System and method for providing secure value-added document network services

• US 20030043402A1
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Realm Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sprague, Mary Ann, Rahgozar, M. Armon, Manchala, Daniel W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,826,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/045 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply hybrid encryption, i.e. combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing secure value-added network services in a network using one or more operating systems. The system runs on a distribution agent Web server accessible from one or more types of network Operating Systems (“OS”) via a Secure Socket Layer (“SSL”) channel. The system includes one or more subsystems, including a receiving system that receives one or more document service requests over a secure communications medium, an authentication system that authenticates each received document service request, a processing system that processes the one or more authenticated document service requests, and a request fulfillment system that fulfills each processed document service request.

Claims

1. A method for providing secure value-added network services in a network using one or more operating systems, the method comprising:

receiving one or more document service requests over a secure communications medium, each of the document service requests being associated with at least one quality of service selection;

authenticating each received document service request;

processing the one or more authenticated document service requests; and

fulfilling each of the processed document service requests based upon the associated at least one quality of service selection.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the one or more document service requests and the at least one associated quality of service selection are encrypted using a public key encryption algorithm and a symmetric key algorithm.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the authentication further comprises determining whether a sender of one or more documents associated with the received document service requests is authorized to make the document service request or whether the one or more documents have been modified or corrupted.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the processing further comprises identifying the received document service requests as a request for one or more documents to be printed, transmitted as one or more facsimile messages, or converted from a first file format to a second file format.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the processing further comprises determining whether the received document service requests are associated with at least one quality of service selection.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5 further comprising identifying the at least one quality of service selection as a request that the documents be assigned a priority rating to determine their processing order, that a quality level of the processed documents be verified by humans, or that the documents be processed by an approximate time.

7. The method as set forth in claim 5 further comprising identifying the at least one quality of service selection as a request that one or more documents be printed in accordance with one or more print quality levels, that a particular type of printing paper be used to print the documents, or that the documents be printed in black-and-white or color.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the fulfilling further comprises a human verifying that a processed document has a sufficient toner level, a sufficient color quality, a correct number of generated pages, or a document processing priority status.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the fulfilling further comprises delivering the processed document using the se cure communications medium or a physical delivery system.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the secure communications medium comprises a secure socket layer channel.

11. A distribution agent system for providing secure value-added network services in a network using one or more operating systems, the system comprising:

a receiving system that receives one or more document service requests over a secure communications medium, each of the document service requests being associated with at least one quality of service selection;

an authentication system that authenticates each received document service request;

a processing system that processes the one or more authenticated document service requests; and

a request fulfillment system that fulfills each processed document service request based upon the associated at least one quality of service selection.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the one or more document service requests and the at least one associated quality of service requests are encrypted using a public key encryption algorithm and a symmetric key algorithm.

13. The system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the authentication system determines whether a sender of one or more documents associated with the received document service requests is authorized to make the document service request or whether the one or more documents have been modified or corrupted.

14. The system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the processing system identifies the received document service requests as a request for one or more documents to be printed, transmitted as one or more facsimile messages, or converted from a first file format to a second file format.

15. The system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the processing system determines whether the received document service requests are associated with at least one quality of service selection.

16. The system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the processing system further comprises identifying the at least one quality of service selection as a request that the documents be assigned a priority rating to determine their processing order, that a quality level of the processed documents be verified by humans, or that the documents be processed by an approximate time.

17. The system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the processing system further comprises identifying the at least one quality of service selection as a request that one or more documents be printed in accordance with one or more print quality levels, that a particular type of printing paper be used to print the documents, or that the documents be printed in black-and-white or color.

18. The system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the fulfillment system further comprises a human verifying that a processed document has a sufficient toner level, a sufficient color quality, a correct number of generated pages, or a document processing priority status.

19. The system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the fulfillment system delivers the processed document over the secure communications medium or using a physical delivery system.

20. The system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the secure communications medium comprises a secure socket layer channel.

21. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for providing secure value-added network services in a network using one or more operating systems, which when executed by one or more processors, causes the processors to perform:

receiving one or more document service requests over a secure communications medium, each of the document service requests being associated with at least one quality of service selection;

authenticating each received document service request;

processing the one or more authenticated document service requests; and

fulfilling each of the processed document service requests based upon the associated at least one quality of service selection.

22. The medium as set forth in claim 21 wherein the one or more document service requests and the at least one associated quality of service requests are encrypted using a public key encryption algorithm and a symmetric key algorithm.

23. The medium as set forth in claim 21 wherein the authentication further comprises determining whether a sender of one or more documents associated with the received document service requests is authorized to make the document service request or whether the one or more documents have been modified or corrupted.

24. The medium as set forth in claim 21 wherein the processing further comprises identifying the received document service requests as a request for one or more documents to be printed, transmitted as one or more facsimile messages, or converted from a first file format to a second file format.

25. The medium as set forth in claim 21 wherein the processing further comprises determining whether the received document service requests are associated with at least one quality of service selection.

26. The medium as set forth in claim 25 further comprising identifying the at least one quality of service selection as a request that the documents be assigned a priority rating to determine their processing order, that a quality level of the processed documents be verified by humans, or that the documents be processed by an approximate time.

27. The medium as set forth in claim 25 further comprising identifying the at least one quality of service selection as a request that one or more documents be printed in accordance with one or more print quality levels, that a particular type of printing paper be used to print the documents, or that the documents be printed in black-and-white or color.

28. The medium as set forth in claim 21 wherein the fulfilling further comprises a human verifying that a processed document has a sufficient toner level, a sufficient color quality, a correct number of generated pages, or a document processing priority status.

29. The medium as set forth in claim 21 wherein the fulfilling further comprises delivering the processed document over the secure communications medium or using a physical delivery system.

30. The medium as set forth in claim 21 wherein the secure communications medium comprises a secure socket layer channel.