Login interface selection for computing environment user login

• US 9,639,676 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Betz, Adam James, Curtiss, Wade H., Glass, Andrew Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Chai, Longbit
• Application Number:
  US13/485,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20130326605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: 726 7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A device may provide a login process to authenticate users prior to admittance to a computing environment. The device may also enable users to adjust various the computing environment, e.g., the language selected for communicating with the user and the user interfaces to be presented to the user, and may store such adjustments in a secured user account. However, if the user account is inaccessible to the device during the login process, the device is unable to adapt the login process to apply the user'"'"'s adjustments. Instead, the device may be configured to store users'"'"' adjustments (including language selection) outside of the user accounts, and to, upon identifying the user during the login process, present login interfaces specified in the user account. Additionally, users may select different login interfaces during login, and the device may retrieve these login interfaces for selection during future login processes for the same user.

Claims

1. A method of admitting users to a computing environment of a device having a processor device, a set of login interface interfaces comprising at least two login interfaces, and a set of user accounts that are respectively protected by a security protocol that restricts access until authentication by a represented user, the method comprising:

executing, on the processor device, instructions that cause the device to;

responsive to a selection, by a user, of a selected user interface from the set of login interfaces through which the user is permitted to authenticate a user account, wherein respective login interfaces of the login interface set are distinguished by at least one non-aesthetic property, store an association between the user account of the user and the selected login interface, wherein the association is stored outside the user account protected by the security protocol; and

responsive to receiving, from a current user, a selection of a selected user account;

from the at least two login interfaces, identify the selected login interface that is associated with the selected user account outside of the security protocol;

initially present the selected login interface associated with the selected user account while initially refraining from presenting other login interfaces of the login interface set; and

responsive to successfully authenticating the current user using the selected login interface, admit the current user to the computing environment according to the selected user account.

2. The method of claim 1, the instructions configured to present the selected login interface during a login stage selected from a login stage set comprising:

an initial user registration of the user with the computing environment;

an initiation of a user session of the user within the computing environment;

a resumption of a suspended user session of the user within the computing environment; and

a transfer of a current user session of the user to a different device.

3. The method of claim 1, the login interfaces presenting login interface variants selected from a login interface variant set comprising:

a login interface language variant representing a language used by the device to communicate with the user;

a login interface accessibility variant specifying an accessibility adjustment of the computing environment of the device; and

a login interface input device variant specifying an input device through which the user achieves the login completion.

4. The method of claim 1, presenting a selected login interface associated with a user account comprising:

retrieving the selected login interface from the user account selected from a user account set comprising;

a local user profile;

a roaming user profile;

a user directory entry of the user in a user directory; and

a social network profile of the user in a social network.

5. The method of claim 1:

the device configured to store user accounts according to a security protocol that restricts access to the user accounts until the login completion; and

the instructions further configured to associate the selected login interfaces with the user accounts outside of the user account restricted by the security protocol.

6. The method of claim 5, the device comprising a device registry comprising:

for respective user accounts, a user registry portion that is accessible only after the login completion of the user; and

a login registry portion accessible to the device outside of the user registry portion and associating respective user accounts with the selected login interfaces.

7. The method of claim 6, the instructions further configured to, responsive to receiving from a user, after login completion, a selection of a selected login interface, update the login registry portion of the device registry by associating the selected login interface with the user account.

8. The method of claim 6, the instructions further configured to, responsive to receiving a selection of a user account of a first user while a second user has been admitted to the computing environment, disable the presenting of a selected login interface.

9. The method of claim 1, the instructions further configured to, before receiving from a user a selection of a user account, present at least one default login interface.

10. The method of claim 1, presenting the selected login interface comprising:

enumerate for the user at least two login interfaces including the selected login interface; and

responsive to receiving from the user a login selection of a login interface, present the login interface identified by the login selection.

11. The method of claim 10, enumerating the login interfaces comprising:

enumerating for the user the selected login interface and at least one default login interface.

12. The method of claim 11, enumerating the login interfaces comprising:

excluding at least one excluded login interface that is excluded from the user account of the user.

13. The method of claim 10, the instructions further configured to, responsive to receiving the login selection of the login interface from the user, associate the login interface identified by the login selection with the user account of the user.

14. The method of claim 1:

the device having access to a login interface store providing resources for login interfaces; and

the instructions further configured to, responsive to receiving from a user, before receiving the login completion, a login request for a login interface that is not available on the device;

request from the login interface store the login interface identified by the login request; and

responsive to receiving the login interface from the login interface store, present the login interface to the user.

15. The method of claim 14:

respective login interfaces distinctively identified by a login interface identifier; and

the login request specifying the login interface identifier of the login interface.

16. The method of claim 15, the instructions further configured to present to the user the login interface identifiers of login interfaces that are available from the login interface store.

17. The method of claim 1:

receiving from the user the selection of the user account comprising;

presenting to the user an login account identifier interface; and

receiving from the user, through the login account identifier interface, an account identifier of the user account of the user.

18. The method of claim 1, receiving from the user the selection of the user account comprising:

enumerating the user accounts for the user; and

receiving from the user a selection of a user account.

19. A computer-readable memory device storing instructions that, when executed on a processor device of a computing device having a set of login interfaces comprising at least two login interfaces, a set of user accounts that are respectively protected by a security protocol that restricts access until authentication by a represented user, and a computing environment, admit users to the computing environment by:

responsive to a selection, by a user, of a selected user interface from the set of login interfaces through which the user is permitted to authenticate a user account, wherein respective login interfaces of the login interface set are distinguished by at least one non-aesthetic property, store an association between the user account of the user and the selected login interface, wherein the association is stored outside the user account protected by the security protocol; and

responsive to receiving, from a current user, a selection of a selected user account;

from the at least two login interfaces, identifying the selected login interface that is associated with the selected user account outside of the security protocol;

initially presenting only the selected login interface associated with the user account, while initially refraining from presenting other login interfaces of the login interface set; and

responsive to successfully authenticating the current user using the selected login interface, admitting the current user to the computing environment according to the selected user account.

20. A computing device that admits users to a computing environment, the computing device comprising:

a processor device;

a set of login interface interfaces comprising at least two login interfaces;

a set of user accounts that are respectively protected by a security protocol that restricts access until authentication by a represented user; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor device, cause the device to;

responsive to a selection, by a user, of a selected user interface from the set of login interfaces, wherein respective login interfaces of the login interface set are distinguished by at least one non-aesthetic property, store an association between the user account of the user and the selected login interface wherein respective login interfaces of the login interface set are distinguished by at least one non-aesthetic property, store an association between the user account of the user and the selected login interface, wherein the association is stored outside the user account protected by the security protocol; and

responsive to receiving, from a current user, a selection of a selected user account;

from the at least two login interfaces, identify the selected login interface that is associated with the selected user account outside of the security protocol;

initially present only the selected login interface associated with the user account, while initially refraining from presenting other login interfaces of the login interface set; and

responsive to successfully authenticating the current user using the selected login interface, admit the current user to the computing environment according to the selected user account.