US 7,117,448 B2 · System and method for determining desktop functionality based on workstation and user roles

Abstract

A system and method that selects applications that are allowed to be performed by a particular user using a particular workstation is provided. The system identifies one or more roles that have been assigned to the user and matches the identified roles with one or more roles that have been assigned to the workstation. Roles that are allowed for both the workstation and the user are enabled to be used by the user using the workstation. In one embodiment, a user may be allowed to perform multiple roles from the user's workstation. The available roles are selected using an interface, such as a pop-up menu. In one embodiment, the desktop packages and components are received by, displayed on, and launched from a operating system platform-neutral shell application, such as a Java software application running on a Java virtual machine. In this manner, the packages and components are platform-independent.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A method of selecting applications that are allowed to be executed by a user of a computer system, said method comprising:

booting an operating system on the computer system;
loading a virtual machine middleware application on the operating system, wherein the virtual machine middleware application is adapted to run platform-neutral applications;
receiving a user identifier corresponding to the user;
receiving a computer system identifier corresponding to the computer system;
matching one or more applications that are allowed to be executed by both the user identifier and the computer system identifier;
and
enabling the matched applications to be invoked from the computer system, wherein the enabling further includes:
invoking a desktop shell application in the virtual machine middleware application, the desktop shell including a desktop window that includes one or more container windows;
receiving one or more self-contained desktops, each of which includes one or more of the matched applications, from a server connected to the computer system over a computer network;
and
displaying the matched applications corresponding to at least one of the self-contained desktops in the desktop window.

8 more elements

An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;
a memory area accessible by the processors;
a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the processors;
an operating system executed by the processors for managing the information handling system;
an application selecting tool for selecting applications allowed to be executed on a user's computer system, the application selecting tool including:
means for booting an operating system on the user's computer system;
means for loading a virtual machine middleware application on the operating system, wherein the virtual machine middleware application is adapted to run platform-neutral applications;
means for receiving a user identifier corresponding to the user;
means for receiving a computer system identifier corresponding to the user's computer system;
means for matching one or more applications that are allowed to be executed by both the user identifier and the computer system identifier;
and
means for enabling the matched applications to be invoked from the user's computer system,
wherein the means for enabling further includes:
means for invoking a desktop shell application in the virtual machine middleware application, the desktop shell including a desktop window that includes one or more container windows;
means for receiving one or more self-contained desktops, each of which includes one or more applications, from a server connected to the user's computer system over a computer network;
and
means for displaying the applications corresponding to at least one of the self-contained desktops in the desktop window.

14 more elements

A computer program product stored on a computer operable media for selecting applications that are allowed to be executed by user of the computer system, said computer program product comprising:

means for booting an operating system on the computer system;
means for loading a virtual machine middleware application on the operating system, wherein the virtual machine middleware application is adapted to run platform-neutral applications;
means for receiving a user identifier corresponding to the user;
means for receiving a computer system identifier corresponding to the computer system;
means for matching one or more applications that are allowed to be executed by both the user identifier and the computer system identifier;
and
means for enabling the matched applications to be invoked from the computer system, wherein the means for enabling further includes:
means for invoking a desktop shell application in the virtual machine middleware application, the desktop shell including a desktop window that includes one or more container windows;
means for receiving one or more self-contained desktops, each of which includes one or more applications, from a server connected to the computer system over a computer network;
and
means for displaying the applications corresponding to at least one of the self-contained desktops in the desktop window.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for determining desktop functionality based on workstation and user roles

Life of this patent

System and method for determining desktop functionality based on workstation and user roles

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33