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-11810072-B2
Application number	US-202117306260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2021
Priority date	Oct 14, 2016
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

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. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method of authorizing a user in a group-based communication system, the method comprising:
receiving a request, from a first user associated with a first organization, to create a group-based communication channel, wherein the request comprises channel settings,
wherein the group-based communication channel is a virtual communications environment configured to display messages;
in response to determining, based on a comparison of the channel settings and enterprise settings, that the group-based communication channel is authorized for creation, creating the group-based communication channel according to the channel settings,
wherein the enterprise settings are associated with the first organization and are configured to regulate the group-based communication channel;
receiving a channel access request from a second user associated with the group-based communication channel, wherein the second user is associated with a second organization that is distinct from the first organization; and
in response to determining that the second user is authorized to access the group-based communication channel based on the channel settings, enabling the second user to access the group-based communication channel.

2. The media of claim 1 ,
wherein the method further comprises determining a user identifier that is associated with the second user,
wherein the user identifier is indicative of a profile of the second user.

3. The media of claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises determining that the user identifier is associated with a whitelisted domain.

4. The media of claim 3 ,
wherein the user identifier is at least one of an email address, a company identification number, a one-time authentication number; and
if the user identifier is the email address, the method further comprises sending a challenge to the email address with a verification number to verify the email address.

5. The media of claim 1 ,
wherein the channel settings comprise a channel type value indicative of access control parameters; and
wherein the method further comprises creating the group-based communication channel according to the access control parameters.

6. The media of claim 5 , wherein the method further comprises automatically generating a list of users that can create group-based communication channels by matching user identifiers with one or more parameters of the enterprise settings.

7. The media of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises, in accordance with a determination that there is a conflict in the comparison of the channel settings and the enterprise settings, automatically modifying the channel settings to equal the enterprise settings to remedy the conflict and authorize the group-based communication channel for creation.

8. A method of authorizing a user in a group-based communication system, the method comprising:
receiving a request, from a first user associated with a first organization, to create a group-based communication channel, wherein the request comprises channel settings,
wherein the group-based communication channel is a virtual communications environment configured to display messages;
in response to determining, based on a comparison of the channel settings and enterprise settings, that the group-based communication channel is authorized for creation, creating the group-based communication channel according to the channel settings,
wherein the enterprise settings are associated with the first organization and are configured to regulate the group-based communication channel;
receiving a channel access request from a second user associated with the group-based communication channel, wherein the second user is associated with a second organization that is distinct from the first organization; and
in response to determining that the second user is authorized to access the group-based communication channel based on the channel settings, enabling the second user to access the group-based communication channel.

9. The method of claim 8 , further performing determining a user identifier that is associated with the second user, wherein the user identifier is indicative of a profile of the second user.

10. The method of claim 9 , further performing determining that the user identifier is associated with a whitelisted domain.

11. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the user identifier is at least one of an email address, a company identification number, a one-time authentication number; and
if the user identifier is the email address, further performing sending a challenge to the email address with a verification number to verify the email address.

12. The method of claim 8 ,
wherein the channel settings comprise a channel type value indicative of access control parameters; and
further comprising creating the group-based communication channel according to the access control parameters.

13. The method of claim 12 , further performing automatically generating a list of users that can create group-based communication channels by matching user identifiers with one or more parameters of the enterprise settings.

14. The method of claim 8 , further performing, in accordance with a determination that there is a conflict in the comparison of the channel settings and the enterprise settings, automatically modifying the channel settings to equal the enterprise settings to remedy the conflict and authorize the group-based communication channel for creation.

15. A group-based communication system for authorizing a user to access the group-based communication system, comprising:
a data store;
at least one processor; and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform a method of authorizing the user in the group-based communication system, the method comprising:
receiving a request, from a first user associated with a first organization, to create a group-based communication channel, wherein the request comprises channel settings,
wherein the group-based communication channel is a virtual communications environment configured to display messages;
in response to determining, based on a comparison of the channel settings and enterprise settings, that the group-based communication channel is authorized for creation, creating the group-based communication channel according to the channel settings,
wherein the enterprise settings are associated with the first organization and are configured to regulate the group-based communication channel;
receiving a channel access request from a second user associated with the group-based communication channel, wherein the second user is associated with a second organization that is distinct from the first organization; and
in response to determining that the second user is authorized to access the group-based communication channel based on the channel settings, enabling the second user to access the group-based communication channel.

16. The group-based communication system of claim 15 ,
wherein the method further comprises determining a user identifier that is associated with the second user,
wherein the user identifier is indicative of a profile of the second user.

17. The group-based communication system of claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises determining that the user identifier is associated with a whitelisted domain.

Assignees

• Slack Tech Inc
• Slack Tech Llc

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

• G06Q10/103 Primary

  Workflow collaboration or project management · CPC title

• H04L63/101

  Access control lists [ACL] · CPC title

• H04L63/104

  Grouping of entities · CPC title

• H04W4/08

  User group management · CPC title

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title