Multi-user use of single-user apps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9445271-B2
Application number	US-201414195704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2014
Priority date	Mar 1, 2013
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

Multi-user use of single-user applications is disclosed. A request to access application data associated with an object identifier may be received in a context of a single-user application. Access may be provided to one or more application data objects associated with the object identifier. The objects may be included in a data set corresponding to user information associated with the context of the application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a multi-user library distinct from a single-user application in a context of the single-user application being executed on a mobile terminal, a request to access application data associated with an object identifier, wherein the single-user application comprises an application designed to be used by a single user and is used without modifying an underlying application of the single-user application;
in response to receiving the request to access application data associated with the object identifier:
upon authentication of a user of a plurality of users, retrieving from a secure storage location, by the multi-user library, user information associated with the user and comparing the retrieved user information with a current data set associated with the single-user application, wherein a data set comprises at least user documents associated with a particular authenticated user;
responsive to the retrieved user information not matching user information of the current data set, performing, by the multi-user library, a redirect to cause the single-user application to save application data associated with the current data set to a data set corresponding to a previous authenticated user and to access a data set corresponding to the retrieved user information rather than the current data set, wherein the data set corresponding to the retrieved user information is generated in the event the retrieved user information associated with the user does not match an existing data set associated with the single-user application; and
configuring, by the multi-user library, the single-user application based at least in part on the data set corresponding to the retrieved user information; and

providing access to one or more application data objects associated with the object identifier, the one or more application data objects included in the data set corresponding to the retrieved user information and associated with the single-user application.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more application data objects comprise one or more of application settings, application configurations, application data, and user data associated with the application.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising retrieving the one or more application data objects.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying the context of the single-user application based at least in part on the one or more application data objects.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing step is performed by one or more of a library associated with the application and the application.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data set corresponding to the retrieved user information comprises a sandbox corresponding to the user.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the user information associated with the context of the single-user application.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the user information associated with the context of the single-user application includes:
receiving user credential information in a context of management agent;
validating the user credential information; and
determining the user information based at least in part on the validated user credential information.

9. The method of claim 7 ,
wherein the user information was provided to the storage location by a management agent.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
configuring the single-user application to access data from the data set corresponding to the retrieved user information.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data set corresponding to the retrieved user information is generated in the event the retrieved user information associated with the user does not match an existing data set associated with the single-user application is generated at least in part by:
determining that the retrieved user information comprises new user information associated with a new user; and
generating the data set associated with the retrieved user information based at least in part on a default data set and the new user information.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
associating the multi-user library with the single-user application.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
configuring the single-user application to communicate data associated with a data set associated with each respective user of the single-user application over a secure connection bus.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring the single-user application to generate and use the data set for each respective user of the single-user application at least in part by
configuring the single-user application to access a data set associated with the user within a context of a managed application.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-user library further configures the single-user application to use a data set associated with each respective user of the single-user application.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein a default data set is used as a template for generation of a data set associated with each respective user.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
redirecting the request to access application data associated with an object identifier to the data set corresponding to user information associated with the context of the application, wherein the request to access application data associated with an object identifier is sent in a form that is consistent with an access request to an unmodified version of the single-user application.

18. A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to:
receive, by a multi-user library distinct from a single-user application in a context of the single-user application being executed on a mobile terminal, a request to access application data associated with an object identifier, wherein the single-user application comprises an application designed to be used by a single user and is used without modifying an underlying application of the single-user application;
in response to receiving the request to access application data associated with the object identifier:
upon authentication of a user of a plurality of users, retrieve from a secure storage location, by the multi-user library, user information associated with the user and compare the retrieved user information with a current data set associated with the single-user application, wherein a data set comprises at least user documents associated with a particular authenticated user;
responsive to the retrieved user information not matching the user information of the current data set, cause the multi-user library to perform a redirect to cause the single-user application to save application data associated with the current data set to a data set corresponding to a previous authenticated user and to access the a data set corresponding to the retrieved user information rather than the current data set, wherein the data set corresponding to the retrieved user information is generated in the event the retrieved user information associated with the user does not match an existing data set used by the single-user application; and
configure, by the multi-user library, the single-user application based at least in part on the data set corresponding to the retrieved user information; and

provide access to one or more application data objects associated with the object identifie

Assignees

• Mobile Iron Inc

Inventors

• Kim Mansu
• Batchu Suresh Kumar

Classifications

• H04W12/08 Primary

  Access security · CPC title