US5113442A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for providing access control in a secure operating system
Assignee: SHL SYSTEMHOUSE CORP
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Filing: 1989-03-06
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Granted: 1992-05-12
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Expires: 2009-03-06
Abstract
Abstract A method, and an operating system utilizing this method, for controlling access rights among a plurality of users to a plurality of secure objects. Each user is provided a user identification number which is prime and each secure object is provided an access code which comprises a value that is a product of the user identification numbers of all users having the same access rights to that secure object. In response to a request by a user for access to a secure object, the access code for that secure object is divided by the user identification number of the requesting user. Access rights of the user to the requested secure object are determined based on whether the result of the division yields a zero remainder.
Inventors
- 👤 Dale A. Moir
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 16:32
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/46; G06F9/468; G06F21/00; G06F21/60; G06F21/62; G06F21/6218
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of controlling access rights among a plurality of users to an operating system having a plurality of secure objects, comprising the steps of: providing each user a user identification number which is prime; providing at least one access code to each secure object, said access code comprising a value which is a product of the user identification numbers of all users having the same access rights to that secure object; responding to a request by a particular user for access to a particular secure object by dividing the access code for that secure object by the user identification number of the requesting user; and determining access rights of the requesting user to the particular secure object based on whether the result of the division yields a zero remainder.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of controlling access rights among a plurality of users to an operating system having a plurality of secure objects, comprising the steps of: providing each user a user identification number which is prime; providing at least one access code to each secure object, said access code comprising a value which is a product of the user identification numbers of all users having the same access rights to that secure object; responding to a request by a particular user for access to a particular secure object by dividing the access code for that secure object by the user identification number of the requesting user; and determining access rights of the requesting user to the particular secure object based on whether the result of the division yields a zero remainder.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1 wherein each user is provided a prime user identification number by providing each user a respective password and using translating means to translate each password into a prime user identification number.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the translating means comprises a memory device which maps a prime user identification number to each password.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing some objects with an access code of value zero to allow all requesting users access thereto.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the dividing is done by performing a modulo operation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method of claim 1 wherein at least one secure object is provided an access code having a positive integer value which is the product of the user identification numbers of all users who are authorized to access that object, and the step of determining access rights includes granting the requesting user access to that object if the result of the division yields a zero remainder.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method of claim 1 wherein at least one secure object is provided an access code having an integer value which is the negative of the product of the user identification numbers of all users who are not authorized to access that object, and the step of determining access rights includes denying the requesting user access to that object if the result of the division yields a zero remainder.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
112 words
The method of claim 1 wherein at least one secure object is provided an access code having a value of -1 and that access code further comprises a plurality of lock codes, each lock code having a value which is a product of the user identification numbers of a respective portion of all users who are authorized to access that object, and wherein the responding step includes dividing each of the lock codes by the user identification number of the requesting user and the step of determining access rights includes granting the requesting user access to that object if the result of any of the lock code divisions yields a zero remainder.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the dividing is done by performing modulo operations.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining access rights includes granting the requesting user access to the particular requested object if the access code for that object has a positive value and the division yields a zero remainder.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining access rights includes granting the requesting user access to the particular requested object if the access code for that object has a negative value less than -1 and the division yields a non-zero remainder.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
142 words
An operating system having a plurality of secure objects wherein access rights among a plurality of users to the secure objects are selectively controlled, the system comprising the combination of: identification means for providing each user a user identification number which is prime; at least one access code provided for each secure object, each access code comprising a value which is a product of the user identification numbers of all users having the same access rights to that secure object; means for responding to a request by a particular user for access to a particular secure object by dividing the access code for that secure object by the user identification number of the requesting user; and means for determining access rights of the requesting user to the particular secure object based on whether the result of the division yields a zero remainder.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
142 words
An operating system having a plurality of secure objects wherein access rights among a plurality of users to the secure objects are selectively controlled, the system comprising the combination of: identification means for providing each user a user identification number which is prime; at least one access code provided for each secure object, each access code comprising a value which is a product of the user identification numbers of all users having the same access rights to that secure object; means for responding to a request by a particular user for access to a particular secure object by dividing the access code for that secure object by the user identification number of the requesting user; and means for determining access rights of the requesting user to the particular secure object based on whether the result of the division yields a zero remainder.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
The operating system of claim 12 wherein a password is provided for each user and the identification means comprises translating means for translating each password into a prime user identification number.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
The operating system of claim 13 wherein the translating means comprises a memory device which maps a prime user identification number to each password.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
The operating system of claim 12 wherein some objects have an access code of value zero to allow all requesting users access thereto.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
The operating system of claim 12 wherein the responding means comprises means for performing a modulo operation.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
63 words
The operating system of claim 12 wherein at least one secure object is provided an access code having a positive integer value which is the product of the user identification numbers of all users who are authorized to access that object, such that access to that object is granted to the requesting user if the result of the division yields a zero remainder.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
66 words
The operating system of claim 12 wherein at least one secure object is provided an access code having an integer value which is the negative of the product of the user identification numbers of all users who are not authorized to access that object, such that access to that object is denied to the requesting user if the result of the division yields a zero remainder.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
105 words
The operating system of claim 12 wherein at least one secure object is provided an access code having a value of -1 and that access code further comprises a plurality of lock codes, each lock code having a value which is a product of the user identification numbers of a respective portion of all users who are authorized to access that object, and wherein each of the lock codes is divided by the user identification number of the requesting user such that the requesting user is granted access to that object if the result of any of the lock code divisions yields a zero remainder.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
The operating system of claim 12 further comprising means for modifying the access code provided for an object to accommodate changes to the set of users authorized to access that object.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
103 words
A method of controlling access permissions among a plurality of users to a plurality of secure objects in an operating system, comprising the steps of: providing each user a user identification number which is prime; providing at least one access code number to each secure object, each access code number consisting of a value which is a product of a predetermined set of prime numbers; and altering the access permission of a particular user to a particular secure object by modifying the access code value for the particular secure object by a factor equal to the prime identification number of the particular user.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
103 words
A method of controlling access permissions among a plurality of users to a plurality of secure objects in an operating system, comprising the steps of: providing each user a user identification number which is prime; providing at least one access code number to each secure object, each access code number consisting of a value which is a product of a predetermined set of prime numbers; and altering the access permission of a particular user to a particular secure object by modifying the access code value for the particular secure object by a factor equal to the prime identification number of the particular user.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 21 wherein the step of access permission altering is performed by multiplying the access code value for the particular secure object by the prime identification number of the particular user.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 21 wherein the step of access permission altering is performed by dividing the access code value for the particular secure object by the prime identification number of the particular user.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4658292A
Cited
US4644543A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-05-12 | 1995-11-11 | 1996-05-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-05-12 | 1999-11-11 | 2000-05-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-05-12 | 2003-11-11 | 2004-05-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |