Identity management user experience

• US 9,015,205 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Dunn, Melissa W., Harvey, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABRAHAM, AHMED M
• Application Number:
  US13/243,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20120016903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 707999001-999206, 707/802, 707/803, 707/804, 707/805
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes

Abstract

Upon requesting to share one or more types of identity information, a user is automatically presented with an interface through which the user can interact in selecting an amount of identity items to share. A subset of the total identity items selected may then be shared with specified entities. Interfaces can also be used to assist the user in managing identity information that has been shared with others by providing the user with a visual list of entities for which the user has shared specified identity information and to whom updated information can be sent.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for enabling a user to update their identity information that has been shared with one or more third parties, comprising:

an act of the computing system receiving a request from the user to update one or more specified identity information items with edited identity information, the computing system comprising at least one processor;

an act of the computing system receiving user input changing the at least one or more specified identity information items with the edited identity information;

an act of identifying that the at least one or more specified identity information items has changed;

an act of a computing system, in response to detecting that the one or more specified identity information items has changed, accessing a log file that identifies one or more different entities with whom the user has already shared the one or more specified identity information items;

an act of the computing system prompting the user whether the one or more specified identity information items should be updated with any of one or more of the different entities by at least displaying a list of the one or more different entities with whom the user has previously shared the one or more specified identity information items;

an act of the computing system receiving a user selection of at least one entity of the one or more different entities in the list to have the edited identity information sent to; and

an act of the computing system sending the edited identity information to the at least one selected entity from the list.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the method further includes:

displaying a list of the one or more identity information items and an item-by-item selection mechanism comprising interactive graphical objects, including at least one of check boxes, radio buttons or highlighting elements, by which each of the one or more identity information items is independently selectable and de-selectable, thereby allowing the user to, from the new user interface, select any combination of the one or more listed identity information items; and

receiving a user selection of the one or more specified information identity items.

3. The method recited in claim 2, wherein the method further includes prompting the user for and receiving the edited identity information from the user.

4. The method recited in claim 2, wherein the new interface displays the one or more identity items next to corresponding contact information labels that describe or identify the one or more specified identity information items.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more identity information items includes a plurality of identity information items.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the edited identity information cannot be used by at least one of the one or more entities'"'"' computing devices to automatically update one or more corresponding identity items stored at the at least one of the one or more entities'"'"' computing devices due to access restrictions, and wherein the method further includes sending a message to the user informing the user of the access restriction.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method also includes sending a different message to the at least one of the one or more entities'"'"' computing devices to indicate one or more specified identity information items have been updated.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the different message includes the edited identity information.

9. A computer storage device having stored instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement a method for enabling a user to update their identity information that has been shared with one or more third parties, and wherein the method includes:

an act of the computing system receiving a request from the user to update one or more specified identity information items with edited identity information, the computing system comprising at least one processor;

an act of the computing system receiving user input changing the at least one or more specified identity information items with the edited identity information;

an act of identifying that the at least one or more specified identity information items has changed;

an act of a computing system, in response to detecting that the one or more specified identity information items has changed, accessing a log file that identifies one or more different entities with whom the user has already shared the one or more specified identity information items;

an act of the computing system prompting the user whether the one or more specified identity information items should be updated with any of one or more of the different entities by at least displaying a list of the one or more different entities with whom the user has previously shared the one or more specified identity information items;

an act of the computing system receiving a user selection of at least one entity of the one or more different entities in the list to have the edited identity information sent to; and

an act of the computing system sending the edited identity information to the at least one selected entity from the list.

10. The computer storage device of claim 9, wherein the computer storage device includes system memory of the computing system.

11. The computer storage device of claim 9, wherein the method includes sending a message to at least one of the one or more entities'"'"' computing devices to indicate one or more specified identity information items have been updated.

12. The computer storage device of claim 9, wherein the method further includes:

displaying a list of the one or more identity information items and an item-by-item selection mechanism comprising interactive graphical objects, including at least one of check boxes, radio buttons or highlighting elements, by which each of the one or more identity information items is independently selectable and de-selectable, thereby allowing the user to, from the new user interface, select any combination of the one or more listed identity information items; and

receiving a user selection of the one or more specified information identity items.

13. A computing system comprising:

one or more processor; and

one or more hardware storage device having stored computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processor, implement a method for enabling the computing system to update a user'"'"'s identity information that has been shared with one or more third parties, comprising;

an act of the computing system receiving a request from the user to update one or more specified identity information items with edited identity information, the computing system comprising at least one processor;

an act of the computing system receiving user input changing the at least one or more specified identity information items with the edited identity information;

an act of identifying that the at least one or more specified identity information items has changed;

an act of a computing system, in response to detecting that the one or more specified identity information items has changed, accessing a log file that identifies one or more different entities with whom the user has already shared the one or more specified identity information items;

an act of the computing system prompting the user whether the one or more specified identity information items should be updated with any of one or more of the different entities by at least displaying a list of the one or more different entities with whom the user has previously shared the one or more specified identity information items;

an act of the computing system receiving a user selection of at least one entity of the one or more different entities in the list to have the edited identity information sent to; and

an act of the computing system sending the edited identity information to the at least one selected entity from the list.

14. The computing system recited in claim 13, wherein the method further includes:

displaying a list of the one or more identity information items and an item-by-item selection mechanism comprising interactive graphical objects, including at least one of check boxes, radio buttons or highlighting elements, by which each of the one or more identity information items is independently selectable and de-selectable, thereby allowing the user to, from the new user interface, select any combination of the one or more listed identity information items; and

receiving a user selection of the one or more specified information identity items.

15. The computing system recited in claim 14, wherein the method further includes prompting the user for and receiving the edited identity information from the user.

16. The computing system recited in claim 14, wherein the new interface displays the one or more identity items next to corresponding contact information labels that describe or identify the one or more specified identity information items.

17. The computing system recited in claim 13, wherein the one or more identity information items includes a plurality of identity information items.

18. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the edited identity information cannot be used by at least one of the one or more entities'"'"' computing devices to automatically update one or more corresponding identity items stored at the at least one of the one or more entities'"'"' computing devices due to access restrictions, and wherein the method further includes sending a message to the user informing the user of the access restriction.

19. The computing system of claim 18, wherein the method also includes sending a different message to the at least one of the one or more entities'"'"' computing devices to indicate one or more specified identity information items have been updated.

20. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the different message includes the edited identity information.