Non-intrusive background synchronization when authentication is required

• US 7,877,797 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Koulchin, Ilya, Rasmussen, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ustaris; Joseph G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woldemariam; Nega
• Application Number:
  US11/360,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20070220590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: 713/153, 713/163, 713/183, 713/193, 713/340, 713/164, 713/150, 714/38, 714/49, 714/48, 714/35, 714/37, 709/203, 709/217, 709/223, 709/237, 709/225, 709/229, 709/227, 726/22, 726/14, 726/13, 726/11, 726/34, 726/25, 726/26, 726/27, 726/5, 726/3, 726/15, 380/42, 380/55, 380/58, 380/46, 382/225, 382/581, 345/581, 345/55, 707/E17.128, 707/E17.129, 707/E17.118
• US Class Current: 726/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A non-modal notification user interface element is displayed persistently but unobtrusively such that a user may easily determine that authentication credentials are required by a background synchronization process. The non-modal notification is configured such that it may be ignored by the user such that their workflow is not interrupted. The background synchronization continues to synchronize the data it can even though the background synchronization may require authentication credentials for a subset of the data to be synchronized. The user may select the non-modal notification user interface element at any point in time in order to supply the required authentication credentials. The non-modal notification is removed from the display when there are no further authentication credentials required.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method executing on a processor of a computing device for handling authentication non-intrusively, comprising:

determining when an authentication credential is required to be entered by a user to synchronize a data set in a background synchronization process;

wherein the background synchronization process synchronizes a plurality of data sets;

wherein the data set is not synchronized in the background synchronization process until the authentication credential is entered;

persistently and unobtrusively displaying a non-modal notification element indicating that the authentication credential is required to synchronize the data set;

wherein the non-modal notification element indicates that the authentication credential is required to be entered by the user in a user interface window before the data set is synchronized;

wherein the non-modal notification element is displayed in association with an application window; and

continuing the background synchronization process for synchronizing the data sets not requiring an authentication credential when the non-modal notification element is displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining when the authentication credential is required in the background synchronization process comprises receiving an authentication error in response to an attempt to access the data set.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing each unique authentication error and persistently and unobtrusively displaying the non-modal notification element until each of the unique authentication errors has been resolved.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein persistently and unobtrusively displaying the non-modal notification element indicating that the authentication credential is required is displayed within an information bar at a top location of an application window.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein persistently and unobtrusively displaying the non-modal notification element indicating that the authentication credential is required is displayed along a side of an application window or within a title bar of the application window.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising monitoring the non-modal notification element for a selection.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying a user interface element that is configured to receive the required authentication credential from the user when the non-modal notification element is selected.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying a same message within the non-modal notification element.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions encoded on a memory device for handling authentication in a background synchronization process non-intrusively, the instructions comprising:

receiving an authentication error in response to an attempt to access a data set in the background synchronization process;

wherein the background synchronization process synchronizes a plurality of data sets;

wherein the data set is not synchronized in the background synchronization process until an authentication credential is entered;

displaying a notification element unobtrusively within an application window that is currently displayed that indicates that the authentication credential is required for the background synchronization process to synchronize the data set; and

continuing the background synchronization process for synchronizing the data sets not requiring an authentication credential when the notification element is displayed.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising maintaining the display of the notification element until the authentication credential is received and is verified.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising storing the authentication error until the authentication error is resolved.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein displaying the notification element comprises displaying the notification element at a top location of an application window.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein displaying the notification element comprises displaying the notification element along a side of an application window or within a title bar of the application window.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein displaying the notification element comprises displaying a message within the notification element that remains constant regardless of how many authentication errors are received.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising determining when the notification element is selected.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising receiving the authentication credential in response to the notification element being selected.

17. An apparatus for handling authentication non-intrusively, comprising:

a processor and a computer-readable medium;

an operating environment stored on the computer-readable medium and executing on the processor;

a display; and

an application operating under the control of the operating environment and operative to perform actions, including;

receiving authentication errors from a background synchronization process;

wherein the authentication errors are for data sets that require an authentication credential to be entered by a user before the data sets are synchronized;

displaying a non-modal notification element unobtrusively within an application window currently on the display that indicates that at least one authentication credential is required for the background synchronization process to synchronize the data sets that require the authentication credential to be entered; and

continuing the background synchronization process for data sets not requiring entry of authentication credentials when the notification element is displayed.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising displaying the notification element until each of the authentication errors has been resolved.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the application is further configured to determine when the notification element is selected and when the notification element is selected displaying an input box to receive an authentication credential.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein displaying the non-modal notification element unobtrusively on the display comprises displaying the notification element within an information bar at a top location of a window that is associated with the application.