Controlling user-access to computer applications

• US 7,577,995 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fernham Technologies LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chebolu, Anil Kumar, Hill, Timothy A., McMenamin, Marie Louise, Patrawala, Zakir S., Virani, Samira S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kimyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Baotran N
• Application Number:
  US10/741,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20050060565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,069 Days
• Field of Search: 726/7, 726/2, 726 26- 30, 726/4, 709/225, 709/229, 709/250
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for controlling access to to computer applications. Briefly described in architecture, some embodiments of a system provide at least one computer application stored on a computer, and a control unit to regulate user-access to computer applications stored on the computer. In this way, the control unit prohibits the displaying of information from a computer application that has been prohibited. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A system to control access to computer applications, comprising:

a processor communicating with memory;

the processor monitoring a request to launch a computer application, wherein the computer application is running on a computer operating system stored in the memory;

locally storing a user profile in the memory that is associated with a user, the user profile comprising a listing of prohibited computer applications to which access is denied;

the processor querying the user profile for the requested computer application;

if the requested computer application is not found in the user profile, then the processor launches the requested computer application, as the user is authorized to access the requested computer application;

if the requested computer application is found in the user profile, then the processor intercepts a message for opening a window associated with the requested computer application before receipt thereof by the computer operating system;

the processor prohibits opening the window associated with the requested computer application when the requested computer application is found in the user profile, thus terminating the launch of the requested computer application, as the user is not authorized to access the requested computer application; and

when the requested computer application is launched, then the processor opens the window associated with the requested computer application and presents information associated with the requested computer application.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for designating the computer application as prohibited for any user of the computer.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for identifying the current user of the computer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the requested application is an Internet browsing application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the requested application is an instant messaging application.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for preventing the presentation of the information if the requested application is designated as authorized and a particular service of the requested application that caused the request is designated as prohibited.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the requested application is a messenger service and the particular service is displaying a message from the messenger service.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the particular service is designated as prohibited for any user of the computer.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for identifying the user.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for storing in the user profile a list of services that are designated as prohibited by the respective user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the information is a web page.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for storing in the user profile web page addresses that are designated as prohibited.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for storing in the user profile web page addresses that are not designated as prohibited.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for storing in the user profile categories of web pages that are designated as prohibited, and

means for determining if a requested web page is in one of the prohibited categories.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for visually notifying the user when the user has been prohibited access to the information.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the user profile is customized for the respective user.

17. A method for controlling access to computer applications, comprising:

monitoring a request to launch a computer application, wherein the computer application is running on a computer operating system;

locally storing a user profile associated with a user, the user profile comprising a listing of prohibited computer applications to which access is denied;

querying the user profile for the requested computer application;

if the requested computer application is not found in the user profile, then launching the requested computer application, as the user is authorized to access the requested computer application;

if the requested computer application is found in the user profile, then intercepting a message for opening a window associated with the requested computer application before receipt thereof by the computer operating system;

prohibiting opening the window associated with the requested computer application when the requested computer application is found in the user profile, thus terminating the launch of the requested computer application, as the user is not authorized to access the requested computer application; and

when the requested computer application is launched, then opening the window associated with the requested computer application and displaying information associated with the requested computer application.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising identifying a particular application that is making a request to the operating system to display the information.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein terminating the launch comprises prohibiting opening of a graphical user interface associated with the requested computer application.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the list further contains application services that are prohibited to be viewed by the respective user.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the application services include a request from an Internet browsing application to access a specific web page.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the application services include a request from an Internet browsing application to access a category of web page.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the list further contains categories of applications and services that are prohibited to be viewed by the respective user.

24. A computer-readable storage medium storing processor executable instructions for performing a method that controls access to computer applications, the method comprising:

monitoring a request to launch a computer application, wherein the computer application is running on a computer operating system;

locally storing a user profile associated with a user, the user profile comprising a listing of prohibited computer applications to which access is denied;

querying the user profile for the requested computer application;

if the requested computer application is not found in the user profile, then launching the requested computer application, as the user is authorized to access the requested computer application;

if the requested computer application is found in the user profile, then intercepting a message for opening a window associated with the requested computer application before receipt thereof by the computer operating system;

prohibiting opening the window associated with the requested computer application when the requested computer application is found in the user profile, thus terminating the launch of the requested computer application, as the user is not authorized to access the requested computer application; and

when the requested computer application is launched, then opening the window associated with the requested computer application and displaying information associated with the requested computer application.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24, further comprising instructions for identifying a particular application that is making a request to the operating system to display the information.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24, further comprising instructions for prohibiting opening of a graphical user interface associated with the requested computer application.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the list further contains application services that are prohibited to be viewed by the respective user.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the application services include a request from an Internet browsing application to access a specific web page.

29. The computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the application services include a request from an Internet browsing application to access a category of web page.

30. The computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the list further contains categories of applications and services that are prohibited to be viewed by the respective user.