Item sharing based on information boundary and access control list settings

• US 10,025,949 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Sirbu, Alin, DeMaris, John Lincoln, Pasch, Mary David, Shallcross, Zachary, Burst, Alexandru, Rayson, Steve, Van Waardhuizen, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrison, Jay A
• Application Number:
  US15/196,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20160314314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1483 using an access-table, e.g. matrix or list
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6236 between heterogeneous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities

Abstract

An item is shared based on an information boundary and access control settings. An application such as a document management application detects a selection of an information boundary to manage a sharing action associated with the item. The information boundary includes rules to define how the item is shared. A selection of an access control list is also detected to manage recipients who have an access to the item. The access control list allows a recipient in the list an ability to search and discover the item. In response to a detection of the sharing action to share the item, the information boundary and the access control list is applied to the item. The item is then shared based on the information boundary and the access control list through a link of the item transmitted to a recipient.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a user interface to an online document service;

receiving, through the user interface, an input to share an item of the online document service;

in response to the input to share the item, displaying, in the user interface, an information boundary that comprises a set of selectable rules that govern sharing of the item by a recipient of a notification to access a shared item, based on the input, with other users selected by the recipient, wherein the displayed set of selectable rules comprise;

a first selectable option corresponding with an account requirement rule that provides an indication that a user that a recipient of the notification shares the item with is to be associated with an email account that is recognized by the online document service to receive sharing permissions for the item, and

a second selectable option that corresponds with a sign-in rule that provides an indication that the user that the recipient of the notification shares the item with is to be signed in to the email account to access the item; and

sharing the item with another user based on a sharing indication, received through the user interface, that comprises a selection of one or more of the first selectable option and the second selectable option.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed set of selectable rules further comprise:

a selectable option corresponding with a rule that foregoes a requirement that a user be associated with an account that is recognized by the online document service to receive sharing permissions for the document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed set of selectable rules further comprise:

a selectable option corresponding with a rule that foregoes a requirement that the user be signed-in to an account that is recognized by the online document service to access the document.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying presents the set of selectable rules in a sorted format that orders the selectable rules from most restrictive to least restrictive.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, through the user interface, input identifying one or more users to share the document with.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sharing a link to the document with the one or more users based on an identification of the one or more users and the selection of the one or more rules of the set of selectable rules.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a sharing status for one or more users that the document has been shared with, wherein the sharing status identifies selected rules from the set of selectable rules that are applicable to a sharing of the document with a specific user of the one or more users.

8. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory operatively connected with the at least one processor, wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to execute a method that comprises;

displaying a user interface to an online document service,

receiving, through the user interface, an input to share an item of the online document service;

in response to the input to share the item, displaying, in the user interface, an information boundary that comprises a set of selectable rules that govern sharing of the item by a recipient of a notification to access a shared item, based on the input, with other users selected by the recipient, wherein the displayed set of selectable rules comprise;

a first selectable option corresponding with an account requirement rule that provides an indication that a user that a recipient of the notification shares the item with is to be associated with an email account that is recognized by the online document service to receive sharing permissions for the item, and

a second selectable option that corresponds with a sign-in rule that provides an indication that the user that the recipient of the notification shares the item with is to be signed in to the email account to access the item, and

sharing the item with another user based on a sharing indication, received through the user interface, that comprises a selection of one or more of the first selectable option and the second selectable option.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the displayed set of selectable rules further comprise:

a selectable option corresponding with a rule that foregoes a requirement that a user be associated with an account that is recognized by the online document service to receive sharing permissions for the document.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the displayed set of selectable rules further comprise:

a selectable option corresponding with a rule that foregoes a requirement that the user be signed-in to an account that is recognized by the online document service to access the document.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the displaying presents the set of selectable rules in a sorted format that orders the selectable rules from most restrictive to least restrictive.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the method, executed by the at least one processor, further comprises:

receiving, through the user interface, input identifying one or more users to share the document with.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the method, executed by the at least one processor, further comprises:

sharing a link to the document with the one or more users based on an identification of the one or more users and the selection of the one or more rules of the set of selectable rules.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the method, executed by the at least one processor, further comprises:

displaying a sharing status for one or more users that the document has been shared with, and wherein the sharing status identifies selected rules from the set of selectable rules that are applicable to a sharing of the document with a specific user of the one or more users.

15. A computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to execute a method comprising:

displaying a user interface to an online document service;

receiving, through the user interface, an input to share an item of the online document service;

in response to the input to share the item, displaying, in the user interface, an information boundary that comprises a set of selectable rules that govern sharing of the item by a recipient of a notification to access a shared item, based on the input, with other users selected by the recipient, wherein the displayed set of selectable rules comprise;

a first selectable option corresponding with an account requirement rule that provides an indication that a user that a recipient of the notification shares the item with is to be associated with an email account that is recognized by the online document service to receive sharing permissions for the item, and

a second selectable option that corresponds with a sign-in rule that provides an indication that the user that the recipient of the notification shares the item with is to be signed in to the email account to access the item; and

sharing the item with another user based on a sharing indication, received through the user interface, that comprises a selection of one or more of the first selectable option and the second selectable option.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the displayed set of selectable rules further comprise:

a selectable option corresponding with a rule that foregoes a requirement that a user be associated with an account that is recognized by the online document service to receive sharing permissions for the document.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the displayed set of selectable rules further comprise:

a selectable option corresponding with a rule that foregoes a requirement that the user be signed-in to an account that is recognized by the online document service to access the document.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the displaying presents the set of selectable rules in a sorted format that orders the selectable rules from most restrictive to least restrictive.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the method further comprising:

receiving, through the user interface, input identifying one or more users to share the document with, and sharing a link to the document with the one or more users based on an identification of the one or more users and the selection of the one or more rules of the set of selectable rules.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the method further comprising:

displaying a sharing status for one or more users that the document has been shared with, and wherein the sharing status identifies selected rules from the set of selectable rules that are applicable to a sharing of the document with a specific user of the one or more users.