Prior art — US Patent 7788272

Most Relevant Prior Art for US Patent 7788272

This section identifies and analyzes the patent citations listed in US patent 7788272, focusing on their potential to anticipate the independent claims (Claims 1 and 16) under 35 U.S.C. § 102. The analysis considers the publication or effective filing date of each cited patent relative to US7788272's filing date of August 4, 2006.

Independent Claims 1 and 16: Key Elements for Anticipation Analysis

To assess potential anticipation, the following core elements from independent claims 1 and 16 of US7788272 are considered:

A1/16.1: Assigning license rights to a customer site (e.g., a library).
A1/16.2: Storing license rights and customer information at an access rights database for the customer site.
A1/16.3: Receiving a search request for a search property from a user device associated with the customer site via a communications network.
A1/16.4: Selecting a set of information sources corresponding to resource materials at the customer site.
A1/16.5: Searching the accessible information sources with the search request (e.g., open-text searching) to identify documents with the search property.
A1/16.6: Determining which documents the user has access rights to view based on stored license rights.
A1/16.7: Delivering search results to the user device.
A1/16.8: Allowing the user to select an information source from search results.
A1/16.9: Determining the number of viewable copies of the information source for which the customer site has license rights (Claim 16 specifically notes these rights are associated with a customer identification and the database stores a list of information sources).
A1/16.10: Determining the number of delivered copies currently used by other user devices associated with the customer site.
A1/16.11: Providing a copy of the information source to the user device if the total (delivered + requested) does not exceed the license rights.

Cited Patent Analysis

Here is an analysis of each patent cited in US7788272:

1. US5390297A

Full Citation: US5390297A, Auto-Trol Technology Corporation, "System for controlling the number of concurrent copies of a program in a network based on the number of available licenses"
Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 1995-02-14; Filing: 1993-01-20. (Both dates are prior to US7788272's filing date of 2006-08-04).
Brief Description: This patent describes a system for controlling concurrent use of software programs in a network by managing licenses. It tracks the number of authorized users and prevents additional users from accessing a program once the license limit is reached.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent directly addresses the concept of managing concurrent access based on licenses. It anticipates elements A1/16.1 (assigning license rights), A1/16.2 (storing license rights), A1/16.9 (determining viewable copies), A1/16.10 (determining delivered copies), and A1/16.11 (providing access based on license limits). However, it focuses on "programs" rather than "information sources" (like books, multimedia) in a "library" context, and doesn't explicitly detail the "open-text search" or delivery of search results (A1/16.3-A1/16.8) as found in US7788272.

2. WO2001029732A2

Full Citation: WO2001029732A2, Ebrary.Com, "Method and apparatus for improved information transactions"
Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2001-04-26; Priority: 1999-02-04. (Both dates are prior to US7788272's filing date of 2006-08-04).
Brief Description: This patent describes a method and apparatus for online information transactions, including access to copyrighted electronic documents, often for a fee, and may involve tracking usage.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is highly relevant as it deals with "information transactions" for electronic documents, implying management of access and potentially licensing. It likely anticipates A1/16.1, A1/16.2, A1/16.6, and A1/16.11. The extent to which it covers "open-text searching" within a specific "customer site's" holdings and "concurrent user limitations" (A1/16.9, A1/16.10) would require deeper analysis of its full text, but the general concept of controlled electronic document access is present.

3. US6385614B1

Full Citation: US6385614B1, Netlibrary Inc., "Electronic bookshelf with multi-user features"
Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2002-05-07; Filing: 1998-01-14. (Both dates are prior to US7788272's filing date of 2006-08-04).
Brief Description: This patent describes an electronic library system that provides digital content, such as e-books, to multiple users. It includes features for managing access to copies of content, allowing multiple simultaneous users if licenses permit, or placing users in a queue. This is a very strong match for US7788272's core functionality.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent appears to anticipate many, if not all, elements of Claims 1 and 16. The "electronic bookshelf with multi-user features" directly addresses the "customer site" (e.g., library), "information sources," "license rights," "access rights database," "determining viewable copies," "determining delivered copies," and "providing a copy if limits are not exceeded" (A1/16.1, A1/16.2, A1/16.9, A1/16.10, A1/16.11). It also implicitly or explicitly covers "receiving a search request," "selecting information sources," and "delivering search results" (A1/16.3-A1/16.8) within an electronic library context. The queuing of users for unavailable content is explicitly mentioned in US7788272's dependent claim 2 and 17, which is also a feature of this prior art.

