Resource control

• US 20070130336A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Hietala, Marko, Ojanaho, Janne
• Granted Patent: US 7,685,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• 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 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register

Abstract

In a method for controlling an access to at least one resource by a plurality of clients, at least one set of rules is selected from a plurality of available sets of rules upon occurrence of an event relating to an access to the at least one resource by at least one of the clients. The selection depends at least on one of the type of the event, a state of at least one of the clients and a system state. The selected at least one set of rules is applied, resulting in a decision. The access to the at least one resource is then controlled according to this decision.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an access to at least one resource by a plurality of clients, said method comprising:

selecting at least one set of rules from a plurality of available sets of rules upon occurrence of an event relating to an access to said at least one resource by at least one of said clients, said selection depending at least on one of a type of said event, a state of at least one of said clients and a system state;

applying said selected at least one set of rules, resulting in a decision; and

controlling an access to said at least one resource according to said decision.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein said event is a received request from one of said clients relating to said access to at least one resource;

wherein said at least one set of rules is selected from said plurality of available sets of rules depending at least on one of said type of said request, a state of other clients and a system state;

wherein said selected at least one set of rules is applied to said request, resulting in a decision to what extent said request is granted; and

wherein said access to said at least one resource by said client is controlled according to said decision.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a priority value is associated to each client and wherein received requests from different clients are processed in an order of associated priority values.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein applying said at least one set of rules is interrupted by a further received request from a client having a higher priority.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising determining a category to which said client belongs, and selecting at least one set of rules from a plurality of available sets of rules depending in addition on said category of said client, or applying said selected at least one set of rules to said request taking account of said category of said client, or both.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising

storing an original request corresponding to the received request, combined with preceding requests from said client, if any;

storing a work request which is initiated with said original request and modified while applying said at least one set of rules; and

storing an active request corresponding to a final work request.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of available sets of rules comprises at least one of:

a mixing rulebase comprising a set of rules relating to other clients;

a routing rulebase comprising a set of rules prioritizing inputs and outputs;

an effect rulebase comprising a set of rules defining which client is allowed to control which of said at least one resource;

a security rulebase comprising a set of rules relating to security requirements for the access to said at least one resource;

a hardware limitation rulebase comprising a set of rules defining various limitations of hardware;

a software limitation rulebase comprising of a set of rules defining various limitations of software;

a resource limitation rulebase comprising a set of rules for resolving resource conflict situations; and

an exception rulebase comprising a set of rules defining exceptions.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said set of rules is implemented in a form of a configuration matrix assigning to each possible type of request a specific decision for each aspect dealt with in said at least one set of rules.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein said applying said selected set of rules comprises taking a separate decision on how said received request should be handled based on each rule in said selected set of rules, and selecting a decision having a greatest context specific impact among said decisions resulting with all rules.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein said decision comprises one of accepting said request, accepting said request with a modification, accepting said request with a modification of another client, and rejecting said request.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said set of rules comprises rules which potentially affect an access to a resource by another client.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said effect on an access to a resource by another client is reversed in case a resource access resulting from said request is stopped by a new request.

13. The method according to claim 2, further comprising informing said client whether a request is accepted, accepted with a modification or denied.

14. The method according to claim 2, further comprising restoring a state of each of said clients that existed before applying said selected at least one set of rules, in case applying said selected at least one set of rules is aborted before being completed.

15. A resource control arrangement for controlling an access to at least one resource by a plurality of clients, said resource control arrangement comprising:

a plurality of sets of rules;

a rule selection component adapted for selection of at least one set of rules from said plurality of sets of rules upon occurrence of an event relating to an access to said at least one resource by at least one of said clients, said selection depending at least on one of a type of said event, a state of at least one of said clients and a system state; and

a controller adapted to cause an application of each set of rules selected by said rule selection component, said application resulting in a decision, and adapted to cause a control of said access to said at least one resource according to said decision.

16. The resource control arrangement according to claim 15, further comprising a client interface adapted to receive a request relating to an access to said at least one resource from one of said clients,

wherein a request received from one of said clients via said client interface and relating to an access to at least one resource comprises said event relating to an access to at least one resource;

wherein said rule selection component is adapted for said selection of said at least one set of rules from said plurality of sets of rules, depending at said least on one of said type of a request received via said client interface, said state of other clients and said system state; and

wherein said controller is adapted to cause said application of each set of rules selected by said rule selection component in response to said request received via said client interface, said application resulting in said decision to what extent said request is to be granted, and adapted to cause said controlling of said access to said at least one resource by said client according to said decision.

17. The resource control arrangement according to claim 16, further comprising a request queue adapted to cause a processing of requests by clients received via said client interface in an order of priority assigned to said clients.

18. The resource control arrangement according to claim 15, further comprising a client manager adapted to manage an exchange of information with said plurality of clients.

