Shared session techniques

• US 9,495,522 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Singh, Karanbir, Bahman, Yashar, Ureche, Octavian T., Sheehan, John Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Shayanfar, Ali
• Application Number:
  US14/476,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20160063226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols

Abstract

Data sharing session techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a first user login session is initiated as running in a context of a first user profile of a first user with an operating system of a computing device. A request is received by the operating system to run the first user login session in a context of a second user profile of a second user. The second user profile is associated by the operating system with a shadow login session created within the first user login session of the operating system of the computing device such that interaction of the second user with the operating system is associated with the second user profile and interaction of the first user with the operating system is associated with the first user profile.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

initiating a first user login session as running in a context of a first user profile of a first user with an operating system of a computing device;

creating, by the operating system, a shadow login session upon initiation of the first user login session and in the absence of a request to run the first user login session in a context of a second user profile of a second user;

after creating the shadow login session, receiving, by the operating system, a request to run the first user login session in the context of the second user profile of the second user;

securely verifying credentials associated with the second user profile received as part of the request and, responsive to the verifying, receiving user settings for the second user to associate the second user profile with the shadow login session; and

associating the second user profile, by the operating system, with the shadow login session without switching between logins, such that interaction of the second user with the operating system is associated with the second user profile and interaction of the first user with the operating system is associated with the first user profile.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the shadow login session is executed on a thread separate from one or more threads used to execute the first user profile of the first user login session.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the request is received through interaction with an application that is executed by the computing device and the associating causes the application to be executed such that interaction of the second user with the application is associated with the second user profile and interaction of the first user with the application is associated with the first user.

4. A method as described in claim 3, wherein the interaction of the first user and the second user with the application is performable without switching a login.

5. A memory device having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to:

create a shadow login session upon initiation of a first user login session in a context of a first user profile of a first user with an operating system of the computing device;

receive a request to run the first user login session in the context of a second user profile of a second user;

securely verify credentials associated with the second user profile received as part of the request and, responsive to the verifying, receive user settings for the second user to associate the second user profile with the shadow login session; and

associate the second user profile with the shadow login session without switching between logins, wherein interaction of the second user with the operating system is associated with the second user profile and interaction of the first user with the operating system is associated with the first user profile.

6. The memory device of claim 5, wherein the shadow login session is executed on a thread separate from one or more threads used to execute the first user profile of the first user login session.

7. The memory device of claim 5, wherein the request is received through interaction with an application that is executed by the computing device and the associating causes the application to be executed, and wherein interaction of the second user with the application is associated with the second user profile and interaction of the first user with the application is associated with the first user.

8. The memory device of claim 7, wherein the interaction of the first user and the second user with the application is performable without switching a login.

9. A computer system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the, cause the computer system to;

create a shadow login session upon initiation of a first user login session in a context of a first user profile in the absence of a request to run the first user login session in a context of a second user profile of a second user;

receive a request to run the first user login session in the context of a second user profile of a second user;

securely verify credentials associated with the second user profile received as part of the request and, responsive to the verifying, receive user settings for the second user to associate the second user profile with the shadow login session; and

associate the second user profile with the shadow login session without switching between logins, wherein interaction of the second user with the operating system is associated with the second user profile and interaction of the first user with the operating system is associated with the first user profile.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the shadow login session is executed on a thread separate from one or more threads used to execute the first user profile of the first user login session.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the request is received through interaction with an application that is executed by the computing device and the associating causes the application to be executed, wherein interaction of the second user with the application is associated with the second user profile and interaction of the first user with the application is associated with the first user, and wherein the interaction of the first user and the second user with the application is performable without switching a login.