Monitoring and managing user access to content via a portable data storage medium

• US 7,100,053 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Lawrence, Kelvin Roderick
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parthasarathy, Pramila
• Application Number:
  US09/560,393
• Time in Patent Office: 2,314 Days
• Field of Search: 713/201
• US Class Current: 713/185
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

In accordance with the method, system and program of the present invention, authority-designated settings are stored on a portable data storage medium in association with a particular user, wherein the authority-designated settings designate levels of access to particular types of content as determined by multiple authorities to the particular user. Transmittal of a selection of the authority-designated settings is required from the portable data storage medium in a transmittable data format to a particular authority-enabled system from among multiple authority-enabled systems, wherein each of the multiple authority-enabled systems provides access to multiple diverse types of content. The particular user is only allowed access to a selection of the multiple types of content that are enabled according to the authority-designated settings at the particular authority-enabled system.

Claims

1. A method for managing access to content by a user, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving entries for a plurality of authority-designated settings from a plurality of allowable authorities to said particular user at a portable data storage medium associated with said particular user, wherein said plurality of authority-designated settings designate levels of access to particular types of content;

transmitting said plurality of authority-designated settings from said portable data storage medium to a plurality of authority-enabled systems, wherein each of said plurality of authority-enabled systems controls access to at least one type of content;

receiving and storing at said portable data storage medium an indication of authorization for said particular user to said at least one type of content controlled by one of said plurality of authority-enabled systems, such that authorization for content to said particular user is monitored at said portable data storage medium; and

filtering said plurality of authority-designated settings at a portable computer system comprising said portable data storage medium such that only a filtered selection from among said plurality of authority-designated settings are transmittable to said plurality of authority-enabled systems.