within said reader such that the contents of said cache memory can be displayed on a display within said reader but cannot otherwise be copied out of said memory; f) means for receiving from said reader a second request for a downloading of said portion of said identified work;

g) means for reading said identification register on said reader and, if it contains a string of characters which matches the string of characters in said user record and the requested work is listed in said user record, copying from said library to said cache memory within said reader a second copy of said portion of said requested work.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising: said user record containing a plurality of identifiers of works comprising a list of all works for which the system server has received a designation that said work may be electronically transmitted across a network to said reader.