Dynamic local drive and printer sharing

• US 20030023725A1
• Filed: 07/27/2001
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Cormack, Christopher J., Bradfield, Terry R., Jackson, Jeff R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,320,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/16 Performing reselection for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions

Abstract

A system and process are described where a user of a mobile device grants access to resources associated with the mobile device to other users. Access is typically established when the user of the mobile device couples the device to a network environment and another user provides data that matches sharing criteria associated with the desired resource. The sharing criteria can include user ID/password combination, a network ID or a combination of both.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

coupling a mobile device associated with a first resource to a first network environment;

reading first data associated with the first network environment;

determining whether the first data satisfies a first access requirement stored locally at the mobile device; and

allowing access to the first resource if the first data satisfies the first access requirement.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining second data associated with a particular user of the first network;

reading a second access requirement stored locally at the mobile device; and

determining if the second data satisfies the second access requirement before allowing access to the first resource.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining second data associated with a particular user of the first network after allowing access to the first resource;

reading a second access requirement stored locally at the mobile device and associated with a second resource after allowing access to the first resource;

determining if the second data satisfies the second access requirement; and

allowing access to the second resource if the second data satisfies the second access requirement.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

reading second data associated with a second network environment;

determining whether the second data satisfies a second access requirement stored locally at the mobile device;

and

allowing access to a second resource associated with the mobile device if the second data satisfies the second access requirement.

5. A method of establishing and using sharing criteria to control access to a resource comprising:

reading a first network identifier;

receiving an indication that the resource is to be associated with the first network identifier; and

storing the first network identifier in a first association with a resource identifier that identifies the resource so that access to the resource is contingent upon receipt of the first network identifier.

6. The method of claim 5 in which the storing of the first network identifier in association with the resource identifier is accomplished by copying a portion of an association between the first network identifier and a second resource.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving a network identifier associated with an entity attempting to access the resource;

comparing the received network identifier with the stored network identifier; and

allowing access to the resource if the received network identifier matches the stored network identifier.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving a network identifier associated with an entity attempting to access the resource;

comparing the received network identifier with the stored network identifier; and

denying access to the resource if the received network identifier does not match the stored network identifier.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving first data associated with a particular user;

receiving an indication that the resource is to be associated also with the first data; and

storing the first data in a second association with the resource identifier so that the access to the resource is contingent also upon receipt of the first data.

10. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

removing the first association between the first network identifier and the resource identifier so that access to the resource is allowed without receipt of the first network identifier.

11. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

suspending temporarily the first association between the first network identifier and the resource identifier so that access to the resource is allowed without receipt of the first network identifier.

12. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

displaying a second network identifier;

receiving an indication that the resource is to be associated with the second network identifier; and

storing the second network identifier in a second association with the resource identifier so that access to the resource is contingent upon receipt of either the first network identifier or the second network identifier.

13. A computer readable medium including instructions for causing a processor to:

read a first network identifier;

receive an indication that the resource is to be associated with the first network identifier; and

store in a memory the first network identifier in a first association with a resource identifier that identifies the resource so that access to the resource is contingent upon receipt of the first network identifier.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 in which to store in the memory the first network identifier in association with the resource identifier a copy of a portion of an association between the first network identifier and a second resource is used.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the instructions cause the processor to:

receive first data;

compare the first data with the stored network identifier; and

allow access to the resource if the first data and the stored network identifier are substantially equal.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the instructions cause the processor to:

receive first data associated with a particular user;

receive an indication that the resource is to be associated also with the first data; and

store in the memory the first data in a second association with the resource identifier so that the access of the resource is contingent also upon receipt of the first data.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the instructions cause the processor to:

remove the first association between the first network identifier and the resource identifier so that access to the resource is allowed without receipt of the first network identifier.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the instructions cause the processor to:

suspend temporarily the first association between the first network identifier and the resource identifier so that access to the resource is allowed without receipt of the first network identifier.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the processor is located in a mobile device consisting of one of the following:

a notebook computer, a mobile telephone and a personal digital assistant.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the resource consists of one of the following:

a folder, a directory, a file, an application, a printer, a disk drive, a ROM drive, memory and a scanner.