EP0809221A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Virtual vending system and method for managing the distribution, licensing and rental of electronic data
Assignee: Sun Microsystems Inc
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Filing: 1997-05-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2017-05-06
Abstract
Abstract A virtual vending machine manages a comprehensive vending service for the distribution of licensed electronic data (i.e., products) over a distributed computer system. The distributed computer system includes a group of client computers, a group of vendors that contribute the products to the virtual vending machine for distribution, and a server computer for operating the virtual vending machine. The virtual vending machine distributes licenses for the electronic data for the complete product or for components thereof and for a variety of time frames, including permanent licenses and rental period licenses. The virtual vending machine provides client computers with the capability to obtain information regarding the available products and the associated license fees and rental periods, to receive the product upon receipt of a corresponding electronic payment, and to reload the product during the term of the license. The virtual vending machine provides vendors with the capability of establishing a particular vending service that includes point-of-sale electronic payment and a means to communicate with the client computers to which licensed electronic data has been distributed.
Inventors
- 👤 Andrew A. Poggio
- 👤 Leo A. Hejza
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 14:17
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/04; G06Q20/06; G06F; G06F21/00; G06F21/10; G06Q20/08; G06Q20/12; G06Q20/123; G06Q20/1235; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
A method for managing a virtual vending machine for procuring electronic data over a distributed computer system for a plurality of rental periods, the distributed computer system comprising of a plurality of vendors, a plurality of clients, and at least one server interconnected by a communications link, said method comprising the steps of: obtaining the electronic data from the vendors for distribution by the virtual vending machine to the clients; receiving a request from one of the client to acquire one of the electronic data for rental during one of the rental periods; procuring electronic payment for the electronic data from the client; and upon successful receipt of the electronic payment, transmitting the electronic data to the client via the communications link.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 1, receiving a request from the client to retransmit the electronic data; upon verifying that the rental period associated with the requested electronic data has not expired, retransmitting the requested electronic data to the client without obtaining additional electronic payment.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of claim 1, said electronic data transmission step including modifying the electronic data so as to automatically disable use of the electronic data upon expiration of the rental period, and encrypting the modified electronic data prior to transmission thereof to the one client so as to disable use of the electronic data by clients other than said one client.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1, receiving a communication from one of the vendors for distribution to a set of clients that have acquired the electronic data; and transmitting the communication to the set of clients.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic data comprises information content products and machine executable modules.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, prior to said receiving step, providing the one client with rental pricing information.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
100 words
A method for distributing products over a network of computer systems, said network comprising a virtual vending machine for distributing the products, and a plurality of users for acquiring the products, said method comprising the steps of: transmitting the products to the virtual vending machine from vendors connected to the network; transmitting a request to the virtual vending machine from one of the users to rent one of the products during one of a plurality of rental periods; procuring electronic payment for the rental of the product; and transmitting the product to the user upon completion of the electronic payment.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 7, upon request by the user, retransmitting the product to the user within the rental period.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 7, said product transmission step including modifying the product so as to automatically disable use of the product upon expiration of the one rental period, and encrypting the modified product prior to transmission thereof to the one user so as to disable use of the product by users other than said one user.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 7, transmitting communications from one of the vendors to a set of the users that have received the vendor's product.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 7, prior to said step of transmitting a request to the virtual vending machine from the one user, transmitting rental pricing information to the one user.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 7, wherein the products comprise information content products and machine executable modules.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
173 words
A virtual vending machine for managing the procurement of licenses for vendor products on a distributed computer network, said distributed computer network comprising a plurality of client computers in communication with the virtual vending machine and a plurality of vendors contributing the vendor products for distribution by the virtual vending machine, said virtual vending machine comprising: a memory device for storing the vendor products, a subset of the vendor products each comprising a complete product having components available for individual licensing, wherein a subset of said vendor products and components are available for licensing by users associated with the client computers on a permanent basis and on a limited time period rental basis; a processor for executing a server process, the server process for managing the procurement of licenses for the vendor products and components; and a communications link to an electronic funds provider and to the client computers for acquiring payment for the licenses and for transmitting the licensed vendor products and components to the client computers upon receipt of the payment.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The virtual vending machine of claim 13, wherein the server process stores and provides access to product information for the vendor products available for procurement by the virtual vending machine.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
The virtual vending machine of claim 13, wherein the server process stores and provides access to licensing fee information for the vendor products available for procurement by the virtual vending machine.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
The virtual vending machine of claim 13, including: an electronic mail server, executable by said processor, for providing communications between a specified vendor and selected client computers that have previously acquired licenses for a vendor product associated with the specified vendor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
The virtual vending machine of claim 13, a vendor administration interface, executable by said processor, for managing requests by the vendors for service by the virtual vending machine in the distribution of the vendor's vendor products.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
71 words
The virtual vending machine of claim 13, including: formatting and encryption instructions, executed by said processor, for modifying the vendor products so as to automatically disable use of the vendor products upon expiration of specified rental periods, and encrypting the modified vendor products data prior to transmission thereof to respective ones of the client computers so as to disable use of the electronic data by other ones of the client computers.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
210 words
A computer readable storage medium configured to direct the operation of a server computer to manager the distribution of electronic data in a distributed computer system, the distributed computer system comprising of a plurality of client computers having users associated therewith and at least said one server computer, said computer readable storage medium comprising: a server for managing the distribution of electronic data to the client computers, said server providing the client computers with product information on the electronic data, for procuring orders for the electronic data, and for transmitting the electronic data to the client computers; a library for storing the electronic data; a vending information database for storing the product information on the electronic data available for distribution over the distributed computer system, said electronic data available for distribution for a plurality of license fees, each license fee having an associated time period for which use of the electronic data is authorized; a vendor administration interface for acquiring the electronic data from a plurality of vendors connected to the distributed computer system; and a digital cash interface, coupled to the server and an electronic banking network, for obtaining point-of-sale electronic payment of the license fee associated with licensing use of the electronic data for a specified time period.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
44 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, including: an index of the product information stored in the vending information database; and an index search engine, utilizing said index of the product information, for allowing users to search the electronic data using various keywords.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, an electronic mail server for providing electronic communication between the vendors and the client computers.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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