Enabling Trusted Conferencing Services

• US 20100223389A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sekaran, Dhigha A., Narayanan, Sankaran, Ananthanarayanan, Krishnan
• Granted Patent: US 9,621,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2147 Locking files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

Architecture for providing a superuser privilege in a conferencing environment. A pre-configured entity such as a bot program receives special conferencing privileges. A request can be identified as originating from a trusted service and an associated predetermined set of privileges passed to the service. The trusted service can impersonate a user, and join a conference using its own identity or using the identity of a user. Conference control rules can be enforced on the trusted user (e.g., no other users can eject or mute this entity). Moreover, the trusted service can (optionally) hide itself from the conference roster to remain invisible to all participants.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented communications system, comprising:

a trust component for configuring a service as a trusted service; and

a conferencing component for processing requests for the service as part of a conference session and treating the service as trusted for the session.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the conferencing component applies superuser privileges to the trusted service.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the trusted service impersonates a user seeking to become a session participant.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the trusted service self-joins the session based on an associated service identity or a user identity.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the conferencing component imposes conference control rules on the trusted service.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the trusted service prevents itself from being viewed by conference participants.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the trusted service requests a trusted service role.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a protocol component that employs extensions that facilitate the use of session initiation protocol (SIP) to allow the trusted service to request a trusted role, the trusted service to impersonate a user, and bypass of user authentication.

9. A computer-implemented communications system, comprising:

a trust component for configuring a service as a trusted service; and

a conferencing component for processing requests for the service as part of a conference session and applying superuser privileges to the trusted service for interaction with the session.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the trusted service impersonates a user seeking to become a session participant without the superuser privileges.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the trusted service self-joins the session based on an associated identity and the superuser privileges.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the trusted service prevents itself from being viewed by conference participants or requests a trusted service role.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising a protocol component that employs extensions that facilitate bypass of authentication, request of a trusted role, and impersonation of a user.

14. A computer-implemented communications method, comprising:

designating a service as a trusted service;

requesting the service as part of a conferencing session;

assigning superuser privileges to the service based on the service being the trusted service; and

providing the service as part of the conference session based on the privileges.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising impersonating a user when joining the session.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising self-joining the session based on an associated identity of the trusted service.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising hiding the service from view of session participants.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising applying conference control rules to the trusted service.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising identifying the request as from a trusted service that is impersonating a user and assigning privileges normally assigned to the user to the trusted service in response to receiving the request.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising bypassing authentication of the service based on status as the trusted service.