Private peer-to-peer network platform for secure collaborative production and management of digital assets

• US 8,874,951 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2011
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CLOUDPIC GLOBAL INC.
• Original Assignee: CLOUDPIC GLOBAL INC.
• Inventors: Chuang, Richard, DeBry, David Franklyn
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, TAE K
• Application Number:
  US13/080,641
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 380277-282, 709/248, 709204-206, 713/155, 713/375, 726 1- 4, 726/21, 726 26- 29
• US Class Current: 713/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104
• 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: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols

Abstract

Asset management systems and methods are presented. In one embodiment, a system includes a computing resource associated with a project member. A project container is stored on the computing resource, wherein the project container comprises encrypted objects related to a project. The encrypted objects includes project metadata and one or more working objects associated with one or more sub-projects of which the project member is granted permissioned access. An encryption/decryption engine is included for encrypting and decrypting the encrypted objects. The system includes an archive file system for storing the encrypted objects and previous versions of the objects, and a façade file system for viewing and accessing and interacting with the one or more working objects. Other computing resources associated with other project members are similarly configured, wherein a plurality of project containers store distributed objects that are grouped within the project. An authentication server provides authenticated access to each of the plurality of project containers, and authenticated peer-to-peer communication between the plurality of project containers.

Claims

1. A method for secure distributed asset management, comprising:

sending a request from a local computing resource to an authentication server to access a local encrypted project container stored on said local computing resource, wherein said local encrypted project container is associated with a plurality of project containers grouped within a project and stored on a plurality of computing resources of a plurality of project members, said plurality of computing resources supported by a communication network, and wherein distributed objects stored on said plurality of project containers are grouped within said project such that a first object generated on any of said project containers of said plurality of computing resources in association with said project is stored on each of said plurality of project containers and locally accessed through one of said plurality of project containers with proper authentication by said authentication server;

receiving authentication for a local project member associated with said local computing resource to access said local encrypted project container, wherein said local encrypted project container comprises encrypted objects related to said project, wherein said encrypted objects comprises project metadata related to said distributed objects and one or more working objects of which said local project member is granted permissioned access;

in response to said request, decrypting a working object rendering said working object accessible to said local project member;

receiving a new object for committing to a sub-project;

generating new metadata associated with said new object;

storing said new object in said local encrypted project container;

storing said new metadata in said local encrypted project container;

sending said new metadata to one or more of said plurality of computing resources over corresponding peer to peer communication sessions; and

sending said new object to one or more project members associated with said sub-project who are granted permissioned access over said corresponding peer to peer communication sessions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving authentication further comprises:

receiving an encryption key for decrypting said working objects accessed from said local encrypted project container and for encrypting said working objects stored in said local encrypted project container.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving authentication further comprises:

receiving access to an existing encryption key stored on said local computing resource for decrypting said working objects accessed from said local encrypted project container and for encrypting said working objects stored in said local encrypted project container.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending a request further comprises:

sending said request over a secure communication channel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more sessions keys;

establishing one or more secure peer to peer communication sessions with project members over said communication network using said session keys.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a note associated with said new object; and

attaching said note to said new object as part of said new metadata.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a note associated with said new object; and

attaching said note to a group of objects associated with said new object as part of said new metadata.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a tag with said new object, wherein said new object is grouped together with other objects similarly tagged, such that an action is performed on all objects associated with said tag.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving new metadata associated with a new object generated by a remote project member assigned to a sub-project associated with said local project member; and

receiving said new object from one of said project members having said new object.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

closing said encrypted container when said local project member signs off.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a kill instruction from said authentication server; and

disabling access to said local project container by said local computing resource.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer system causes the computer system to perform a method for asset management, comprising:

receiving a first request from a first computing resource to access a first project container associated with said first computing resource, wherein said first computing resource is associated with a first project member, wherein said first project container is included within a plurality of project containers grouped within a project and stored on a plurality of computing resources of a plurality of project members, said plurality of computing resources supported by a communication network, and wherein distributed objects stored on said plurality of project containers are grouped within said project such that a first object generated on any of said project containers of said plurality of computing resources in association with said project is stored on each of said plurality of project containers and locally accessed through one of said plurality of project containers with proper authentication by said authentication server;

authenticating said first project member to said project;

determining said plurality of computing resources;

sending a first encryption drive key to said first computing resource to access said first project container, wherein said first project container comprises first encrypted objects related to said project, wherein said encrypted information comprises project metadata related to said distributed objects and one or more working objects associated with one or more sub-projects of which said first project member is granted permissioned access;

establishing one or more independent session key pairs for purposes of establishing one or more secure peer to peer communication sessions between said plurality of computing resources;

sending a first half of one or more session key pairs to said first computing resource for purposes of establishing said peer to peer communication sessions;

receiving a new object for committing to a sub-project;

generating new metadata associated with said new object;

storing said new object in said local encrypted project container;

storing said new metadata in said local encrypted project container;

sending said new metadata to one or more of said plurality of computing resources over corresponding peer to peer communication sessions; and

sending said new object to one or more project members associated with said sub-project who are granted permissioned access over said corresponding peer to peer communication sessions.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein said method further comprises:

sending a second half of said one or more session key pairs to remaining computing resources of said plurality of computing resources.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein said method further comprises:

establishing a first session key pair for purposes of establishing a first secure peer to peer communication session with said first computing resource;

sending a first half of said first session key pair to said first computing resource; and

establishing said first secure peer to peer communication session.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a second request from a second computing resource to access a second project container associated with said second computing resource, wherein said second computing resource is associated with a second project member;

authenticating said second project member to said project;

sending a second encryption drive key to said second computing resource to access said second project container, wherein said second project container comprises second encrypted objects related to said project, wherein said second encrypted objects comprises second project metadata related to said distributed information and second working objects associated with one or more sub-projects of which said second project member is granted permissioned access;

establishing a session key pair for purposes of establishing a secure peer to peer communication session between said first and second computing resources; and

sending a first half of said session key pair to said first computing resource; and

sending a second half of said session key pair to said second computing resource.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving an instruction to disable access to said first project container;

sending a kill command to said first computing resource for purposes of disabling access to said first project container by said first computing resource.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving an instruction to disable access to said plurality of project containers;

sending a plurality of kill commands to said plurality of computing resources for purposes of disabling access to said plurality of project containers.