1. A method for distributing digital content from a sending device to an authorized receiving device which is located at a predetermined location and whose authentication data has been compromised by an unauthorized receiving device, the method comprising the steps of:
determining a predetermined distance from said sending device to said authorized receiving device, where said authorized receiving device is located at a predetermined location that is known to said sending device;
receiving a request for digital content from a device purporting to be said authorized receiving device;
sending, in response to said request for digital content, a request for acknowledgement to said purported receiving device;
receiving an acknowledgement, including device authentication data, from said unauthorized receiving device that corresponds to valid device authentication data from said authorized receiving device;
determining, in response to receiving said acknowledgement from said purported receiving device, an actual round-trip response time for said request for said acknowledgement and the associated acknowledgement; and
using said actual round-trip response time to determine if said purported receiving device is located a distance from said sending device corresponding to said predetermined distance from said sending device to said authorized receiving device.
2. The method for distributing digital content of claim 1 wherein said step of using said round-trip response time comprises:
if said actual round-trip response time corresponds to a response time for said predetermined distance, said request for digital content is granted and if said actual round-trip response time does not correspond to a response time for said predetermined distance, denying said request for digital content.
3. The method for distributing digital content of claim 1 wherein said predetermined location is identified by a one of location specific parameters including: a physical address representing a present physical location of said receiving device, and a geographical area in which said receiving device is located.
4. The method for distributing digital content of claim 1 wherein the step of sending a request for acknowledgement comprises:
recording a first rime representing when said request for said acknowledgement was sent.
5. The method for distributing digital content of claim 4 wherein the step of determining an actual round-trip response time comprises:
recording a second time representing when said acknowledgement was received at said sending device.
6. The method for distributing digital content of claim 5 wherein the step of determining an actual round-trip response time comprises:
comparing said first time and said second time to determine said actual round-trip response time.
7. A method for detecting a request for digital content from an unauthorized receiving device which has compromised the authentication of an authorized receiving device, the method comprising the steps of:
establishing a predetermined reference distance between a sending device and an authorized receiving device, said predetermined reference distance having a corresponding predetermined response time;
receiving said request for digital content at said sending device from said unauthorized receiving device;
in response to receiving said request for digital content, sending a request for an acknowledgement to said unauthorized receiving device;
receiving an acknowledgement including device authentication data, from said unauthorized receiving device that corresponds to valid device authentication data from said authorized receiving device;
in response to receiving said acknowledgement from said unauthorized receiving device at said sending device, determining an actual round-trip response time; and
comparing said actual round-trip response time to said predetermined response time, wherein if said actual round-trip response time fails to correspond to said predetermined round-trip response limit for said authorized receiving device, said unauthorized receiving device is not authorized to receive said digital content.
8. The method for detecting a request for digital content from an unauthorized receiving device of claim 7 wherein the step of determining an actual round-trip response time comprises:
calculating a difference between sending said request for said acknowledgement from said sending device and receiving said acknowledgement from said unauthorized receiving device at said sending device.
9. The method for detecting a request for digital content from an unauthorized receiving device of claim 7 wherein said authorized receiving device is identified by a one of location specific parameters including: a physical address representing a present physical location of said authorized receiving device, and a geographical area in which said authorized receiving device is located.
10. The method for detecting a request for digital content from an unauthorized receiving device of claim 7 wherein the step of sending a request for an acknowledgement comprises:
recording a time representing when said request for said acknowledgement was sent to said receiving device.
11. The method for detecting a request for digital content from an unauthorized receiving device of claim 10 wherein the step of receiving said acknowledgement from said unauthorized receiving device comprises:
recording a receive time representing when said acknowledgement was received at said sending device.
12. The method for detecting a request for digital content from an unauthorized receiving device of claim 10 wherein the step of determining an actual round-trip response time comprises:
calculating a difference between said send time and said receive time to determine said actual round-trip response time.
13. A method for preventing distribution of digital content from a source device to an unauthorized destination device located outside of a predetermined geographical area, the method comprising the steps of:
establishing a predetermined reference distance between a source device and an authorized receiving device located in said predetermined geographic area, said predetermined reference distance having a corresponding predetermined response time;
receiving a request from a destination device for said digital content;
said sending device requesting an acknowledgement from said destination device;
receiving an acknowledgement, including device authentication data, from said destination device that corresponds to valid device authentication data from said authorized receiving device;
recording a first time denoting the time that said request for acknowledgement was sent to said destination device;
recoding a second time denoting the time that said acknowledgement from said destination device was received at said source device;
calculating a difference between said first time and said second time to determine a round-trip response time; and
comparing said round-trip response time to said predetermined response time, if said round-trip response time fails to correspond to said predetermined response time, denying said request for digital content and if said round-trip response time corresponds to said predetermined response time, granting said request for said digital content.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for characterizing patterns which are present as stored information,
characterization proposals being automatically generated in a computer system,
and the pattern and the characterization proposal being presented to a processing employee by means of a computer program, characterized in that the processing employee can evaluate andor modify the characterization proposal which is assigned to the pattern.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the characterization proposals which are generated are stored in a database until they are checked by the processing employee, and are presented to the processing employee on a screen while the pattern is being characterized.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the characterization proposal is generated directly on the screen while the pattern is being characterized.
4. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pattern is an image and the image is presented on the display together with the characterization proposal.
5. The method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the characterization proposal is presented in the form of a closed line configuration, and in that the line configuration is superimposed on the image.
6. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the proposal is accepted by the processing employee and stored in the system as a characterization.
7. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the proposal is deleted or modified by the processing employee, and in that a characterization proposal is generated manually.
8. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the proposal is rejected by the processing employee, and in that the proposal is used as a basis for a further method.
9. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the proposal is deleted completely, and in that a suitable proposal is generated using a more complex method.
10. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for a large number of samples the characterization method is carried out using the Internet.
11. A server system for carrying out the method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the server system has
a device for storing patterns,
a unit for generating characterization proposals for the stored patterns,
a memory for storing the characterizations which are assigned to the patterns,
and a communications device for communicating with a processing device for evaluating and processing the characterization proposals.
12. A processing device for evaluating and processing characterization proposals for patterns within the scope of the method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the processing device has
a display for displaying the patterns and the associated characterization proposals,
an input unit for inputting the assessment of the characterization of the pattern andor
for deleting or modifying the characterization
and a communications unit for communicating with a server system for storing patterns and characterizations, and for generating characterization proposals.