Method and apparatus for improved information transactions
View Patent ↗A method and system for making information available of a computer system and compensating information owners or creators for access to said information. In various aspects, the invention provides a mechanism for giving users meaningful access to information via a computer system and network while protecting the interests of publishers and creators in information. The invention provides a solution for information including, but not limited to: text, graphics, photos, executable files, data tables, audio, video, and three dimensional data. In a further aspect, the invention comprises a new method for allowing a user to review a document while connected to a network but prevents the user from downloading, printing, or copying the document unless a fee is paid. In a further aspect, the invention comprises a new method for allowing a user to review documents at a first cost basis (which may be free), but only provides other access to documents, such as copying, printing, or downloading on a second cost basis. In a further aspect, the invention comprises a new method for allowing a user to purchase a selectable portion of a document at a price based on the amount of material selected where that amount of material can include a portion of a document, an entire document, or an anthology of components of multiple documents.
1. A method of providing a secure transfer of a high-resolution image, used for non-viewing purposes, over a network from a server to a client, comprising:
creating a high-resolution image of an original document for non-viewing purposes wherein said high-resolution image has higher resolution than a low-resolution image;
storing said high-resolution image in a data repository;
creating said low-resolution image of the original document for viewing purposes wherein said low-resolution image contains all data present in said high-resolution image;
storing said low-resolution image in a data repository;
in response to a first user action, transferring from said repository to said client at least a portion of said low-resolution image;
mapping the location of words or objects on each page of the original document to said low-resolution image to determine a mapping template related to discreet portions of said low-resolution image, wherein said discreet portions are user-selectable and correspond to both the original document and said high-resolution image;
in response to a second user action, which comprises selecting one or more of said discreet portions of said low-resolution image by establishing the bounds of a box of pixels on said low-resolution image, determining from said mapping template corresponding words or objects in said high-resolution image; and
transferring, from said server to said client, said corresponding words or objects of said high-resolution image.
2. The method of claim 1 in which said selected portions include words, said method further comprising:
determining a preferred order of said words in said selected portions.
3. The method of claim 2 in which said transferring further comprises:
transferring words in said selected portions in said preferred order.
4. The method of claim 3 in which said preferred order is a preferred order for interpretation by a human.
5. The method of claim 2 in which said determining of a preferred order comprises:
one or more of the following functions, columnizing or regionizing.
6. The method of claim 5 in which said determining of a preferred order further comprises:
a normalizing function.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transferring said selected portion(s) to said client only if said client meets one or more authorization requirements.
8. A method of providing a secure transfer of a page of a document, in the form of a high-resolution image, over a network from a server to a client, comprising the steps of:
creating a high-resolution image of the original document page;
creating a low-resolution image of the original document page for presentation to a user wherein said low-resolution image contains all data comprising at least any of the following: words, graphics, content, metadata, structures, or other elements present in said high-resolution image;
creating a mapping template of the location of words or objects on each page of the original document that assigns a unique identifier to each discreet portion of said low-resolution image;
establishing the location of each such word or object by defining the bounds of a box of pixels in the original document that includes the word or object, and that is represented in a corresponding discreet portion of said low-resolution image to create user-selectable portions of said low-resolution image;
in response to a first user action, transferring said low-resolution image of the original document page and its mapping template from the server to the client;
in response to a further user action, having the client use the mapping template to identify portion(s) of said low-resolution image the user has selected;
having the client transfer to the server information identifying the selected portion(s) according to the mapping template;
the server using the mapping information to determine which words, graphics, content, metadata, structures, or other elements of the original document page correspond to the selected portion(s) of said low-resolution image; and
the server transferring to the client the corresponding selected words, graphics, content, metadata, structures, or other elements of the original document in the form of said high-resolution image.