PRIVILEGE-BASED ACCESS SYSTEM

• US 20090038005A1
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howarth, Arthur G.
• Application Number:
  US11/831,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20090038005A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a network interface system and a logic system. The network interface system comprises at least one network interface. The logic system comprises at least one logic device configured to do the following: receive, via the network interface system, task indications that a first person has completed predetermined tasks; ascertain points to award for the predetermined tasks; receive, via the network interface system, an access request to access identified content; determine a number of points required for granting the access request; determine a number of points currently available to the first person; determine whether to grant the access request; and send, via the network interface system, a message to a device indicating whether to grant the access request.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving personal identification data for a first person;

receiving device identification data for at least one identified device;

receiving task identification data indicating at least one identified task;

receiving point data indicating task points corresponding to each identified task and indicating device usage points required to use each identified device for a unit of time; and

controlling access of the first person to at least one identified device according to the point data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving content identification data for at least one type of identified content, wherein receiving point data comprises receiving an indication of points required to access identified content for a unit of time, and wherein controlling access of the first person comprises controlling access to at least one type of identified content.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a task indication that the first person has completed an identified task; and

ascertaining a number of points to award.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving trust level data corresponding to a verification requirements for task indications.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the task points corresponding to at least one identified task comprise a range of points that may be awarded.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the point data further comprise kicker criteria and corresponding multiplier values for modification of event-based point totals.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the controlling step comprises:

receiving an access request from the first person to access an identified device or identified content;

ascertaining a number of points required for granting the access request; and

ascertaining a number of points currently available to the first person.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving contact information for a second person, wherein the ascertaining step comprises:

notifying the second person according to the contact information;

receiving an authorization indication from the second person; and

determining a number of points to award according to the authorization indication.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the trust level data comprise audit rate data indicating a task verification frequency.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the ascertaining step comprises:

determining a task performance level; and

determining a number of points to award according to the task performance level.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the audit rate data are based, at least in part, on a frequency at which task indications from the first person are accurate.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a network interface system comprising at least one network interface; and

a logic system comprising at least one logic device and configured to do the following;

receive, via the network interface system, task indications that a first person has completed predetermined tasks;

ascertain points to award for the predetermined tasks;

receive, via the network interface system, an access request to access identified content;

determine a number of points required for granting the access request;

determine a number of points currently available to the first person;

determine whether to grant the access request; and

send, via the network interface system, a message to a device indicating whether to grant the access request.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the access request comprises a request to access an identified device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the logic system is further configured to determine whether a second person needs to authorize the grant.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the ascertaining comprises:

notifying a second person;

receiving an authorization indication from the second person; and

determining a number of points to award based, at least in part, on the authorization indication.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the logic system is further configured to determine a task verification frequency based, at least in part, on how often the task indications from the first person are accurate.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the logic system is further configured to perform the following tasks when the logic system determines that a second person needs to authorize the grant:

notify the second person of the access request;

receive an authorization indication from the second person; and

determining whether grant the access request based, at least in part, on the authorization indication.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving task indications that a first person has completed predetermined tasks;

means for ascertaining points to award for each task indication;

means for receiving access requests for the first person to access identified content;

means for determining a required number of points for granting each access request;

means for determining whether to grant each access request, based at least in part on comparing the required number of points to a number of points available to the first person when each access request is received; and

means for sending a message to a device indicating whether to grant the access request.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least some access requests comprise requests to access an identified device.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the ascertaining means comprises:

means for notifying a second person;

means for receiving an authorization indication from the second person; and

means for determining a number of points to award based, at least in part, on the authorization indication.