System method and model for social security interoperability among intermittently connected interoperating devices

• US 20060015936A1
• Filed: 06/08/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David E. Kahn
• Original Assignee: Covia Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Bernstein, Bruce, Mirabella, Richard, Pieb, Wolfgang, Illowsky, Daniel, Wenocur, Michael, Tiberi, Richard, Sidney, Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 7,600,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2082 Data synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• 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: G06F 2209/5015 Service provider selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/41 Compilation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/449 Object-oriented method invocation or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5011 the resources being hardware resources other than CPUs, Servers and Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 : the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 : considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 : Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 : Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 : via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 : Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 : In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 : Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 : Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 : Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 : Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1072 : Discovery involving ranked list compilation of candidate peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 : Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 : Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 : Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/328 : in the presentation layer [OSI layer 6]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 : having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 : Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

System, device, method, and computer program and computer program products for providing communicating between devices having similar or dissimilar characteristics and facilitating seamless interoperability between them. Computer program software and methods of and systems and devices for sharing of content, applications, resources and control across similar and dissimilar permanently or intermittently connected electronic devices. Devices, systems, appliances, and the like communicating and/or interoperating within the framework provided. Social security interoperability model and method, such as Dart Social Security Interoperability, provide particularly method for forming webs of security between teams of intermittently connected devices. Foundation for social security is use of social synchronization to spread unique identifiers along with allowed access rights which travel transitively from device to device. Devices which have never communicated will find that they are part of team which are allowed to interoperate with certain access rights without need for further gathering permissions.

Claims

1. A method for automatically and transitively spreading the access rights and credentials between interoperability devices, the method comprising:

(1) assigning to each interoperability device a unique identifier (id);

(2) assigning to each interoperability device an initial set of access rights;

(3) assigning to each interoperability software package one or more unique ids and embedding in the package the sets of unique ids and associated access rights needed by all and or each of the independently executable images that are part of the application package; and

(4) when two interoperability devices open a communication channel any existing access rights for device teams or applications associated with unique ids that are no more restrictive than those existing for the interoperability of the two devices on either device are synchronized with those on the other device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the following are true:

(1) the interoperability device comprises a Dart device;

(2) the basis for the unique ids are an interoperability security procedure;

(3) the access rights are as described in interoperability security procedure;

(4) the package is an interoperability software package and/or a Dart;

(5) the opening of a communication channel is initiated as part of a device recruitment procedure; and

(6) the access rights are synchronized using a social synchronization procedure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is carried out in the following steps:

(1) initiating a communication session from an interoperability software package running on an initiating interoperability device to a target interoperability device in order to carry out a particular interoperability purpose;

(2) determining if proper access rights exist between and among the devices for the intended purpose; and

(3) if the proper access rights exist, the application software package is allowed to extend its execution to the target device by sending an independently executable image to the target device and running the image in a context with the needed access rights.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

(4) if during execution the independently executable image attempts an access not allowed by the needed access rights of the context in which it is running, the execution will be terminated by the interoperability engine on the target device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

(5) if the proper required access rights do not exist, the user or users are presented as necessary on one or both devices on a user interface requesting that the proper access rights be granted and or the proper credentials be provided.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

(6) if the proper access rights are granted and/or the proper credentials are provided, the user may optionally be requested specify if the access rights and credentials are to be stored on the devices for a period of time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the period of time may optionally be selected from the periods of time consisting of:

(i) the lifetime of the current communication session, (ii) a specified period of time or target date and time when the access rights and or credentials storage and or use are to expire;

(iii) for an open period of time without defined expiration, or (iv) forever or forever until revoked.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

(7) independently of whether or not the proper access rights exist or are granted and/or the proper credentials are gathered for the specific purpose and then stored the following procedure is optionally preformed;

all the now stored access rights and credentials that are valid forever for all devices and interoperability applications ever stored which are no more restrictive than those for the same devices or applications as indicated by the unique ids of the devices and applications associated with the stored access rights and credentials are then synchronized across both devices.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining if proper access rights exist between and among the devices for the intended purpose, further comprises:

(2a) communicating the access rights needs and credentials the software package will need to carry out the interoperability purpose by the executing software package;

(2b) inspecting lists of unique ids and associated access rights and credentials stored on either one of or both devices by the interoperability engines of one or both devices to determine if the devices already have the needed access rights; and

(2c) checking to determine if the access rights and/or credentials already exist on the target device and/or on the initiating device that will allow the access needed for the intended purpose.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the effect is that the access rights already gathered for devices and applications at the level or below that is now common to both devices will now be allowed without user prompting even in cases where the unique ids, access rights, and/or credentials where never directly exchanged between two interoperability devices.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of synchronizing across both devices access rights and credentials may be reversed such that access rights and/or credentials can be subsequently revoked by a device with the proper access rights and/or credentials and/or physical access required by the security mechanisms of the interoperability players that contain the interoperability engines running on the devices.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of user involvements in granting access rights between all combinations of N devices which frequently communicate to be roughly linearly proportional to the number of devices N, rather than other methods wherein the number of user involvements grows faster as N increases.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the number of user involvements in granting access rights between all combinations of N devices which frequently communicate to be roughly linearly proportional to the number of devices N, rather than other methods wherein the number of user involvements grows faster as N increases.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the growth of interactions is substantially proportional to N while conventional other methodologies provide for interactions that are proportional to the (N Choose 2) gamma function because conventional methodologies do not have transitivity.

15. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system or information appliance, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

a program module that directs the computer system or information appliance to function in a specified manner for automatically and transitively spreading the access rights and credentials between interoperability devices, the program module including instructions for;

(1) assigning to each interoperability device a unique id;

(2) assigning to each interoperability device an initial set of access rights;

(3) assigning to each interoperability software package one or more unique ids and embedding in the package the sets of unique ids and associated access rights needed by all and or each of the independently executable images that are part of the application package; and

(4) when two interoperability devices open a communication channel, any existing access rights for device teams or applications associated with unique ids that are no more restrictive than those existing for the interoperability of the two devices on either device are synchronized with those on the other device.

16. An apparatus that automatically and transitively spreads access rights and credentials between interoperability devices, the apparatus comprising:

(1) means for assigning to each interoperability device a unique id;

(2) means for assigning to each interoperability device an initial set of access rights;

(3) means for assigning to each interoperability software package one or more unique ids and embedding in the package the sets of unique ids and associated access rights needed by all and or each of the independently executable images that are part of the application package; and

(4) means for synchronizing access rights with those on the other devices when two interoperability devices open a communication channel so that any existing access rights for device teams or applications associated with unique ids that are no more restrictive than those existing for the interoperability of the two devices on either device are synchronized with those on the other device.