초록 ▼

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 database

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 databases 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 occurrence 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 royalties can be calculated based on actual data use.

대표청구항 ▼

A secure database access system comprising: a storage medium storing encrypted textual information; means connected to said storage medium for selecting portions of said encrypted information and for reading said selected portions from said storage medium; means, connected to said selecting and read

A secure database access system comprising: a storage medium storing encrypted textual information; means connected to said storage medium for selecting portions of said encrypted information and for reading said selected portions from said storage medium; means, connected to said selecting and reading means, for decrypting said read encrypted information; and control means connected to said decrypting means for metering usage of information decrypted by said decrypting means and for communicating said metered usage to a remote location, said control means including means for preventing said decrypting means from decrypting more than a certain quantity of information stored on said storage medium, wherein said control means measures the number of contiguous blocks of said textual information decrypted by said decrypting means and prevents said decrypting means from decrypting more than a certain number of said contiguous blocks.