Contextually aware sharing recommendations

• US 9,979,732 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2015
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lehane, Marina A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Homayounmehr, Farid
• Assistant Examiner(s): SARKER, SANCHIT K
• Application Number:
  US14/598,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20160212138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• 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: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

A profile is configured with permissions that may be shared with other profiles. Contextual data defining user activity, preferences, and/or other contextual information is obtained and analyzed to identify a profile that may utilize shared permissions. In some configurations, the contextual data may also utilized to determine if a set of permissions of a first user profile is to be shared with a second user profile. Based on the contextual data, a recommendation may be issued to enable the second user profile to utilize permissions shared by the first user profile. Modifications may be made to the second user profile allowing a computer associated with the second user profile to access data and/or program features that are defined by the shared permissions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a recommendation identifying a user for purposes of promoting higher grade features of a primary subscriber that are available to share with the user, the computer-implemented method comprising:

monitoring communication activity between the primary subscriber and one or more users to identify the user from the one or more users for providing the recommendation for at least the purpose of sharing the higher grade features with the user;

obtaining contextual data defining the communication activity between the primary subscriber and the one or more users, the contextual data identifying a first profile associated with of the primary subscriber and an individual profile associated with the user;

selecting, by a hardware server, the individual profile based, at least in part, on the contextual data;

causing a communication of the recommendation identifying the individual profile;

receiving an authorization confirming the recommendation identifying the individual profile;

in response to the authorization, causing a communication from the server of an invitation comprising permissions associated with the first profile that are to be shared with the individual profile;

receiving a confirmation that the permissions associated with the first profile were accepted; and

in response to receiving the confirmation, modifying a set of permissions of the individual profile based, at least in part, on the permissions associated with the first profile, wherein modifying the set of permissions of the individual profile allows the user associated with the individual profile to utilize at least one function of the higher grade features allowed by the permissions associated with the first profile.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing a display of content representing the recommendation on a display of a computing device associated with the first profile, the content including a selectable element for causing communication of the authorization; and

causing a communication of the authorization from the computing device associated with the first profile to the server in response to receiving a selection of the selectable element.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the invitation is communicated from the server to a computing device associated with the individual profile, and wherein the method further comprises displaying content representing the invitation on a display of the computing device associated with the individual profile.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein selecting the individual profile comprises:

obtaining data defining a threshold; and

monitoring the contextual data defining the communication activity to determine if the communication activity meets the threshold, wherein the individual profile is selected if the communication activity meets the threshold.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the contextual data further defines comments associated with a file, and wherein selecting the individual profile comprises

interpreting a context of the comments, and

selecting the individual profile based, at least in part, on the context of the comments.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the contextual data further defines messages of a communication application, and wherein selecting the individual profile comprises

interpreting a context of the messages, and

selecting the individual profile based, at least in part, on the context of the messages.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the contextual data further defines activity of a social network, and wherein selecting the individual profile comprises

interpreting a context of the activity of the social network, and

selecting the individual profile based, at least in part, on the context of the activity of the social network.

8. A computer for providing a recommendation to identify a user associated with an individual profile for purposes of promoting higher grade features of a primary subscriber that are available to share with the user, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in communication with the processor, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor cause the processor to

monitor communication activity between a primary subscriber and one or more users to identify a user from the one or more users for providing a recommendation for at least the purpose of sharing higher grade features with the user;

obtain contextual data defining the communication activity between the primary subscriber and the one or more users, the contextual data identifying a first profile associated with of the primary subscriber and an individual profile associated with the user;

select the individual profile based, at least in part, on the contextual data; and

cause a communication of the recommendation identifying the selected profile;

receive an authorization confirming the recommendation identifying the selected profile;

in response to the authorization, cause a communication of an invitation indicating permissions associated with the first profile that are to be shared with the selected profile;

receive a confirmation that the permissions associated with the first profile are accepted; and

in response to receiving the confirmation, modify a set of permissions of the individual profile based, at least in part, on permissions associated with the first profile, wherein modifying the set of permissions of the individual profile allows the user associated with the individual profile to utilize at least one function of the higher grade features allowed by the permissions associated with the first profile.

