ADMINISTRATION OF ACCESS CONTROL KEYS IN A VIRTUAL WORLD

• US 20090119605A1
• Filed: 11/06/2007
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bokor, Brian R., House, Daniel E., Smith, Andrew B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,726,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems

Abstract

A system and method for access control key administration in a virtual world that includes identifying an action to be performed on a key provided to a user controlling an avatar in a virtual world. The key provides the avatar access to a virtual space, a service, or an item in the virtual world. The action is applied to the key. The action is applied to the key to modify one or more access parameters on the key. The action applied to the key may be, for example, an update action, a revalidate action, or a remove action.

Claims

1. A method for access control key administration in a virtual world comprising:

identifying an action to be performed on a key provided to a user controlling an avatar in a virtual world, the key providing the avatar access to a virtual space, a service, or an item in the virtual world; and

applying the action to the key.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising applying the action to the key to modify at least one access parameter on the key.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising applying an update action to the key.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the applying the update action to the key comprising modifying the access provided on the key.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising applying a revalidate action to the key.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the applying the revalidate action comprising increasing an allowed access time on the key for accessing the virtual area, the service, or the item in the virtual world.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising applying a remove action to the key.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the applying the remove action to the key comprising revoking the access to the virtual area, the service, or the item in the virtual world provided by the key.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising notifying the user of the application of the action to the key.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the user to perform the action to be performed on the key.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising monitoring the virtual area, the service, or the item in the virtual world, and identifying the action to be performed on the key provided to the user responsive to the monitoring.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising retrieving the key from a plurality of stored keys before applying the action to the key.