System and method for virtual folder sharing including utilization of static and dynamic lists

• US 20040193672A1
• Filed: 10/23/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Guzak, Chris J., Raman, Balan Sethu, McKee, Timothy P., Ballou, Nathaniel H., Samji, Mohammed, Ramasubramanian, Ram, Vorchik, David G. De
• Granted Patent: US 7,526,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/134 Distributed indices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/192 Implementing virtual folder structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method for virtual folder sharing, including utilization of static and dynamic lists. Static and dynamic lists may be created as types of virtual folders. Virtual folders expose regular files and folders to users in different views based on their metadata instead of the actual physical underlying file system structure on the disk. A static list consists of a folder of items that are in a specific order, while a dynamic list gathers a set of items based on a scope and a set of criteria. When a list is shared, the actual list is left in place on the sharer'"'"'s machine or server, while permission is granted to the sharee to remotely access the list and the referenced items. If the list is changed by adding or removing items, these items are also automatically re-permissioned to allow or disallow the sharee to have access to the items.

Claims

1. A method for sharing items in a computer system between a sharer and a sharee comprising:

creating on the sharer'"'"'s computer a list with a plurality of referenced items; and

sharing the list with a sharee such that the sharee is provided with remote access to the referenced items from the sharer'"'"'s computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the list is a static list.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein when the sharer removes items from the list, the sharee is no longer provided with remote access to the items.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein when items are added to the list, the sharee is provided with remote access to the added items.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the list is a dynamic list with a scope and set of criteria for the referenced items.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein when an item that is on the dynamic list has a property change such that it no longer meets the criteria of the dynamic list, the sharee is no longer provided with remote access to the item.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein when an item that was not previously on the dynamic list has a property change such that it meets the criteria of the dynamic list, the sharee is provided with remote access to the item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein when the sharer is unable to grant access to the sharee for an item, a notification is provided to the sharer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sharer is able to limit the type of access that the sharee has to the items.

10. A method for sharing items on a computer system comprising:

receiving permission to access a list with referenced items; and

in response to receiving the permission to access the list, remotely accessing the list and the referenced items.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the list is a static list that is formed as a virtual folder.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein when an item is added or removed from the list, the permission to access the item is correspondingly added or removed.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the list is a dynamic list that is formed as a virtual folder with a set of criteria for the referenced items.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein when items have changes to their properties such that they meet or no longer meet the criteria of the dynamic list, the permission to access the item is correspondingly added or removed.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein when access to an item is unavailable, a notification is provided.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the permission to access the list specifies the type of access that is available for the items.

17. One or more computer-readable media for enabling a computer-program segment to communicate with one or more other computer-program segments, said media comprising:

a set of computer-usable instructions that cause a request to provide remote access to a set of items that are referenced in a virtual folder to be communicated to one or more other computer-program segments capable of executing said request.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein the virtual folder comprises a static list.

19. The media of claim 18, wherein when items are added or removed from the list, permission for the remote access of the items is correspondingly added or removed.

20. The media of claim 17, wherein the virtual folder comprises a dynamic list with a set of criteria for the referenced items.

21. The media of claim 20, wherein when an item has a property change such that it meets or no longer meets the criteria of the list, the permission to access the item is correspondingly added or removed.

22. The media of claim 17, wherein when access to an item is unavailable, a notification is provided.

23. The media of claim 17, wherein the access to the items may be limited to be one of read/write or read only.

24. A method of communicating between a sharer of a list and a sharee comprising:

the sharee issues a call for remotely accessing at the sharer'"'"'s computer the items that are referenced on the list; and

the sharer receives the call and provides remote access to the items.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the list is a static list.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein as items are added or removed from the list, the remote access to the items is correspondingly allowed or denied.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the list is a dynamic list with a set of criteria for the items.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein as the properties of items change such that the items meet or no longer meet the criteria for the list, the items are correspondingly added or removed from the list.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein when access may be unavailable to an item that is on the list when the list is shared, a notification is provided to the sharer.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the sharer is able to limit the type of access to the items.

31. One or more computer-readable media for enabling a sharer to share a set of items that are referenced on a list with a sharee comprising:

a set of computer-usable instructions that allow the sharee to remotely access the items through the sharer'"'"'s computer.

32. The media of claim 31, wherein the list is one of a static list or a dynamic list.

33. The media of claim 31, wherein as items are added or removed from the list, the sharee'"'"'s permission to access the items is correspondingly added or removed.

34. The media of claim 31, wherein when the sharer attempts to provide access to an item for which access may not be available, a notification is provided to the sharer that the sharee may not be able to access the item.

35. The media of claim 31, wherein the type of access that is provided to the items may be one of read or read-write.

36. A method for sharing items in a computer system between a sharer and a sharee comprising:

creating on the sharer'"'"'s computer a virtual folder with a plurality of referenced items; and

sharing the virtual folder with a sharee such that the sharee is provided with remote access to the referenced items from the sharer'"'"'s computer.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the virtual folder is a static virtual folder.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein when the sharer removes items from the virtual folder, the sharee is no longer provided with remote access to the items.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein when items are added to the virtual folder, the sharee is provided with remote access to the added items.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the virtual folder is a dynamic virtual folder with a scope and set of criteria for the referenced items.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein when an item that is in the dynamic virtual folder has a property change such that it no longer meets the criteria of the dynamic virtual folder, the sharee is no longer provided with remote access to the item.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein when an item that was not previously on the dynamic virtual folder has a property change such that it meets the criteria of the dynamic virtual folder, the sharee is provided with remote access to the item.