Sharing data within an instant messaging session

• US 20050267975A1
• Filed: 05/11/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Qureshi, Imran, Gridley, Evan
• Granted Patent: US 7,660,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/068 using time-dependent keys, e.g. periodically changing keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for controlling usage of secret information H04L9/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

Sharing data within an instant messaging session is described. A user participating in an instant messaging session may request a data access key. The key, which provides access to data associated with the user, may then be transmitted via the instant messaging session to one or more other participants in the instant messaging session. The other instant messaging session participants can then use the key to access, via the instant messaging session, the data associated with the user. Users may be granted various levels of access to another user'"'"'s data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing on behalf of a first user, an instant messaging session between the first user and a second user;

requesting on behalf of the first user, a key configured to provide access to data associated with the first user;

receiving the key; and

transmitting the key, via the instant messaging session, to the second user, thereby enabling the second user to access the data associated with the first user.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the instant messaging session comprises a peer-to-peer connection between a client device associated with the first user and a client device associated with the second user.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the key is encrypted.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the key is configured to expire after a specified period of time.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the key is configured to expire upon termination of the instant messaging session.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the data associated with the first user comprises calendar data that represents meetings or other events that the first user is scheduled to attend.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising:

transmitting to a calendar server, a request from an instant messaging application on behalf of the first user, to schedule a meeting; and

transmitting an invitation to attend the meeting to the second user via the instant messaging session.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

receiving via the instant messaging session, an indicator that the second user has accepted the invitation; and

transmitting to the calendar server, an indicator that the meeting has been accepted.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

receiving via the instant messaging session, an indicator that the second user has declined the invitation; and

transmitting to the calendar server, an indicator that the meeting has been declined.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the key has expired;

requesting a new key; and

receiving a new, valid key.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving a key from the second user via the instant messaging session, the key from the second user enabling the first user to access data associated with the second user.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising adding the key from the second user to a key store associated with the first user.

13. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement the method as recited in claim 1.

14. A method comprising:

receiving a request from an instant messaging application on behalf of a first user, the request being for a key to access data associated with the first user;

generating the key;

returning the key in response to receiving the request;

receiving a request from an instant messaging application on behalf of a second user, the request being to access the data associated with the first user, wherein the request includes the key;

verifying that the key is valid; and

in an event that the key is valid, in response to receiving the request on behalf of the second user, returning the data associated with the first user.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein the verifying that the key is valid comprises:

searching an aggregated set of keys for a particular key, based on the request to access the data associated with the first user; and

in an event that the particular key is identified, verifying that the particular key is valid.

16. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein the data associated with the first user comprises calendar data that represents meetings or other events that the first user is scheduled to attend.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a request from the instant messaging application on behalf of the first user to schedule a meeting, the request including details associated with the meeting; and

in response to the request, returning data that causes an invitation associated with the meeting to be transmitted via the instant messaging session from the first user to the second user.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising adding the meeting to calendar data associated with the first user.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising adding the meeting to calendar data associated with the second user.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

receiving from the instant messaging application on behalf of the second user, an indicator that the second user has accepted the invitation to attend the meeting; and

in response to receiving the indicator, returning to the instant messaging application, summary data associated with the meeting.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising in response to receiving the indicator, adding the meeting to calendar data associated with the second user.

22. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

receiving from the instant messaging application on behalf of the first user, an indicator that the second user has declined the invitation to attend the meeting;

removing the meeting from calendar data associated with the first user; and

in response to receiving the indicator, returning to the instant messaging application, summary data indicating that the meeting has been removed from the first user'"'"'s calendar data.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising removing the meeting from calendar data associated with the second user.

24. The method as recited in claim 14 further comprising:

receiving a request from the instant messaging application on behalf of the second user, the request being to register the key to access data associated with the first user;

verifying that the key to access data associated with the first user is valid; and

adding the key to access data associated with the first user to an aggregated set of keys associated with the second user.

25. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement the method as recited in claim 14.

26. A system comprising:

means for establishing an instant messaging session between a first user and a second user;

means for obtaining on behalf of the first user a key to access data associated with the first user; and

means for providing the key to the second user via the instant messaging session, thereby granting the second user access to the data associated with the first user.

27. The system as recited in claim 26 further comprising means for enabling the second user to perform a task based on the data associated with the first user.

28. The system as recited in claim 27 wherein the task comprises modifying the data associated with the first user.

29. The system as recited in claim 26 wherein the data associated with the first user comprises calendar data.

30. The system as recited in claim 29 further comprising:

means for enabling the second user to schedule a meeting to be attended by both the first user and the second user; and

means for transmitting a meeting invitation from the second user to the first user via the instant messaging session.

31. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, cause a computer system to:

establish an instant messaging session between a first user and a second user;

request a key to access data associated with the first user;

receive the key; and

transmit the key via the instant messaging session to the second user, thereby granting the second user access to the data associated with the first user.

32. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 31, wherein the data associated with the first user comprises calendar data, further comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the computer system to receive via the instant messaging session, an invitation to a meeting scheduled by the second user.

33. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 32, further comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the computer system to transmit via the instant messaging session, an indication that the first user has accepted the meeting invitation.

34. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 32, further comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the computer system to transmit via the instant messaging session, an indication that the first user has declined the meeting invitation.

35. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, cause a computer system to:

receive a request for a data access key from a first user participating in an instant messaging session, the key being configured to provide access to data associated with the first user;

in response to the request, provide a data access key to the first user;

receive from a second user participating in the instant messaging session, a request for data associated with the first user, the request including the data access key; and

in response to the request, provide the data associated with the first user to the second user.

36. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 35, wherein the data associated with the first user comprises calendar data, further comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the computer system to:

receive a request from the second user to schedule a meeting; and

add the meeting to calendar data associated with the second user.

37. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 36, further comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the computer system to add the meeting to calendar data associated with the first user.

38. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 36, further comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the computer system to:

receive a meeting declined indicator from a participant associated with the instant messaging session; and

remove the meeting from the calendar data associated with the second user.

39. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 38, further comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the computer system to remove the meeting from the calendar data associated with the first user.

40. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 35, further comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the computer system to:

receive a request from the second user to register the data access key; and

in response to the request, adding the data access key to a key store associated with the second user.