Content Access for Duration of Calendar Events

• US 20170126700A1
• Filed: 01/09/2017
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hurst, Evan
• Granted Patent: US 9,942,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/006 involving public key infrastructure [PKI] trust models network architecture or network communication protocol for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0833 involving conference or group key network architectures or network communication protocols for key management in group communication in a packet data network H04L63/065
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0861 Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/30 Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy

Abstract

Content access for the duration of a calendar event may be provided. Upon receiving a calendar invitation comprising a start time, an end time, and an encrypted attachment, a user may accept or reject the calendar invitation. If the calendar invitation is accepted, an acceptance notification associated with the calendar invitation may be transmitted. Upon receiving a request to access the encrypted attachment, a determination as to whether the request to access the encrypted attachment occurs within the start time and the end time of the calendar invitation may be made. If the request to access the encrypted attachment does not occur within the start time and the end time of the calendar invitation, access to the encrypted attachment may be refused.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A system comprising:

a memory store; and

a processor coupled to the memory store, wherein the processor is configured to execute an application comprising;

logic that creates a calendar event associated with a plurality of attendee users,

logic that encrypts a content element associated with the calendar event,

logic that distributes the encrypted content element to each of the plurality of attendee users,

logic that determines whether a current time is within a time period associated with the calendar event, and

in response to determining that the current time is within the time period associated with the calendar event, logic that distributes a decryption key for the encrypted content element to at least one of the plurality of attendee users.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the logic that determines whether the current time falls within the time period associated with the calendar event occurs in response to a request to view the encrypted content element.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to determining that the current time does not fall within the time period associated with the calendar event, logic that provides a notification of an unauthorized access attempt.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the notification is provided to a compliance server.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the notification is provided to an organizer of the calendar event.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the decryption key is sent to a document viewing application separate from an e-mail application that receives the calendar event.

22. The system of claim 13, further comprising logic that, prior to delivering the decryption key, determines whether each of the attendee users has accepted the calendar invitation, and:

if the attendee user has accepted the calendar invitation, distributes the decryption key; and

if the attendee user has not accepted the calendar invitation, does not distribute the decryption key.

16-20. -20. (canceled)

23. A method for securely distribution content elements associated with a calendar event, comprising:

creating a calendar event associated with a plurality of attendee users;

encrypting a content element associated with the calendar event;

distributing the encrypted content element to each of the plurality of attendee users;

determining whether a current time is within a time period associated with the calendar event; and

in response to determining that the current time is within the time period associated with the calendar event, logic that distributes a decryption key for the encrypted content element to at least one of the plurality of attendee users.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein determining whether the current time falls within the time period associated with the calendar event occurs in response to a request to view the encrypted content element.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

in response to determining that the current time does not fall within the time period associated with the calendar event, providing a notification of an unauthorized access attempt.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the notification is provided to a compliance server.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the notification is provided to an organizer of the calendar event.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the content element and the decryption key are sent to a document viewing application separate from an e-mail application that receives the calendar event.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising, prior to delivering the decryption key, determining whether each of the attendee users has accepted the calendar invitation, and:

if the attendee user has accepted the calendar invitation, distributing the decryption key; and

if the attendee user has not accepted the calendar invitation, preventing distribution of the decryption key.

30. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, securely distribute content elements associated with a calendar event by:

creating a calendar event associated with a plurality of attendee users;

encrypting a content element associated with the calendar event;

distributing the encrypted content element to each of the plurality of attendee users;

determining whether a current time is within a time period associated with the calendar event; and

in response to determining that the current time is within the time period associated with the calendar event, distributing a decryption key for the encrypted content element to at least one of the plurality of attendee users.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the determining whether the current time falls within the time period associated with the calendar event occurs in response to a request to view the encrypted content element.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions are further configured to:

in response to determining that the current time does not fall within the time period associated with the calendar event, provide a notification of an unauthorized access attempt.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the notification is provided to a compliance server.

34. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the content element and the decryption key are sent to a document viewing application separate from an e-mail application that receives the calendar event.

35. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the instructions are further configured to, prior to delivering the decryption key, determine whether each of the attendee users has accepted the calendar invitation, and:

if the attendee user has accepted the calendar invitation, distribute the decryption key; and

if the attendee user has not accepted the calendar invitation, does not distribute the decryption key.