19. A chipset for controlling an access to at least one resource by a plurality of clients, said chipset having at least one chip, said at least one chip comprising:

a plurality of sets of rules;

a rule selection component adapted for selection of at least one set of rules from said plurality of sets of rules upon occurrence of an event relating to an access to said at least one resource by at least one of said clients, said selection depending at least on one of a type of said event, a state of at least one of said clients and a system state; and

a controller adapted to cause an application of each set of rules selected by said rule selection component, said application resulting in a decision, and adapted to cause a control of said access to said at least one resource according to said decision.

20. The chipset according to claim 19, further comprising a client interface adapted to receive a request relating to an access to said at least one resource from one of said clients,

wherein a request received from one of said clients via said client interface and relating to an access to at least one resource comprises said event relating to an access to at least one resource;

wherein said rule selection component is adapted for said selection of said at least one set of rules from said plurality of sets of rules, depending said at least on one of said type of a request received via said client interface, said state of other clients and said system state; and

wherein said controller is adapted to cause an application of each set of rules selected by said rule selection component in response to said request received via said client interface, said application resulting in said decision to what extent said request is to be granted, and adapted to cause said controlling of said access to said at least one resource by said client according to said decision.

21. An electronic device controlling an access to at least one resource by a plurality of clients, said electronic device comprising:

a plurality of sets of rules;

a rule selection component adapted for selection of at least one set of rules from said plurality of sets of rules upon occurrence of an event relating to an access to said at least one resource by at least one of said clients, said selection depending at least on one of a type of said event, a state of at least one of said clients and a system state; and

a controller adapted to cause an application of each set of rules selected by said rule selection component, said application resulting in a decision, and adapted to cause a control of said access to said at least one resource according to said decision.

22. The electronic device according to claim 21, further comprising a client interface adapted to receive a request relating to an access to said at least one resource from one of said clients,

wherein a request received from one of said clients via said client interface and relating to an access to at least one resource comprises said event relating to an access to at least one resource;

wherein said rule selection component is adapted for said selection of said at least one set of rules from said plurality of sets of rules, depending said at least on one of said type of a request received via said client interface, said state of other clients and said system state; and

wherein said controller is adapted to cause an application of each set of rules selected by said rule selection component in response to said request received via said client interface, said application resulting in said decision to what extent said request is to be granted, and adapted to cause said controlling of said access to said at least one resource by said client according to said decision.

23. The electronic device according to claim 21, further comprising said plurality of clients and said at least one resource.

24. The electronic device according to claim 22, comprising for each of said clients

an original request container arranged for storing an original request corresponding to a combination of all current requests from said client;

a work request container arranged for storing a work request which is initiated with said original request and modified while applying said at least one set of rules; and

an active request container arranged for storing an active request corresponding to a final work request.

25. The electronic device according to claim 21, wherein said electronic device is one of a mobile communication device, a laptop and a personal computer.

26. An apparatus for controlling an access to at least one resource by a plurality of clients, said apparatus comprising:

means for selecting at least one set of rules from a plurality of sets of rules upon occurrence of an event relating to an access to said at least one resource by at least one of said clients, depending at least on one of a type of said event, a state of at least one of said clients and a system state;

means for causing an application of each selected set of rules, said application resulting in a decision; and

means for causing a control of an access to said at least one resource according to said decision.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising means for receiving a request relating to an access to said at least one resource from one of said clients,

wherein a request received from one of said clients via said means for receiving a request and relating to an access to at least one resource is an event relating to an access to at least one resource;

wherein said means for selecting at least one set of rules are means for selecting at least one set of rules from a plurality of sets of rules depending at least on one of a type of a received request, a state of other clients and a system state;

wherein said means for causing an application of each selected set of rules are means for causing an application of each selected set of rules to a received request, said application resulting in a decision to what extent said request is granted; and

wherein said means for causing a control of an access to said at least one resource are means for causing a control of an access to said at least one resource by said client according to said decision.

28. A software program product in which a software code for controlling an access to at least one resource by a plurality of clients is stored, said software code when being executed by a processing unit of an electronic device for realizing the steps of:

selecting at least one set of rules from a plurality of available sets of rules upon occurrence of an event relating to an access to said at least one resource by at least one of said clients, said selection depending at least on one of a type of said event, a state of at least one of said clients and a system state;

applying said selected at least one set of rules, resulting in a decision; and

controlling an access to said at least one resource according to said decision.

29. The software program product according to claim 28,

wherein said event is a received request from one of said clients relating to said access to at least one resource,

wherein said selecting at least one set of rules comprises selecting at least one set of rules from a plurality of available sets of rules depending said at least on one of said type of said request, a state of other clients and a system state;

wherein applying a selected set of rules comprises applying said selected at least one set of rules to said request, resulting in a decision to what extent said request is to be granted; and

wherein said controlling said access to said at least one resource comprises controlling said access to said at least one resource by said client according to said decision.