Schema-based services for identity-based data access to application settings data

• US 20040210839A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lucovsky, Mark H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,284,197 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/516
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A schema-based ApplicationSettings service for Internet access to per-user ApplicationSettings data, wherein access to data is based on each user'"'"'s identity. The ApplicationSettings 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 ApplicationSettings 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 ApplicationSettings schemas are arranged to provide 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, document 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 ApplicationSettings 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 application settings schema, the application settings schema having application settings-related fields arranged into a content document with defined structures for the fields;

receiving a data access request directed to application settings 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 application settings document that includes data therein according to the associated identity information, each set of data in the logical application settings 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 application settings 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 application settings document.

4. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

5. In a computer network, a method comprising,

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

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

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

returning the document in response to the request.

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

7. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 5.

8. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure, comprising:

a first set of data that identifies an application;

a second set of data corresponding to at least one setting for that application; and

wherein the first and second sets of data are regularized according to a schema in a service such that an identity-based recipient of the data structure interprets the data according to the schema to obtain the settings for configuring a corresponding application.

9. The data structure of claim 8 wherein the first set of data comprises application name information.

10. The data structure of claim 8 wherein the first set of data comprises application product implementation information.

11. The data structure of claim 8 wherein the first set of data comprises application version information.

12. The data structure of claim 8 wherein the second set of data comprises an identified application setting and at least one corresponding value for that setting.

13. The data structure of claim 8 wherein the second set of data comprises a categorized set of at least one named application setting.

14. In a computer network, a method comprising,

sending a request to retrieve application settings data, the request including associated identity information and directed towards an application settings service;

receiving an application settings document in response to the request, the document arranged according to a defined schema for application settings data; and

interpreting the document to configure a corresponding application program with settings for a user that corresponds to the identity.