Rights elevator

• US 20060242713A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Doerr, Anastasia C., Guzak, Chris J., Stabb, Charles W., Ruzyski, David M., Wentz, Brian D., Reasor, Sterling M., Hong, James H., McNeil, Brian K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,617,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

Systems and/or methods are described that enable a user to elevate his or her rights. In one embodiment, these systems and/or methods present a user interface identifying an account having a right to permit a task in response to the task being prohibited based on a user'"'"'s current account not having that right.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to present a user interface in response to a task being prohibited based on a user'"'"'s current account not having a right to permit the task, the user interface comprising:

an identifier identifying an account having a right to permit the task; and

an authenticator region capable of receiving, from a user, an authenticator usable to authenticate the account having the right to permit the task.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises a graphic identifying a user associated with the account.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises a name of the account.

4. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising additional identifiers, each of the additional identifiers identifying other accounts having a right to permit the task.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the authenticator comprises a password and the authenticator region comprises a data-entry field into which the user may type the password.

6. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising information indicating the task and an entity that requested or attempted the task.

7. The user interface of claim 6, further comprising a selectable help graphic and wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to present the information responsive to receiving selection of it the selectable help graphic.

8. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform acts comprising:

receiving indicators for multiple accounts capable of permitting a task not permitted by a current user account;

presenting a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface having;

multiple account regions, each account region identifying one of the accounts capable of permitting the task;

an authenticator region capable of receiving an authenticator for one of the accounts capable of permitting the task;

receiving, through the graphical user interface, an authenticator for one of the accounts capable of permitting the task; and

packaging, into a computer-readable package, the authenticator and the account associated with the authenticator, the package effective to enable authentication of the account.

9. The media of claim 8, further comprising determining the multiple accounts capable of permitting the task.

10. The media of claim 8, where the each account region comprises a name identifying one of the accounts capable of permitting the task.

11. The media of claim 8, where the each account region comprises a graphic identifying one of the accounts capable of permitting the task.

12. The media of claim 8, further comprising permitting the task.

13. The media of claim 8, further comprising authenticating the account and, responsive to authenticating the account, temporarily elevating a user'"'"'s rights to that of the account effective to permit the task.

14. The media of claim 8, wherein the rights of the current user account are limited by controlled-access software.

15. The media of claim 14, wherein the task is prohibited by the controlled-access software prior to authentication of the account and wherein the controlled-access software refrains from prohibiting the task in response to authentication of the account.

16. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform acts comprising:

presenting a higher-rights account to a computer user currently logged on to a computer'"'"'s operating system with a limited-rights account, the higher-rights account having a right to permit a task currently prohibited by the operating system based on the limited-rights account not having the right to permit the task, the higher-rights account presented with an identifier capable of identifying a name of the higher-rights account or a person associated with the higher-rights account;

receiving an authenticator, the authenticator usable to authenticate the higher-rights account;

authenticating the higher-rights account; and

temporarily elevating the computer user'"'"'s rights to that of the higher-rights account effective to permit the operating system to cease prohibiting the task.

17. The media of claim 16, wherein the act of presenting the higher-rights account comprises presenting a graphical user interface comprising the identifier and a data-entry field capable of receiving entry of the authenticator.

18. The media of claim 16, wherein the act of presenting the higher-rights account comprises presenting additional higher-rights accounts each additional higher-rights account presented with an additional identifier capable of identifying a name of the additional higher-rights account or a person associated with the additional higher-rights account.

19. The media of claim 16, wherein the act of temporarily elevating the computer user'"'"'s rights comprises elevating the computer user'"'"'s rights only for so long as is needed to permit the operating system to cease prohibiting the task.

20. The media of claim 16, wherein the act of temporarily elevating the computer user'"'"'s rights comprises returning the computer user'"'"'s rights to those of the limited-rights account once the operating system ceases to prohibit the task.