Patent ID: 9648024
Date: 2017-05-09
CPC Classifications: G06Q,H04L

Claim:
1. A method comprising: storing, in an online system, data describing a first device and an owner of the first device, the owner associated with a user of a plurality of users of the online system capable of authorizing a plurality of different types of actions associated with the first device; receiving a request from a second device of a requesting user of the online system to perform one of the plurality of different types of actions using the first device, the second device different from the first device; identifying a type of connection in the online system between the requesting user of the second device and the owner of the first device, the type of connection in the online system based on a relationship between the requesting user of the second device and the owner in the online system including at least a connection in the online system to the owner of the first device, or a connection in the online system to the first device; determining, from the online system, that the requesting user is authorized to perform at least one of the plurality of different types of actions based at least in part on (i) the type of connection in the online system between the requesting user of the second device and the owner of the first device and (ii) owner data describing which type of connection between the owner and the requesting user of the second device who is authorized to instruct the first device to perform the at least one of the plurality of different types of actions; and sending, from the online system to the first device, instructions authorizing the first device to perform the at least one of the plurality of different types of actions for the requesting user of the second device responsive to determining that the requesting user is authorized to perform the at least one of the plurality of different types of actions using the first device.