Restricting Access to Information

• US 20090007259A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Argott, Lauren
• Granted Patent: US 8,205,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/21
• 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 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation

Abstract

Technologies are presented herein for restricting access to information. According to various embodiments described herein, an authorization device is provided that includes functionality for detecting other proximately located authorization devices. When an authorization device detects another proximately located authorization device, authorization data stored in the detected device is retrieved. The retrieved authorization data is compared to stored authorization data and a determination is made as to whether a person associated with the detected device is authorized to receive information. The authorization device provides an indication as to whether the person is authorized to receive information. The authorization device may also provide an indication of the particular information that the person is authorized to receive. The authorization device may also be utilized to ensure that only authorized individuals participate in a meeting and that each participant is authorized to receive the information that is the subject of the meeting.

Claims

1. A method for determining whether a proximately located person is authorized to receive information, the method comprising:

detecting a proximately located authorization device associated with the person and operative to maintain authorization data indicating whether the person is authorized to receive the information;

receiving the authorization data from the authorization device;

determining based on the received authorization data whether the person is authorized to receive the information; and

providing a first indication in response to determining that the person is not authorized to receive the information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a second indication in response to determining that the person is authorized to received the information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorization data comprises data indicating whether the associated person is authorized to receive information on a plurality of topics, wherein determining whether the person is authorized to receive the information comprises determining whether the person is authorized to receive information on each of the plurality of topics, and wherein the method further comprises providing a third indication in response to determining that the person is not authorized to receive information on each of the plurality of topics.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises information subject to a confidentiality agreement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a proximately located authorization device comprises detecting an authorization device located approximately within an area within which a voice may be heard.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting a proximately located authorization device comprises transmitting a wireless signal within the area, receiving a response to the transmitted wireless signal, and detecting the presence of the proximately located authorization devices based on the received response to the wireless signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the detecting operation is performed periodically.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the detecting operation is performed in response to a user request.

9. An apparatus for determining whether a proximately located person is authorized to receive information, the apparatus comprising:

memory means storing authorization data indicating whether an associated person is authorized to receive the information;

wireless communication means for enabling wireless communications with one or more authorization devices;

output means for providing an indication; and

processing means for causing the wireless communication means to detect one or more proximately located authorization devices, to receive authorization data from the detected authorization devices, to determine based on the received authorization data and the authorization data stored in the memory means whether a person associated with a detected authorization device is authorized to receive the information, and to provide an indication via the output means indicating whether the person is authorized to receive the information.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing means is further operative to provide an indication via the output means indicating whether the person is not authorized to receive the information.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the information comprises information that is subject to a confidentiality agreement.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the authorization data comprises data identifying one or more confidentiality agreements under which an associated person is authorized to receive information.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing means is operative to cause the wireless communication means to periodically detect any proximately located authorization devices.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing means is operative to cause the wireless communication means to detect any proximately located authorization devices in response to a user request.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to:

receive data identifying an expected meeting participant;

identify an actual meeting participant by detecting a proximately located authorization device, the authorization device being associated with a participant and operative to maintain authorization data indicating whether the associated participant is authorized to receive information;

determine whether the actual meeting participant matches the expected meeting participant; and

to

provide an indication in response to determining that the expected meeting participant does not match the actual meeting participant.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the computer, will cause the computer to:

receive the authorization data from the detected authorization device;

determine based on the authorization data whether the actual meeting participant is authorized to receive the information; and

to

provide an indication in response to determining that the actual meeting participant is not authorized to receive the information.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the information comprises information subject to a confidentiality agreement.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein detecting a proximately located authorization device comprises detecting an authorization device located approximately within an area within which a voice may be heard.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein detecting a proximately located authorization device comprises transmitting a wireless signal within the area, receiving a response to the transmitted wireless signal, and detecting the presence of the proximately located authorization device based on the received response to the wireless signal.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the detecting operation is performed in response to a user request.