4. US20040117784A1

Full Citation: US20040117784A1, Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, "Management apparatus, management method, and control program therefor"
Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2004-06-17; Filing: 2002-10-15. (Both dates are prior to US7788272's filing date of 2006-08-04).
Brief Description: This patent generally describes a content management system that restricts user access to content based on specific authorization information. It focuses on securely managing and controlling digital data.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent broadly covers access control and content management (A1/16.1, A1/16.2, A1/16.6). However, without further detail, it's unclear if it specifically includes the "open-text searching of information sources limited to a customer site's holdings" or the precise "concurrent user limitation" mechanisms (A1/16.3-A1/16.5, A1/16.9-A1/16.11) as detailed in US7788272. It represents a general background in content access control.

5. US20050055347A9

Full Citation: US20050055347A9, Ingenuity Systems, Inc., "Method and system for performing information extraction and quality control for a knowledgebase"
Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2005-03-10; Filing: 2000-12-08. (Both dates are prior to US7788272's filing date of 2006-08-04).
Brief Description: This patent focuses on methods for extracting information and ensuring data quality within a knowledgebase. Its primary concern is the creation and maintenance of structured information rather than a user-facing search and access control system for copyrighted materials.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is unlikely to anticipate the core elements of US7788272, particularly the license management and user access features (A1/16.1-A1/16.11). While it deals with a "knowledgebase" (a type of information source), its focus is different.

6. US20050063612A1

Full Citation: US20050063612A1, Udi Manber, "Method and system for access to electronic images of text based on user ownership of corresponding physical text"
Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2005-03-24; Filing: 2003-09-23. (Both dates are prior to US7788272's filing date of 2006-08-04).
Brief Description: This patent describes a system that allows users to access electronic versions of text documents if they own the corresponding physical copies. It aims to bridge physical ownership with digital access.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is highly relevant. The concept of linking "user ownership of corresponding physical text" to "access to electronic images of text" is analogous to US7788272's "customer site" (library) "owning resource materials" and providing electronic access. This anticipates A1/16.1 (implicit in ownership for access), A1/16.2 (storing ownership/license info), A1/16.4 (selecting owned resources), and A1/16.6 (determining access based on rights). While it may not explicitly detail "concurrent user" limits (A1/16.9-A1/16.11) or advanced "open-text search" (A1/16.5), the fundamental mechanism of controlled access to electronic content tied to physical holdings is present.

7. US20050063615A1

Full Citation: US20050063615A1, Hilliard Siegel, "Method and system for suppression of features in digital images of content"
Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2005-03-24; Filing: 2003-09-23. (Both dates are prior to US7788272's filing date of 2006-08-04).
Brief Description: This patent describes techniques for suppressing or obscuring certain features in digital images of content, potentially for copyright protection or selective display.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent focuses on controlling what is displayed from digital content rather than the overall search and concurrent access management. It might relate to how a "portion" of an information source is delivered (as mentioned in US7788272's detailed description), but it does not anticipate the broader method claims (A1/16.1-A1/16.11).

8. WO2005031526A2

Full Citation: WO2005031526A2, Amazon.Com, Inc., "Personalized searchable library based on user ownership"
Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2005-04-07; Filing: 2003-09-23. (Both dates are prior to US7788272's filing date of 2006-08-04).
Brief Description: This patent describes a system for providing a personalized searchable library of electronic documents, where access to the documents is based on the user's ownership of physical copies or digital licenses. It emphasizes searching within a user-specific collection.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is another highly relevant piece of prior art. "Personalized searchable library based on user ownership" strongly aligns with the "customer site" (library) and its "information sources" (A1/16.1, A1/16.4). It explicitly includes "searching" (A1/16.3, A1/16.5) and "access based on ownership/licenses" (A1/16.6). While the "personal" aspect might differ slightly from a "customer site" like a library, the underlying mechanism of searching a defined collection with access control is very similar. The level of detail regarding "concurrent user limits" (A1/16.9-A1/16.11) would need to be thoroughly examined, but the core search and access aspects are clearly present.

9. US20050125722A1

Full Citation: US20050125722A1, Information Handling Services Inc., "Unreferenced object in page rendered electronic file"
Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2005-06-09; Filing: 2003-12-01. (Both dates are prior to US7788272's filing date of 2006-08-04).
Brief Description: This patent relates to the rendering and handling of electronic files, specifically addressing issues with unreferenced objects within pages.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is concerned with technical details of electronic file rendering and does not appear to anticipate the search service, license management, or concurrent access aspects of US7788272 (A1/16.1-A1/16.11).

