Appeal No. 2005-1895
Application 08/861,989
Invention
Appellants’ invention relates to a system for transmitting a database or other software
over a communication link, such as the Internet, which prevents unauthorized use. In order
to prevent such unauthorized use, the customer’s equipment, such as a GPS unit, is
provided with a unique software key. The updated database is ordered over the
communication link by providing the unique software key and may include electronic
payment information. The database is encrypted, for example, as a function of the unique
software key and transmitted over the communication link in encrypted form along with an
upload program. The upload program only allows the encrypted database to be uploaded
into a unit with a matching software key. As such, the system allows updated databases to
be transmitted rather quickly and easily over a communication link while preventing
unauthorized use.
Appellants’ specification at page 3, lines 9-25.
Claim 25 is representative of the claimed invention and is reproduced as follows:
A method for providing navigation data to global positioning (GPS) units
said method comprising the steps of:
storing a unique software key within a GPS unit;
forwarding a request from one of said GPS units for navigation data to a
software supplier, said request including payment authorization
information and a key code associated with the unique software key;
encrypting the navigation data by the supplier in response to said request
using the included key code, said encrypted navigation data including a
decryption program;
transmitting to the GPS unit having the stored unique software key, said
encrypted navigation data including said decryption program which only
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