Persistent Public Machine Setting

• US 20140181907A1
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kunz, Michael C., Ayres, Lynn C., Chow, Trevin M., Lester, Erren Dusan, Gunn, Campbell D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,503,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods for protecting user information on a client device that may have a plurality of users. A user interface with a public machine designation portion is presented to a user prior to the start of the authentication process. The public machine designation removes web service account descriptions and any user specific information stored on the client device. Also, the client device is prevented from storing any new user specific information that is provided to the client device. The public machine designation is a persistent feature that may only be disabled by an affirmative action from the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

outputting a user interface having a portion selectable to designate a client device as a public machine;

when the portion is selected, removing a plurality of web service account descriptions stored for the client device; and

storing a public machine designation in a browser readable object associated with the client device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the public machine designation is stored in a browser readable object located on the client device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the public machine designation prevents account information for a plurality web service accounts from being stored on the client device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the descriptions describe which web service accounts and custom user data are to be used to generate a user interface having a plurality of portions, wherein each said portion:

corresponds to one said web service account;

includes respective custom user data; and

is selectable to cause authentication to the respective web service account.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the descriptions describe where the custom user data corresponding to said web service accounts may be obtained.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the descriptions are stored as one or more browser readable objects; and

the removing involves removing the descriptions from said browser readable objects.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the descriptions are stored as one or more browser readable object and the removing involves deleting one or more said browser readable object storing said descriptions.

8. A method comprising:

storing a plurality of customized user information as accessible to a client device to generate a user interface having a plurality of portions, wherein each said portion;

corresponds to a respective web service account; and

contains customized user information associated with the account;

designating the client device as a public machine; and

in response to the designation, removing access to the customized user information.

9. The method as described in claim 8, wherein the customized user information is accessible to the client device from storage on a server via a network.

10. The method as described in claim 9, wherein the client device utilizes locally stored descriptions of said web service accounts to determine where to obtain customized user information.

11. The method as described in claim 10, wherein removing access comprises deleting the locally stored descriptions.

12. The method as described in claim 8, wherein removing access comprises deleting customized user information stored on the client device.

13. The method as described in claim 8, wherein the customized user information comprises user selections from the group consisting of:

a user tile;

a user name;

an alias;

text;

graphics;

a color selection;

audio;

an image;

animation; and

video.

14. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

storing on the client device descriptions of a plurality of authentication data corresponding to said web service accounts, wherein each said portion is selectable to cause communication of corresponding authentication data to authenticate the client device to the respective web service account; and

in response to the designation, removing the description of the authentication data from the client device.

15. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer executable instruction that, when executed, direct a computer to:

designate a client device as a public machine; and

remove a plurality of web service account descriptions stored for the client device corresponding to web service accounts with a plurality of service providers.

16. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 15 further comprising instructions directing the computer to disable remembering authentication data on the client device for web service accounts with the plurality of web service providers.

17. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the descriptions include references to user customized data associated with the web service accounts.

18. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the descriptions are accessible to the client device to output a user interface having at least one portion corresponding to each web service account and selectable to cause authentication of the client device to the respective web service account.

19. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 15 further comprising instructions directing the computer to store a designation of the client device as a public machine in storage accessible to the client device.

20. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 19 further comprising instructions directing the computer to remove the designation of the client device as a public machine.