Schema-based services for identity-based access to inbox data

• US 20030069887A1
• Filed: 10/22/2001
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: George, Samuel J., Lucovsky, Mark H., Jacobs, Jay C., Hoffman, William R., Steckler, Paul A.
• Application Number:
  US10/021,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20030069887A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• 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: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1863 comprising mechanisms for improved reliability, e.g. status reports arrangements for detecting or preventing errors by carrying supervisory signal the return channel H04L1/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A schema-based inbox service that provides Internet access to per-user inbox data, (e.g., name, address, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses), wherein access to the inbox data is based on each user'"'"'s identity. The inbox service includes a schema that defines rules and a structure for each user'"'"'s data, and also includes methods that provide access to the data in a defined way. The inbox schema thus corresponds to a logical document containing the data for each user. The user manipulates (e.g., reads or writes) data in the logical document by data access requests through defined methods. In one implementation, the inbox schemas are arranged as XML documents, and the services provide methods that control access to the data based on the requesting user'"'"'s identification, defined role and scope for that role. In this way, data can be accessed by its owner, and shared to an extent determined by the owner. The structure of the data is defined from the perspective of the data, not from that of an application program or a device, whereby appropriate programs can communicate with the inbox service to access the data, with existing knowledge of the schema-defined format, regardless of the device or application program in use. Extensibility is defined into the schema.

Claims

1. In a computer network, a method comprising,

providing an inbox schema, the inbox schema having inbox-related fields arranged into a content document with defined structures for the fields;

receiving a data access request directed to contact information, the request including associated identity information; and

in response to the data access request, manipulating at least one set of data in a logical inbox document that includes data therein according to the associated identity information, each set of data in the logical inbox document structured to correspond to a field in the content document.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein manipulating at least one set of data comprises reading data from at least one field in the logical inbox document.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein manipulating at least one set of data comprises writing data to at least one field in the logical inbox document.

4. In a computer network, a method comprising,

receiving a request to retrieve inbox data, the request including associated identity information;

reading from a data store to obtain inbox data based on the associated identity information;

constructing an inbox document including at least part of the data, the document arranged according to a defined schema for inbox data; and

returning the document in response to the request.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the schema includes at least one defined field for extending the schema.