Methods, apparatus and systems for displaying and/or facilitating interaction with secure information via channel grid framework

• US 8,595,641 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2011
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cyandia, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cyandia, Inc.
• Inventors: Wetzer, Michael, Theriault, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): NABI, REZA U
• Application Number:
  US13/086,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20110258573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 715/775
• US Class Current: 715/775
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

Facilitating display of, and interaction with, secure user-centric information via a user platform operated by a user. A desktop is displayed on a display device of the user platform as a channel grid framework that includes a plurality of user-selectable items representing a corresponding plurality of authorized channels through which the user receives and/or interacts with respective portions of the secure user-centric information. The plurality of user-selectable items included in the channel grid framework is based at least in part on information access rights and/or security protocols respectively associated with the corresponding plurality of channels, the user, and the user platform.

Claims

1. An apparatus serving as a user platform operated by a user to facilitate display of, and interaction with, secure user-centric information, the apparatus comprising:

a display device to display a desktop for the user platform;

at least one communication interface to facilitate wired and/or wireless communications via one or more transmission media;

at least one memory to store processor-executable instructions; and

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the display device, the at least one communication interface, and the at least one memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the at least one processor, the at least one processor manages display of and interaction with the secure user-centric information by;

A) controlling the display device to display the desktop for the user platform as a channel grid framework including a matrix having a plurality of user-selectable items representing a corresponding plurality of authorized channels through which the user receives and/or interacts with respective portions of the secure user-centric information, and

B) receiving configuration information from the user and transmitting the configuration information to at least one external computing device, wherein the configuration information is configured to cause the at least one external computing device to establish a user profile identifying user preferences, platform identities, and service support instructions that determine how the plurality of authorized channels behave on the user platform, wherein the at least one external computing device is configured to synchronize functions and features of one or more of the plurality of channels across a plurality of user platforms by deploying secure user-centric information to the plurality of user platforms;

wherein at least a portion of the user-centric information provided to the user through the plurality of authorized channels is based at least in part on information access rights and/or security protocols respectively associated with the corresponding plurality of authorized channels, the user, and the user platform, and wherein at least a portion of the user-centric information provided to the user through the plurality of authorized channels is based at least in part on the user profile and is provided to the user without being requested by the user; and

wherein at least a portion of the secure user-centric information provided to the user through the plurality of authorized channels is received based in part on a bi-directional interrogation of one or more of the plurality of authorized channels, wherein the bi-directional interrogation comprises the one or more of the plurality of authorized channels interrogating an identity management server, and wherein the bi-directional interrogation further comprises the identity management server and a web services gateway interrogating the one or more of the plurality of authorized channels, wherein the web services gateway is a tool through which the channel grid framework interacts with the identity management server.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of authorized channels includes at least a first authorized channel through which the user receives and/or interacts with first authenticated channel information constituting a first portion of the secure user-centric information;

the first authenticated channel information is provided by at least one authenticated channel application and/or at least one authenticated service; and

the plurality of user-selectable items displayed in A) includes at least a first user-selectable item representing the first authorized channel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user platform includes at least one of:

a desktop computer;

a laptop computer;

a tablet computer;

a net-book computing device;

a handheld computing device;

a personal, enterprise, or portable digital assistant;

a telecommunications device including one of a telephone, a cell phone, and a smart phone;

a personal navigation device;

a vehicle-based device;

an optical disk player;

a television; and

a game console.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secure user-centric information includes at least one of:

text information;

graphic information;

one or more pictures;

one or more videos;

audio or digital sound;

streaming data, audio or video;

content associated with an executing computer application;

voice-over-IP communication;

instant messaging/SMS information;

video-conferencing information;

environmental monitoring information;

financial services information;

enterprise resource planning information;

enterprise content management information;

building information;

project management information;

product lifecycle management information;

