Sensitive display system

• US 7,437,765 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Elms, Kim, Ruggaber, Rainer, Dorner, Elmar
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise; Emmanuel L
• Assistant Examiner(s): GERGISO, TECHANE
• Application Number:
  US10/452,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,960 Days
• Field of Search: 726/2, 726/28, 726/34, 726/26, 715/716, 715/733, 342/28, 380/25, 713/193
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof

Abstract

A sensitive display system is described. The sensitive display system allows for mediation of content provided from a source to a recipient, such as from a web server to a web browser. Mediation may involve intercepting and augmenting the content so as to restrict or otherwise control information displayed on a display of the recipient device. In this way, the sensitive display system allows restricted information to be replaced with security status messages, or removed entirely. For example, when a user comes within a specified distance from the sensitive display area, a security classification level of the approaching user is used to determine whether there should be any change in the display. If so, a mediating device causes a browser push to occur, to thereby block or otherwise restrict some or all of the display.

Claims

1. A method for providing secure viewing of a display screen comprising:

transmitting a communication from a server computer to a client computer, where the client computer is operable to communicate with the display screen to display the communication;

determining, before the communication is displayed, an identity of each person who is present in an area where the display screen is located, the area comprising a pre-determined distance from the display screen;

identifying, using the determined identity and before the communication is displayed, a portion of the communication that at least one person who is present in the area is unauthorized to view;

displaying the communication on the display screen, wherein a section of the display screen corresponding to the identified portion is obscured;

tracking, at least while the display screen contains the communication, location information for each person who is present in the area, the location information indicating where in the area each person is located relative to the display screen;

displaying an area representation on the display screen that visually represents the area where the display screen is located, the area representation based on the location information and including;

a first icon indicating where in the area the display screen is located, and at least one second icon indicating where in the area each person who is present in the area is located; and

updating the area representation, based on the tracking of the location information, to move the second icon based on a relocation of a person who is present in the area.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the communication comprises intercepting the communication at an intermediate device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the identity comprises:

transmitting identification information related to the person to a security system; and

receiving a security clearance level of the unauthorized person from the security system, based on the identification information.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein transmitting identification information and receiving the security clearance level comprise transmitting the identification information and receiving the security clearance level using a publish/subscribe messaging system.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein transmitting identification information and receiving the security clearance level comprise transmitting the identification information and receiving the security clearance level using a content-based messaging system.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the section of the display screen to be obscured is identified based on the security clearance level.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein transmitting the communication comprises:

attaching a message to the communication, the message containing fields; and

inserting data into the fields, the data including the identification information and the security clearance information;

wherein the section of the display screen to be obscured is identified based on the data.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the message includes a hidden frame that is not visible on the display screen as part of the communication.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

saving a current version of the communication;

determining that the person has moved outside of the area; and

displaying, in response to the determination that the person has moved outside of the area, the communication in its entirety, including the portion.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining an active session with the client computer while the communication is displayed with the section obscured.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing an automatic refresh of the communication with respect to the client computer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking the location information comprises receiving a transmission from a transmitter associated with the person once the person is within the predetermined distance of the display screen, the transmission containing identification information related to the person.

13. A system for securing a portion of a display screen from viewing, the system comprising:

a positioning subsystem operable to track, at least while a communication is displayed on the display screen, location information for each person who is present in an area where the display screen is located, the area comprising a pre-determined distance from the display screen, the location information indicating where in the area each person is located relative to the display screen;

a security subsystem operable to determine, at least before the communication is displayed, an identity of each person who is present in the area, and to identify, using the determined identity, a portion of the communication that the person is unauthorized to view; and

a mediation subsystem operable to receive the communication from a server computer and forward the communication to a client computer for display on the display screen with the portion of the data obscured from display, and to cause the client computer to display an area representation on the display screen that visually represents the area where the display screen is located, the area representation based on the location information and including;

a first icon indicating where in the area the display screen is located, and at least one second icon indicating where in the area each person who is present in the area is located, wherein the client computer further updates the area representation, based on the tracking of the location information, to move the second icon based on a relocation of a person who is present in the area.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the mediation subsystem is operable to obscure the portion based on a position indication in the position information that a potential viewer is within the pre-determined distance of the display screen, and a security indication in security clearance information that the potential viewer is associated with a security clearance level that is insufficient to permit viewing of the portion.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising a context subsystem operable to determine the position indication and the security indication for forwarding to the mediation subsystem.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the mediation subsystem comprises a session manager that is operable to maintain an active session between itself and the client computer.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the mediation subsystem is operable to obscure the portion by initiating a refresh of the display screen.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the mediation subsystem is operable to initiate the refresh by including a hidden frame with the data when forwarding the data to the client computer.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the positioning subsystem includes a receiver operable to receive updated position information from a location transmitter associated with a specific person, to thereby track a movement of the specific person.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising a communications subsystem operable to route the position information and the security clearance information between the positioning subsystem, the security subsystem, and the mediation subsystem.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the communications subsystem includes a publish/subscribe messaging system.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the communications subsystem includes a content-based messaging system.

23. A method for providing secure viewing of a display screen comprising:

transmitting a communication from a server computer to a client computer, where the client computer is operable to communicate with the display screen to display the communication;

displaying the communication on the display screen;

tracking, at least while the display screen contains the communication, location information for each person who is present in an area where the display screen is located, the area comprising a pre-determined distance from the display screen, the location information indicating where in the area each person is located relative to the display screen;

displaying an area representation on the display screen that visually represents the area where the display screen is located, the area representation based on the location information and including;

a first icon indicating where in the area the display screen is located, and at least one second icon indicating where in the area each person who is present in the area is located;

detecting that a person enters the area;

determining an identity of the person detected to enter the area;

identifying, using the determined identity and in response to detecting the person, a portion of the communication presently displayed on the display screen that the detected person is unauthorized to view;

obscuring, in response to identifying the portion, a section of the display screen corresponding to the identified portion; and

updating the area representation, based on the tracking of the location information and in response to detecting the person, to include at least another second icon corresponding to the detected person.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the location information is received from a location transmitter associated with the person.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

transmitting the location information and security information to a context subsystem that is operable to output a modification order containing instructions for obscuring the section; and

transmitting the modification order to a mediation subsystem that causes the client computer to obscure the section based on the modification order.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein transmitting the location information, the security information, and the modification order comprises routing the location information, the security information, and the modification order using a content-based messaging system.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein obscuring the section comprises obtaining a current version of a page of information from the server computer storing the current version.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein obscuring the section comprises sending a cached version of a page of information from a proxy server storing the cached version.