Changing user identities without closing applications

• US 6,795,967 B1
• Filed: 01/26/1999
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sager, Christopher T., Mitchell, Darren, Evans, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Courtenay, III, St. John
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VAN H
• Application Number:
  US09/238,133
• Time in Patent Office: 2,065 Days
• Field of Search: 345/744, 345/762, 345/733, 713/100, 713/200, 709/221, 709/226, 709/329, 709/310, 709/320, 717/168-178, 717/121, 719/310, 719/320
• US Class Current: 719/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment

Abstract

An operating system registry contains multiple “identities.” One of these identities is designated the current identity. An application executing on a multitasking computer system uses information stored in the current identity to configure the application, for example to provide a user-specific user interface. When an application opens, it registers with an identity manager using objects known as “connection points.” To switch identities, a user supplies the name of an identity to switch to. The identity manager then uses the registered connection points to query each of the applications for permission to switch identities. If all the registered connection points grant permission to switch identities, then the identity manager switches the current identity by changing information in the registry. The identity manager then notifies all applications, via their registered connection points, that a change to the registry has been made so that the applications can take appropriate action.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a. running a first application and a second application on a computer system using a current identity of a user of the computer system, the current identity defining a plurality of work-environment settings, the current identity being used by both the first application and the second application, the current identity being a first identity, the first and second applications running substantially simultaneously on a multitasking computer system;

b. receiving a request to change the current identity;

c. obtaining permission from the first application and the second application to change the current identity; and

d. changing the current identity so that the first application uses a second identity rather than the first identity without closing the first application, and so that the second application uses the second identity rather than the first identity without closing the second application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application has a user interface, the user interface of the first application being configured in a first way when the first application uses the first identity in (a), the user interface of the first application being configured in a second way when the first application uses the second identity in (d).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system includes a computer, the computer having an operating system, the first and second identities being stored in a registry maintained by the operating system.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a profile is stored in the registry, wherein the first application and the second application run in (a) using the profile, and wherein the current identity is changed in (d) without changing the profile, the first and second applications using the same profile throughout (a), (b), (c) and (d).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the running of the first application in (a) involves communication across a dial-up connection when the first application is using the first identity, wherein the dial-up connection is not lost when the current identity is changed in (d), the first application communicating across the dial-up connection in (d) while using the second identity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein (c) further comprises:

i. obtaining permission from the first application via a first connection point; and

ii. obtaining permission from the second application via a second connection point.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

e. creating a first connection point for communication with the first application;

f. opening a first window corresponding to the first connection point;

g. creating a second connection point for communication with the second application;

h. opening a second window corresponding to the second connection point;

i. sending to the first window a first message requesting permission to change identities, the permission obtained in (c) from the first application being received via the first window; and

j. sending to the second window a second message requesting permission to change identities, the permission obtained in (c) from the second application being received via the second window.

8. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

a. querying a first application for permission to switch identities of a user of a computer system, the first application using a first identity of a user of the computer system, the first identity being a part of a registry, the first identity being first values of work-environment settings;

b. querying a second application for permission to switch identities, the second application using the first identity, the first and second applications executing substantially simultaneously on a multitasking computer system; and

c. if both the first application and the second application grant permission to change identities, modifying the registry such that the first application uses a second identity of a user of the computer system rather than the first identity and such that the second application uses the second identity rather than the first identity, the first and second applications switching from using the first identity to using the second identity without either the first application or the second application being closed, the second identity being a part of the registry, the second identity being second values of work-environment settings.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the registry contains a current identity pointer that points to one of the first identity and the second identity.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the registry contains an identity manager object.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the querying of step (a), the querying of step (b) and the modifying of step (c) is performed by an identity manager, the identity manager querying the first application in step (a) through a first connection point, the identity manager querying the second application in step (b) through a second connection point, the first application granting permission to change identities to the identity manager via the first connection point prior to the modifying of step (c), the second application granting permission to change identities to the identity manager via the second connection point prior to the modifying of step (c).

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions are also for performing the steps of:

a. notifying the first application via the first connection point that the registry has been modified; and

b. notifying the second application via the second connection point that the registry has been modified.