System, method and computer program product for managing access to systems, products, and data based on information associated with a physical location of a user

• US 9,246,892 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Harrison, Daniel Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Mahfuzur
• Application Number:
  US14/103,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20140304784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 726/5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for managing access to data based on information associated with a physical location of a user. These mechanisms and methods for managing access to systems, products, or data based on information associated with a physical location of a user can enable improved data management efficiency, enhanced data management accuracy, decreased data management costs, decreased licensing costs, increased security, additional marketing opportunities, etc.

Claims

1. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer code which when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform a method comprising:

identifying, by a multi-tenant, on-demand database system, a physical location of a user including geographical coordinates of the physical location, a time stamp indicating a current time when the physical location was identified, and an indication as to whether the user is within a predetermined distance from a predetermined location;

comparing, by the multi-tenant, on-demand database system, the identified physical location and current time against one or more predetermined criteria to determine whether a license is available to the user, the license controlling access to one or more of applications and services of the multi-tenant, on-demand database system;

providing to the user, by the multi-tenant, on-demand database system, the license and system login information necessary to access the one or more applications and services of the system, when it is determined that the license is available based on the comparison; and

conditionally enabling one or more portions of the license that control the access to the one or more of the applications and the services.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the physical location of the user is identified utilizing one or more of a global positioning system (GPS) module and a GPS protocol, a Bluetooth or low-energy Bluetooth module and a Bluetooth or low-energy Bluetooth protocol, a radio frequency identification (RFID) module and an RFID protocol, and a nearfield communication module and a nearfield communication protocol.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the physical location of the user is identified utilizing a location aware device.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the license is associated with a predetermined location, and such license is retrieved when it is determined that the user is currently at the predetermined location.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein when the physical location of the user indicates that the user is currently located at a first location, a first license allowing access to a first set of data is retrieved and provided to the user.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein when the physical location of the user indicates that the user is currently located at a second location different from the first location, a second license different from the first license is provided to the user, where the second license allows access to a second set of data different from the first set of data.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein additional information is analyzed in conjunction with the identified physical location of the user in order to determine whether the license is available to the user.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the additional information includes one or more of a user identifier (ID), a password, and a security key.

9. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein access to the one or more of applications and services is disallowed when it is determined that the physical location of the user does not match one or more predetermined locations.

10. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein a first device calculates the physical location of the user and sends the calculated location to a second device.

11. A method, comprising:

identifying, by a multi-tenant, on-demand database system, a physical location of a user including geographical coordinates of the physical location, a time stamp indicating a current time when the physical location was identified, and an indication as to whether the user is within a predetermined distance from a predetermined location;

comparing, by the multi-tenant, on-demand database system, the identified physical location and current time against one or more predetermined criteria to determine whether a license is available to the user, the license controlling access to one or more of applications and services of the multi-tenant, on-demand database system;

providing to the user, by the multi-tenant, on-demand database system, the license and system login information necessary to access the one or more applications and services of the system, when it is determined that the license is available based on the comparison; and

conditionally enabling one or more portions of the license that control the access to the one or more of the applications and the services.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a hardware processor for;

identifying, by a multi-tenant, on-demand database system, a physical location of a user including geographical coordinates of the physical location, a time stamp indicating a current time when the physical location was identified, and an indication as to whether the user is within a predetermined distance from a predetermined location;

comparing, by the multi-tenant, on-demand database system, the identified physical location and current time against one or more predetermined criteria to determine whether a license is available to the user, the license controlling access to one or more of applications and services of the multi-tenant, on-demand database system;

providing to the user, by the multi-tenant, on-demand database system, the license and system login information necessary to access the one or more applications and services of the system, when it is determined that the license is available based on the comparison; and

conditionally enabling one or more portions of the license that control the access to the one or more of the applications and the services.

13. A method for transmitting code for use in a multi-tenant database system on a transmission medium, the method comprising:

transmitting code for;

identifying, by a multi-tenant, on-demand database system, a physical location of a user including geographical coordinates of the physical location, a time stamp indicating a current time when the physical location was identified, and an indication as to whether the user is within a predetermined distance from a predetermined location;

comparing, by the multi-tenant, on-demand database system, the identified physical location and current time against one or more predetermined criteria to determine whether a license is available to the user, the license controlling access to one or more of applications and services of the multi-tenant, on-demand database system;

providing to the user, by the multi-tenant, on-demand database system, the license and system login information necessary to access the one or more applications and services of the system, when it is determined that the license is available based on the comparison; and

conditionally enabling one or more portions of the license that control the access to the one or more of the applications and the services.

14. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer code which when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform a method comprising:

identifying, by a multi-tenant, on-demand database system, a physical location of a user including geographical coordinates of the physical location and a time stamp indicating a current time when the physical location was identified;

comparing, by the multi-tenant, on-demand database system, the identified physical location and current time against one or more predetermined criteria to determine whether a license is available to the user, the license controlling access to one or more of applications and services of the multi-tenant, on-demand database system; and

providing to the user, by the multi-tenant, on-demand database system, the license and system login information necessary to access the one or more applications and services of the system, when it is determined that the license is available based on the comparison, including;

retrieving and providing to the user a first license allowing access to a first set of data when the physical location of the user indicates that the user is currently located at a first location, and

retrieving and providing to the user a second license different from the first license, where the second license allows access to a second set of data different from the first set of data, when the physical location of the user indicates that the user is currently located at a second location different from the first location.

15. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer code which when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform a method comprising:

calculating, by a first device, a physical location of a user;

sending, by the first device, the physical location of the user to a second device;

identifying, by a multi-tenant, on-demand database system, the physical location of a user including geographical coordinates of the physical location and a time stamp indicating a current time when the physical location was identified;

comparing, by the multi-tenant, on-demand database system, the identified physical location and current time against one or more predetermined criteria to determine whether a license is available to the user, the license controlling access to one or more of applications and services of the multi-tenant, on-demand database system; and

providing to the user, by the multi-tenant, on-demand database system, the license and system login information necessary to access the one or more applications and services of the system, when it is determined that the license is available based on the comparison; and

conditionally enabling one or more portions of the license that control the access to the one or more of the applications and the services.