Computer architecture for managing courseware in a shared use operating environment

Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems are provided in a multi-level computer architecture which provides improved capabilities for managing courseware and other content in a shared use operating environment such as a computer network. In particular, the invention provides a commercial networked instruction content delivery method and system which does not exclude synchronous sharing but is focused on asynchronous sharing. Security means in the architecture provide content property holders with the ability to know how many minutes of use an individual made of licensed material and with increased certainty that their material cannot be used, copied, or sold in usable form unless and until a user site is connected or reconnected to a minute-by-minute counter which is located off the premises of the user. This security link helps protect software and other works which are being sold or licensed to an individual, organization, or entity, and creates income opportunities for owners of such content.

1 - 155 . (canceled) 
     
     
         156 . A system for managing shared content, the system comprising:
 a server computer having a memory configured with content serving software in operable communication with a processor of the server computer;   a pseudo-random number generator in the server computer configured to generate a sequence of pseudo-random numbers; and   a manager configured to prevent the content serving software from serving content to a client computer if the pseudo-random numbers are not paired with corresponding numbers from the client computer.   
     
     
         157 . The system of  claim 156 , further comprising a computer-readable medium configured with client software to reside in a memory of the client computer in operable communication with a processor of the client computer, the client software including a pseudo-random number generator which is paired with a pseudo-random number generator in the server computer to generate the same sequence of pseudo-random numbers. 
     
     
         158 . The system of  claim 156 , wherein the manager resides in the server computer. 
     
     
         159 . The system of  claim 156 , wherein the manager is configured to check for paired pseudo-random numbers once per client-server pair in a shared use operating environment. 
     
     
         160 . The system of  claim 156 , wherein the manager is configured to check for paired pseudo-random numbers once per workstation in a shared use operating environment. 
     
     
         161 . The system of  claim 156 , wherein the manager is configured to check for paired pseudo-random numbers once per connection in a shared use operating environment. 
     
     
         162 . The system of  claim 156 , wherein the manager is configured to meter use of the content as a basis for billing. 
     
     
         163 . The system of  claim 156 , wherein the system further comprises a codec, and wherein the system is configured to meter use of the codec for compression and/or decompression of the content. 
     
     
         164 . The system of  claim 156 , wherein the system further comprises a content repository server, and the server computer is configured to receive courseware content from the content repository server and to serve that courseware content to the client computer. 
     
     
         165 . The system of  claim 156 , wherein the server computer is configured to serve content only to registered users in a shared use operating environment. 
     
     
         166 . A computer-implemented method for managing shared content, the method comprising the steps of:
 a client computer generating a first number;   a server computer generating a second number; and   allowing usage at the client computer of content served by the server computer if the first number and the second number are the same, and otherwise preventing usage at the client computer of content served by the server computer.   
     
     
         167 . The method of  claim 166 , further comprising allowing usage of content at the client computer by a registered user who is registered in a registration database, and replicating the registration database to the server computer in a read-only format. 
     
     
         168 . The method of  claim 166 , further comprising receiving content at the server computer from a content repository server which does not serve content directly to any client computer. 
     
     
         169 . The method of  claim 166 , further comprising a meter manager creating a start event when a courseware content is successfully launched on the client computer. 
     
     
         170 . The method of  claim 166 , further comprising reserving a particular piece of courseware content for a user after requiring at least one of: credit card information, user's sponsor identification. 
     
     
         171 . The method of  claim 166 , further comprising disabling at least one caching capability at the client computer. 
     
     
         172 . The method of  claim 166 , further comprising the step of disabling use of at least a portion of the content after an expected periodic security handshake is not received. 
     
     
         173 . The method of  claim 166 , further comprising the step of moving content between peer nodes in response to anticipated requests from users. 
     
     
         174 . The method of  claim 166 , further comprising the step of moving content between peer nodes in response to actual requests from users. 
     
     
         175 . The method of  claim 166 , further comprising the step of providing a chat room for interaction between a registered user and an instructor regarding the content.