9. The computer of claim 8, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

generate a recommendation identifying the individual profile;

cause the display of content representing the recommendation on a display of a computing device associated with the first profile, the content including a selectable element for causing a generation of an authorization of the recommendation; and

cause a communication of the authorization from the computing device associated with the first profile in response to receiving a selection of the selectable element.

10. The computer of claim 9, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

cause a generation of an invitation indicating the permissions associated with the first profile are to be shared;

cause a communication of the invitation to a computing device associated with the individual profile; and

cause a display content representing the invitation on a display of the computing device associated with the individual profile.

11. The computer of claim 8, wherein selecting the individual profile comprises:

obtaining data identifying a threshold, and

monitoring the contextual data defining activity to determine if the activity meets the threshold, wherein the individual profile is selected if the activity meets the threshold.

12. The computer of claim 8, wherein the contextual data further defines comments associated with a file, and wherein selecting the individual profile comprises:

interpreting a context of the comments, and

selecting the individual profile based, at least in part, on the context of the comments.

13. The computer of claim 8, wherein the contextual data further defines messages of a communication application, and wherein selecting the individual profile comprises:

interpreting a context of the messages, and

selecting the individual profile based, at least in part, on the context of the messages.

14. The computer of claim 8, wherein the contextual data further defines activity of a social network, and wherein selecting the individual profile comprises:

interpreting a context of the activity of the social network, and

selecting the individual profile based, at least in part, on the context of the activity of the social network.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to provide a recommendation identifying a user associated with an individual profile for purposes of promoting higher grade features of a primary subscriber that are available to share with the user, wherein the instructions cause the computer to:

monitor communication activity between a primary subscriber and one or more users to identify a user from the one or more users for providing a recommendation for at least the purpose of sharing higher grade features with the user;

obtain contextual data defining the communication activity between the primary subscriber and the one or more users, the contextual data identifying a first profile associated with of the primary subscriber and an individual profile associated with the user;

select the individual profile, at least in part, on the contextual data;

cause a communication of the recommendation identifying the selected profile;

receive an authorization confirming the recommendation identifying the selected profile;

in response to the authorization, cause a communication of an invitation indicating permissions associated with the first profile that are to be shared with the selected profile;

receive a confirmation that the permissions associated with the first profile are accepted; and

in response to receiving the confirmation, modify a set of permissions of the individual profile based, at least in part, on permissions associated with the first profile, wherein modifying the set of permissions of the individual profile allows the user associated with the individual profile to utilize at least one function of the higher grade features allowed by the permissions associated with the first profile.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable storage medium has further instructions for causing the computer to:

generate a recommendation identifying the individual profile;

cause the display of content representing the recommendation on a display of a computing device associated with the first profile, the content including a selectable element for causing a generation of an authorization for the recommendation; and

cause a communication of the authorization from the computing device associated with the first profile in response to receiving a selection of the selectable element.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable storage medium has further instructions for causing the computer to:

cause a generation of an invitation indicating the permissions associated with the first profile are to be shared;

cause a communication of the invitation to a computing device associated with the individual profile; and

cause a display content representing the invitation on a display of the computing device associated with the individual profile.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein selecting the individual identity comprises:

obtaining data identifying a threshold, and

monitoring the contextual data defining activity to determine if the activity meets the threshold, wherein the individual profile is selected if the activity meets the threshold.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the contextual data further defines comments associated with a file, and wherein selecting the individual profile comprises:

interpreting a context of the comments, and

selecting the individual profile based, at least in part, on the context of the comments.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the contextual data further defines messages of a communication application, and wherein selecting the individual profile comprises:

interpreting a context of the messages, and

selecting the individual profile based, at least in part, on the context of the messages.