Extensible workflows for processing content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9710307-B1
Application number	US-201213465978-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 7, 2012
Priority date	May 7, 2012
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method for providing extensible workflows, said method comprising:
creating a plurality of workflows for processing media content, each of the workflows including a sequence of processing jobs to be performed on the media content and a set of entry points between the processing jobs, the processing jobs including at least transcoding the media content;
receiving a request to process the media content on behalf of a user;
selecting, based on one or more attributes of the media content, at least one workflow from the plurality of workflows for processing the media content;
enabling the user to specify a custom processing job for processing the media content, the customer processing job to be injected at a specified entry point of the set of entry points in the at least one selected workflow, the custom processing job specifying one or more locations from which the media content is to be retrieved or stored, the custom processing job including delegating a level of access to the media content;
executing the at least one selected workflow until the specified entry point is reached in the at least one selected workflow;
generating an event indicating that the specified entry point has been reached in the at least one selected workflow and suspending the at least one selected workflow;
providing, based at least in part on the event and the level of access, the media content or a portion of the media content for execution of the custom processing job; and
resuming the at least one selected workflow upon receiving an indication of a completion of the custom processing job.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the custom processing job further includes performing one or more of the following:
attaching a watermark to the media content, the watermark used to uniquely identify the media content;
applying digital rights management (DRM) security information to the media content;
inserting at least one advertisement into the media content;
inspecting the media content for one or more errors; or
scanning the media content for potential viruses.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving processed media content from at least one third party after the custom processing job has been performed on the media content by the at least one third party.

4. A computer implemented method, comprising:
receiving a request to process an instance of content using a workflow, the workflow including a sequence of processing actions to be performed on the instance of content;
enable a user to inject information specifying at least one additional task to be performed on the instance of content at a specified entry point in the workflow, the information including one or more locations from which the instance of content is to be retrieved or stored, the at least one additional task including delegating access to the media content;
executing the workflow until the specified entry point is reached in the workflow;
generating an event indicating that the entry point has been reached in the workflow to provide a notification to at least one entity external with respect to the workflow; and
providing, based at least in part on the event and the access, the instance of content or a portion of the instance of content for execution of the at least one additional task.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
suspending the workflow until the at least one additional task is completed; and
resuming the workflow upon receiving an indication that the at least one additional task has been completed.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
receiving processed content from at least one third party after the at least one additional task has been performed on the instance of content.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one additional task further includes performing one or more of the following:
attaching a watermark to the instance of content, the watermark used to uniquely identify the media content;
applying digital rights management (DRM) security information to the instance of content;
inserting at least one advertisement into the instance of content;
inspecting the instance of content for one or more errors; or
scanning the instance of content for potential viruses.

8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
transmitting an event message to a third party recipient upon reaching a completion of a processing task in the workflow.

9. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
storing the instance of content into a destination store after the workflow has completed processing the instance of content.

10. A computing system, comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing system to:
provide at least one preconfigured workflow, the at least one preconfigured workflow including a sequence of processing actions to be performed on media content, the sequence of processing actions including at least transcoding the media content;
receive a request to process the media content using the at least one preconfigured workflow;
enable a user to inject a processing task to be performed on the media content at a specified entry point in the at least one preconfigured workflow, the processing task including one or more locations from which the media content is to be retrieved or stored, the processing task including delegating access to the media content;
execute the at least one preconfigured workflow until the specified entry point is reached in the preconfigured workflow;
generate an event indicating that the specified entry point has been reached in the at least one preconfigured workflow;
provide, based at least in part on the event and the access, the media content or a portion of the media content for execution of the processing task.

11. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to:
suspend the at least one preconfigured workflow until the processing task specified by the user is completed; and
resume the at least one preconfigured workflow upon a completion of the processing task.

12. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to:
receive processed media content from at least one third party after the processing task has been performed on the media content by the at least one third party.

13. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the processing task specified by the user further includes performing one or more of the following:
attaching a watermark to the media content, the watermark used to uniquely identify the media content;
applying digital rights management (DRM) security information to the media content;
inserting at least one advertisement into the media content;
inspecting the media content for one or more errors; or
scanning the media content for potential viruses.

14. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein enabling the user to inject the processing task further includes:
transmitting an event message to a recipient upon reaching at least one of: a specified entry point in the at least one preconfigured workflow, or a completion of a processing action of the sequence of processing actions in the at least one preconfigured workflow.

15. The computing system of claim 10 , further comprising instructions to cause the computing system to:
store the media content into a destination store after the at least one preconfigured workflow has completed processing the media content.

16. A non-transitor

Assignees

• Corley Jonathan B
• Saraf Tal
• Marshall Bradley E
• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Corley Jonathan B
• Saraf Tal
• Marshall Bradley E

Classifications

• G06F9/4843 Primary

  by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system · CPC title

• G06F9/4881 Primary

  Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues · CPC title