Light-weight multi-user browser

• US 8,676,973 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2006
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Novell Intellectual Property Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Isaacson, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Keehn, Richard G
• Application Number:
  US11/370,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20070214272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,933 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• 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: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A multi-user web browser is stored on a computer. The multi-user web browser permits more than one user to create and use a browser user account without requiring different users to log into different operating system user accounts. Instead, a browser user can log into the multi-user browser by providing a browser user name and browser password associated with the browser user name. This enables the multi-user web browser to support multiple users from within a single operating system user account.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a computer;

a multi-user web browser stored on the computer, accessible by a plurality of users within a single operating system account on the computer;

a plurality of browser user accounts for the multi-user web browser for each of the plurality of users, each browser user account storing information about a user'"'"'s use of the multi-user web browser;

a browser management control, wherein the browser management control is started by a browser account administrator, wherein the browser account administrator is logged into the single operating system account as the administrator, wherein the browser account administrator uses a stand-alone application separate from the multi-user web browser to choose settings to apply to each of the plurality of browser user accounts, then closes the browser account management control and stand-alone application, then logs out of the single operating system account as the administrator, then logs into the single operating system account as a default user before starting the multi-user web browser;

a secure directory on the computer to store each of the plurality of browser user accounts separately from other browser user accounts, wherein the secure directory prevents access to non-administrator users of the computer;

a browser user name for each browser user account; and

a password associated with each of the browser user names.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a validator on the computer to validate the browser user name; and

an authenticator on the computer to authenticate that the password corresponds to the browser user name,

wherein the apparatus is operative to load a user'"'"'s browser user account before a browser session is initialized.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a user account creator to establish a new user account for the multi-user web browser on the computer.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the user account creator includes a validator to validate that the browser user name is available as a new user account.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the browser management control includes a browser user account expirer, to provide for the deletion of the browser user account.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the browser user account expirer deletes a browser user account after a specified period of browser user account inactivity.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the browser user account expirer deletes a browser user account after a specified period of time.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the browser management control includes default browser user account settings to apply to a new browser user account.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the browser user accounts include browser settings, browser history, browser bookmarks, and browser cache.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information about a user'"'"'s use of a browser comprises at least one of the user'"'"'s enablement or blocking of cookies and preferences regarding allowing or blocking of pop-up ads.

11. A method for allowing multiple users to access secure browser user accounts in a single operating system user account, the method comprising:

receiving a request from one of a plurality of users to activate a multi-user web browser within the single operating system user account on a computer;

utilizing a browser management control, wherein the browser management control is started by a browser account administrator, wherein the browser account administrator is logged into the single operating system account as the administrator, wherein the browser account administrator uses a stand-alone application separate from the multi-user web browser to choose settings to apply to each of the browser user accounts, then closes the browser account management control and stand-alone application, then logs out of the single operating system account as the administrator, then logs into the single operating system account as a default user before initializing a multi-user web browser session;

receiving a browser user name and a password for the multi-user web browser;

identifying a browser user account of the browser user accounts in a secure directory on the computer using the browser user name, the secure directory storing each of the browser user accounts separately from other browser user accounts and preventing access to non-administrator users of the computer, the browser user account storing information about the user'"'"'s use of the browser;

authenticating the browser user name and the password on the computer;

retrieving browser user account settings from the browser user account in the secure directory on the computer;

initializing the browser session in the multi-user web browser using the browser user account settings after authenticating the browser user name and password; and

running the multi-user web browser session.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising creating a browser user account with the browser user name if the browser user account does not exist.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein creating a browser user account includes:

receiving a blank password; and

associating the blank password with the browser user name.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein creating a browser user account further includes:

determining that the browser user account does not exist;

notifying a user that the browser user account does not exist; and

receiving from the user a request to create the browser user account.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein retrieving browser user account settings includes:

retrieving a browser history from the browser user account;

retrieving browser bookmarks from the browser user account; and

retrieving a browser cache from the browser user account.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein initializing the multi-user web browser session includes:

retrieving a browser history from a browser user account;

retrieving browser bookmarks from a browser user account; and

retrieving a browser cache from a browser user account.

17. A method according to claim 11, wherein identifying a browser user account in a secure directory includes identifying the browser user account in the secure directory on the computer using the browser user name after authenticating the browser user name and password, the secure directory preventing access to non-administrator users of the computer, the browser user account storing information about the user'"'"'s use of the multi-user web browser, the information about a user'"'"'s use of the multi-user web browser including at least one of the user'"'"'s enablement or blocking of cookies and preferences regarding allowing or blocking of pop-up ads.

18. An article, comprising:

a hardware storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a machine, result in;

creating a plurality of browser user accounts;

receiving a request from one of a plurality of users to activate a multi-user web browser within a single operating system user account on the machine;

utilizing a browser management control, wherein the browser management control is started by a browser account administrator, wherein the browser account administrator is logged into the single operating system account as the administrator, wherein the browser account administrator uses a stand-alone application separate from the multi-user web browser to choose settings to apply to each of the browser user accounts, then closes the browser account management control and stand-alone application, then logs out of the single operating system account as the administrator, then logs into the single operating system account as a default user before initializing a multi-user web browser session;

receiving a browser user name and password in a web browser;

validating that the browser user name exists as a browser user account;

authenticating the browser user name with the password on the computer;

starting a user browser session in a web browser after authenticating the browser user name and password; and

initializing the multi-user web browser session with browser account settings stored in a browser user account of plurality of browser user accounts in a secure directory on the computer, the secure directory storing each of the browser user accounts separately from other browser user accounts and preventing access to non-administrator users of the computer.

