Method, apparatus, and computer program product for authorizing and authenticating user communication within an enterprise group-based communication platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10997557-B2
Application number	US-201715782680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2017
Priority date	Oct 14, 2016
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

The disclosure generally relates to an enterprise group-based communication system. Group-based communication channels may be created and access by client devices associated with users within the enterprise group-based communication system that have various identifiers associated therewith.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A group-based communication server in an enterprise group-based communication system, the enterprise group-based communication system comprising a plurality of group-based communication channels, the group-based communication server comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the group-based communication server to:
receive a channel creation request to create a group-based communication channel within the enterprise group-based communication system, wherein the channel creation request comprises channel settings, and wherein the channel settings comprise one or more authorized group identifiers for accessing the group-based communication channel;
retrieve enterprise settings from an enterprise settings database, wherein the enterprise settings regulate each group-based communication channel of a plurality of group-based communication channels, and wherein the enterprise settings comprise a group identifier whitelist;
determine, based on a comparison of the channel settings and the enterprise settings, if the group-based communication channel is authorized for creation; and
in circumstances when it is determined that the group-based communication channel is authorized:
create the group-based communication channel according to the channel settings;
store messaging communication that is posted to the group-based communication channel to either an enterprise storage location or a group storage location based on the channel settings;
wherein the enterprise storage location is in a first memory address range and the group storage location is in a second memory address range different from the first memory address range;
receive a channel access request from a client device associated with the group-based communication channel;
retrieve a global identifier or a group identifier associated with the client device from an identifier database; and
determine whether to authorize the channel access request based on comparing the channel settings to one of the global identifier or the group identifier.

2. The group-based communication server of claim 1 , wherein the channel settings comprise a channel type value that indicates access control parameters, and the group-based communication server is further configured to create the group-based communication channel according to the access control parameters.

3. The group-based communication server of claim 2 , further configured to determine that the channel type value indicates an enterprise promoted channel type, and, in response, authorize access rights for each member of a corresponding enterprise to the group-based communication channel.

4. The group-based communication server of claim 2 , further configured to determine that the channel type value indicates a group-to-group channel type, and in response authorize access rights for members of the group-based communication system that are associated with one or more identified groups to the group-based communication channel, wherein the one or more identified groups are indicated in the channel settings.

5. The group-based communication server of claim 2 , further configured to determine that the channel type value indicates a private channel type, and in response authorize access rights for specific members of the group-based communication system to the group-based communication channel, wherein the specific members are indicated in the channel settings.

6. The group-based communication server of claim 3 , further configured to receive one or more messaging communications configured for display within the group-based communication channel and store to the enterprise storage location the received one or more messaging communications, wherein the enterprise storage location is further determined by a channel name string present in the channel settings.

7. The group-based communication server of claim 4 , further configured to receive one or more messaging communications configured for display within the group-based communication channel and store in the enterprise storage location the received one or more messaging communications, wherein the enterprise storage location is further determined by a channel name string present in the channel settings.

8. The group-based communication server of claim 5 , further configured to receive one or more messaging communications configured for display within the group-based communication channel and store to the group storage location the received one or more messaging communications, wherein the group storage location is further determined by a channel name string present in the channel settings.

9. The group-based communication server of claim 3 , wherein the channel access request includes a user identification value associated with the client device, wherein the user identification value is different from the global identifier and the group identifier; and
the group-based communication server is further configured to retrieve, from the identifier database, a global identifier associated with the client device based on the user identification value, and determine whether to authorize the client device access to the group-based communication channel based on the global identifier.

10. The group-based communication server of claim 4 , wherein the channel access request includes a user identification value associated with the client device or the global identifier associated with the client device, wherein the user identification value is different from the global identifier and the group identifier; and
the group-based communication server is further configured to retrieve, from the identifier database, a group identifier associated with the client device based on the user identification value or the global identifier, and determine whether to authorize the client device access to the group-based communication channel based on a comparison of the group identifier and the channel settings.

11. The group-based communication server of claim 5 , wherein the channel access request includes a user identification value associated with the client device wherein the user identification value is different from the global identifier and the group identifier; and
the group-based communication server is further configured to retrieve, from the identifier database, a global identifier and at least one group identifier associated with the client device based on the user identification value, and determine whether to authorize the client device access to the group-based communication channel based on a comparison of the group identifier, the global identifier, and the channel settings.

12. The group-based communication server of claim 1 , further configured to:
compare the received channel settings to the enterprise settings;
determine a first channel setting that does not comply with a corresponding first enterprise setting, and set the first channel setting to be equal to the first enterprise setting.

13. The group-based communication server of claim 1 , wherein the channel settings include an originator identifier that indicates an originator of the channel creation request for the group-based communication channel.

14. A method for authorizing communication in an enterprise group-based communication system, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving, by a group-based communication server, a channel creation request to create a group-based communication channel within the enterprise group-based communication system, wherein the channel creat

Assignees

• Slack Tech Inc

Inventors

• Frank Ilan
• Butterfield Daniel Stewart
• Henderson-Begg Callum
• Underwood April
• Jones Leah
• Grant Myles
• Wirth Todd
• Vierhaus Eric
• Stoller Samantha
• Pelly Gregory
• Deng Yongxing
• Mullen Matthew

Classifications

• H04W12/33

  using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses · CPC title

• H04W12/76

  Group identity · CPC title

• G06Q10/103 Primary

  Workflow collaboration or project management · CPC title

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title

• H04W4/08

  User group management · CPC title