Systems and methods for manipulating rights management data

• US 7,526,812 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: DeYoung, Dennis C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Tongoc
• Application Number:
  US11/088,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20060218643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 726/2, 726/4, 726 26- 33, 380/51
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/4627 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 21/83555 using a structured language for describing usage rules of the content, e.g. REL
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

Documents can be created to include metadata associated with rights management information that applies to the entire document and/or to one or more applicable sub-portions of the document. When a user places such a document to be scanned on a multi-function device (MFD) in a rights management environment, the MFD recognizes metadata associated with user rights management regarding the document and/or applicable sub-portions. The MFD automatically commences a rights management scheme to authenticate the user to a rights management system, query such system for information and permissions related to the document and/or applicable sub-portions, including deciphering the metadata read from the document, and determine if the user-requested function, such as scanning or copying, is permitted to be undertaken on this document and/or applicable sub-portions by this user on this device at this time. The system automatically executes or aborts the user-requested function based on the imposed rights management scheme.

Claims

1. A system for rights management, comprising:

an imaging device that obtains image data from a hard-copy document, the hard-copy document having rights management information embedded thereon;

a user interface that allows a user to at least one of (a) enter user authentication information or (b) request an operation to be executed by the system;

a detection device that detects the rights management information in the obtained image data of the hard-copy document; and

a rights management device that automatically carries out a rights management scheme regarding the hard-copy document based on the detected rights management information wherein detected rights management information applies to only one or more applicable sub-portions of the hard-copy document, and not to all of the hard-copy document, and the rights management device automatically carries out the rights management scheme regarding the applicable sub-portions of the hard-copy document by preventing unauthorized functions, unauthorized operations or unauthorized access to the one or more applicable sub-portions based on detected rights management information.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an output image formatting device usable to format an output image to include rights management data to be transferred to an image sink; and

an image sink for producing output image documents including rights management data.

3. The system of claim 2, the rights management device further comprising an application device which, when the user-requested operation includes producing a hard-copy output image document, applies rights management information to the output image by forwarding the rights management information to be embedded in the output image document to the output image formatting device to be formatted as a composite image prior to the output image being transferred to the image sink.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the rights management information to be embedded in the output image document applies to only one or more applicable sub-portions of the output image document, and not to all of the output image document.

5. The system of claim 1, the rights management device further comprising:

a scheme storage device that stores the rights management scheme that includes at least one of (a) a rights management set of rules;

(b) a rights management set of system permissions, (c) a rights management set of system constraints, (d) a rights management methodology, or (e) a rights management hierarchy;

a user database that stores user data including at least one of (a) authorized user authentication information or (b) authorized user permissions for the system;

an interpretation device that decodes the detected rights management information; and

a comparison device that compares stored user data with detected and decoded rights management information and implements the rights management scheme over the user-requested operation regarding the hard-copy document based on the comparison.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein, based on the comparison in the comparison device, the user-requested operation is executed, interrupted, or aborted.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein when a user-requested operation is executed, interrupted or aborted, a message is generated and the message is at least one of (a) displayed to the user via the user interface, (b) stored in the system for later recall, or (c) transmitted to an appropriate receiving node for further action.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein, based on the comparison in the comparison device, the user-requested operation is executed, interrupted, or aborted with regard to only one or more applicable sub-portions of the hard-copy document to which the detected and decoded rights management information applies, and not the whole of the hard-copy document.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the rights management information is included in the input image of the hard-copy document.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the rights management information in the obtained image of the hard-copy document is in a form that is machine-readable.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the machine-readable form is at least one of XML, XrML, or XACML, or another type of rights expression language.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the machine-readable form is at least one of Xerox DataGlyphs®

, or a machine-readable 2D barcode.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the rights management information is undetectable by the user or a human reader when looking at the hard-copy document.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one storage device that stores image data.

15. An image forming device including the system of claim 1.

16. A multi-function image producing or reproducing device including the system of claim 1.

17. A xerographic device including the system of claim 1.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the rights management information embedded on the hard-copy document is not visible to the user.

19. A method for rights management, comprising:

obtaining an image from a hard-copy document;

receiving a user request for an operation to be executed with respect to the obtained image;

a detecting, in the obtained image, rights management information; and

automatically carrying out a rights management scheme regarding the user-requested operation with respect to the obtained image based on the detected rights management information wherein automatically carrying out the rights management scheme comprises at least one of executing interrupting, or aborting the user requested operation with regard to only one or more applicable sub-portions of the hard-copy document to which the detected rights management information applies, and not to all of the hard-copy document.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein automatically carrying out the rights management scheme comprises at least one of executing, interrupting, or aborting the user-requested operation.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

formatting an output image when the user-requested operation includes production of a hard-copy output document; and

delivering an appropriately formatted output image to a suitable image sink to produce the output image as the hard-copy output document.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising embedding rights management information as part of a composite image with the output image to be produced as the hard-copy output document.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the embedded rights management information applies to only one or more applicable sub-portions of the hard-copy output document, and not to all of the hard-copy output document.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the embedded rights management data is undetectable by the user or a human reader when looking at the hard-copy output document.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the embedded rights management information is in a form that is machine-readable.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the machine-readable form is at least one of XML, XrML, or XACML, or another type of rights expression language.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the machine-readable form is at least one of Xerox DataGlyphs®

or a machine-readable 2D barcode.

28. A digital data storage medium on which is stored a program for implementing the method of claim 19.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the image is obtained from a hard-copy document having rights management information embedded thereon.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the rights management information embedded on the hard-copy document is not visible to the user.