19. An article according to claim 18, further comprising creating a browser user account with the browser user name.

20. An article according to claim 19, wherein creating a browser user account includes:

receiving a request from the user to create a browser user account; and

determining that the browser user account does not already exist.

21. An article according to claim 19, wherein creating a browser user account includes:

receiving a blank password; and

associating the blank password with the browser user name.

22. An article according to claim 18, further comprising creating default browser account settings for newly created accounts.

23. An article according to claim 18, further comprising setting an expiration control to control deletion of the browser user accounts.

24. An article according to claim 18, wherein initializing the multi-user web browser session with browser account settings stored in a browser user account includes initializing the multi-user web browser session with browser account settings stored in the browser user account in the secure directory on the computer, the secure directory preventing access to non-administrator users of the computer, the browser account settings including at least one of the user'"'"'s enablement or blocking of cookies and preferences regarding allowing or blocking of pop-up ads.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

a computer;

a multi-user web browser stored on the computer, accessible by a plurality of users within a single operating system account on the computer;

a browser user account for the web browser for each of the plurality of users, the browser user account storing information about a user'"'"'s use of the multi-user web browser;

a browser management control, wherein the browser management control is started by a browser account administrator, wherein the browser account administrator is logged into the single operating system account as the administrator, wherein the browser account administrator uses a stand-alone application separate from the multi-user web browser to choose settings to apply to each of the plurality of browser user accounts, then closes the browser account management control and stand-alone application, then logs out of the single operating system account as the administrator, then logs into the single operating system account as a default user before starting a multi-user web browser;

a secure directory to store each browser user account, the secure directory remote from the computer but accessible from the computer and preventing access to each browser user account from non-administrator users of the computer;

a browser user name for each browser user account;

a password associated with each of the browser user names;

a validator on the computer to validate the browser user name; and

an authenticator on the computer to authenticate that the password corresponds to the browser user name, wherein the apparatus is operative to load the browser user account after the password is authenticated as corresponding to the browser user name and before a multi-user web browser session is initialized.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the browser management control includes a browser user account expirer, to provide for the deletion of a browser user account.

27. An apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the browser user account expirer deletes a browser user account after a specified period of browser user account inactivity.

28. An apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the browser user account expirer deletes a browser user account after a specified period of time.

29. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the browser management control includes default browser user account settings to apply to a new browser user account.

30. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein each browser user account includes browser settings, browser history, browser bookmarks, and browser cache.

31. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the information about a user'"'"'s use of a browser comprises at least one of the user'"'"'s enablement or blocking of cookies and preferences regarding allowing or blocking of pop-up ads.

32. A method for allowing multiple users to access secure browser user accounts in a single operating system user account, the method comprising:

receiving a request from one of a plurality of users to activate a multi-user web browser within the single operating system user account on a computer;

utilizing a browser management control, wherein the browser management control is started by a browser account administrator, wherein the browser account administrator is logged into the single operating system account as the administrator, wherein the browser account administrator uses a stand-alone application separate from the multi-user web browser to choose settings to apply to each of the browser user accounts, then closes the browser account management control and stand-alone application, then logs out of the single operating system account as the administrator, then logs into the single operating system account as a default user before initializing a multi-user web browser session;

receiving a browser user name and a password in a browser;

identifying a browser user account of the browser user accounts stored in a secure directory using the browser user name, the secure directory remote from the computer but accessible from the computer and preventing access to the browser user accounts from non-administrator users of the computer;

authenticating the browser user name and the password on the computer;

retrieving browser user account settings from the browser user account in the secure directory;

initializing a browser session in the browser using the browser user account settings after authenticating the browser user name and password; and

running the multi-user web browser session.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein retrieving browser user account settings includes:

retrieving a browser history from a browser user account;

retrieving browser bookmarks from a browser user account; and

retrieving a browser cache from a browser user account.

34. A method according to claim 32, wherein retrieving browser user account settings from the browser user account in the secure directory includes retrieving the browser user account settings from the browser user account in the secure directory, the browser user account settings including at least one of the user'"'"'s enablement or blocking of cookies and preferences regarding allowing or blocking of pop-up ads.

35. An article, comprising:

a hardware storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a machine, result in;

creating a plurality of browser user accounts;

receiving a request from one of a plurality of users to activate a multi-user web browser within a single operating system user account on the machine;

utilizing a browser management control, wherein the browser management control is started by a browser account administrator, wherein the browser account administrator is logged into the single operating system account as the administrator, wherein the browser account administrator uses a stand-alone application separate from the multi-user web browser to choose settings to apply to each of the browser user accounts, then closes the browser account management control and stand-alone application, then logs out of the single operating system account as the administrator, then logs into the single operating system account as a default user before initializing a multi-user web browser session;

receiving a browser user name and password in a web browser;

validating that the browser user name exists as a browser user account;

authenticating the browser user name with the password on the computer;

starting a user browser session in the multi-user web browser; and

initializing the multi-user web browser session with browser account settings stored in a browser user account of browser user accounts in a secure directory after authenticating the browser user name and password, the secure directory remote from the computer but accessible from the computer and preventing access to the browser user accounts from non-administrator users of the computer.

36. An article according to claim 35, further comprising creating default browser account settings for newly created accounts.

37. An article according to claim 35, further comprising setting an expiration control to control deletion of the user account.

38. An article according to claim 35, wherein initializing the multi-user web browser session with browser account settings stored in a browser user account in a secure directory includes initializing the multi-user web browser session with the browser account settings stored in the browser user account in the secure directory, the secure directory remote from the computer but accessible from the computer and preventing access to the browser user accounts from non-administrator users of the computer, the browser account settings including at least one of the user'"'"'s enablement or blocking of cookies and preferences regarding allowing or blocking of pop-up ads.