Light-weight multi-user browser

• US 20070214272A1
• Filed: 03/07/2006
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Isaacson, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,676,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A multi-user web browser is stored on a computer. The multi-user web browser permits more than one user to create and use a browser user account without requiring different users to log into different operating system user accounts. Instead, a browser user can log into the multi-user browser by providing a browser user name and browser password associated with the browser user name. This enables the multi-user web browser to support multiple users from within a single operating system user account.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a computer;

a web browser stored on the computer;

a browser user account for the web browser;

a browser user name for the browser user account;

a password associated with the browser user name.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a validator to validate the browser user name; and

an authenticator to authenticate that the password corresponds to the browser user name.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a user account creator to establish a new user account for the web browser.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the user account creator includes a validator to validate that the browser user name is available as a new user account.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a secure directory accessible from the computer to store browser user account files, wherein the secure directory prevents access to non-administrator users of the computer.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a browser account administrator, the browser account administrator including a browser management control applied to all browser user accounts on the computer.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the browser management control includes a browser user account expirer, to provide for the deletion of the browser user account.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the browser user account expirer deletes a browser user account after a specified period of browser user account inactivity.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the browser user account expirer deletes a browser user account after a specified period of time.

10. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the browser management control includes default browser user account settings to apply to a new browser user account.

11. A method for allowing multiple users to access secure browser user accounts in a single operating system user account, the method comprising:

receiving a browser user name and a password in a browser;

identifying a browser user account using the browser user name;

authenticating the browser user name and the password;

retrieving browser user account settings from the browser user account; and

initializing the browser using the browser user account settings.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising creating a browser user account with the browser user name if the browser user account does not exist.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein creating a browser user account includes:

receiving a password that is blank; and

associating the blank password with the browser user name.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein creating a browser user account further includes:

determining that the browser user account does not exist;

notifying a user that the browser user account does not exist; and

receiving from the user a request to create the browser user account.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein retrieving browser user account settings includes retrieving the user account settings from a secure directory accessible from the computer.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein retrieving the user account settings from a secure directory includes retrieving the user account settings from a secure directory on a server.

17. A method according to claim 11, wherein retrieving browser user account settings includes:

retrieving a browser user account history;

retrieving browser user account bookmarks; and

retrieving user account cache.

18. An article, comprising:

a storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a machine, result in;

receiving a browser user name and password in a web browser;

validating that the browser user name exists as a browser user account;

authenticating the browser user name with the password;

starting a user browser session in a web browser; and

initializing the user browser session with browser account settings.

19. An article according to claim 18, further comprising creating a browser user account with the browser user name.

20. An article according to claim 19, wherein creating a browser user account includes:

receiving a request from the user to create a browser user account; and

determining that the browser user account does not already exist.

21. An article according to claim 18, wherein initializing the user browser session includes retrieving browser account settings from a secure directory.

22. An article according to claim 18, further comprising managing all browser user accounts in a browser user system with a browser management control.

23. An article according to claim 22, wherein managing all browser user accounts includes creating default browser account settings for newly created accounts.

24. An article according to claim 22, wherein managing all browser user accounts includes setting an expiration control to control deletion of the user account.