Sensitive display system

• US 20040015729A1
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Dorner, Elmar, Elms, Kim, Ruggaber, Rainer
• Granted Patent: US 7,437,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof

Abstract

A sensitive display system is described. The sensitive display system allows for mediation of content provided from a source to a recipient, such as from a web server to a web browser. Mediation may involve intercepting and augmenting the content so as to restrict or otherwise control information displayed on a display of the recipient device. In this way, the sensitive display system allows restricted information to be replaced with security status messages, or removed entirely. For example, when a user comes within a specified distance from the sensitive display area, a security classification level of the approaching user is used to determine whether there should be any change in the display. If so, a mediating device causes a browser push to occur, to thereby block or otherwise restrict some or all of the display.

Claims

1. A method for providing secure viewing of a display screen comprising:

transmitting a communication from a server computer to a client computer, where the client computer is operable to communicate with the display screen to display the communication;

determining a presence within a pre-determined distance of the display screen of a person who is unauthorized to view a portion of the communication; and

obscuring a section of the display screen corresponding to the portion.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the communication comprises intercepting the communication at an intermediate device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the presence comprises:

transmitting identification information related to the person to a security system; and

receiving a security clearance level of the unauthorized person from the security system, based on the identification information.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein transmitting identification information and receiving the security clearance level comprise transmitting the identification information and receiving the security clearance level using a publish/subscribe messaging system.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein transmitting identification information and receiving the security clearance level comprise transmitting the identification information and receiving the security clearance level using a content-based messaging system.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein obscuring the section of the display screen comprises selecting the portion to be obscured based on the security clearance level.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein transmitting the communication comprises:

attaching a message to the communication, the message containing fields;

inserting data into the fields, the data including the identification information and the security clearance information; and

selecting the portion based on the data.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the message includes a hidden frame that is not visible on the display screen as part of the communication.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein obscuring the section further comprises:

saving a current version of the communication;

determining that the person has moved outside of the pre-determined distance; and

displaying the communication in its entirety, including the portion.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein obscuring the section further comprises maintaining an active session with the client computer.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein obscuring the section comprises performing an automatic refresh of the communication with respect to the client computer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the presence further comprises tracking location information, with respect to the display screen, of a group of persons, including the person.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein tracking location information further comprises:

viewing the location information on a user interface; and

updating the location information as it changes with respect to a movement of the group of persons.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein updating the location information comprises:

selecting an icon on the user interface that is operable to represent the location information, where the icon represents the person; and

moving the icon on the user interface, to thereby represent a location of the person relative to the display screen.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein tracking location information comprises receiving a transmission from a transmitter associated with the person once the person is within the predetermined distance of the display screen, the transmission containing identification information related to the person.

16. A system for securing a portion of a display screen from viewing, the system comprising:

a positioning subsystem operable to determine position information, relative to the display screen, of any one of a group of potential viewers of the display screen;

a security subsystem operable to access identification information and corresponding security clearance information identifying a security clearance level of each of the group of potential viewers; and

a mediation subsystem operable to receive data from a server computer and forward the data to a client computer for display on the display screen with a portion of the data obscured from display, where the portion is selected based on the position information received from the positioning subsystem and the security clearance information received from the security database.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the mediation subsystem is operable to obscure the portion based on a position indication in the position information that a potential viewer is within a pre-determined distance of the display screen, and a security indication in the security clearance information that the potential viewer is associated with a security clearance level that is insufficient to permit viewing of the portion.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a context subsystem operable to determine the position indication and the security indication for forwarding to the mediation subsystem.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the mediation subsystem comprises a session manager that is operable to maintain an active session between itself and the client computer.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the mediation subsystem is operable to obscure the portion by initiating a refresh of the display screen.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the mediation subsystem is operable to initiate the refresh by including a hidden frame with the data when forwarding the data to the client computer.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the positioning subsystem includes a user interface operable to display icons representing the position information of the group of potential viewers.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein a movement of a selected icon from among the icons on the user interface represents updated position information relative to a selected one of the potential viewers.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein the positioning subsystem includes a receiver operable to receive updated position information from a location transmitter associated with a specific one of the group of potential viewers, to thereby track a movement of the specific one of the group of potential viewers.

25. The system of claim 16 further comprising a communications subsystem operable to route the position information and the security clearance information between the positioning subsystem, the security subsystem, and the mediation subsystem.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the communications subsystem includes a publish/subscribe messaging system.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the communications subsystem includes a content-based messaging system.

28. A method for selectively displaying portions of a page of information on a display screen, the method comprising:

determining that a potential viewer of the display screen is within viewing distance of the display screen and is unauthorized to view a determined portion of the page of information, based on location information and security information relating to the potential viewer;

refreshing the page of information with a modified version of the page of information, the modified version having the determined portion blocked from being displayed; and

transmitting the modified version for display on the display screen.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein determining that the potential viewer of the display screen is within viewing distance of the display screen and is unauthorized to view a determined portion of the page of information comprises tracking the location information on a user interface operable to display an icon representing a location of the potential viewer relative to the display screen.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein determining that the potential viewer of the display screen is within viewing distance of the display screen and is unauthorized to view a determined portion of the page of information comprises tracking the location information received from a location transmitter associated with the potential viewer.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein determining that the potential viewer of the display screen is within viewing distance of the display screen and is unauthorized to view a determined portion of the page of information comprises:

transmitting the location information and the security information to a context subsystem that is operable to perform the determining and output a modification order containing instructions for creating the modified version; and

transmitting the modification order to a mediation subsystem operable to perform the refreshing the page of information, based on the modification order.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein transmitting the location information, the security information, and the modification order comprises routing the location information, the security information, and the modification order using a content-based messaging system.

33. The method of claim 28 wherein refreshing the page of information comprises obtaining a current version of the page of information from a server computer storing the current version.

34. The method of claim 28 wherein refreshing the page of information comprises sending a cached version of the page of information from a proxy server storing the cached version.