SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DEVELOPING AND USING TRUSTED POLICY BASED ON A SOCIAL MODEL

• US 20140245382A1
• Filed: 05/08/2014
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Pannu, Tejinder Pal, Chen, Eddie J., Gilliam, Charles P., Raley, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/273,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20140245382A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A trust policy is constructed based upon a social relationship between real-world entities. The trust policy may determined based upon a social network and social network maps. The social network map provides a framework to determine social distances. The trust policy provides quick and secure access to desired or trusted nodes while providing security from entities outside the trusted sphere of nodes. The trust policy determined by the social distance may be used for various types of applications including filtering unwanted e-mail, providing secure access to resources, and accessing protected services. File sharing, referral querying, advertisement targeting, announcement targeting, access control, and various applications may be limited using the constructed trust policy.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, executed by one or more computing devices, for using social relationships between entities to provide access to a computing resource, the method comprising:

receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a request to calculate a social distance between a first node and a second node of a social map, the first node corresponding to a first entity, the second node corresponding to a second entity;

determining, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a social distance between the first node and the second node based at least in part on one or more social connections between the first node and the second node;

determining, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a trust relationship between the first entity and the second entity based at least in part on the one or more social connections between the first node and the second node; and

transmitting, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, information associated with the trust relationship to at least one of the first entity and the second entity, the trust relationship being used to determine whether the first entity is permitted to access a computing resource associated with the second entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined trust level comprises more than a Boolean determination of trust level.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node and the second node and the social connections between the first node and the second node are received from an existing social network computing application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing resource is a digital work and access is in accordance with a usage right associated with the digital work.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the trust relationship levels are determined by the geographic location of the first entity and the second entity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing resource comprises a neighborhood e-mail network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing resource comprises a ride sharing network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising incorporating a trust policy into an application that evaluates trustworthiness based upon feedback from previous interactions, whereby trustworthiness will be more deterministic and personalized.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing resource of the second entity is an email inbox and the access includes sending an email message to the email inbox, whereby the method serves as an email filter.

10. An apparatus for using social relationships between entities to provide access to a computing resource, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause at least one of the one or more processors to;

enable the receipt of a request to calculate a social distance between a first node and a second node of a social map, the first node corresponding to a first entity, the second node corresponding to a second entity;

determine a social distance between the first node and the second node based at least in part on one or more social connections between the first node and the second node;

determine a trust relationship between the first entity and the second entity based at least in part on the one or more social connections between the first node and the second node; and

transmit information associated with the trust relationship to at least one of the first entity and the second entity, the trust relationship being used to determine whether the first entity is permitted to access a computing resource associated with the second entity.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the predetermined trust level comprises more than a Boolean determination of trust level.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first node and the second node and the social connections between the first node and the second node are received from an existing social network computing application.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the computing resource is a digital work and access is in accordance with a usage right associated with the digital work.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the trust relationship levels are determined by the geographic location of the first entity and the second entity.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the computing resource comprises a neighborhood e-mail network.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the computing resource comprises a ride sharing network.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more memories have further instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause at least one of the one or more processors to incorporate a trust policy into an application that evaluates trustworthiness based upon feedback from previous interactions, whereby trustworthiness will be more deterministic and personalized.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the computing resource of the second entity is an email inbox and the access includes sending an email message to the email inbox, whereby the method serves as an email filter.

19. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause at least one of the one or more computing devices to:

receive of a request to calculate a social distance between a first node and a second node of a social map, the first node corresponding to a first entity, the second node corresponding to a second entity;

determine a social distance between the first node and the second node based at least in part on one or more social connections between the first node and the second node;

determine a trust relationship between the first entity and the second entity based at least in part on the one or more social connections between the first node and the second node; and

transmit information associated with the trust relationship to at least one of the first entity and the second entity, the trust relationship being used to determine whether the first entity is permitted to access a computing resource associated with the second entity.

20. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the predetermined trust level comprises more than a Boolean determination of trust level.

21. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first node and the second node and the social connections between the first node and the second node are received from an existing social network computing application.

22. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computing resource is a digital work and access is in accordance with a usage right associated with the digital work.

23. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the trust relationship levels are determined by the geographic location of the first entity and the second entity.

24. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computing resource comprises a neighborhood e-mail network.

25. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computing resource comprises a ride sharing network.

26. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, further storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause at least one of the one or more computing devices to incorporate a trust policy into an application that evaluates trustworthiness based upon feedback from previous interactions, whereby trustworthiness will be more deterministic and personalized.

27. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computing resource of the second entity is an email inbox and the access includes sending an email message to the email inbox, whereby the method serves as an email filter.