User content access management and control

• US 9,350,599 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Enright, Keith, Adams, Sara, Dickman, Peter, Micklitz, Stephan, Tuerk, Andreas Michael, Swerdlow, Andrew, Fredinburg, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Yohannes, Tesfay
• Application Number:
  US13/844,435
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 726/5, 705/38, 705/67
• 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 21/43 wireless channels
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1425 Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/43 using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent

Abstract

User content access management and control are described, including determining, based on a user-defined rule, that a triggering event has occurred, wherein the user-defined rule is associated with an account that belongs to the user, and the user-defined rule comprises an action to be performed based on a triggering event; and performing the action based on the triggering event, wherein the action affects access to the account.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to enable a first user to control access to user information, comprising:

determining, based on a user-defined rule, that a first triggering event associated with a first action, the first triggering event comprising a specified amount of time elapsing after a first login to an account of the first user without a second login to the account of the first user, during which the first user does not respond to an online status inquiry after the first login to the account, has occurred, and that a second triggering event is associated with a second action, wherein the user-defined rule is associated with an account that belongs to the first user, the user-defined rule comprises the first action to be performed based on the first triggering event, and the user-defined rule is generated by the first user prior to the online status inquiry;

performing the first action based on the first triggering event, the first action comprising providing a second user with online access to user information associated with the account of the first user, the second user not having online access to the user information associated with the account of the first user prior to the providing the second user with the online access to the first user information,

wherein the second user is determined by the first user prior to the first triggering event, without informing and without providing the second user with the online access prior to the first triggering event, and wherein the user information comprises user data selected by the first user from one or more categories of online user data; and

performing the second action based on a second determination that the first triggering event and the second triggering event have occurred, wherein the second action comprises deleting the account of the first user.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second user is not notified of the online access to the user information prior to the performing the first action and the second action.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the user-defined rule further comprises determining the user information to be provided to the second user based on a category of the user information.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein second triggering event is sending a communication to the second user.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the categories of data comprise one or more of photos, social circle settings, groups, contacts, documents, recommendations, streams, voicemail, videos or user profile information.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein computer executable instructions for enabling a first user to control access to user information, the instructions comprising:

receiving a rule from the first user having online access to an account belonging to the first user that contains content of the first user, wherein the rule defines a first triggering event associated with a first action, the first triggering events comprising a specified amount of time elapsing after a first login to the account of the first user without a second login to the account belonging to the first user, during which the first user does not respond to an online status inquiry after the first login to the account, associated with a first action, and a second triggering event associated with a second action, wherein the rule is associated with the account that belongs to the first user, the rule comprises an action to be performed based on the first triggering event, and the rule is generated by the first user prior to the online status inquiry;

performing the first action based on the first triggering event determined to have occurred, the first action comprising providing a second user with online access to the user information associated with the account belonging to the first user, the second user not having online access to the user information prior to the providing the second user with the online access to the user information,

wherein the second user is determined by the first user prior to the first triggering event, without informing and without providing the second user with the online access prior to the first triggering event, and wherein the user information comprises user data selected by the first user from one or more categories of online user data; and

performing the second action based on a second determination that the first triggering event and the second triggering event have occurred, wherein the second action comprises deleting the account belonging to the first user.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein the second user is not notified of the online access to the user information prior to the performing the first action and the second action.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein the user-defined rule further comprises determining the user information to be provided to the second user based on a category of the user information.

8. At least one computing device comprising storage and at least one processor configured to:

receive a rule from a first user having online access to an account belonging to the first user that contains content of the first user, wherein the rule defines a first triggering event associated with a first action, the first triggering events comprising a specified amount of time elapsing after a first login to the account belonging to the first user without a second login to the account, during which the first user does not respond to an online status inquiry after the first login to the account, associated with a first action and a second triggering event associated with a second action, wherein the rule is associated with the account belonging to the first user, the rule comprises an action to be performed based on the first triggering event, and the rule is generated by the first user prior to the online status inquiry;

perform the first action based on the first triggering event determined to have occurred, the first action comprising providing a second user with online access to the user information associated with the account belonging to the first user, the second user not having online access to the user information prior to the providing, the second user with the online access to the user information, based on a first determination that the first triggering event has occurred; and

wherein the second user is determined by the first user prior to the first triggering event, without informing and without providing the second user with the online access prior to the first triggering event, and wherein the user information comprises user data selected by the first user from one or more categories of online user data; and

perform the second action based on a second determination that the first triggering event and the second triggering event have occurred, wherein the second action comprises deleting the account belonging to the first user.

9. The at least one computing device of claim 8, wherein the second user is not notified of the online access to the user information prior to the performing the first action and the second action.

10. The at least one computing device of claim 8, wherein the user-defined rule further comprises determining the user information to be provided to the second user based on a category of the user information.

11. The at least one computing device of claim 8, wherein second triggering event is sending a communication to the second user.

12. A computer-implemented method to enable a first user to control online access to user information, comprising:

maintaining an account, the account being accessible by the first user, and storing a user identifier of the first user in a storage;

performing a first determination by a processor that a difference between a current time and a recent user access time of the account exceeds a threshold value, during which the first user does not respond to an online status inquiry after the first login to the account;

performing a second determination by the processor that the stored user identifier matches a third-party database entry indicative of the first user not being capable of accessing user information in the account; and

performing an action by the processor, based on the first determination and the second determination, the action comprising providing a second user with online access to the user information associated with the account of the first user, the second user not having online access to the user information prior to the providing, and after a waiting period, deleting the account of the first user, wherein the second user is determined by the first user prior to the first determination and the second determination, without informing and without providing the second user with the online access prior to the first determination and the second determination, and wherein the user information comprises user data selected by the first user from one or more categories of online user data.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein computer executable instructions for:

maintaining an account, the account being accessible by a first user, and storing a user identifier of the first user in a storage;

performing a first determination by a processor that a difference between a current time and a recent user access time of the account exceeds a threshold value, during which the first user does not respond to an online status inquiry after the first login to the account;

performing a second determination by the processor that the stored user identifier matches a third-party database entry indicative of the first user not being capable of accessing user information in the account; and

performing an action by the processor, based on the first determination and the second determination, the action comprising providing a second user with online access to the first user information associated with the account of the first user, the second user not having online access to the user information prior to the providing, and after a waiting period, deleting the account of the first user, wherein the second user is determined by the first user prior to the first determination and the second determination, without informing and without providing the second user with the online access prior to the first determination and the second determination, and wherein the user information comprises user data selected by the first user from one or more categories of online user data.

14. At least one computing device collectively having storage and at least one processor, comprising:

a first determining unit that performs a first determination that a difference between a current time and a recent user access time of an account of a first user exceeds a threshold value, during which the first user does not respond to an online status inquiry after the first login to the account, the account being accessible by the first user;

a second determining unit that performs a second determination that a user identifier of the first user stored in the storage matches a third-party database entry indicative of the first user not being capable of accessing user information in the account; and

an action unit that, based on the first determination and the second determination, performs an action comprising providing a second user with online access to the user information associated with the account of the first user, the second user not having online access to the first user information prior to the providing, and after a waiting period, deleting the account of the first user, wherein the second user is determined by the first user prior to the first determination and the second determination, without informing and without providing the second user with the online access prior to the first determination and the second determination, and wherein the user information comprises user data selected by the first user from one or more categories of online user data.