Participant Authentication via a Conference User Interface

• US 20110271332A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Teleconferencing Services Limited (Premiere Global Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Teleconferencing Services Limited (Premiere Global Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Jones, Boland T., Guthrie, David Michael, Frohwein, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US12/772,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20110271332A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

Various embodiments of systems, methods, and computer programs are disclosed for authenticating a participant in an online conference via a graphical user interface. One such method comprises: determining a conference event requesting authentication of a participant by a conferencing system hosting a conference via a communication network; in response to the conference event, presenting a signature capture area to the participant in a conference interface via a graphical user interface; monitoring location coordinates of an input device in the signature capture area; converting the location coordinates into a participant electronic signature; determining that the participant electronic signature matches a stored electronic signature associated with the participant; and in response to determining the match, authenticating the participant for the conference event.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating a participant in an online conference via a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

determining a conference event requesting authentication of a participant by a conferencing system hosting a conference via a communication network;

in response to the conference event, presenting a signature capture area to the participant in a conference interface via a graphical user interface;

monitoring location coordinates of an input device in the signature capture area;

converting the location coordinates into a participant electronic signature;

determining that the participant electronic signature matches a stored electronic signature associated with the participant; and

in response to determining the match, authenticating the participant for the conference event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the conference event requesting authentication of the participant comprises presenting a log-in screen to the participant in the conference interface, and wherein the signature capture area is presented in the log-in screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the conference event requesting authentication of the participant comprises presenting a participant vote screen for receiving a vote on an issue related to the conference, and wherein the signature capture area is presented in the participant vote screen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the conference event requesting authentication of the participant comprises receiving a request to distribute an information source to the participant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the conference event comprises one of a participant log-in event, a participant approval event, and a secure distribution event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring the location coordinates of the input device comprises detecting a trace pattern.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the signature capture area is presented with a reference grid comprising a plurality of nodes, and the detecting the trace pattern comprises receiving a node-to-node trace sequence.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises one of a touchscreen device and a cursor associated with the graphical user interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the participant electronic signature matches the stored electronic signature comprises:

sending the participant electronic signature and a corresponding participant identifier to the conferencing system;

the conferencing system determining the stored electronic signature associated with the participant identifier;

the conferencing system comparing the participant electronic signature to the stored electronic signature;

the conferencing system authenticating the participant for the conference event; and

the conferencing system enabling the conference event via the conference interface.

10. A computer program embodied in a computer readable medium and executable by a processor, the computer program for authenticating a participant in an online conference via a graphical user interface, the computer program comprising logic configured to:

receive a request from a conferencing system via a communication network to authenticate a participant for a conference event;

in response to the request, present a signature capture area to the participant in a conference interface via a graphical user interface;

monitor location coordinates of an input device in the signature capture area;

convert the location coordinates into a participant electronic signature;

provide the participant electronic signature with a corresponding participant identifier to the conferencing system; and

receive an authentication response from the conferencing system that the participant electronic signature matches a stored electronic signature associated with the participant identifier.

11. The computer program of claim 10, wherein the logic configured to present the signature capture area further comprises logic configured to present the signature capture area in a log-in screen.

12. The computer program of claim 10, wherein the wherein the logic configured to present the signature capture area further comprises logic configured to present the signature capture area in a participant vote screen for receiving a vote from the participant on an issue related to the conference.

13. The computer program of claim 10, wherein further comprising logic configured to distribute a document to the participant in response to the authentication response.

14. The computer program of claim 10, wherein the logic configured to monitor the location coordinates of the input device comprises detecting a trace pattern.

15. The computer program of claim 14, wherein the signature capture area is presented with a reference grid comprising a plurality of nodes, and the logic configured to detect the trace pattern comprises logic configured to capture a node-to-node trace sequence.

16. The computer program of claim 10, wherein the input device comprises one of a touchscreen device and a cursor associated with the graphical user interface.

17. A computer system for providing an online conference, the computer system comprising:

a conferencing system for establishing a conference between a plurality of participants via a communication network; and

a client device in communication with the conferencing system via the communication network, the client device comprising a memory, a processor and a participant authentication module embodied in the memory and executed by the processor, the participant authentication module for authenticating one of the participants for a conference event, the participant authentication module comprising logic configured to;

in response to a conference event requesting authentication of the participant, present a signature capture area to the participant in a conference interface via a graphical user interface;

monitor location coordinates of an input device in the signature capture area;

convert the location coordinates into a participant electronic signature; and

authenticate the participant by matching the participant electronic signature to a stored electronic signature associated with the participant identifier.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the logic configured to present the signature capture area further comprises logic configured to present the signature capture area in one of a log-in screen and a participant vote screen.

19. The computer system of claim 17, further comprising logic configured to:

distribute a document to the participant in response to the authentication.

20. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the logic configured to monitor the location coordinates of the input device comprises detecting a trace pattern, and wherein the signature capture area is presented with a reference grid comprising a plurality of nodes, and the logic configured to detect the trace pattern comprises logic configured to capture a node-to-node trace sequence.