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.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by patent is: 
     
         1 - 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . A courseware presentation device comprising:
 a security manager containing instructions to receive a security handshake with a content server, the security manager also containing instructions that upon execution disable use of at least a critical portion of courseware content on the courseware presentation device after the security handshake is not received;   a display which displays courseware content on the courseware presentation device when use of that courseware content has not been disabled by the security manager;   network interface hardware;   a data transfer executable containing instructions that upon execution make a request to the content server for courseware content, and also containing instructions that upon execution control a transfer of courseware content to the courseware presentation device over a network link using the network interface hardware when the request is authenticated;   a processor which executes instructions of the security manager and also executes instructions of the data transfer executable; and   a random access memory which is configured with courseware content that includes the critical portion and also includes a non-critical portion.   
     
     
         39 . The courseware presentation device of  claim 38 , wherein the device comprises a disconnectable mobile computer. 
     
     
         40 . The courseware presentation device of  claim 38 , wherein the device comprises a lean client. 
     
     
         41 . The courseware presentation device of  claim 38 , wherein the device comprises a laptop computer. 
     
     
         42 . The courseware presentation device of  claim 38 , wherein the device comprises a peer-to-peer node. 
     
     
         43 . The courseware presentation device of  claim 38 , wherein the device comprises a personal digital assistant. 
     
     
         44 . The courseware presentation device of  claim 38 , further comprising a browser, wherein the device display displays courseware content in the browser on the courseware presentation device. 
     
     
         45 . The courseware presentation device of  claim 38 , further comprising a client-resident portion of a meter manager which meters courseware content usage. 
     
     
         46 . The courseware presentation device of  claim 38 , wherein the device comprises Ethernet networking software which utilizes the network interface hardware to transfer at least one of the following: courseware content, content usage information, or content usage payment information. 
     
     
         47 . The courseware presentation device of  claim 38 , further comprising a client-resident portion of a funds flow manager which manages content usage payment information. 
     
     
         48 . A method for presenting content on a device, the method comprising:
 sending a request for content, the requested content including at least one critical portion, the request being sent from the device to a content server of a content management architecture, the content server to which the request is sent being separate from a registration server of the content management architecture;   if the request is not authenticated, then not receiving on the device the critical portion of the requested content;   if the request is authenticated, then receiving on the device the critical portion of the requested content; and   enforcing at the device at least one of the following requirements: the critical portion of the requested content only executes on the device when the device is in a recognized relationship with the content server, or the critical portion of the requested content only displays on the device when the device is in a recognized relationship with the content server.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising a student registering, from the device, with the registration server of the content management architecture. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising logging in from the device as a registered user of the content management architecture, wherein logging in includes transmitting from the device a student user name or student user ID which is registered with the registration server. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 48 , comprising receiving at least one of the following on the device, as part of the critical portion: synchronization information for coordinating audio and video in the requested content, initialization information. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 48 , comprising receiving at least one of the following on the device, as part of the critical portion: an examination, answers to an interactive test, chapters in a presentation. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising preventing a copy of the critical portion of the content from being created on nonvolatile storage at the device. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising downloading part of the content onto the device at least one hour before downloading the critical portion of the content onto the device. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising metering use on the device of a codec which is used to transfer audio or visual data between data formats. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising adjusting an invoice to reflect use of the content on the device. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising using the device as a node in a peer-to-peer network.