SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IDENTITY MANAGED COLLABORATION

• US 20080215682A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comtech Solacom Technologies, Inc. (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Solomon Technologies Incorporated (Technipower Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vilis, Raymond A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,682,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]

Abstract

A system and method for identity managed collaboration (IMC) that in various embodiments can provide for: identity management of participants within a collaboration session to set entitlement; identity security for participants to allow participants to determine what identity is projected; participation in a collaboration session in a monitoring mode via a browser without the need to install client software on an access appliance; audio collaboration via a plurality of communication media; and Leave Existing & Add Preferred (LEAP) capability to allow participants to dynamically changes access appliances.

Claims

1. A system for identity managed collaboration, for providing a collaboration session to which each of a plurality of participants can be connected from one of plurality of access appliances via one of a plurality of communication media, the system comprising:

an identity and session manager for storing, managing, enforcing and applying;

collaboration session rules that specify which of the plurality of communication media can be used to connect to the collaboration session, specify which of the plurality of participants can connect to the collaboration session and identify which of the participants are to be contacted to connect to the collaboration session;

a plurality of participant entitlements, each one corresponding to one of a plurality of participants, each participant entitlement specifying which access modes the participant can use, what indicator is to be used to announce the participants arrival in and departure from the collaboration session, and the participants privilege to change access appliances while connected to the collaboration session; and

a plurality of participant identity security records, each one corresponding to one of the plurality of participants, each participant entitlement specifying an identity to used to identify the participant to other participants in the collaboration session;

the identity and session manager further for, responsive to a notification, announcing the arrival and departure of each participant using an identity specified in the corresponding participant identity record and responsive to the corresponding participant entitlements;

a collaboration medium module for supporting a plurality of collaboration media for use in the collaboration session;

an access rules module for the storage and management of access rules that specify which one of a plurality of access modes will be assigned to each participant responsive to the communication media used by the participant to connect to the collaboration session;

an access control module for assigning an access mode to each participant responsive to the communication media used by the participant to connect to the collaboration session and to the corresponding participant entitlement, and for re-assigning an access mode when any of the participants switches from one of the plurality of access appliances to another of the access appliances for connecting with the collaboration session;

a connection control module for;

managing connections between the system and the participants;

allowing and disallowing connections to the system responsive to collaboration session rules and the participant entitlement corresponding to each participant;

initiating connections with participants responsive to the collaboration session rules when the collaboration session is initiated;

accepting connections from participants responsive to the collaboration session rules and the corresponding participant entitlements;

notifying the identity and session manager of the establishment and termination of a connection to each participant; and

providing audio collaboration continuity when any of the participants switches from one of the plurality of access appliances to another of the access appliances for connecting with the collaboration session; and

a session trigger module for initiating the collaboration session.

2. A method for identity managed collaboration, for providing a collaboration session to which each of a plurality of participants can be connected from one of plurality of access appliances via one of a plurality of communication media, the method comprising the steps of:

creating collaboration session rules that specify which of the plurality of communication media can be used to connect to the collaboration session, specify which of the plurality of participants can connect to the collaboration session and identify which of the participants are to contacted to connect to the collaboration session;

creating a plurality of participant entitlements, each one corresponding to one of a plurality of participants, each participant entitlement specifying which access modes the participant can use, what indicator is to be used to announce the participants arrival in and departure from the collaboration session, and the participants privilege to change access appliances while connected to the collaboration session;

creating a plurality of participant identity security records, each one corresponding to one of the plurality of participants, each participant entitlement specifying an identity to used to identify the participant to other participants in the collaboration session;

creating access rules that specify which one of a plurality of access modes will be assigned to each participant responsive to the communication media used by the participant to connect to the collaboration session;

initiating a collaboration session, responsive to a trigger, initiating connection with participants responsive to the collaboration session rules, and accepting connections from participants responsive to the collaboration session rules and the corresponding participant entitlements;

assigning an access mode to each participant responsive to the communication media used by the participant to connect to the collaboration session and to the corresponding participant entitlement;

announcing the arrival of each participant using an identity specified in the corresponding participant identity record and responsive to the corresponding participant entitlements;

providing audio collaboration continuity and re-assigning an access mode when any of the participants switches from one of the plurality of access appliances to another of the access appliances for connecting with the collaboration session; and

announcing the departure of each participant using an identity specified in the corresponding participant identity record and responsive to the corresponding participant entitlements when the participant leaves the collaboration session.

3. A computer program product for identity managed collaboration, for providing a collaboration session to which each of a plurality of participants can be connected from one of plurality of access appliances via one of a plurality of communication media, the computer program product comprising:

computer executable instructions, stored on a computer readable storage medium, for;

creating collaboration session rules that specify which of the plurality of communication media can be used to connect to the collaboration session, specify which of the plurality of participants can connect to the collaboration session and identify which of the participants are to contacted to connect to the collaboration session;

creating a plurality of participant entitlements, each one corresponding to one of a plurality of participants, each participant entitlement specifying which access modes the participant can use, what indicator is to be used to announce the participants arrival in and departure from the collaboration session, and the participants privilege to change access appliances while connected to the collaboration session;

creating a plurality of participant identity security records, each one corresponding to one of the plurality of participants, each participant entitlement specifying an identity to used to identify the participant to other participants in the collaboration session;

creating access rules that specify which one of a plurality of access modes will be assigned to each participant responsive to the communication media used by the participant to connect to the collaboration session;

initiating a collaboration session, responsive to a trigger, initiating connection with participants responsive to the collaboration session rules, and accepting connections from participants responsive to the collaboration session rules and the corresponding participant entitlements;

assigning an access mode to each participant responsive to the communication media used by the participant to connect to the collaboration session and to the corresponding participant entitlement;

announcing the arrival of each participant using an identity specified in the corresponding participant identity record and responsive to the corresponding participant entitlements;

providing audio collaboration continuity and re-assigning an access mode when any of the participants switches from one of the plurality of access appliances to another of the access appliances for connecting with the collaboration session; and

announcing the departure of each participant using an identity specified in the corresponding participant identity record and responsive to the corresponding participant entitlements when the participant leaves the collaboration session.