Method and system digital for processing digital content according to a workflow

• US 20100146297A1
• Filed: 11/16/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Onno, Stephane, Diehl, Eric, Durand, Alain
• Granted Patent: US 9,237,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A method of processing digital content according to a workflow. The digital content is received and information for the workflow is checked to decide if a processing device is authorised to process the content, the workflow imposing that the digital content be processed in a process chain comprising at least two nodes, wherein the processing device is authorised to process the content if it corresponds to the node that according to the process chain is the next node to process the digital content. If the processing device is authorised to process the content, the digital content is processed and the information for the workflow is updated. Also provided is a system.

Claims

1. A method of processing digital content according to a workflow, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving, by a processing device comprising a processing device identifier, the digital content;

b) sending, by the processing device, to a second device a content identifier for the digital content and the processing device identifier;

c) checking by the second device information for the workflow to decide if a processing device is authorised to process the content, the checking being performed by obtaining information for the workflow for the digital content corresponding to the content identifier and comparing the information with the content identifier and the processing device identifier; and

if the processing device is authorised to process the content;

d) processing, by the processing device, the digital content; and

e) updating, by the second device, the information for the workflow.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital content is received in an encrypted form and step d) further comprises the substeps, prior to the processing of the content, at the processing device, of:

d1) providing a decryption key for the encrypted digital content; and

d2) decrypting the encrypted digital content;

and, subsequent to the processing of the content;

d3) encrypting the processed digital content.

3. A method of processing digital content according to a workflow, the method comprising the steps of:

a) requesting, by a processing device from a second device, processing of the digital content, wherein

b) receiving, by the second device, the digital content;

c) checking, by the second device, information for the workflow to decide if a processing device is authorised to process the content, the checking being performed by obtaining information for the workflow for the digital content and comparing the information with an identifier for the processing device; and

if the processing device is authorised to process the content;

d) sending by the second device a processing plug-in to the processing device; and

e) running by the processing device the processing plug-in and receiving the digital content;

f) processing, by the processing device using the processing plug-in, the digital content; and

g) updating, by the second device, the information for the workflow.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the digital content is received in an encrypted form and step c) further comprises the substeps, prior to the processing of the content, at the processing device, of:

f1) providing a decryption key for the encrypted digital content; and

f2) decrypting the encrypted digital content;

and, subsequent to the processing of the content;

f3) encrypting the processed digital content.

5. A method of processing digital content according to a workflow, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving, by a processing device, the digital content;

b) sending by the processing device to a second device a content identifier for the digital content and an identifier for a device that most recently processed the digital content;

c) determining, by the second device, using the content identifier and the identifier for a device that most recently processed the digital content, the at least one action that may be applied to the content by at least one processing device;

d) generating by the second device auxiliary information comprising the at least one action that may be applied to the content by at least one processing device;

e) sending, by the second device to the processing device, the auxiliary information;

f) checking, by the processing device, by comparing an identifier for the processing device and the auxiliary information to decide if the processing device is authorised to process the content; and

if the processing device is authorised to process the content;

g) processing, by the processing device, the digital content; and

h) updating, by the processing device, the information for the workflow.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the digital content is received in an encrypted form and step g) further comprises the substeps, prior to the processing of the content, at the processing device, of:

g1) providing a decryption key for the encrypted digital content; and

g2) decrypting the encrypted digital content;

and, subsequent to the processing of the content;

g3) encrypting the processed digital content.

7. A system for processing digital content according to a workflow, the system comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive digital content;

a processing device adapted to process the digital content;

a unit adapted to check information for the workflow to decide if the processing device is authorised to process the content; and

a unit adapted to update the information for the workflow.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the receiver is adapted to receive the digital content in an encrypted form, the system further comprising:

a first unit adapted to provide a decryption key for the encrypted digital content;

a second unit adapted to decrypt the encrypted digital content; and

a third unit adapted to encrypt the processed digital content.