Online user-access reports with authorization features

• US 20050060566A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hill, Timothy A., McMenamin, Marie Louise, Patrawala, Zakir S., Virani, Samira S., Chebolu, Anil Kumar
• Application Number:
  US10/741,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20050060566A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for controlling computer access. Briefly described in architecture, some embodiments of a system provide a control unit to control access to a computer according to settings specified by an administrator of the computer. Further, the system provides a reporting unit that collects information on which computer applications user has attempted to access on the computer. The information is compiled into a report regarding the respective user. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A system for controlling computer access, comprising:

a control unit to control access to a computer according to settings specified by an administrator for at least one user of the computer; and

a reporting unit to collect information on which computer applications the respective user is attempting to access on the computer, the information being compiled in a report regarding the respective user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the report includes a duration of time the respective user has accessed a particular computer application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the report includes the times the respective user has accessed a particular computer application.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the report includes the computer applications the respective user is denied access to according to the settings specified by the administrator.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the report includes the computer applications to which the respective user is granted access.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the report is in the form of a web page.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the report provides a mechanism for the administrator to authorize the respective user access to a particular application to which the respective was previously denied access.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the report provides a mechanism for the administrator to prohibit the respective user access to a particular application.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the report is accessible by the administrator from a remote location from the computer.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a database remote from the computer, the database storing the report regarding the respective user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the reporting unit updates the report with new collected information after an occurrence of at least one particular computer event.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the particular computer event includes the respective user logging on the computer.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the particular computer event includes the respective user logging off the computer.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the particular computer event includes the start up of the computer.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the reporting unit further collects additional information on which services of a designated computer application the respective user is attempting to access on the computer, the additional information being compiled in a report regarding the respective user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the report further includes a duration of time the respective user has accessed a particular service of the designated computer application.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the report further includes times the respective user has accessed the particular service of the designated computer application.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the report includes the services the respective user is denied access to according to the settings specified by the administrator.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the report includes the services the respective user is granted access to according to the settings specified by the administrator.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the report provides a mechanism for the administrator to authorize the respective user access to a particular service to which the respective user was previously denied access.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the report provides a mechanism for the administrator to prohibit the respective user access to a particular service to which the respective user was previously granted access.

22. A system for controlling computer access, comprising:

means for specifying settings to regulate access to a computer for at least one user of the computer;

means for controlling access to the computer according to the specified settings; and

means for collecting information on which computer applications the respective user is attempting to access on the computer, and

means for compiling the information into a report of the respective user, the report being viewable by an administrator of the computer.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for specifying in the report a duration of time the respective user has accessed a particular computer application.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for specifying in the report times the respective user has accessed a particular computer application.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for specifying in the report the computer applications the respective user is denied access to according to the settings specified by the administrator.

26. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for specifying in the report the computer applications the respective user is granted access to according to the settings specified by the administrator.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the report is in the form of a web page.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

means for authorizing the respective user access to a particular application to which the respective user was previously denied access.

29. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

means for prohibiting the respective user access to a particular application to which the respective user was previously granted access.

30. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

means for accessing the report from a remote location from the computer.

31. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

means for storing the report of the respective user.

32. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for updating the report with new collected information after an occurrence of at least one particular computer event.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the particular computer event includes the respective user logging on the computer.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the particular computer event includes the respective user logging off the computer.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the particular computer event includes the start up of the computer.

36. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for collecting additional information on which services of a designated computer application the respective user is attempting to access on the computer; and

means for compiling the additional information in a report regarding the respective user.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the report further includes a duration of time the respective user has accessed a particular service of the designated computer application.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the report further includes times the respective user has accessed the particular service of the designated computer application.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the report includes the services the respective user is denied access to according to the settings specified by the administrator.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein the report includes the services the respective user is granted access to according to the settings specified by the administrator.

41. The system of claim 36, further comprising:

means for authorizing the respective user to have access to a particular service to which the respective user was previously denied access.

42. The system of claim 36, further comprising:

means for prohibiting the respective user to have access to a particular service to which the respective user was previously granted access.

43. A method for controlling computer access, comprising the steps of:

specifying settings to regulate access to a computer for at least one user of the computer;

controlling access to the computer according to the specified settings;

collecting information on which computer applications the respective user is attempting to access on the computer, and

compiling the information into a report of the respective user, the report being viewable by an administrator of the computer.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of:

specifying in the report a duration of time the respective user has accessed a particular computer application.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of:

specifying in the report times the respective user has accessed a particular computer application.

46. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of:

specifying in the report the computer applications the respective user is denied access to according to the settings specified by the administrator.

47. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of:

specifying in the report the computer applications the respective user is granted access to according to the settings specified by the administrator.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein the report is in the form of a web page.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising the step of:

authorizing the respective user access to a particular application to which the respective user was previously denied access.

50. The method of claim 48, further comprising the step of:

prohibiting the respective user access to a particular application to which the respective user was previously granted access.

51. The method of claim 48, further comprising the step of:

accessing the report from a remote location from the computer.

52. The method of claim 48, further comprising the step of:

storing the report of the respective user.

53. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of:

updating the report with new collected information after an occurrence of at least one particular computer event.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the particular computer event includes the respective user logging on the computer.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein the particular computer event includes the respective user logging off the computer.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein the particular computer event includes the start up of the computer.

57. The method of claim 43, further comprising the steps of:

collecting additional information on which services of a designated computer application the respective user is attempting to access on the computer, and

compiling the additional information in a report of the respective user.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the report further includes a duration of time the respective user has accessed a particular service of the designated computer application.

59. The method of claim 57, wherein the report further includes times the respective user has accessed the particular service of the designated computer application.

60. The method of claim 57, wherein the report includes the services the respective user is denied access to according to the settings specified by the administrator.

61. The method of claim 57, wherein the report includes the services the respective user is granted access to according to the settings specified by the administrator.

62. The method of claim 57, further comprising the step of:

authorizing the respective user to have access to a particular service to which the respective user was previously denied access.

63. The method of claim 57, further comprising the step of:

prohibiting the respective user to have access to a particular service to which the respective user was previously granted access.