METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR SELECTIVELY ACCESSING AN APPLICATION

• US 20080165391A1
• Filed: 01/22/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Lei, Knight, David, Zhu, Min, Chen, Weidong, Kangas, Chris, Sheppard, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,423,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/453
• 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 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses request an application; detect a user requesting the application; detect a profile associated with the user; and grant permission to access the application based on an access parameter.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

requesting an application;

detecting a user requesting the application;

detecting a profile associated with the user; and

granting permission to access the application based on an access parameter.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising storing the permission and associated reference to the application within a record that corresponds to the profile.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the access parameter is a free license to utilize the application.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the access parameter is a paid license to utilize the application.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the access parameter corresponds with a hierarchical position of the requester on an organization chart.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the access parameter corresponds with a number of participants within a collaboration session wherein the collaboration session includes the requester.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising purchasing the application by the requester.

8. The method according to claim 7 further comprising updating the profile of the requester based on purchasing the application.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein purchasing the application is based on a hierarchy of the requester.

10. The method according to claim 1 sharing the application with another participant.

11. A system, comprising:

a storage module configured to store a record containing a permission status associated with an application;

an application manager module configured to control distribution of the application to a requester based on the permission status; and

a controller module configured to update the permission status within the record.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein storage module is configured to store the permission status with the record.

13. The system according to claim 11 wherein the application manager module is further configured to modify the permission status to allow use of the application by the requester.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein the application manager module is configured to allow the requester to purchase a license to the application.

15. The system according to claim 14 wherein the requester purchases the license based on a hierarchy of the requester.

16. The system according to claim 11 wherein the application manager module is configured to allow another participant to utilize the application.

17. A system comprising:

means for requesting an application;

means for detecting a user requesting the application;

means for detecting a profile associated with the user; and

means for granting permission to access the application based on an access parameter.

18. The system according to claim 18 wherein the means for granting permission includes allowing the user to access the application.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein the means for granting permission includes allowing another participant to access the application.