Network appliance

• US 10,193,887 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Motgi, Nitin, Fernandez-Ruiz, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baum, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US13/545,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20140020065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,394 Days
• Field of Search: 726 4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

System, method, and device for providing services on a network. The device comprises a security assessor and a service provider unit. The security assessor is connected to the network and is configured to identify rights of an entity on the network. The service provider unit is connected to the network and the security assessor. The service provider unit comprises a discovery unit, an interaction unit, and an interest unit. The discovery unit identifies content available on the network. The interaction unit identifies interactions of the entity on the network. The interest unit identifies interests of the entity based on the identified interactions and the identified content. The service provider unit provides services to the entity on the network, based on the rights of the entity, and at least one of the identified content and the identified interests of the entity.

Claims

1. A device having at least one processor, storage, and a communication platform for providing services, the device comprising:

a security assessor unit implemented on the at least one processor and configured to identify rights of a first entity on an intranet; and

a service provider unit implemented on the at least one processor and connected to the security assessor unit, the service provider unit configured to respond to a first request to provide content to the first entity, the service provider unit comprising;

a discovery unit configured to identify a first piece of information associated with the content that is privileged within the intranet; and

a social network engine configured to determine that the first entity lacks a right to access the content and the first piece of information as defined within the intranet, wherein the content and the first piece of information residing in the intranet are not accessible from outside of the intranet without privileged authentication, wherein;

the service provider unit provides the content to the first entity on the intranet as an intranet private link directed to a corresponding resource that is privileged within the intranet such that access from an external public Internet requires privileged authentication and sends a second request to a second entity to authorize access to the content, wherein the second entity is configured for granting the first entity access to the content responsive to the second request by forwarding a response to the second request to the social network engine to indicate that the first entity has been authenticated to access the content and the first piece of information.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the service provider unit is further configured to:

provide the content including a second piece of information to the first entity, wherein the social network engine updates the second piece of information based, at least in part, on interactions between the social network engine and the first entity.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein:

the first piece of information indicates that the second entity is on the intranet; and

the second piece of information includes a third entity on the external public Internet, wherein the second entity or the third entity corresponds to at least one of;

a user that created the content, a user in charge of the content, and a department responsible for the content.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the service provider unit further comprises a search engine configured to:

search for the content on the intranet and on the external public Internet responsive to the first request from the first entity;

generate search results; and

return the search results as at least part of the content to be provided to the first entity.

5. A system having at least one processor, storage, and a communication platform for providing services on a network appliance, the system comprising:

a security assessor unit implemented on the at least one processor and configured to identify rights of a first entity on an intranet; and

a service provider unit implemented on the at least one processor and connected to the security assessor unit, the service provider unit configured to respond to a first request to provide content to the first entity, the service provider unit comprising;

a discovery unit configured to identify a first piece of information associated with the content that is privileged within the intranet; and

a social network engine configured to determine that the first entity lacks a right to access the content and the first piece of information as defined within the intranet, wherein the content and the first piece of information residing in the intranet are not accessible from outside of the intranet without privileged authentication, wherein;

the service provider unit provides the content to the first entity on the intranet as an intranet private link directed to a corresponding resource that is privileged within the intranet such that access from an external public Internet requires privileged authentication and sends a second request to a second entity to authorize access to the content, wherein the second entity is configured for granting the first entity access to the content responsive to the second request by forwarding a response to the second request to the social network engine to indicate that the first entity has been authenticated to access the content and the first piece of information.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the service provider unit is further configured to:

provide the content including a second piece of information to the first entity, wherein the social network engine updates the second piece of information based, at least in part, on interactions between the social network engine and the first entity.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein:

the first piece of information indicates that the second entity is on the intranet; and

the second piece of information includes a third entity on the external public Internet, wherein the second entity or the third entity corresponds to at least one of;

a user that created the content, a user in charge of the content, and a department responsible for the content.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein the service provider unit further comprises a search engine configured to:

search for the content on the intranet and on the external public Internet responsive to the first request from the first entity;

generate search results; and

return the search results as at least part of the content to be provided to the first entity.

9. A method of providing services implemented on a machine having at least one processor, storage, and a communication platform connected to a network, the method comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor, a first request to provide content to a first entity on the intranet;

identifying, by the at least one processor, rights of the first entity on the intranet;

identifying, by the at least one processor, a first piece of information associated with the content that is privileged within the intranet;

determining, by a social network engine, that the first entity lacks a right to access the content and the first piece of information as defined within the intranet, wherein the content and the first piece of information residing in the intranet are not accessible from outside of the intranet without privileged authentication;

providing the content to the first entity on the intranet as an intranet private link directed to a corresponding resource that is privileged within the intranet such that access from an external public Internet requires privileged authentication; and

sending a second request to a second entity to authorize access to the content, wherein the second entity is configured for granting the first entity access to the content responsive to the second request by forwarding a response to the second request to the social network engine to indicate that the first entity has been authenticated to access the content and the first piece of information.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first piece of information indicates that the second entity is on the intranet or a third entity on the external public Internet, wherein the second entity or the third entity corresponds to at least one of:

a user that created the content, a user in charge of the content, and a department responsible for the content.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

searching for the content on the intranet and on the external public Internet responsive to the first request from the first entity;

generating search results; and

returning the search results as at least part of the content to be provided to the first entity.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

filtering the content based, at least in part, on the rights of the first entity.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

providing a second piece of information to the first entity on the intranet, wherein the social network engine updates the second piece of information based, at least in part, on interactions between the social network engine and the first entity.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

identifying activities of the first entity on the intranet; and

identifying interests of the first entity based on the activities, wherein the first piece of information is identified based, at least in part, on the interests.

15. A machine-readable tangible and non-transitory medium with information recorded thereon, wherein the information, when read by a machine, causes the machine to perform the following steps:

receiving, by at least one processor associated with the machine, a first request to provide content to a first entity on the intranet;

identifying, by the at least one processor, rights of the first entity on the intranet;

identifying, by the at least one processor, a first piece of information associated with the content that is privileged within the intranet;

determining, by a social network engine, that the first entity lacks a right to access the content and the first piece of information as defined within the intranet, wherein the content and the first piece of information residing in the intranet are not accessible from outside of the intranet without privileged authentication;

providing the content to the first entity on the intranet as an intranet private link directed to a corresponding resource that is privileged within the intranet such that access from an external public Internet requires privileged authentication; and

sending a second request to a second entity to authorize access to the content, wherein the second entity is configured for granting the first entity access to the content responsive to the second request by forwarding a response to the second request to the social network engine to indicate that the first entity has been authenticated to access the content and the first piece of information.

16. The machine-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the first piece of information indicates that the second entity is on the intranet or a third entity on the external public Internet, wherein the second entity or the third entity corresponds to at least one of:

a user that created the content, a user in charge of the content, and a department responsible for the content.

17. The machine-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the information, when read by a machine, causes the machine to further perform the following steps:

searching for the content on the intranet and on the external public Internet responsive to the first request from the first entity;

generating search results; and

returning the search results as at least part of the content to be provided to the first entity.

18. The machine-readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising:

filtering the content based, at least in part, on the rights of the first entity.