Patent ID: 9400891
Filing Date: 2016-07-26
CPC Classification: G06F,H04L

Claim Text:
1. A system for an owner of a protected file to control access or use of the protected file after the protected file has been delivered to a recipient, comprising: a. a computer network; b. a server connected to said computer network, said server including an owner database file that contains policy rules and a recipient ID, said policy rules containing access rules and use rules associated with said protected file, said recipient ID associated with a recipient authorized to access or use said protected file, said server configured to receive a request to access and use said protected file from said recipient, said server also configured to transmit a time or day restricted digital certificate to a reader program on a remote computer operated by said recipient when said request is received from said remote computer and when said access rules and said use rules associated with said protected file are satisfied said digital certificate includes a header containing information about the file type, and encrypted policy rules or an encrypted policy ID; c. an owner computer; d. at least one encrypted protected file associated with said policy rules; e. an owner software program configured to present a plurality of policy menu pages that enable an owner of said owner computer to identify said unique recipient ID to said authorized recipient, said owner software program also configured to create said policy rules used to determine when and how said protected file will be used or accessed by said authorized recipient and associates said policy rules with said protected file; f. a remote computer connected to said computer network and controlled by an authorized recipient assigned a unique recipient ID, and, g. a reader program configured to send a request containing said recipient's ID to said server when said authorized recipient attempts to access or use said protected file not previously associated with a digital certificate or associated with an expired digital certificate, said reader program also configured to receive said digital certificate and produces a first key that decrypts said policy rules in said digital certificate and determines if said policy rules are satisfied, and if said policy rules are satisfied then produces or obtains from said digital certificate a second key that decrypts said protected file.