Interactive image-based document for secured data access

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and system for verifying a user for copying or printing a limited portion of digital content while allowing the user to view the digital content. The digital content may have image portions that are digital images generally scanned from a printed page of the content and text portions that are digital texts including all forms of letters, characters, symbols, etc. An interactive image document displaying image portions of the digital content is provided for secure data access to text portions. A user can request and obtain a limited text portion of the digital content or view the image portions of the digital content via user interactions within the interactive image document. While the text portions can be reproduced, copied, or printed, the image portions can not be re-used or manipulated by the user due to their non-text accessible format.

1 . A computer-implemented method for providing access to digital content, the computer-implemented method comprising:
 as implemented by one or more computing devices configured with specific executable instructions,
 presenting for display one or more portions of digital content, such that text data representing information in the one or more displayed portions are prevented from being electronically copied directly from the one or more displayed portions; 
 receiving a selection by a user of a portion of the one or more displayed portions of digital content, the selection indicating that copying text data representing information in the selected portion of digital content is desired; and 
 in response to the user selection,
 retrieving a text portion from a data store, wherein the text portion comprises text data representing information in the selected portion of the digital content; and 
 providing the obtained text portion to the user. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising verifying that the user has a right to obtain the text portion prior to providing the text portion to the user. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein verifying that the user has a right to obtain the text portion comprises determining if an amount of text data accessed exceeds a threshold. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more displayed portions of digital content are displayed as part of an interactive image document. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more displayed portions of digital content comprise image data. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the obtained text portion provided to the user can be copied. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more portions of the digital content are displayed such that the one or more portions are prevented from being directly printed, and wherein the obtained text portion provided to the user can be printed. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the received selection comprises a start location and an end location of the selected portion of digital content. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer-executable component for providing access to digital content, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
 a user interface component for:
 presenting for display one or more portions of digital content, such that text data representing information in the one or more displayed portions are prevented from being electronically copied directly from the one or more displayed portions; and 
 receiving a selection by a user of a portion of the one or more displayed portions of the digital content; and 
   a content management component for:
 retrieving a text portion from a data store, wherein the text portion comprises text data representing information in the selected portion of the digital content; 
   wherein the user interface component provides the retrieved text portion to the user.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the content management component further verifies whether the user has a right to obtain the text portion corresponding to the selected portion of the digital content. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein verifying whether the user has a right to obtain the text portion is based at least in part on an aggregated access amount associated with the digital content. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the aggregated access amount corresponds to access to the digital content by a plurality of users. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more displayed portions of the digital content comprise image data, wherein the retrieved text portion represents information in at least a portion of the image data. 
     
     
         14 . A system for providing access to digital content, the system comprising:
 a data store configured to store text portions of the digital content;   a computing device in communication with the data store, the computing device configured to:
 present for display one or more portions of the digital content, such that text data representing information in the one or more displayed portions are prevented from being electronically copied directly from the one or more displayed portions; 
 receive a selection by a user of a portion of the one or more displayed portions; 
 identify a text portion which corresponds to the selected portion, wherein the text portion comprises text data representing information in the selected portion; 
 verify whether the user has a right to obtain the text portion corresponding to the selected portion; 
 following verification, obtain the text portion from the data store; and 
 provide the obtained text portion to the user. 
   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more portions of the digital content are displayed as part of an interactive image document. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the obtained text portion provided to the user can be copied. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the displayed one or more portions of the digital content are displayed such that the one or more portions are prevented from being directly printed, and wherein the obtained text portion provided to the user can be printed. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein verifying whether the user has a right to obtain the text portion comprises determining if an amount of text data accessed exceeds a threshold. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the threshold corresponds to aggregated access of the digital content by the user. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the threshold corresponds to aggregated access of the digital content by a group of users. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the received selection comprises a start location and an end location of the selected portion of the digital content.