Controlling access to a shared file

• US 8,990,955 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Hymel, James Allen, Hodder, Janine Mary, Bouchard, Jean Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Zecher, Dede
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, TRANG T
• Application Number:
  US13/564,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20140041044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes

Abstract

A shared data store may be accessible to a plurality of electronic devices and used to share files in a collaboration setting. A shared file is shared by a first electronic device with a second device via a connection between the first electronic device and the shared data store. A coordinating electronic device associated with the shared data store monitors the connection with the first electronic device. If a loss in the connection is detected, the coordinating electronic device may cause access to the shared file to become restricted to the second electronic device responsive to the loss of the connection.

Claims

1. A method performed by a coordinating electronic device capable of controlling access to a shared file by a plurality of electronic devices, the method comprising:

maintaining a connection with a first electronic device owning a shared file being shared with a second electronic device;

extending access to the shared file to the second electronic device by;

receiving the shared file via the connection, wherein the shared file is received from the first electronic device, and storing the shared file in a shared data store at the coordinating electronic device, the shared data store accessible by the second electronic device;

detecting a loss of the connection between the coordinating electronic device and the first electronic device in response to determining that the coordinating electronic device did not receive an expected keep-alive communication from the first electronic device; and

in response to detecting the loss of the connection, restricting access to the shared file by the second electronic device, wherein restricting access to the shared file comprises deleting the shared file from the shared data store.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein restricting access to the shared file comprises setting permissions associated with the shared file to read-only for the second electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein restricting access to the shared file comprises encrypting the file.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after detecting the loss of connection to the first electronic device, detecting an establishment of a new connection to the first electronic device; and

in response to the detecting the establishment of the new connection, reinstating access to the shared file by the second electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein reinstating access to the shared file comprises setting permissions associated with the shared file to read/write for the second electronic device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein reinstating access to the shared file comprises decrypting the shared file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each of the plurality of electronic devices, determining whether a device management policy is present; and

evaluating the device management policy to determine an access level associated with the shared file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the loss of the connection to the first electronic device includes receiving a data packet from the first electronic device indicating the loss of the connection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the coordinated electronic device is at least one of a mobile communication device or a data server.

10. A coordinating electronic device capable of controlling access to a shared file by a plurality of electronic devices, the coordinating electronic device comprising:

a communications component capable of monitoring a connection with a first electronic device, the first electronic device associated with sharing a shared file with a second electronic device; and

a data store control module configured to extend access to the shared file to the second electronic device by;

receiving the shared file via the connection, wherein the shared file is received from the first electronic device, and

storing the shared file in a shared data store at the coordinating electronic device, the shared data store accessible by the second electronic device,

detect a loss of the connection between the coordinating electronic device and the first electronic device in response to determining that the coordinating electronic device did not receive an expected keep-alive communication from the first electronic device, and

restrict access to the shared file by the second electronic device in response to detecting the loss of the connection including deleting the shared file from the shared data store.

11. The coordinating electronic device of claim 10, wherein the data store control module is further configured to set permissions associated with the shared file to read-only for the second electronic device to restrict access to the shared file.

12. The coordinating electronic device of claim 10, the data store control module is further configured to encrypt the file to restrict access to the shared file.

13. The coordinating electronic device of claim 10, the data store control module is further configured to

for each of the plurality of electronic devices, determine whether a device management policy is present, and

evaluate the device management policy to determine an access level associated with the shared file.

14. The coordinating electronic device of claim 10, the data store control module is further configured to receiving a data packet from the first electronic device indicating the loss of the connection.

15. The coordinating electronic device of claim 10, wherein the coordinating electronic device is at least one of a mobile communication device or a data server.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing program computer executable instructions for executing an application on a coordinating electronic device for controlling access to a shared file by a plurality of electronic devices, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor of the coordinating electronic device causes the processor to:

maintain a connection with a first electronic device owning a shared file being shared with a second electronic device;

extend access to the shared file to the second electronic device by;

receiving the shared file via the connection, wherein the shared file is received from the first electronic device, and

storing the shared file in a shared data store at the coordinating electronic device, the shared data store accessible by the second electronic device;

detect a loss of the connection between the coordinating electronic device and the first electronic device in response to determining that the coordinating electronic device did not receive an expected keep-alive communication from the first electronic device; and

restrict access to the shared file by the second electronic device in response to detecting the loss of the connection, wherein restricting access to the shared file comprises deleting the shared file from the shared data store.