Association of address with cloud services account

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10853510-B2
Application number	US-201615275222-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2016
Priority date	Jun 12, 2016
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method for an electronic device. The method receives, through a communication address, an invitation to access a shared data asset via a cloud services platform. When the communication address is not associated with any account on the cloud services platform, the method identifies whether the device is associated with a cloud services account. When the device is associated with a cloud services account, the method prompts for input of a password for the cloud services account in order for the communication address to be associated with the cloud services account and for access to be enabled to the shared data asset.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a device and via a communication address, an invitation message to access a shared data asset via a cloud services platform; and
responsive to receiving the invitation message:
when the communication address is unassociated with any cloud service account on the cloud services platform, identifying whether the device is associated with a cloud services account on the cloud services platform; and
when the communication address is unassociated with any cloud service account on the cloud services platform and the device is associated with the cloud services account on the cloud services platform, prompting, on the device via a cloud-services sign-in prompt, for input of a user-selected password and receiving, via the cloud services sign-in prompt, input of the user-selected password for the cloud services account in order for the communication address to be associated with the cloud services account that the device is already associated with on the cloud services platform and for access to be enabled to the shared data asset via the communication address through which the invitation message was received.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication address is an email address and the invitation message is received via an e-mail.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication address is a phone number and the invitation message is received via a text message.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication address is an account with a messaging application and the invitation message is received via the messaging application.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, when the device is unassociated with the cloud services account, prompting the user for input of a username and password for another cloud services account, the communication address being associated with the other cloud services account responsive to authentication of the username and password.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein prompting for input of the user-selected password comprises:
receiving a request to verify the communication address;
in response to the request, sending a message to the cloud services platform requesting verification of the communication address;
receiving a separate communication, through the communication address, that requests verification of an association of the communication address with the cloud services account; and
upon receiving selection of an item in the separate communication, displaying a prompt for the user-selected password for the cloud services account.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein access is enabled to the shared data asset by encrypting the shared data asset with a public key associated with the cloud services account.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein access is enabled to the shared data asset by encrypting a record with a public key associated with the cloud services account, wherein the encrypted record provides a key for accessing the shared data asset.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cloud services account is a first cloud services account, wherein the encrypting is performed by another device associated with a second cloud services account.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the record is also encrypted with another public key associated with the second cloud services account.

11. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for execution by at least one processing unit of a device, the program comprising sets of instructions for:
receiving, through a communication address, an invitation message to access a shared data asset via a cloud services platform;
when the communication address is unassociated with any cloud services account on the cloud services platform, identifying whether the device is associated with a cloud services account; and
when the communication address is unassociated with any cloud services account on the cloud services platform and the device is associated with the cloud services account, and responsive to receiving the invitation message, prompting for input of a user-selected password for the cloud services account in order for the communication address to be associated with the cloud services account that the device is associated with and for access to be enabled to the shared data asset via the communication address through which the invitation message was received.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the communication address is an e-mail address and the invitation message is received via an e-mail.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the communication address is a phone number and the invitation message is received via a text message.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the communication address is an account with a messaging application and the invitation message is received via the messaging application.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for prompting for input of a username and password for another cloud services account in order to associate the communication address with the other cloud services account, when the device is unassociated with the cloud services account.

16. A device comprising:
a set of processing units; and
a non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for execution by at least one of the set of processing units, the program comprising sets of instructions for:
receiving, from another device and through a communication address, an invitation message to access a shared data asset via a cloud services platform;
when the communication address is unassociated with any cloud services account on the cloud services platform, identifying whether the device is associated with a cloud services account; and
when the communication address is unassociated with any cloud services account on the cloud services platform and the device is associated with the cloud services account and responsive to receiving the invitation message, prompting for input of a user-selected password for the cloud services account in order for the communication address to be associated with the cloud services account that the device is associated with and for access to be enabled to the shared data asset via the communication address through which the invitation message was received from the other device.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the set of instructions for prompting for input of the user-selected password comprises:
receiving a request to verify the communication address;
in response to the request, sending a message to the cloud services platform requesting verification of the communication address;
receiving a separate communication, through the communication address, that requests verification of an association of the communication address with the cloud services account; and
upon receiving selection of an item in the separate communication, displaying a prompt for the user-selected password for the cloud services account.

18. The device of claim 16 , wherein access is enabled to the shared data asset by encrypting the shared data asset with a public key associated with the cloud services account.

19. The device of claim 16 , wherein access is enabled to the shared data asset by encrypting a record with a public key associated with the cloud services account, wherein the encrypted record provides a key for accessing the shared data asset.

20. The device o

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Bonnet Olivier
• HONG Van

Classifications

• H04L9/3226

  using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083) · CPC title

• G06F21/6218 Primary

  to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database · CPC title

• G06F16/164

  File meta data generation · CPC title

• H04L9/0841

  involving Diffie-Hellman or related key agreement protocols · CPC title

• G06F2221/2107

  File encryption · CPC title