Method and system for protecting user choices

• US 9,934,402 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2016
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Day, Robert F., Schrock, Sarah E., McKee, Timothy P., Sheldon, Isaac A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolentino, Roderick
• Application Number:
  US15/229,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20160342806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 726 5, 726 6, 726 25- 30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

A system, method, and computer-accessible medium for protecting user choice settings are provided. The system and method provide an application programming interface that uses a security subsystem to unlock, write, and relock the user choice settings to insure that the user'"'"'s choices are enforced and respected by the applications that attempt to change them in a manner that is verifiable and transparent to the user. The user is notified whenever a change to their user choice settings is made.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating an approval and notification graphical user interface, the method comprising:

in response to receiving a request from an application to modify a prioritized user choice setting that identifies at least one property of execution of at least one event of the application and is associated with a configuration database of a computing device, generating a window having a graphical approval user interface on the computing device, the graphical approval user interface displaying current values of the prioritized user choice setting and requesting authorization from a user to modify the prioritized user choice setting associated with the configuration database of the computing device to be consistent with the modification request received from the application;

displaying an option that allows the user to secure the modification as a protected value using an access control indicator, wherein the access control indicator prohibits a second application from modifying the modification without authorization from the user while still allowing access to the modification; and

providing a control that allows the user to authorize the modification to the prioritized user choice setting, wherein the modification corresponds to actions associated with the application, wherein the control includes at least receiving from the user an approval to modify the prioritized user choice setting associated with the configuration database of the computing device to be consistent with the modification request received from the application, wherein the approval includes at least the user selecting an indication of the approval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a personal digital assistant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a tablet.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying in the graphical approval user interface, the prioritized user choice setting along with values for modifying the prioritized user choice setting, wherein receiving authorization from the user approving the modification of the prioritized user choice setting comprises receiving input from the user in accordance with at least one of the displayed values.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a change notification when the prioritized user choice setting has been modified, the change notification identifying the second application and the prioritized user choice setting before and after the modification.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration database is a registry.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the application requesting a modification in the registry is an imaging application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the modification alters how the operating system opens various file types including Tagged Image File Format, Joint Photographic Experts Group, or Bitmap.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical approval user interface includes a cancel button that denies the modification requested by the application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorization from the user may include a partial change to the modification requested by the application.

11. Computer-accessible storage devices having components for generating a graphical approval user interface for a first application corresponding with a configuration database of a computing device, the computer-accessible storage devices comprising:

one or more processors; and

computer storage memory having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, implement a method, the method comprising;

providing a user choice setting graphical approval user interface, wherein the user choice setting identifies at least one property of execution of at least one event of the first application;

displaying the current user choice setting on the graphical approval user interface along with other options for the user choice setting;

receiving authorization of a modification from the user via the user interface along with an input indicating a selection of a modified user choice setting including a selection of at least one of the other displayed options for the user choice setting, wherein the authorization includes at least receiving from the user an approval for the modification, wherein the approval includes at least the user selecting an indication of the approval; and

securing the modified user choice as a protected value using an access control indicator, wherein the access control indicator prohibits a second application from modifying the modified user choice without authorization from the user while still allowing access to the protected value.

12. The devices of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a change notification that identifies an application and the contents of the prioritized user choice setting before and after the modification.

13. The devices of claim 11, wherein the configuration database is a registry.

14. The devices of claim 13, wherein existing registry functions are unable to modify existing user choice settings protected by a security application in accordance with the modification.

15. The devices of claim 14, wherein the functions provided by the security application are configured to modify existing user choice settings protected by an access control list (ACL) in accordance with the modification.

16. The devices of claim 14, wherein the functions provided by the security application unlocks the existing user choice settings with the ACL corresponding to a registry entry.

17. The devices of claim 14, wherein the functions provided by the security application locks the modification to the existing user choice settings with the ACL corresponding to a registry entry.

18. The devices of claim 13, wherein a security application does not prevent reading of the existing user choice settings stored in the registry.