10. US20050240575A1

Full Citation: US20050240575A1, Shigeru Iida, "Contents search service providing system, contents search service providing method, and contents search service providing program"
Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2005-10-27; Filing: 2004-04-23. (Both dates are prior to US7788272's filing date of 2006-08-04).
Brief Description: This patent broadly describes a system and method for providing a content search service. It generally covers receiving search queries, searching content, and delivering results.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent anticipates the general search service elements: A1/16.3 (receiving search request), A1/16.5 (searching information sources), A1/16.7 (delivering search results), and A1/16.8 (allowing selection). However, it is not clear from the abstract whether it includes the specific "customer site" limitations, "license rights management," or "concurrent user limitations" (A1/16.1, A1/16.2, A1/16.4, A1/16.6, A1/16.9-A1/16.11) that are central to US7788272.

11. US20050289127A1

Full Citation: US20050289127A1, Dominic Giampaolo, "Methods and systems for managing data"
Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2005-12-29; Filing: 2004-06-25. (Both dates are prior to US7788272's filing date of 2006-08-04).
Brief Description: This patent describes general methods and systems for managing data, including aspects of data storage, retrieval, and organization.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is very broad and likely covers general data management concepts, but it does not appear to specifically anticipate the unique combination of library-specific, open-text search with detailed copyright and concurrent user license management as claimed in US7788272 (A1/16.1-A1/16.11).

12. US20060167946A1

Full Citation: US20060167946A1, Hellman Ziv Z, "Method and system for collaborative ontology modeling"
Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2006-07-27; Filing: 2001-05-25. (Both dates are prior to US7788272's filing date of 2006-08-04).
Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for creating and managing collaborative ontologies, which are structured representations of knowledge.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent focuses on the creation and organization of knowledge structures (ontologies) for improved information retrieval, which could indirectly support searching. However, it does not directly address the specific elements of license management, customer site-specific collections, or concurrent user access control as claimed in US7788272 (A1/16.1-A1/16.11).

13. US20070150442A1

Full Citation: US20070150442A1, Chin Frances M, "Library services in communication networks"
Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2007-06-28; Filing: 2005-12-20. (The filing date is prior to US7788272's filing date of 2006-08-04, making it valid prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e)).
Brief Description: This patent describes methods and systems for providing library services over communication networks, enabling users to access library resources and interact with library functions remotely.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is highly relevant because it explicitly discusses "library services in communication networks." This directly aligns with the "customer site" being a "library" and users accessing services via a "communications network." It likely anticipates elements related to receiving search requests (A1/16.3) and delivering information sources (A1/16.7, A1/16.8, A1/16.11). A detailed examination of its claims would be needed to determine if it explicitly or inherently includes the granular "license rights" (A1/16.1, A1/16.2, A1/16.6, A1/16.9), and especially the "concurrent user limitation" (A1/16.10, A1/16.11) for copyrighted materials. Given its title, it represents a strong candidate for anticipating many aspects of US7788272.

Most Relevant Prior Art Summary

Based on the analysis, the following prior art references appear to be the most relevant to US7788272, showing significant overlap with its independent claims:

US6385614B1 (Netlibrary Inc.): This patent, titled "Electronic bookshelf with multi-user features," is highly relevant as it explicitly describes a system for providing digital content to multiple users in an electronic library, including managing concurrent access based on licenses and queuing unavailable content. It directly anticipates many elements of Claims 1 and 16, particularly those related to license management and concurrent user access (A1/16.1, A1/16.2, A1/16.9, A1/16.10, A1/16.11) and the general search and delivery of information sources.
WO2005031526A2 (Amazon.Com, Inc.): Titled "Personalized searchable library based on user ownership," this patent is also very strong. It describes a system for a searchable library where access is linked to ownership or licenses, covering the core concepts of searching a defined collection with access control (A1/16.1, A1/16.3, A1/16.4, A1/16.5, A1/16.6).
US20050063612A1 (Udi Manber): This patent, "Method and system for access to electronic images of text based on user ownership of corresponding physical text," is highly pertinent for its focus on connecting physical ownership (e.g., a library's holdings) to digital access, a foundational aspect of US7788272. It anticipates elements of defining accessible information sources based on ownership/license (A1/16.1, A1/16.2, A1/16.4, A1/16.6).
US20070150442A1 (Chin Frances M.): With the title "Library services in communication networks," this patent directly addresses the library context and network access. While its publication date is after US7788272's filing date, its priority date precedes it. It provides strong general anticipation of library services over a network, including searching and access, but requires further investigation into explicit concurrent user license management.

These references, particularly US6385614B1 and WO2005031526A2, demonstrate that many core concepts of US7788272, such as searching within a defined collection of information sources and managing access based on licenses and concurrent usage, were known in the prior art. The specific combination of "open-text searching" with detailed "concurrent user limitations" for copyrighted materials within a "library" setting, as precisely claimed in US7788272, would be the primary point of differentiation from these prior art documents for novelty analysis.