Method of enabling access to data structure

• US 20050198325A1
• Filed: 01/22/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SecureSheet Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: SecureSheet Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Holland, Joseph H., Byrd, Mark W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method of enabling access to a data structure is provided. The method includes designating e-mail addresses of users with respective sections of the data structure. The method also includes enabling access to the respective sections to users corresponding to the designated e-mail addresses.

Claims

1. A method of enabling access to a data structure, said method comprising the steps of:

designating e-mail addresses of users with respective sections of the data structure; and

enabling access to the respective sections to users corresponding to the designated e-mail addresses.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of designating includes entering the e-mail address into respective linking sections of the data structure, each of the linking sections being associated with a portion of the sections of the data structure.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of designating includes associating the e-mail addresses to the respective sections of the data structure from another data structure.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

sending an e-mail to one of the users alerting the user of the user'"'"'s ability to access the sections of the data structure associated with the user'"'"'s e-mail address.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

creating, by one of the users, a password, to limit access to the sections of the data structure associated with the one user'"'"'s e-mail address to the one user and other users having access rights to the sections of the data structure associated with the one user'"'"'s e-mail address.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

reassigning, by one of the users, access rights to at least a portion of the sections of the data structure associated with the one user'"'"'s e-mail address to another user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of enabling includes enabling at least one of editing the respective sections by users corresponding to the designated e-mail addresses, and viewing the respective sections by users corresponding to the designated e-mail addresses.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of designating includes designating e-mail addresses of users with respective data cells of a spreadsheet included in the data structure.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of designating includes selecting at least one section in the data structure and entering an e-mail address into a linking section of the data structure to link the at least one selected section with a user associated with the entered e-mail address, and said step of enabling includes enabling access to the at least one selected section to the user associated with the entered e-mail address.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of selecting included in said step of designating includes selecting the at least one section as a data cell in a spreadsheet, and said step of enabling includes enabling access to the data cell to the user associated with the entered e-mail address.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of selecting includes at least one of highlighting the data cell and clicking on the data cell.

12. A method of accessing a data structure, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving authorization, by a user, to access at least a portion of a plurality of sections included in the data structure, the authorization being provided by designating an e-mail address of the user with the portion of the sections in the data structure; and

accessing the portion of the sections based on the received authorization.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

receiving, by the user, an e-mail alerting the user of the user'"'"'s ability to access the portion of the sections.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

creating, by the user, a password, to limit access to the portion of the sections of the data structure to the user and other users having access rights to the portion of the sections of the data structure.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

reassigning, by the user, access rights to at least a portion of the portion of sections to another user.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of receiving includes at least one of receiving authorization to edit the portion of the sections, and receiving authorization to view the portion of the sections.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of accessing includes accessing the portion of the sections as data cells in a spreadsheet.

18. A computer readable carrier including computer program instructions which cause a computer to implement a method of enabling access to a data structure, said method comprising the steps of:

designating e-mail addresses of users with respective sections of the data structure; and

enabling access to the respective sections to users corresponding to the designated e-mail addresses.