Access provisioning via communication applications

• US 9,104,846 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2008
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kunz, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lagor, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US12/025,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20090199269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,744 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

Described herein is technology for, among other things, provisioning access to shared resources. It involves various techniques for creating accounts for recipients of communications with shared resources. Further, the resources may available by an easy to find permanent location (e.g., URL). Such a provisioning process facilitates the growth of the network as recipients are given fully featured accounts. Therefore, the technology avoids the sign up process that users would otherwise have to go through in order to access the shared resource.

Claims

1. A method for provisioning access to shared resources, comprising:

receiving, at a server configured to provision access to shared resources, a first communication comprising an email from a user attempting to share a shared resource with one or more recipients, the first communication comprising a password for accessing the shared resource;

comparing the one or more recipients to a list of account holders having access to the shared resource;

determining, via one or more processing units, responsive to the comparing, that a first recipient of the one or more recipients does not have an account for accessing the shared resource;

generating, via one or more processing units, responsive to the determining, a first account for the first recipient, the first account associated with a first username and the password comprised in the first communication;

modifying at least some of the first communication into a modified first communication for distribution to the first recipient, the modified first communication comprising the first username and the password;

determining, responsive to the comparing, that a second recipient of the one or more recipients has an account for accessing the shared resource; and

modifying at least some of the first communication into a modified second communication for distribution to the second recipient, the modified second communication not comprising the password.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

sending at least some of the modified first communication to the first recipient but not to the second recipient.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising prompting the first recipient to change the password responsive to the first recipient accessing the shared resource via the modified first communication.

4. The method of claim 1, the shared resource comprising a network share.

5. The method of claim 1, the first username based at least in part on a portion of an email address comprised in the first communication.

6. The method of claim 1, an identifier for the first recipient, comprised in the first communication, comprising an email address associated with the first recipient.

7. A computer readable storage device comprising computer executable instructions which when executed perform a method, comprising:

receiving, at a server configured to provision access to shared resources, a first communication from a user attempting to share a shared resource with one or more recipients, the first communication comprising a password for accessing the shared resource;

comparing the one or more recipients to a list of account holders having access to the shared resource;

determining, via one or more processing units, responsive to the comparing, that a first recipient of the one or more recipients does not have an account for accessing the shared resource;

generating, via one or more processing units, responsive to the determining, a first account for the first recipient, the first account associated with a first username and the password comprised in the first communication;

modifying at least some of the first communication into a modified first communication for distribution to the first recipient, the modified first communication comprising the first username and the password;

determining, responsive to the comparing, that a second recipient of the one or more recipients has an account for accessing the shared resource; and

modifying at least some of the first communication into a modified second communication for distribution to the second recipient, the modified second communication not comprising the password.

8. The computer readable storage device of claim 7, the shared resource comprising a network share.

9. The computer readable storage device of claim 7, the method comprising sending at least some of the modified first communication to the first recipient but not to the second recipient.

10. The computer readable storage device of claim 7, the first communication comprising an email.

11. The computer readable storage device of claim 7, the first username based at least in part on a portion of an email address comprised in the first communication.

12. The computer readable storage device of claim 7, the first communication comprising a social network communication.

13. The computer readable storage device of claim 7, the first communication comprising a blog entry.

14. The computer readable storage device of claim 7, the shared resource comprising an internet resource.

15. The computer readable storage device of claim 7, the method comprising prompting the first recipient to change the password responsive to the first recipient accessing the shared resource via the modified first communication.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processing units; and

memory comprising instructions that when executed by at least some of the one or more processing units, perform operations comprising;

receiving, at a server configured to provision access to shared resources, a first communication comprising a first email from a user attempting to share a shared resource with one or more recipients, the first communication comprising a password for accessing the shared resource;

comparing the one or more recipients to a list of account holders having access to the shared resource;

determining, via one or more processing units, responsive to the comparing, that a first recipient of the one or more recipients does not have an account for accessing the shared resource;

generating, via one or more processing units, responsive to the determining, a first account for the first recipient, the first account associated with a first username and the password comprised in the first communication;

modifying at least some of the first communication into a modified first communication for distribution to the first recipient, the modified first communication comprising the first username and the password;

determining, responsive to the comparing, that a second recipient of the one or more recipients has an account for accessing the shared resource; and

modifying at least some of the first communication into a modified second communication for distribution to the second recipient, the modified second communication not comprising the password.

17. The system of claim 16, the operations comprising sending at least some of the modified first communication to the first recipient but not to the second recipient.

18. The system of claim 16, the first username based at least in part on a portion of an email address comprised in the first communication.

19. The system of claim 16, the operations comprising prompting the first recipient to change the password responsive to the first recipient accessing the shared resource via the modified first communication.

20. The system of claim 16, the shared resource comprising at least one of a network share or an internet resource.