Rights elevator

• US 7,617,530 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: McNeil, Brian, Doerr, Anastasia C, Ruzyski, David M, Guzak, Chris J., Stabb, Charles W., Wentz, Brian D., Reasor, Sterling M., Hong, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr.; Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARMOUCHE, HADI S
• Application Number:
  US11/112,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20060242713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 713/182, 713/185, 726 4- 10, 726 17- 21, 726/26
• US Class Current: 726/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

Systems and/or methods are described that enable a user to elevate his or her rights. In one embodiment, these systems and/or methods present a user interface identifying an account having a right to permit a task in response to the task being prohibited based on a user'"'"'s current account not having that right.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to present a user interface in response to a task being prohibited based on a user'"'"'s current account not having a right to permit the task, the user interface comprising:

information indicating the task and an entity that attempted the task;

a selectable help graphic wherein responsive to receiving selection of the selectable help graphic, the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to present the information;

identifiers, each of the identifiers identifying other accounts having a right to permit the task, wherein the identifiers presented are based on criteria comprising;

frequency of use;

association with the user; and

indication of sufficient but not unlimited rights;

one of the identifiers identifies a higher-rights account having a right to permit the task, wherein the one of the identifiers comprises;

a graphic identifying the higher-rights accounts associated with the user; and

a name of the higher-rights account;

an authenticator region capable of receiving, from the user, an authenticator usable to authenticate the higher-rights account having the right to permit the task, wherein;

the authenticator comprises a password, and

the authenticator region comprises a data-entry field configured to receive the password.

13. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the identifiers presented include the identifier of the user'"'"'s current account having limited rights.

14. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the authenticator received is the same as the authenticator used for the user'"'"'s current limited-rights account.

2. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform acts comprising:

determining multiple accounts capable of permitting a task not permitted by an account of a current user wherein the determining is based on criteria comprising;

frequency of use;

association with the current user; and

indication of sufficient but not unlimited rights;

receiving indicators for the multiple accounts capable of permitting the task;

presenting a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface having;

multiple account regions, each account region identifying one of the multiple accounts capable of permitting the task;

an authenticator region capable of receiving an authenticator for one of the multiple accounts capable of permitting the task;

receiving, through the graphical user interface, the authenticator for one of the multiple accounts capable of permitting the task; and

responsive to receiving the authenticator for one of the accounts capable of permitting the task, packaging, into a computer-readable package, the received authenticator and the account capable of permitting the task associated with the authenticator, the package effective to enable authentication of the account capable of permitting the task.

3. The media of claim 2, where the each account region comprises a name identifying one of the multiple accounts capable of permitting the task.

4. The media of claim 2, where the each account region comprises a graphic identifying one of the multiple accounts capable of permitting the task.

5. The media of claim 2, further comprising permitting the task.

6. The media of claim 2, further comprising authenticating the account capable of permitting the task and, responsive to authenticating the account capable of permitting the task, temporarily elevating rights of the current user to that of the account capable of permitting the task effective to permit the task.

7. The media of claim 2, wherein rights of the account of the current user are limited by controlled-access software.

8. The media of claim 7, wherein the task is prohibited by the controlled-access software prior to authentication of the account capable of permitting the task and wherein the controlled-access software refrains from prohibiting the task in response to authentication of the account capable of permitting the task.

15. The media of claim 2, further comprising authenticating the account with the same identifier and authenticator as used for the user'"'"'s current account.

9. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform acts comprising:

presenting a higher-rights account to a computer user currently logged on to a computer'"'"'s operating system with a limited-rights account, the higher-rights account having a right to permit a task currently prohibited by the operating system based on the limited-rights account not having the right to permit the task, the higher-rights account presented with an identifier capable of identifying a name of the higher-rights account or a person associated with the higher-rights account, wherein the act of presenting the higher-rights account comprises presenting additional higher-rights accounts, each additional higher-rights account being presented with an additional identifier capable of identifying a name of the additional higher-rights account or a person associated with the additional higher-rights account and wherein the additional higher-rights accounts being presented are determined based on criteria comprising;

indication of sufficient but not unlimited rights;

frequency of use; and

association with the current user;

an authenticator region configured to receive an authenticator, the authenticator usable to authenticate the higher-rights account wherein the authenticator received comprises a password that is the same authenticator used for the user'"'"'s current limited-rights account and the authenticator region comprises a data-entry field into which the user may type the password;

authenticating the higher-rights account; and

temporarily elevating the computer user'"'"'s rights to that of the higher-rights account effective to permit the operating system to cease prohibiting the task.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein the act of presenting the higher-rights account comprises presenting a graphical user interface comprising the identifier and a data-entry field capable of receiving entry of the authenticator.

11. The media of claim 9, wherein the act of temporarily elevating the computer user'"'"'s rights comprises elevating the computer user'"'"'s rights only for so long as is needed to permit the operating system to cease prohibiting the task.

12. The media of claim 9, wherein the act of temporarily elevating the computer user'"'"'s rights comprises returning the computer user'"'"'s rights to those of the limited-rights account once the operating system ceases to prohibit the task.