Methods And Apparatus For Maintaining Permissions For Client/Server Processing In A Communication Device

• US 20100050187A1
• Filed: 08/22/2008
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bender, Christopher Lyle
• Granted Patent: US 8,272,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A communication device has memory for storing a client application module, a server application module, and an operating system module which are executable by one or more processors. The client application module submits a request and, in response, the server application module causes the request to be processed with use of the operating system module. Prior to processing, an interface module causes one or more client process handles of a client stack of the client application module to be provided in a current process base of the operating system module. Thus, for the request, the operating system module checks one or more permission settings associated with the one or more client process handles as well as one or more permission settings associated with the one or more server process handles. The operating system module allows the request to be processed if the one or more permission settings associated with the one or more client process handles and the one or more permission settings associated with the one or more server process handles indicate that permission is granted, but otherwise denies the processing of the request if any one of the permission settings associated with the one or more client process handles and the one or more server process handles indicate that permission is denied.

Claims

1. A method in a communication device which is adapted to store a client application module, a server application module, and an operating system module, the method comprising the acts of:

identifying a request from the client application module which is to be processed by the server application module through use of the operating system module; and

in response to identifying the request;

causing one or more client process handles of a client stack of the client application module to be provided in a current process base of the operating system module which includes one or more server process handles of a server stack of the server application module.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of causing the one or more client process handles to be provided in the current process base is performed so that the operating system module checks one or more permission settings associated with the one or more client process handles and one or more permission settings associated with the one or more server process handles when processing the request responsive to the server application module.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the request is denied further processing if any one of the permission settings associated with the one or more client process handles and the one or more server process handles indicates that permission is denied.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a denial indication is provided for output at a user interface of the communication device if the request is denied further processing.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the request to be processed if each permission setting associated with the one or more client process handles and the one or more server process handles indicates that permission is granted; and

denying further processing of the request if at least one of permission settings associated with the one or more client process handles or the one or more server process handles indicates that permission is denied.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing a result of the request to be provided for output at a user interface of the communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the client application module comprises one of:

a Web browser application, which is associated with a permission setting indicating whether access to the Internet is allowed;

a communications application, which is associated with a permission setting indicating whether access to user contact information is allowed;

or

a map rendering application, which is associated with a permission setting indicating whether access to a global positioning system (GPS) service is allowed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by an interface module of the communication device which is separate and apart from the client application module and which is separate and apart from the server application module.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the acts of identifying and causing for each one of a plurality of requests from the client application module.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via an interface of the communication device, the permission,settings; and

saving the permission settings in memory of the communication device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further adapted to store a primary application module which is adapted to submit requests directly to the operating system module, and wherein the client application module comprises a third-party application of the communication device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a protocol for the request between the client application module and the server application module is performed in accordance with a JSR 211 standard.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by computer instructions stored in a computer readable medium and executable by a processor of the communication device.

14. A communication device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors and being operative for communications in a wireless communication network;

a user interface coupled to the one or more processors;

memory for storing a client application module, a server application module, and an operating system module;

the one or more processors being operative to;

identify a request from the client application module which is to be processed by the server application module through use of the operating system module; and

in response to identifying the request;

cause one or more client process handles of a client stack of the client application module to be provided in a current process base of the operating system module which includes one or more server process handles of a server stack of the server application module.

15. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are operative to cause the one or more client process handles to be provided in the current process base so that the operating system module checks one or more permission settings associated with the one or more client process handles and one or more permission settings associated with the one or more server process handles when processing the request for the server application module.

16. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are operative to prohibit further processing of the request if any one of the permission settings associated with the one or more client process handles and the one or more server process handles indicates that permission is denied.

17. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are operative to provide a denial indication for output at the user interface if the request is prohibited from further processing.

18. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the client application module comprises one of:

a Web browser application, which is associated with a permission setting indicating whether access to the Internet is allowed;

a communications application, which is associated with a permission setting indicating whether access to user contact information is allowed;

or

a map rendering application, which is associated with a permission setting indicating whether access to a global positioning system (GPS) service is allowed.

19. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the protocol for processing the request by the client and the server application modules is performed in accordance with a JSR 211 standard.

20. A method in a communication device which is adapted to store a client application module, a server application module, and an operating system module, the method comprising the acts of:

submitting, by the client application module, a request;

causing, by an interface module in response to the request, one or more client process handles of a client stack of the client application module to be provided in a current process base of the operating system module;

causing, by the server application module, the request to be processed with use of the operating system module;

checking, by the operating system module for the request, one or more permission settings associated with one or more server process handles in the current process base;

checking, by the operating system module for the request, one or more permission settings associated with the one or more client process handles in the current process base;

allowing, by the operating system module, the request to be processed if the one or more permission settings associated with the one or more client process handles and the one or more permission setting associated with the one or more server process handles indicate that permission is granted;

prohibiting, by the operating system module, further processing of the request if any one of the permission settings associated with the one or more client process handles and the one or more server process handles indicates that permission is denied; and

providing a result for the request for output at a user interface of the communication device.

21. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

repeating the recited acts for each one of a plurality of requests from the client application.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising the further acts of:

receiving, via the user interface, the permission settings and saving the permission settings in memory of the communication device.

23. A communication device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors and being operative for communications in a wireless communication network;

a user interface coupled to the one or more processors;

a memory adapted to store a client application module, a server application module, an operating system module, and an interface module which are executable by the one or more processors;

the client application module being adapted to submit a request;

the interface module being adapted to cause, in response to the request, one or more client process handles of a client stack of the client application module to be provided in a current process base of the operating system module;

the server application module being adapted to cause the request to be processed with use of the operating system module;

the operating system module being adapted to check, for the request, one or more permission settings associated with the one or more server process handles in the process base;

the operating system module being further adapted to check, for the request, one or more permission settings associated with the one or more client process handles in the process base;

the operating system module being adapted to allow the request to be processed if the one or more permission settings associated with the one or more client process handles and the one or more server process handles indicate that permission is granted;

the operating system module being adapted to prohibit further processing of the request if any one of the permission settings associated with the one or more client process handles and the one or more server process handles indicates that permission is denied; and

the client application module being adapted to provide a result for the request for output at the user interface.

24. The communication device of claim 23, wherein the result comprises one of a process result when the request is allowed to process and a denial indication when processing of the request is inhibited.

25. The communication device of claim 23, wherein the client application module comprises one of:

a Web browser application, which is associated with a permission setting indicating whether access to the Internet is allowed;

a communications application, which is associated with a permission setting indicating whether access to user contact information is allowed;

or

a map rendering application, which is associated with a permission setting indicating whether access to a global positioning system (GPS) service is allowed.

26. The communication device of claim 23, which comprises a mobile communication device operative in a wireless communication network.