CONFIDENTIAL PRESENTATIONS IN VIRTUAL WORLD INFRASTRUCTURE

• US 20120240199A1
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bussani, Anthony, Camenisch, Jan L., Gross, Thomas R., Husemann, Dirk, Sommer, Dieter M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for forming and presenting confidential presentations within a computing environment associated with a virtual application are presented. For example, a method for forming a confidential presentation includes obtaining a correspondence indicator from an asset server, obtaining a first texture from the asset server, and overlaying the first texture onto a first object. The correspondence indicator indicates the first texture corresponds to the first object. The first object is within the computing environment associated with the virtual application. The first texture and the asset server are inaccessible by the computing environment associated with the virtual application. The confidential presentation comprises the first texture.

Claims

1. A method for forming a confidential presentation, the method comprising the steps of:

securely storing textures and correspondence indicators in a memory of a confidential asset server outside a computing environment associated with a virtual application, wherein the confidential asset server is not accessible by a computing resource maintained by a service provider of the virtual application;

obtaining, by an authorized entity, a correspondence indicator from the confidential asset server, wherein the correspondence indicator indicates a first texture that corresponds to a first object, wherein the first object is within the computing environment associated with the virtual application, wherein the first texture comprises confidential content that is securely stored by the confidential asset server outside the computing environment associated with the virtual application;

obtaining the first texture from the confidential asset server, wherein the confidential presentation comprises the first texture; and

overlaying the first texture onto the first object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing the confidential presentation to the asset server, wherein the confidential presentation is provided by a host;

displaying the confidential presentation;

forming the correspondence indicator; and

authorizing a first participant to access the asset server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the confidential presentation comprising the first texture is displayed to a first participant, and wherein the method of claim 1 further comprises the steps of:

obtaining a second texture from the asset server, wherein a second participant correspondence indicator indicates the second texture corresponds to the first object; and

displaying to the second participant a second participant confidential presentation comprising the second texture.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a content of the second texture is chosen based upon at least one of confidentiality of presentation material, confidentiality level of the second participant, age of the second participant, preferences of the second participant, income of the second participant, occupation of the second participant, interests of the second participant, and gender of the second participant, and wherein the content is generate by one of statically generated and dynamically generated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the confidential information comprises displaying the confidential information to at least one of a first participant and a host, wherein the step of the overlaying of the first texture comprises the step of at least one of injecting the first texture into a data stream of the computing environment associated with the virtual application, and removing a second texture from the data stream, wherein the data stream comprises the second texture coming from a server of the computing environment associated with the virtual application, wherein the first texture is overlaid by a proxy, wherein a first Universally Unique Identifier indicates the first object, and wherein the correspondence indicator comprises the correspondence between the first Universally Unique Identifier and the first texture.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first object comprises a screen adapted to render the first texture.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the screen comprises at least one control adapted to perform at least one of navigating within the presentation and pointing within the presentation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a first slide of the confidential presentation comprises the first texture.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a first computing resource comprises a proxy, wherein the proxy is adapted to perform at least one of removing first data and injecting second data into a data stream of the computing environment associated with the virtual application, wherein the data stream comprises the first data coming from a server of the computing environment associated with the virtual application, to the first computing resource, and wherein the proxy is inaccessible by the computing environment associated with the virtual application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a nonparticipant is prevented from accessing the asset server, wherein the nonparticipant is prevented from performing the steps of the obtaining of the first texture, the overlaying of the first texture, and the displaying of the confidential presentation, and wherein a second texture is viewed by the nonparticipant.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a first participant views the confidential presentation, and wherein a nonparticipant views at least one of a default presentation and an advertisement.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a first participant comprises a plurality of participants, and wherein the plurality of participants views the confidential presentation.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first texture comprises at least one of a slide, text, a picture, and a video stream.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the asset server is adapted to perform at least part of the step of authorizing the first participant to access the asset server, and wherein authorizing the first participant comprises authorizing the proxy to access the asset server.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of authorizing comprises the steps of:

providing a token to the host, wherein the token indicates the correspondence indicator; and

providing the token to the first participant, wherein the token is provided using at least one of an email, an instant message, and a file transferred from at least one of the asset server and a host computing resource to at least one of a proxy and a first participant computing resource.

16. A network, comprising:

a confidential asset server to securely store textures and correspondence indicators outside a computing environment associated with a virtual application, wherein the confidential asset server is not accessible by a computing resource maintained by a service provider of the virtual application; and

a proxy authorized to access the confidential asset server and configured to form a confidential presentation by performing the steps of;

obtaining a correspondence indicator from the confidential asset server, wherein the correspondence indicator indicates a first texture that corresponds to a first object, wherein the first object is within the computing environment associated with the virtual application, wherein the first texture comprises confidential content that is securely stored by the confidential asset server outside the computing environment associated with the virtual application;

obtaining the first texture from the confidential asset server, wherein the confidential presentation comprises the first texture; and

overlaying the first texture onto the first object, wherein the first texture is overlaid by the proxy.

17. The network of claim 16, further comprising:

a first network link between the asset server and the proxy; and

a second network link between the proxy and the computing environment associated with the virtual application, wherein the proxy is outside of the computing environment associated with the virtual application.

18. The network of claim 16, wherein the method for forming the confidential presentation further comprises the steps of:

displaying the confidential presentation;

providing the confidential presentation to the asset server, wherein the confidential presentation is provided by a host;

forming the correspondence indicator; and

authorizing a first participant to access the asset server.

19. Apparatus for forming a confidential presentation, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

obtain a correspondence indicator from a confidential asset server, wherein the confidential asset server securely stores textures and correspondence indicators outside a computing environment associated with a virtual application, wherein the confidential asset server is not accessible by a computing resource maintained by a service provider of the virtual application, wherein the correspondence indicator indicates a first texture that corresponds to a first object, wherein the first object is within the computing environment associated with the virtual application, wherein the first texture comprises confidential content that is securely stored by the confidential asset server outside the computing environment associated with the virtual application;

obtain the first texture from the confidential asset server, wherein the confidential presentation comprises the first texture; and

overlay the first texture onto the first object.

20. An article of manufacture for forming a confidential presentation, the article comprising a computer readable storage medium having one or more programs embodied therewith, wherein the one or more programs, when executed by a computer, perform steps of:

securely storing textures and correspondence indicators in a memory of a confidential asset server outside a computing environment associated with a virtual application, wherein the confidential asset server is not accessible by a computing resource maintained by a service provider of the virtual application;

obtaining, by an authorized entity, a correspondence indicator from the confidential asset server, wherein the correspondence indicator indicates a first texture that corresponds to a first object, wherein the first object is within the computing environment associated with the virtual application, wherein the first texture comprises confidential content that is securely stored by the confidential asset server outside the computing environment associated with the virtual application;

obtaining the first texture from the confidential asset server, wherein the confidential presentation comprises the first texture; and

overlaying the first texture onto the first object.

21. A confidential asset server for forming a confidential presentation, the confidential asset server configured to:

securely store textures and correspondence indicators outside a computing environment associated with a virtual application, wherein the confidential asset server is not accessible by a computing resource maintained by a service provider of the virtual application;

provide a correspondence indicator, wherein the correspondence indicator indicates a first texture that corresponds to a first object, wherein the first object is within the computing environment associated with the virtual application, wherein the first texture comprises confidential content that is securely stored by the confidential asset server outside the computing environment associated with the virtual application; and

provide the first texture, wherein the confidential presentation comprises the first texture.

22. The asset server of claim 21 further configured to:

authorize a first participant to access the asset server; and

store the confidential presentation and the correspondence indicator.