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) reader information;

remote device control/interaction information;

a three-dimensional graphic visualization of one or more objects and/or immersive environments;

one or more word processing documents;

one or more spreadsheets;

one or more presentation/slide shows;

email; and

address book information.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication interface includes a web services gateway communicatively coupled to the at least one external computing device via the one or more transmission media.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channel grid framework includes a two-dimensional array of the user-selectable items.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channel grid framework occupies a majority of the desktop.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channel grid framework includes a twelve-item grid of the user-selectable items.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user-selectable items included in the channel grid framework are identically-sized rectangular user-selectable items.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channel grid framework includes a matrix of square elements respectively constituting the user-selectable items.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channel grid framework includes a three-by-four matrix of the user-selectable items.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channel grid framework includes a plurality of channel grids, each channel grid of the plurality of channel grids including a configured group of the plurality of user-selectable items.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of authorized channels includes a first channel through which the user receives and/or interacts with first channel information constituting a first portion of the secure user-centric information;

the plurality of user-selectable items includes a first user-selectable item representing the first channel; and

A) comprises controlling the display device so as to render the first user-selectable item in the channel grid framework as one of;

a graphic representative of the first channel information;

a picture representative of the first channel information; and

a dynamic window including at least one of;

content from an executing computer application constituting the first channel information;

a video representative of the first channel information;

streaming data, audio or video constituting at least a portion of the first channel information; and

polled data derived from the first channel information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the plurality of authorized channels further includes a second channel through which the user receives and/or interacts with second channel information constituting a second portion of the secure user-centric information;

the plurality of user-selectable items further includes a second user-selectable item representing the second channel; and

A) comprises controlling the display device so as to;

A1) render the first user-selectable item in the channel grid framework as a first dynamic window including at least one of;

first content from a first executing computer application constituting the first channel information;

a first video representative of the first channel information;

first streaming data, audio or video constituting at least a portion of the first channel information; and

first polled data derived from the first channel information; and

A2) render the second user-selectable item in the channel grid framework as a second dynamic window including at least one of;

second content from a second executing computer application constituting the second channel information;

a second video representative of the second channel information;

second streaming data, audio or video constituting at least a portion of the second channel information; and

second polled data derived from the second channel information.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor further manages display of and interaction with the secure user-centric information by:

moving the first user-selectable item from a first location in the channel grid framework displayed on the user platform to a different second location in the channel grid framework displayed on the user platform in response to a user input from the user.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each user-selectable item of the plurality of user-selectable items included in the channel grid framework is implemented by execution of the processor-executable instructions as a channel container having a unique name and a unique location in the channel grid framework.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the channel container comprises a plurality of layers, and wherein the plurality of layers comprises:

an icon layer including a static or dynamic image;

a hover layer to display, in response to a mouse-over event, at least one of static descriptive text, dynamic text, a channel configuration description and an alert configuration description;

a data layer;

a configuration layer to display a channel customization form; and

an alert layer.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor further manages display of and interaction with the secure user-centric information by:

C) controlling the at least one communication interface so as to receive from at least one external computing device first channel information relating to at least one authorized channel of the plurality of authorized channels, based at least in part on the information access rights and/or security protocols respectively associated with the corresponding plurality of authorized channels, the user, and the user platform.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one external computing device stores a user profile to identify user preferences, platform identities, and service support instructions that determine how the secure user-centric information behaves on the user platform.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one external computing device stores an authentication directory to provide the information access rights and/or security protocols respectively associated with the corresponding plurality of authorized channels, the user, and the user platform, the authentication directory including a plurality of user accounts, a plurality of device accounts, and a plurality of application accounts, and wherein:

in A), the plurality of user-selectable items included in the channel grid framework is based at least in part on the authentication directory; and

in C), the first channel information received from the at least one external computing device and relating to the at least one authorized channel of the plurality of authorized channels is based at least in part on the authentication directory.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of user-selectable items includes a first user-selectable item representing the at least one authorized channel, and wherein in response to the user selecting the first user-selectable item, the at least one processor further manages the display of and interaction with the secure user-centric information by:

