New pending patent applications are published by the USPTO on Thursdays. Both of today's Spotlight Applications concern aspects of digital rights management. Assigned to Amazon, the first application discloses techniques for extensible workflows for processing content. Assigned to Adobe, the second application discloses techniques for digital rights management progressive control and background processing.
20170286162, "Extensible workflows for processing content," assigned to Amazon.
Abstract
A system and method is described for enabling a user to add extensions to one or more of the preconfigured workflows for processing media content. The extensions can comprise a custom task that is injected at a specified entry point in the preconfigured workflow, such as after completion of a particular task. The custom task injected into the workflow can perform a variety of processing jobs, such as adding digital rights management (DRM), allowing access to the media content by third parties, injecting advertisements or other content into the media, checking the media content for errors or viruses, and the like. The custom task may also instruct the workflow to delegate access to the media content to external third party services. When the preconfigured workflow reaches the specified entry point, the workflow may be suspended until the custom task is completed, at which point the preconfigured workflow may resume.
20170286642, "Digital rights management progressive control and background processing," assigned to Adobe
Abstract
Digital rights management progressive control and background processing techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a digital rights management module is embedded as part of the content. In one example, the digital rights management module is configured to monitor user interaction with items of the content and used traits collected from this monitoring to progressively control access to other items of the digital content. In another example, the digital rights management module is configured for execution in the background of a computing device, e.g., without rendering of a user interface or accepting user inputs. This background processing is used to monitor interaction of the user with the computing device that is independent of the content. This includes other content, applications, interaction with service providers (e.g., websites such as a social network), wearable devices, the computing device itself, and so forth.
