Shared workspace associated with a voice-request account

• US 9,727,716 B1
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rodriguez Magana, Daniel, Finsterbusch, Thomas Werner, Chen, Charles, Soll, Jason Samuel, Teixeira, Thiago
• Primary Examiner(s): Henning, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US14/108,421
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 726 19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70

Abstract

Methods are described herein related to providing a workspace that is associated with a voice-request account workspace and that is capable of establishing a session for a user-account. An example method may involve: (a) providing, by a computing system, a workspace on a virtual machine, where the workspace is associated with a voice-request account, where the workspace is accessible to one or more guide computing systems, (b) receiving, at the computing system, authentication information for a user-account, (c) receiving, at the computing system, a request to establish a session for the user-account in the workspace associated with the voice-request account and responsively establishing the session, and (d) providing, by the computing system, the one or more guide accounts with access via the workspace to the session for the user-account.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

providing, by a computing system, a workspace on a virtual machine, wherein the workspace is associated with a voice-request account;

receiving, at the computing system, user-account authentication information for a user account;

receiving, at the computing system, a user-account session request to establish a user-account session for the user account in the workspace and responsively causing the user-account session to be established in the workspace according to the user-account authentication information;

receiving, at the computing system, from a client device, a user-account request relating to the user-account session;

sending, from the computing system, the user-account request to a guide account at a guide computing system;

receiving, at the computing system, from the client device, permission for the guide account to access the user-account session in the workspace;

providing, by the computing system, the guide account with the permission from the client device to access the user-account session in the workspace;

receiving, at the computing system, a guide-account session request from the guide account to establish a guide-account session for the guide account in the workspace; and

providing, by the computing system, the guide account with access to establish the guide-account session in the workspace, the guide-account session allowing the guide account to further access the user-account session in the workspace and to respond to the user-account request.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the guide account responds to the user-account request by executing via the workspace an action associated with the user account.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing, by the computing system, a notification that the action was executed.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein providing a notification that the action was executed comprises one or more of:

(a) sending an email confirmation,

(b) sending a text message confirmation,

(c) displaying a pop-up window in the workspace, or

(d) displaying an icon, an image or a graphic in the workspace.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating, at the computing system, a log in response to establishing the session in the workspace.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein creating the log comprises capturing one or more of image data of the workspace, a video of the workspace, screenshots of the workspace, a text log, key strokes or mouse-initiated commands.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user-account authentication information comprises an OpenID or login credentials specific to the user account.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the computing device, one or more permissions or restrictions associated with the user account that are applied to the guide-account access via the workspace to the session for the user account.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the one or more permissions grant the guide account access (a) to one or more types of data maintained on the user account or (b) to perform one or more actions associated with the user account.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computing system comprises a hybrid response system.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computing system receives the guide-account session request from the guide account in response to guide account authentication information received by the guide account.

12. A computer implemented method comprising:

sending, by a client device associated with a voice-request account, user-account authentication information for a user-account;

sending, by the client device, a user-account session request to a computing system to create a user-account session for the user account in a workspace for the voice-request account according to the user-account authentication information;

sending, by the client device, to the computing system, a user-account request associated with the user-account, wherein the user-account request is forwarded by the computing system to a guide account at a guide computing system;

sending, by the client device, to the computing system, permission for the guide account to access the user-account session in the workspace, wherein the permission is forwarded by the computing system to the guide account;

receiving, by the client device, a notification that the guide account has responded to the user-account request by;

sending a guide-account session request to the computing system;

establishing the guide-account session in the workspace; and

using the guide-account session to access the user-account session in the workspace.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a signal and responsively displaying, by the client device;

(a) a real-time stream of the workspace;

or

(b) a user interface that is different than a user interface displayed on the workspace.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein receiving a notification that the action was executed comprises one or more of:

(a) receiving an email confirmation,

(b) receiving a text message confirmation,

(c) displaying a pop-up window on the client device, or

(d) displaying an icon, an image or a graphic on the client device.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

requesting, by the client device, a log of the session in the workspace in response to receiving the notification that the action was executed.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein the log comprises one or more of image data, a video, screenshots, a text log, key strokes, or mouse-initiated commands.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

setting, by the client device, one or more permissions associated with the user account, wherein the one or more permissions are maintained via the voice-request account.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 17, wherein the one or more permissions grant the guide account access (a) to one or more types of data maintained on the user account or (b) to perform one or more actions associated with the user account.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to carry out functions comprising:

providing, by a computing system, a workspace on a virtual machine, wherein the workspace is associated with a voice-request account;

receiving, at the computing system, user-account authentication information for a user account;

receiving, at the computing system, a user-account session request to establish a user-account session for the user account in the workspace and responsively causing the user-account session to be established in the workspace according to the user-account authentication information;

receiving, at the computing system, from a client device, a user-account request relating to the user-account session;

sending, from the computing system, the user-account request to a guide account at a guide computing system;

receiving, at the computing system, from the client device, permission for the guide account to access the user-account session in the workspace;

providing, by the computing system, the guide account with the permission from the client device to access the user-account session in the workspace;

receiving, at the computing system, a guide-account session request from the guide account to establish a guide-account session for the guide account in the workspace; and

providing, by the computing system, the guide account with access to establish the guide-account session in the workspace, the guide-account session allowing the guide account to further access the user-account session in the workspace and to respond to the user-account request.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computing system receives the guide-account session request from the guide account in response to guide account authentication information received by the guide account.

21. A system, comprising:

a response computing system communicatively coupled to a client device and configured to;

provide a workspace on a virtual machine;

receive user-account authentication information for a user account; and

receive a user-account session request to establish a user-account session for the user account in the workspace and responsively cause the user-account session to be established in the workspace according to the user-account authentication information; and

a guide computing system communicatively coupled to the response computing system, the guide computing system providing a guide account,

wherein the response computing system is further configured to;

receive, from the client device, a user-account request relating to the user-account session;

send the user-account request to the guide account at the guide computing system;

receive, from the client device, permission for the guide account to access the user-account session in the workspace;

provide the guide account with the permission from the client device to access the user-account session in the workspace;

receive a guide-account session request from the guide account to establish a guide-account session for the guide account in the workspace; and

provide the guide account with access to establish the guide-account session in the workspace, the guide-account session allowing the guide account to further access the user-account session in the workspace and to respond to the user-account request.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the guide account responds to the user-account request by executing via the workspace an action associated with the user account.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the response computing system is further configured to receive the guide-account session request from the guide account in response to guide account authentication information received by the guide account.