Administering devices including allowed action lists

• US 7,912,953 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schumacher, Daniel M., Watson, Thomas J., Burkhart, Michael J., Bodin, William K., Eisenhauer, Daniel G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue; Larry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor; Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/257,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/223, 709/226, 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention include a method for administering devices in a network. The method includes creating a user metric vector comprising a plurality of disparate user metrics, creating a user metric space comprising a plurality of metric ranges and determining whether the user metric vector is outside the user metric space. If the user metric vector is outside a user metric space, identifying an action in dependence upon the user metric vector the method includes determining whether the action is allowed. If the action is allowed, the method includes executing the action. Many embodiments include receiving an allowed action list, such as for example, receiving an allowed action list from a moderator DML.

Claims

1. A method for administering devices in a network, the method comprising:

creating a user metric vector comprising a plurality of disparate user metrics, each user metric comprising an indication of a dynamic change in a user'"'"'s physical condition in response to an external stimulus, each user metric further comprising a field identifying the user, a field identifying an aspect of the user'"'"'s physical condition that the user metric represents, and a field storing a value of the aspect of the user'"'"'s physical condition that the user metric represents, wherein the user comprises a person;

creating a user metric space comprising a plurality of metric ranges;

determining whether the user metric vector is outside the user metric space;

if the user metric vector is outside a user metric space, identifying an action in dependence upon the user metric vector, the action administering a device via the network to alter the user'"'"'s physical condition in response to the external stimulus;

determining whether the action is allowed;

if the action is allowed, executing the action; and

if the action is not allowed, identifying an allowed replacement action and executing the allowed replacement action.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the action is allowed comprises comparing the identified action with an allowed action list.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying an allowed replacement action comprises comparing the identified action with an allowed action list.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising receiving an allowed action list.

5. A system for administering devices in a network, the system comprising:

means for creating a user metric vector comprising a plurality of disparate user metrics, each user metric comprising an indication of a dynamic change in a user'"'"'s physical condition in response to an external stimulus, each user metric further comprising a field identifying the user, a field identifying an aspect of the user'"'"'s physical condition that the user metric represents, and a field storing a value of the aspect of the user'"'"'s physical condition that the user metric represents, wherein the user comprises a person;

means for creating a user metric space comprising a plurality of metric ranges;

means for determining whether the user metric vector is outside the user metric space;

if the user metric vector is outside a user metric space, means for identifying an action in dependence upon the user metric vector, the action administering a device via the network to alter the user'"'"'s physical condition in response to the external stimulus;

means for determining whether the action is allowed;

if the action is allowed, means for executing the action; and

if the action is not allowed, means for identifying an allowed replacement action and executing the allowed replacement action.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein means for determining whether the action is allowed comprises means for comparing the identified action with an allowed action list.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein means for identifying an allowed replacement action comprises means for comparing the identified action with an allowed action list.

8. The system of claim 5 comprising means for receiving an allowed action list.

9. A computer program product for administering devices in a network, the computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for creating a user metric vector comprising a plurality of disparate user metrics, each user metric comprising an indication of a dynamic change in a user'"'"'s physical condition in response to an external stimulus, each user metric further comprising a field identifying the user, a field identifying an aspect of the user'"'"'s physical condition that the user metric represents, and a field storing a value of the aspect of the user'"'"'s physical condition that the user metric represents, wherein the user comprises a person;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for creating a user metric space comprising a plurality of metric ranges;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining whether the user metric vector is outside the user metric space;

if the user metric vector is outside a user metric space, means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying an action in dependence upon the user metric vector, the action administering a device via the network to alter the user'"'"'s physical condition in response to the external stimulus;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining whether the action is allowed;

if the action is allowed, means, recorded on the recording medium, for executing the action; and

if the action is not allowed, means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying an allowed replacement action and executing the allowed replacement action.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining whether the action is allowed comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for comparing the identified action with an allowed action list.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying an allowed replacement action comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for comparing the identified action with an allowed action list.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving an allowed action list.