Systems and methods for filtering shortcuts from user profiles

• US 9,544,390 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2011
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Baird, Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): TITCOMB, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US13/048,336
• Time in Patent Office: 2,128 Days
• Field of Search: 715/745, 715/738, 715/847
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A method for filtering shortcuts may include: 1) identifying a user logged onto a computing system; 2) identifying a profile of the user that stores data associated with the user; 3) searching the user'"'"'s profile for one or more shortcuts that target one or more computing resources; 4) for each computing resource targeted by one or more shortcuts in the user'"'"'s profile, searching the computing system for the computing resource; 5) determining, based on a result of the search, that at least one computing resource targeted by a shortcut in the user'"'"'s profile is not available on the computing system; and 6) filtering the shortcut that targets the unavailable computing resource by preventing the shortcut from being displayed to the user in a user interface when other items associated with the user'"'"'s profile are displayed in the user interface. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for filtering shortcuts from user profiles, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

identifying a first user logged onto a first computing system;

identifying a profile of the first user that stores data associated with the first user, wherein the profile comprises one or more shortcuts that target one or more computing resources;

searching the first user'"'"'s profile for the one or more shortcuts;

for each computing resource targeted by the one or more shortcuts in the first user'"'"'s profile, searching the first computing system for the computing resource;

determining, based on a result of the search of the first computing system, that at least one computing resource targeted by a shortcut in the first user'"'"'s profile is not available on the first computing system;

configuring a graphical user interface associated with the first computing system to present a user interface that is consistent with available resources of the first computing system by filtering the shortcut that targets the unavailable computing resource, wherein the filtering comprises preventing the shortcut from being displayed to the first user in the graphical user interface when other items associated with the first user'"'"'s profile are displayed in the graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the unavailable computing resource comprises a software application;

the shortcut to the unavailable computing resource targets the software application;

determining that at least one computing resource is not available on the first computing system comprises determining that the software application is not accessible to the first user of the first computing system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the software application is installed to a virtualization layer on the first computing system;

determining that the software application is not accessible to the first user of the first computing system comprises determining that the virtualization layer is not activated.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the software application is not accessible to the first user of the first computing system comprises determining that the software application is not installed on the first computing system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the first user logged onto a second computing system;

identifying the first user'"'"'s profile at the second computing system, wherein the first user'"'"'s profile comprises a roaming profile stored remotely on a server and transferred to the second computing system when the first user logs onto the second computing system;

performing a second search of the first user'"'"'s profile for the one or more shortcuts that target the one or more computing resources;

determining that the computing resource that is not available on the first computing system is available on the second computing system;

allowing the shortcut that targets the computing resource to be displayed to the first user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second user logged onto the first computing system;

identifying a profile of the second user that stores data associated with the second user;

searching the second user'"'"'s profile for one or more shortcuts that target one or more computing resources;

during the search of the second user'"'"'s profile, identifying a shortcut to the computing resource that is not available to the first user on the first computing system;

determining that the computing resource that is not available to the first user on the first computing system is available to the second user on the first computing system;

allowing the shortcut to the computing resource that is available to the second user to be displayed to the second user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the shortcut that targets the unavailable computing resource is programmed such that, if the shortcut were to be displayed at the first computing system and selected by the first user, the first computing system would return an error to the first user instead of accessing the unavailable computing resource.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the unavailable computing resource is associated with a hardware device;

determining that at least one computing resource is not available on the first computing system comprises determining that the hardware device is not available to the first computing system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the hardware device comprises at least one of:

a remote computing system;

a printer.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that at least one computing resource is not available on the first computing system comprises determining that the first computing system does not have a security credential required to access the unavailable computing resource.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein preventing the shortcut from being displayed comprises temporarily removing the shortcut from the first user'"'"'s profile while the first user is logged onto the first computing system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein preventing the shortcut from being displayed comprises hiding the shortcut by:

intercepting a request to provide shortcuts from the first user'"'"'s profile;

excluding the shortcut from a response to the request.

13. A system for filtering shortcuts from user profiles, the system comprising:

an identification module programmed to;

identify a first user logged onto a first computing system;

identify a profile of the first user that stores data associated with the first user, wherein the profile comprises one or more shortcuts that target one or more computing resources;

a search module programmed to;

search the first user'"'"'s profile for the one or more shortcuts;

for each computing resource targeted by the one or more shortcuts in the first user'"'"'s profile, search the first computing system for the computing resource;

a determination module programmed to determine, based on a result of the search of the first computing system, that at least one computing resource targeted by a shortcut in the first user'"'"'s profile is not available on the first computing system;

a filter module programmed to configure a graphical user interface associated with the first computing system to present a user interface that is consistent with available resources of the first computing system by filtering the shortcut that targets the unavailable computing resource, wherein the filtering comprises preventing the shortcut from being displayed to the first user in the graphical user interface when other items associated with the first user'"'"'s profile are displayed in the graphical user interface;

one or more processors configured to execute the identification module, the search module, the determination module, and the filter module.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the unavailable computing resource comprises a software application;

the shortcut to the unavailable computing resource targets the software application;

the determination module is programmed to determine that at least one computing resource is not available on the computing system by determining that the software application is not accessible to the first user of the first computing system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the software application is installed to a virtualization layer on the first computing system;

the determination module is programmed to determine that the software application is not accessible to the first user of the first computing system by determining that the virtualization layer is not enabled.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the determination module is programmed to determine that the software application is not accessible to the first user of the first computing system by determining that the software application is not installed on the first computing system.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the shortcut that targets the unavailable computing resource is programmed such that, if the shortcut were to be displayed at the first computing system and selected by the first user, the first computing system would return an error to the first user instead of accessing the unavailable computing resource.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the unavailable computing resource is associated with a hardware device;

the determination module is programmed to determine that at least one computing resource is not available on the first computing system by determining that the hardware device is not available to the first computing system.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the filter module is programmed to prevent the shortcut from being displayed by hiding the shortcut by:

intercepting a request to provide shortcuts from the first user'"'"'s profile;

excluding the shortcut from a response to the request.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable-storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

identify a first user logged onto a first computing system;

identify a profile of the first user that stores data associated with the first user, wherein the profile comprises one or more shortcuts that target one or more computing resources;

search the first user'"'"'s profile for the one or more shortcuts;

for each computing resource targeted by the one or more shortcuts in the first user'"'"'s profile, search the first computing system for the computing resource;

determine, based on a result of the search of the first computing system, that at least one computing resource targeted by a shortcut in the first user'"'"'s profile is not available on the first computing system;

configure a graphical user interface associated with the first computing system to present a user interface that is consistent with available resources of the first computing system by filtering the shortcut that targets the unavailable computing resource, wherein the filtering comprises preventing the shortcut from being displayed to the first user in the graphical user interface when other items associated with the first user'"'"'s profile are displayed in the graphical user interface.