Method of controlling access for software development via a virtual common desktop with plural viewers

• US 7,127,745 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2000
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia of America Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Voss, Henry L., Rekiere, Joseph P., Herse, Conrad M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Norman M.
• Application Number:
  US09/536,084
• Time in Patent Office: 2,405 Days
• Field of Search: 713/201, 713/200, 713/202, 709/205
• US Class Current: 726/30
• 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: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]

Abstract

In a virtual network computing (VNC) system wherein multiple users, or viewers, at different locations share a common desktop computer for the purpose of sharing control of software applications, the VNCSESSION owner exercises dynamic Internet protocol (IP)-based control over access of the viewers to the server associated with the shared desktop. The VNCSESSION owner is defined as the user who initiates the server and the first viewer to connect to the desktop. The session owner is given full access to the desktop, i.e., active access permitting the viewer to exercise control over the application. For the remaining connected viewers, only VNCVIEWERS having their IP address present in a VNC security file containing authorized IP addresses can initiate activity on the desktop, or exercise control over the application. All other connected viewers may only review desktop activity initiated by other viewers, but cannot initiate such activity themselves, i.e., cannot exercise control over the application. The session owner can dynamically specify, on a per viewer basis as well as on a per session basis, the level of access, passive or active, of each subsequent viewer. The status of each viewer, the number of viewers connected to the desktop from a given IP address, and active/passive selectors for all connected viewers are presented on a video display for review by the session owner.

Claims

1. For use in a virtual network computing session wherein plural remotely located users connected together in a global information network share a software application in a server of a desktop computer, a method for controlling access of users to the software application, said method comprising the steps of:

assigning an identifying address for each of the users authorized for access to the software application;

storing in a file the identifying addresses of the users authorized for access to the software application;

receiving a request from one or more viewers for access to the software application, wherein each request includes an address identifying the requesting viewer;

comparing the address identifying the requesting viewer with said identifying addresses stored in said file during the virtual network computing session and providing simultaneous access to the software application for each of said viewers if the address identifying the requesting viewer is stored in said file or denying access if the address identifying the requesting viewer is not stored in said file, wherein access is provided or denied during the virtual network computing session and access to the software application includes WRITE access for permitting said user to exercise control over the software application and READ access for permitting said user only to view the exercise of control over the software application by other users, and wherein only identifying addresses of users authorized for WRITE access to the software application are stored in said file;

designating a first user of the virtual network computing session as a session owner and providing said session owner with WRITE access to the software application; and

permitting the session owner to assign either WRITE or READ access to the software application to subsequent users of the virtual network computing session.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of permitting the session owner to change the WRITE or READ access to the software application previously assigned to any subsequent user of the virtual network computing session.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said global information network comprises the Internet and said identifying address comprises an Internet Protocol address.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the desktop computer includes a video display and the method further includes the step of presenting on the video display for the session owner information regarding viewers who have access to the software application.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of presenting on the video display information regarding viewers who have access to the software application includes indicating if the viewer has active or passive access to the software application.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of presenting on the video display the number of viewers from a given identifying address who have been granted access to the software application.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing first and second selectors on said video display for allowing the session owner to grant access to the software application to all viewers or deny access to the software application to all viewers, respectively.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of providing a selector on said video display for each connected viewer.

9. A method for conducting a virtual network computing session wherein plural remotely located users connected together by a global information network share a software application on a server of a desktop computer, wherein the users are provided either active access for exercising control over the software application or passive access for only observing the exercise of control over the software application exercised by other users having active access, said method comprising the steps of:

assigning a first user of the software application with active access for exercising control over the software application and for monitoring the actions of subsequent users who have active access to the software application;

assigning an identifying address for each of the subsequent users;

storing in a file the identifying addresses of the subsequent users authorized for active access to the software application;

comparing addresses identifying each of plural viewers requesting access to the software application with the identifying addresses in said file and simultaneously granting said plural viewers active access if the viewer'"'"'s identifying address is in said file;

permitting said first user of the software application to assign subsequent users with active and/or passive access to the software application and to change the access to the software application previously assigned to any subsequent users during the virtual network computing session; and

allowing said first user to terminate the virtual network computing session and cancel the active and/or passive access of subsequent users to the software application.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the desktop computer includes a video display and the method further comprises the step of presenting on the video display for the session owner information regarding viewers who have access to the software application.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of presenting on the video display information regarding viewers who have access to the software application includes indicating that the viewer has active or passive access to the software application.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of presenting on the video display the number of viewers from a given identifying address who have been granted access to the software application.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of providing first and second selectors in said video display for allowing the session owner to grant access to the software application to all viewers or deny access to the software application to all viewers, respectively.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of assigning a password for use by subsequent viewers requesting access to the software application.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first user assigns the password and disseminates said password to subsequent users having active and/or passive access to the software application.