Distributed management framework for personal attributes

• US 8,620,866 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: YOUnite Inc.
• Original Assignee: YOUnite Inc.
• Inventors: Fitzpatrick, Mark, Siress, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US12/267,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20090119266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/9, 707/636, 707/704, 717/168, 709/206, 713/201, 455/412.2
• US Class Current: 707/636
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• 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 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2145 Inheriting rights or properties, e.g., propagation of permissions or restrictions within a hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A technique for distributed management of attributes includes propagating attributes based upon attribute-granularity permissions. An example of a system according to the technique may include a server, coupled to a first client and a second client, that includes a module that receives attribute data from the first client; a permissions database where first permissions associated with the first client are set at the individual attribute level for the second client; an engine for updating the permissions database and for validating the first permissions for the second client; and an engine for distributing first client updates based on validated permissions to destinations associated with the one or more second destination stores.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

primarily storing shared attributes in a distributed fashion at a plurality of entities, wherein first attributes of the shared attributes are maintained at a first entity of the plurality of entities and second attributes of the shared attributes are maintained at a second entity of the plurality of entities;

linking the first entity with the second entity;

providing first destinations, associated with the first entity, for the second attributes;

granting first permissions for the first attributes to the second entity;

providing second destinations, associated with the second entity, for the first attributes;

granting second permissions for the second attributes to the first entity;

facilitating propagation of the shared attributes to the first destinations through the second permissions and to the second destinations through the first permissions;

managing subsequent changes of the shared attributes while avoiding centrally stored shared attributes to create a syndicated distributed secure data exchange.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading user ID and device ID from a local cache;

if permissions are not stored locally, calling a server method to request permissions for the user ID;

if permissions are stored locally, reading permissions from a local file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calling a server method to request a personal attribute record (PAR) if the PAR is stored remotely;

reading the PAR from a local file if the PAR is stored locally.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

getting transactions by either requesting pending, transactions from a server or waiting for the server to send the transactions.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one or more grantees from a contact list;

enabling attribute permissions for selected contacts;

calling a server method to update permission settings on a server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating a permissions table as specified by a grantor;

for each new device owned by the grantor, sending new permission settings;

for each device owned by a grantee, sending new attribute values;

if the grantor is granting permission, sending the attribute value sent in an update permissions call;

if the grantor is taking away permissions, sending a null value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting from a permissions table grantees for attributes of a grantor;

joining grantees with the attribute changes;

creating attribute transactions;

sending attribute transactions changes to destinations associated with the grantees.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting from a device table devices of a grantor;

joining grantees with the attribute changes;

creating personal attribute record (PAR) transactions;

sending PAR changes to destinations associated with the grantor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first entity comprises a mobile device, and the second entity comprises a mobile device.

10. A system, comprising:

an attribute datastore to primarily store shared attributes in a distributed fashion at a plurality of entities, wherein first attributes of the shared attributes are maintained at a first entity of the plurality of entities and second attributes of the shared attributes are maintained at a second entity of the plurality of entities;

a destination datastore to store a first destination associated with the first entity and a second destination associated with the second entity;

a permissions datastore to store first permissions, second permissions, and shared permissions comprising a subset of the first permissions and a subset of the second permissions;

a server database engine comprising a processor and a memory;

wherein, in operation, the server database engine;

links the first entity with the second entity;

provides first destinations, associated with the first entity, for the second attributes;

grants first permissions for the first attributes to the second entity;

provides second destinations, associated with the second entity, for the first attributes;

grants second permissions for the second attributes to the first entity;

facilitates the propagation of the shared attributes to the first destinations through the second permissions and to the second destinations through the first permissions;

manages subsequent changes of the shared attributes while avoiding centrally stored shared attributes to create a syndicated distributed secure data exchange.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein, in operation, the server database engine:

reads user ID and device ID from a local cache;

if permissions are not stored locally, calls a server method to request permissions for the user ID;

if permissions are stored locally, reads permissions from a local file.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein, in operation, the server database engine:

calls a server method to request a personal attribute record (PAR) if the PAR is stored remotely;

reads the PAR from a local file if the PAR is stored locally.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein, in operation, the server database engine:

gets transactions by either requesting pending transactions from a server or waiting for the server to send the transactions.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein, in operation, the server database engine:

selects one or more grantees from a contact list;

enables attribute permissions for selected contacts;

calls a server method to update permission settings on a server.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein, in operation, the server database engine:

updates a permissions table as specified by a grantor;

for each new device owned by the grantor, sends new permission settings;

for each device owned by a grantee, sends new attribute values;

if the grantor is granting permission, sends the attribute value sent in an update permissions call;

if the grantor is taking away permissions, sends a null value.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein, in operation, the server database engine:

selects from a permissions table grantees for attributes of a grantor;

joins grantees with the attribute changes;

creates attribute transactions;

sends attribute transactions changes to destinations associated with the grantees.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein, in operation, the server database engine:

selects from a device table devices of a grantor;

joins grantees with the attribute changes;

creates personal attribute record (PAR) transactions;

sends PAR changes to destinations associated with the grantor.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the first entity comprises a mobile device, and the second entity comprises a mobile device.