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

• US 9,237,310 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2009
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Diehl, Eric, Durand, Alain, Onno, Stphane
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEHESHTI SHIRAZI, SAYED ARESH
• Application Number:
  US12/590,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20100146297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,248 Days
• Field of Search: 713/189, 707/705
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 authorized 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 authorized 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 authorized 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, at a hardware processing device,

(a) receiving, by the hardware processing device comprising a processing device identifier, a content file including the digital content, an identifier of a device that most recently processed the digital content and a header;

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

(c) receiving, by the hardware processing device, a response signal from the second device authorising the hardware processing device to process the content, the authorization based on workflow auxiliary information for the digital content corresponding to the content identifier, wherein the workflow auxiliary information comprises at least one action that may be applied to the digital content by the hardware processing device and a determination that the processing device identifier corresponds to an identifier of a device following the device that most recently processed the digital content in the workflow; and

if the hardware processing device is authorized to process the content;

d1) receiving a decryption key for the encrypted digital content;

d2) decrypting the encrypted digital content;

d3) processing, by the hardware processing device, the decrypted digital content resulting in a modified digital content called processed digital content; and

d4) re-encrypting the processed digital content.

2. A method of processing digital content according to a workflow, the method comprising, at a second hardware device:

a) receiving a request, from a processing device by the second hardware device, to process the digital content,

b) receiving, by the second hardware device, a content file including the digital content, an identifier of a device that most recently processed the digital content and a header;

c) checking, by the second hardware device, workflow auxiliary information to decide if a processing device is authorized to process the content, the checking being performed by obtaining workflow auxiliary information for the digital content, wherein the workflow auxiliary information comprises at least one action that may be applied to the content by the processing device, by verifying if an identifier of said processing device corresponds to the identifier of a device following the device that most recently processed the digital content in the workflow; and

if the second hardware device determines the processing device is authorized to process the content;

d) sending by the second hardware device a processing plug-in to the processing device enabling the processing device to process the content; and

e) updating, by the second hardware device, the workflow auxiliary information.

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

a) receiving, by a hardware processing device comprising a processing device identifier, a content file including the digital content, an identifier of a device that most recently processed the digital content and a header;

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

c) receiving, by the hardware processing device from the second device, auxiliary information comprising at least one action that may be applied to the content by at least one processing device following the device that most recently processed the digital content in the workflow;

d) checking, by the hardware processing device, if the processing device identifier corresponds to the identifier of a device following the device that most recently processed the digital content in the auxiliary information to decide if the hardware processing device is authorised to process the content; and

if the hardware processing device is authorised to process the content;

g1) receiving a decryption key for the encrypted digital content;

g2) decrypting the encrypted digital content;

g3) processing, by the hardware processing device, the decrypted digital content resulting in a modified digital content called processed digital content;

g4) encrypting the processed digital content; and

g5) updating, by the hardware processing device, the auxiliary information for the workflow.

4. A processing device for processing of digital content according to a workflow, the processing device, comprising:

a receiver that receives a content file including the digital content, an identifier of a device that most recently processed the digital content and a header;

a transmitter that sends a content identifier for the digital content, the identifier of a device that most recently processed the digital content and an identifier for the processing device, the receiver receiving a response signal from the second device authorizing the processing device to process the content, the authorization being based on workflow auxiliary information for the digital content corresponding to the content identifier wherein the workflow auxiliary information comprises at least one action that may be applied to the digital content by the processing device and a determination that the processing device identifier corresponds to the identifier of a device following the device that most recently processed the digital content in the workflow; and

a processor, wherein, if the response signal indicates the processing device is authorized to process the content, the processor;

d1) receiving a decryption key for the encrypted digital content;

d2) decrypts the encrypted digital content;

d3) processes the decrypted digital content resulting in a modified digital content called processed digital content; and

d4) re-encrypts the processed digital content.

5. A device for controlling processing of digital content according to a workflow, the device comprising:

a receiver that receives a request from a processing device to process the digital content, and receives a content file including the digital content, an identifier of a device that most recently processed the digital content and a header from a database;

a processor that checks workflow information to determine if the requesting processing device is authorized to process the content, the checking being performed by obtaining workflow auxiliary information for the digital content, wherein the workflow auxiliary information comprises at least one action that may be applied to the content by the processing device, by obtaining an identifier for a device that most recently processed the digital content, and by verifying if the identifier of said processing device corresponds to an identifier of a device following the device that most recently processed the digital content in the workflow, the processor updating the workflow information upon determining the requesting processing device is authorized to process the content; and

a transmitter that, upon determining by the processor that the requesting processing device is authorized to process the content, transmits a processing plug-in to the processing device enabling the processing device to process the content.