D) controlling the display device so as to replace the channel grid framework with an expanded first channel representation of the first channel information.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the expanded first channel representation includes a substantially full-screen two-dimensional representation or simulated three-dimensional representation of the first channel information.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein:

the expanded first channel representation includes the simulated three-dimensional representation of the first channel information;

the first channel information relates to a physical place, one or more objects, and/or one or more people; and

the simulated three-dimensional representation includes virtual representations of the physical place, the one or more objects, and/or the one or more people.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein in A), the at least one processor further controls the at least one display device so as to render at least a first user-selectable item of the plurality of user-selectable items included in the channel grid framework to provide at least one visual alert based on one or more events, conditions, logical workflows, discrete information values or signal data relating to the first channel information.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the at least one processor controls the display device to change an appearance of the first user-selectable item to provide the at least one visual alert as at least one of:

text and/or an image;

a new data value;

a chart;

streaming text or video; and

an animation.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the at least one processor controls the display device so as to render the at least one visual alert by replacing the channel grid framework with an expanded first channel representation of the first channel information.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the expanded first channel representation includes a substantially full-screen two-dimensional representation or simulated three-dimensional representation of the first channel information.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein in response to the user hovering over the first user-selectable item without selecting the first user-selectable item, the at least one processor controls the at least one display device to display an alert tool to allow the user to define or select at least one of:

at least one threshold condition or parameter for interrogating the first channel information so as to determine the one or more events, conditions, logical workflows, discrete information values or signal data relating to the first channel information; and

at least one user preference for taking action in response to the determined one or more events, conditions, logical workflows, discrete information values or signal data relating to the first channel information.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the at least one condition or parameter includes a numerical limit or a trend.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the at least one user preference includes:

at least one alert to be generated in response to the determined one or more events, conditions, logical workflows, discrete information values or signal data relating to the first channel information, wherein the at least one alert includes at least one of;

the at least one visual alert;

at least one auditory alert;

at least one email message;

at least one SMS text message;

activation of at least one channel of the plurality of channels; and

a notification to a law enforcement agency; and

at least one of;

at least one designated user platform on which the at least one alert is generated; and

at least one identity of at least one other user associated with the user and authenticated by the identity management server to receive the at least one alert.

34. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the plurality of authorized channels interrogating the identity management server comprises the one or more of the plurality of authorized channels evaluating content provided by the identity management server and determining if services of the one or more of the plurality of authorized channels are available, and wherein the identity management server and the web services gateway interrogating the one or more of the plurality of authorized channels comprises the identity management server evaluating content provided by the one or more of the plurality of authorized channels.

31. A method for facilitating display of, and interaction with, secure user-centric information via a user platform operated by a user, the method comprising:

A) displaying a desktop on a display device of the user platform as a channel grid framework including a matrix having a plurality of user-selectable items representing a corresponding plurality of authorized channels through which the user receives and/or interacts with respective portions of the secure user-centric information, and

B) receiving configuration information from the user and transmitting the configuration information to at least one external computing device, wherein the configuration information is configured to cause the at least one external computing device to establish a user profile identifying user preferences, platform identities, and service support instructions that determine how the plurality of authorized channels behave on the user platform, wherein the at least one external computing device is configured to synchronize functions and features of one or more of the plurality of channels across a plurality of user platforms by deploying secure user-centric information to the plurality of user platforms;

wherein at least a portion of the user-centric information provided to the user through the plurality of authorized channels is based at least in part on information access rights and/or security protocols respectively associated with the corresponding plurality of channels, the user, and the user platform, and wherein at least a portion of the user-centric information provided to the user through the plurality of authorized channels is based at least in part on the user profile and is provided to the user without being requested by the user; and

wherein at least a portion of the secure user-centric information provided to the user through the plurality of authorized channels is received based in part on a bi-directional interrogation of one or more of the plurality of authorized channels, wherein the bi-directional interrogation comprises the one or more of the plurality of authorized channels interrogating an identity management server, and wherein the bi-directional interrogation further comprises the identity management server and a web services gateway interrogating the one or more of the plurality of authorized channels, wherein the web services gateway is a tool through which the channel grid framework interacts with the identity management server.

32. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method for facilitating display of, and interaction with, secure user-centric information via a user platform operated by a user, the method comprising:

A) displaying a desktop on a display device of the user platform as a channel grid framework including a matrix having a plurality of user-selectable items representing a corresponding plurality of authorized channels through which the user receives and/or interacts with respective portions of the secure user-centric information, and

B) receiving configuration information from the user and transmitting the configuration information to at least one external computing device, wherein the configuration information is configured to cause the at least one external computing device to establish a user profile identifying user preferences, platform identities, and service support instructions that determine how the plurality of authorized channels behave on the user platform, wherein the at least one external computing device is configured to synchronize functions and features of one or more of the plurality of channels across a plurality of user platforms by deploying secure user-centric information to the plurality of user platforms;

wherein at least a portion of the user-centric information provided to the user through the plurality of authorized channels is based at least in part on information access rights and/or security protocols respectively associated with the corresponding plurality of authorized channels, the user, and the user platform, and wherein at least a portion of the user-centric information provided to the user through the plurality of authorized channels is based at least in part on the user profile and is provided to the user without being requested by the user; and

wherein at least a portion of the secure user-centric information provided to the user through the plurality of authorized channels is received based in part on a bi-directional interrogation of one or more of the plurality of authorized channels, wherein the bi-directional interrogation comprises the one or more of the plurality of authorized channels interrogating an identity management server, and wherein the bi-directional interrogation further comprises the identity management server and a web services gateway interrogating the one or more of the plurality of authorized channels, wherein the web services gateway is a tool through which the channel grid framework interacts with the identity management server.

33. An apparatus serving as a user platform operated by a user to facilitate display of, and interaction with, secure user-centric information, the apparatus comprising:

a display device to display a desktop for the user platform;

at least one communication interface to facilitate wired and/or wireless communications via one or more transmission media;

at least one memory to store processor-executable instructions; and

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the display device, the at least one communication interface, and the at least one memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the at least one processor, the at least one processor manages display of and interaction with the secure user-centric information by controlling the display device to display the desktop for the user platform as a channel grid framework including a matrix having a plurality of user-selectable items representing a corresponding plurality of authorized channels through which the user receives and/or interacts with respective portions of the secure user-centric information,

wherein;

the channel grid framework occupies a majority of the desktop;

the channel grid framework includes a two-dimensional twelve-item array of identically-sized user-selectable items;

the plurality of user-selectable items included in the channel grid framework is based at least in part on information access rights and/or security protocols respectively associated with the corresponding plurality of channels, the user, and the user platform;

the plurality of authorized channels includes at least a first authorized channel through which the user receives and/or interacts with first authenticated channel information constituting a first portion of the secure user-centric information;

the first authenticated channel information is provided by at least one authenticated channel application and/or at least one authenticated service;

the plurality of user-selectable items includes at least a first user-selectable item representing the first authorized channel;

the at least one processor is further configured to manage display of and interaction with the secure user-centric information by receiving configuration information from the user and transmitting the configuration information to at least one external computing device, wherein the configuration information is configured to cause the at least one external computing device to establish a user profile identifying user preferences, platform identities, and service support instructions that determine how the plurality of authorized channels behave on the user platform, wherein the at least one external computing device is configured to synchronize functions and features of one or more of the plurality of channels across a plurality of user platforms by deploying secure user-centric information to the plurality of user platforms;

at least a portion of the user-centric information provided to the user through the plurality of authorized channels is based at least in part on information access rights and/or security protocols respectively associated with the corresponding plurality of authorized channels, the user, and the user platform, and wherein at least a portion of the user-centric information provided to the user through the plurality of authorized channels is based at least in part on the user profile and is provided to the user without being requested by the user; and

at least a portion of the secure user-centric information provided to the user through the plurality of authorized channels is received based in part on a bi-directional interrogation of one or more of the plurality of authorized channels, wherein the bi-directional interrogation comprises the one or more of the plurality of authorized channels interrogating an identity management server, and wherein the bi-directional interrogation further comprises the identity management server and a web services gateway interrogating the one or more of the plurality of authorized channels, wherein the web services gateway is a tool through which the channel grid framework interacts with the identity management server.