RESTRICTING USER ACCESS ON SHARED COMPUTER

• US 20110265179A1
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Psion Teklogix (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Psion Teklogix (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pearce, Timothy Fraser, Chen, James Shoong-Leac, Newman, Nader
• Granted Patent: US 9,081,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems

Abstract

A method for restricting, based on predefined user profile information, access to software executing on a computing device of a user. The method comprises the following steps. Input data is intercepted from a user input device. The input data is compared with a list of restrictions in the user profile information to determining if an action associated with the input data is prohibited. The input data is passed to the software for execution only if the action associated with the input data is not prohibited. A method for restricting, based on predefined user profile information, access to notifications generated for a user is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for restricting, based on predefined user profile information, access to software executing on a computing device of a user, the method comprising the steps of:

intercepting input data from a user input device;

comparing the input data with a list of restrictions in the user profile information to determining if an action associated with the input data is prohibited; and

passing the input data to the software for execution only if the action associated with the input data is not prohibited.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile information is different for different ones of a plurality of different users.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the input data represents a key on the keyboard that has been depressed by the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein if the input data is prohibited the method comprises the further step of presenting the user with a message indicating that the key is restricted.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of comparing the input data with a list of restrictions in the user profile information comprises comparing the key depressed by the user with restricted keys listed in the user profile information.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of comparing the input data with a list of restrictions in the user profile information comprises comparing the key depressed by the user with a list of keys associated with restricted actions listed in the user profile information.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the input data represents a position on a screen selected by the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the position on the screen is selected by the user touching a desired position on a touchscreen of the computing device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein if the input data is prohibited the method comprises the further step of presenting the user with a message indicating that the key is restricted.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of comparing the input data with a list of restrictions in the user profile information comprises comparing coordinates of the position selected by the user with restricted positions listed in the user profile information.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of comparing the input data with a list of restrictions in the user profile information comprises comparing coordinates of the position selected by the user with positions associated with restricted actions listed in the user profile information.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the input data represents a position on a screen selected by the user.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the position on the screen is selected by the user touching a desired position on a touchscreen of the computing device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein if the input data is prohibited the instructions are further operable to present the user with a message indicating that the key is restricted.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions to compare the input data with a list of restrictions in the user profile information comprises instructions to compare coordinates of the position selected by the user with restricted positions listed in the user profile information.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions to compare the input data with a list of restrictions in the user profile information comprises instructions to compare coordinates of the position selected by the user with positions associated with restricted actions listed in the user profile information.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for restricting, based on predefined user profile information, access to software executing on a computing device of a user, the instructions, when executed by a processor, operable to:

intercept input data from a user input device;

compare the input data with a list of restrictions in the user profile information to determining if an action associated with the input data is prohibited; and

pass the input data to the software for execution only if the action associated with the input data is not prohibited.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the user profile information is different for different ones of a plurality of different users.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the input data represents a key on the keyboard that has been depressed by the user.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein if the input data is prohibited the instructions are further operable to present the user with a message indicating that the key is restricted.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions to compare the input data with a list of restrictions in the user profile information comprises instructions to compare the key depressed by the user with restricted keys listed in the user profile information.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions to compare the input data with a list of restrictions in the user profile information comprises instructions to compare the key depressed by the user with a list of keys associated with restricted actions listed in the user profile information.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions to compare the notifications with a list of restrictions in the user profile information comprises instructions to compare the notifications with a list of notifications associated with restricted actions listed in the user profile information.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for restricting, based on predefined user profile information, access to notifications generated for a user, the instructions, when executed by a processor, operable to:

monitor the notifications for the user;

compare the notifications with a list of restrictions in the user profile information to determining if an action associated with the input data is prohibited; and

suppress the notification if the action associated with the input data is prohibited.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions to compare the notifications with a list of restrictions in the user profile information comprises instructions to compare the notifications with restricted notifications listed in the user profile information.