Differentiated management of wireless connectivity

• US 20080086529A1
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zhao, Wei, Abhishek, Abhishek, Lu, Yi, Chen, Yue, Banerjee, Anirban, Contant, Olivier
• Granted Patent: US 8,793,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

In some embodiments, a wireless management service provides the capability to manage connectivity between a device and one or more wireless networks on a differentiated basis. For example, network profiles may be managed in a way that is influenced by the identity of the user, such that profiles which are customized for a specific user may be established. Connectivity may also be managed in a way that is influenced by a session type ongoing on a device, such that when certain events occur (e.g., a request by one user to connect to or disconnect from a wireless network is processed), wireless connectivity employed by other users sharing the device is appropriately managed.

Claims

1. In a system comprising a device, at least one wireless network, and a service executing on the device to manage connectivity between the device and the at least one wireless network, the service being operable to configure a network profile to represent each of the at least one wireless networks, the device being capable of being shared by a plurality of users including an active console user who logs on to the device and a non-active console user who does not log on to the device, a method for managing wireless connectivity comprising acts of:

(A) defining a group of all-user network profiles that are accessible by each user of the device and a group of per-user network profiles that are accessible by only the first user of the device;

(B) receiving, by the service, a request from a first user of the device to view the one or more wireless networks to which a connection by the device is allowed;

(C) determining whether the first user is an active console user of the device;

(D) if it is determined in the act (C) that the first user is an active console user of the device, then presenting the group of per-user network profiles to the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act (D) further comprises presenting the group of all-user network profiles to the first user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a plurality of devices, the act (A) further comprises defining a group of all-interface network profiles which are accessible by each user of each of the plurality of devices, and the act (D) further comprises presenting the group of all-interface network profiles to the first user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of:

(E) if it is determined in the act (C) that the first user is a non-active console user of the device, presenting the group of all-user network profiles to the first user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the system further comprises a plurality of devices, the act (A) further comprises defining a group of all-interface network profiles which are accessible by each user of each of the plurality of devices, and the act (E) further comprises presenting the group of all-interface network profiles to the first user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-active console user is a user who employs a terminal service to access the device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a graphical user interface executing on the device and in communication with the service, and wherein the act (D) further comprises the group of per-user network profiles to the first user via the graphical user interface.

8. At least one computer-readable medium encoded with instructions which, when executed in a system comprising a device, at least one wireless network, a service executing on the device to manage connectivity between the device and the at least one wireless network, and a graphical user interface executing on the device to provide an input facility by means of which a user may initiate an action related to connectivity between the device and the at least one wireless network, the device being capable of being shared by a plurality of users including an active console user who logs on to the device and a non-active console user who does not log on to the device, perform a method for managing wireless connectivity, the method comprising acts of:

(A) receiving a request from a first user of the device to initiate an action related to connectivity between the device and the at least one wireless network;

(B) determining whether the first user is an active console user of the device;

(C) if it is determined in the act (B) that the first user is an active console user of the device, then responding to the request received in the act (A) in a first way; and

(D) if it is determined in the act (B) that the first user is a non-active console user of the device, then responding to the request received in the act (A) in a second way.

9. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:

the service is further operable to configure a network profile to represent each of the at least one wireless networks and to define a group of all-user network profiles that are accessible by each user of the device and a group of per-user network profiles that are accessible by only the first user of the device;

the request received in the act (A) to initiate an action related to connectivity comprises a request to connect to the at least one wireless network; and

responding to the request in the act (C) comprises establishing connectivity to the at least one wireless network if the at least one wireless network is represented by an all-user network profile and the first user has permission to execute the all-user network profile, or if the at least one wireless network is represented by a per-user network profile, or if the at least one wireless network is not represented by a network profile but is visible to the first user.

10. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:

the service is further operable to configure a network profile to represent each of the at least one wireless networks and to define a group of all-user network profiles that are accessible by each user of the device and a group of per-user network profiles that are accessible by only the first user of the device;

the request received in the act (A) to initiate an action related to connectivity comprises a request to connect to the at least one wireless network; and

responding to the request in the act (D) comprises establishing connectivity to the at least one wireless network if the at least one wireless network is represented by an all-user network profile and the first user has permission to execute the all-user network profile and the first user has permission to create new all-user profiles, or if the at least one wireless network is not represented by a network profile but is visible to the first user and the first user has permission to create new all-user profiles.

11. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:

the service is further operable to configure a network profile to represent each of the at least one wireless networks and to define a group of all-user network profiles that are accessible by each user of the device and a group of per-user network profiles that are accessible by only the first user of the device;

the request received in the act (A) to initiate an action related to connectivity comprises a request to disconnect from the at least one wireless network; and

responding to the request in the act (C) comprises severing connectivity to the at least one wireless network if the at least one wireless network is represented by an all-user network profile and the first user has permission to execute the all-user network profile, or if the at least one wireless network is represented by a per-user network profile, or if the at least one wireless network is not represented by a network profile but is visible to the first user.

12. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:

the service is further operable to configure a network profile to represent each of the at least one wireless networks and to define a group of all-user network profiles that are accessible by each user of the device and a group of per-user network profiles that are accessible by only the first user of the device;

the request received in the act (A) to initiate an action related to connectivity comprises a request to disconnect from the at least one wireless network; and

responding to the request in the act (D) comprises severing connectivity to the at least one wireless network if the at least one wireless network is represented by an all-user network profile, the first user has permission to execute the all-user network profile and the first user has permission to create new all-user profiles, or if the at least one wireless network is represented by a per-user network profile and the first user has permission to create new all-user profiles, or if the at least one wireless network is not represented by a network profile but is visible to the first user and the first user has permission to create new all-user profiles.

13. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the non-active console user is a user who employs a terminal service to access the device.

14. In a system comprising a device, at least one wireless network, a service executing on the device to manage connectivity between the device and the at least one wireless network, the device being capable of being shared by a plurality of users including an active console user who logs on to the device and a non-active console user who does not log on to the device, the device being in a first session type when an active console user is logged on to the device and a second session type when no active console user is logged on to the device, a method for managing wireless connectivity comprising acts of:

(A) receiving a request from a first user of the device to transition the device from one session type to another session type;

(B) determining whether the first user is an active console user of the device;

(C) if it is determined in the act (B) that the first user is an active console user of the device, then responding to the request received in the act (A) by managing connectivity between the device and the at least one network in a first way; and

(D) if it is determined in the act (B) that the first user is a non-active console user of the device, then responding to the request received in the act (A) by managing connectivity between the device and the at least one network in a second way.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the request received in the act (A) comprises a request to transition the device from the first session type to the second session type; and

responding to the request in the act (C) comprises disconnecting from the at least one wireless network if the first user is logging out of the device, or if the first user is switching out of the device, or if the first user employs a terminal service to access the device with a/console parameter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein responding to the request in the act (C) comprises disconnecting from the at least one wireless network, if the first user initiated connectivity to the at least one wireless network and the at least one wireless network is represented by a network profile.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the request received in the act (A) comprises a request to transition the device from the first session type to the second session type; and

responding to the request in the act (D) comprises disconnecting from the at least one wireless network if the first user is logging out of the device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein responding to the request in the act (D) comprises disconnecting from the at least one wireless network if the first user initiated connectivity to the at least one wireless network and the at least one wireless network is represented by a network profile.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the second session type occurs when a user employs a terminal service to access the device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the terminal service is Windows Terminal Server.