Compliance interface for compliant applications

• US 8,230,451 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2010
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Culbreth, Aaron, Ahdieh, Keumars A. II, Wiest, Peter M., Toll, Roderick M., Wynn, Roger H., Pennington, Stan Dale, Gill, Timothy Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): CAO, DIEM K
• Application Number:
  US12/855,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20100333117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 719/328, 709/220, 713/201, 713/182
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

A compliance interface is disclosed that takes in queries from applications which may want to know if they are compliant with associated polices stored on a computing system. The interface can then interpret these queries and provide notifications and instructions to the applications. Notifications may give notice of how a policy may impact an application, and instructions may tell an application how to behave in order to stay compliant with the policies. In one aspect, the interface exposes policies set forth by parents. Via a management control panel, parents can set or alter various policies, stored in a settings store, to protect children from contact with undesirable content. The interface interprets these policies to ensure that applications, such as those provided by third party vendors, are compliant with the wishes set forth in the parents'"'"' policies.

Claims

1. A computing system having a processor that executes instructions to implement a user controlled application program interface (API) allowing application compliance according to user defined system policies, the API comprising:

a query interface implemented on said processor, wherein said query interface receives queries from a compliant application to check against multiple policies regarding restrictions on features that the compliant application is exposed to, wherein said policies are stored in a settings store of said computing system;

a notification interface implemented on said processor, wherein said notification interface provides notification to said compliant application about the policies being implemented by said processor, said notification interface further notifying other compliant applications affected by said implemented policies of the impact of compliance with the implemented policies; and

an instruction interface implemented on said processor, wherein said instruction interface provides an instruction to said compliant application to implement a particular behavior in accordance with an implemented policy.

2. The computing system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said query interface, said notification interface, and said instruction interface is configured to at least one of receive arguments from and return arguments to said compliant application.

3. The computing system according to claim 1, wherein each of said computer system policies is interpreted by said API and is applied across said computing system.

4. The computing system according to claim 1, wherein said API is extensible beyond said query interface, said notification interface, and said instruction interface includes a feedback mechanism that provides information that may be used to verify compliance with policies in regard to a particular user and to alter policies in regard to the particular user.

5. The computing system according to claim 4, wherein said feedback information is provided by a logging service that logs events of said particular user and is used to alter at least one policy.

6. The computing system according to claim 1, wherein said policies are set by a user via a control panel.

7. The computing system according to claim 1, wherein said policies are set remotely from said computing system.

8. The computing system according to claim 1, wherein said compliant application is provided to the computing system by a third-party vendor.

9. The computing system according to claim 1, wherein said compliant application comprises a computing system application.

10. The computing system according to claim 1, wherein said compliant application comprises a web application.

11. The computing system according to claim 1, wherein said compliant application comprises an instant messenger application.

12. The computing system according to claim 1, wherein said compliant application comprises a gaming application.

13. The computing system according to claim 1, wherein said compliant application comprises an email application.

14. The computing system according to claim 1, wherein said compliant application comprises a media player application.

15. The computing system according to claim 1, wherein said settings store comprises at least one storing mechanism associated with said compliant application.

16. The computing system according to claim 15, wherein said storing mechanism further comprises a system storing mechanism and a user storing mechanism.

17. The computing system according to claim 16, wherein said system storing mechanism is implemented on a per machine basis.

18. The computing system according to claim 16, wherein said user storing mechanism is implemented on a per user basis.

19. A processor-implemented method for implementing restrictions on compliant applications of a computing system comprising:

the processor receiving at least one query from a compliant application via a query interface;

the processor checking said at least one query against multiple policies regarding restrictions on features that are exposed by said compliant application, wherein the policies implemented in connection with the compliant application are stored in a settings store;

the processor sending at least one instruction to the compliant application in response to said at least one query of said compliant application, wherein said instruction instructs said compliant application to implement a particular behavior in regard to an implemented policy; and

the processor sending at least one notification to said compliant application when a policy affecting said compliant application is to be implemented, said notification notifying said compliant application and other compliant applications affected by the implemented policy of the impact of compliance with the implemented policy.

20. A computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon, wherein said instructions when processed by a processor provide for a user controlled application program interface (API) allowing application compliance according to user defined computer system policies, said instructions including instructions for generating:

a query interface that provides queries from a compliant application to the API via the query interface for checking by the API against multiple polices regarding restrictions on features that are exposed by the compliant application, the policies being stored in a settings store;

a notification interface that provides a notification to said compliant application about said policies, wherein said notification interface further notifies other compliant applications affected by said policies; and

an instruction interface that provides an instruction to the compliant application to implement a particular behavior in regard to an implemented policy.