Access rights

• US 20060117010A1
• Filed: 11/29/2004
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Hakala, Kimmo
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A device and method define an access right to a shared data item. The method includes defining a group of one or more contacts in a contact list, assigning an access right to the group of one or more contacts, and assigning the group of one or more contacts to a shared data item. A device and method also provide a service based on the access right to the shared data item. The method includes receiving a request for a service from a user at a second device, the request including a resource identifier, selecting a user identifier for the user, selecting an access group identifier from a contact list using the user identifier, selecting an access right for the user using the access group identifier, determining if the user has permission to access a data item identified by the resource identifier, if the user has permission to access the data item, determining if the access right allows performance of the service, and providing the service at the first device if the access right allows performance of the service.

Claims

1. A method of providing a service based on an access right to a shared data item, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a service at a first device from a user at a second device, the request including a resource identifier;

selecting, at the first device, a user identifier for the user;

selecting an access group identifier at the first device from a contact list using the user identifier;

selecting an access right for the user using the access group identifier;

determining if the user has permission to access a data item identified by the resource identifier;

if the user has permission to access the data item, determining if the access right allows performance of the service; and

providing the service at the first device if the access right allows performance of the service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the access group identifier for the user comprises:

searching the contact list using the user identifier;

selecting the access group identifier from contact information that matches the user identifier if the user identifier is found in the contact list; and

selecting a default access group identifier for the access group identifier if the user identifier is not found in the contact list.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the contact information is selected from the group consisting of a name, a phone number, an e-mail uniform resource identifier, and a uniform resource locator homepage.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the user has permission to access the data item comprises:

identifying a resource access group list for the data item;

searching the resource access group list using the access group identifier; and

determining that the user has permission to access the data item if the access group identifier is found in the resource access group list.

5. A method of defining an access right for a shared data item, the method comprising:

defining a group of one or more contacts in a contact list;

assigning an access right to the group of one or more contacts; and

assigning the group of one or more contacts to a shared data item.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising defining contact information for each of the one or more contacts in the contact list, wherein the contact information is selected from the group consisting of a name, a phone number, an e-mail uniform resource identifier, and a uniform resource locator homepage.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a user performs the method.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein an access controller performs the method.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein assigning the group of one or more contacts to the shared data item comprises defining an access group identifier to the group of one or more contacts and associating the defined access group identifier with the data item.

10. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a processor, cause the processor to provide a service based on an access right to a shared data item, the instructions configured to:

receive a request for a service from a user at a second device, the request including a resource identifier;

select a user identifier for the user;

select an access group identifier from a contact list using the user identifier;

select an access right for the user using the access group identifier;

determine if the user has permission to access a data item identified by the resource identifier;

if the user has permission to access the data item, determine if the access right allows performance of the service; and

provide the service if the access right allows performance of the service.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the instructions configured to select the access group identifier for the user comprise instructions configured to:

search the contact list using the user identifier;

select the access group identifier from contact information that matches the user identifier if the user identifier is found in the contact list; and

select a default access group identifier for the access group identifier if the user identifier is not found in the contact list.

12. The computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the contact information is selected from the group consisting of a name, a phone number, an e-mail uniform resource identifier, and a uniform resource locator homepage.

13. The computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the instructions configured to determine if the user has permission to access the data item comprise instructions configured to:

identify a resource access group list for the data item;

search the resource access group list using the access group identifier; and

determine that the user has permission to access the data item if the access group identifier is found in the resource access group list.

14. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a processor, cause the processor to define an access right to a shared data item, the instructions configured to:

define a group of one or more contacts in a contact list;

assign an access right to the group of one or more contacts; and

assign the group of one or more contacts to a shared data item.

15. The computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the instructions configured to assign the group of one or more contacts to the shared data item comprise instructions configured to define an access group identifier for the group of one or more contacts and to associate the defined access group identifier with the shared data item.

16. A device for providing a service based on an access right to a shared data item, the device comprising:

a communication interface, the communication interface configured to receive a request for a service from a user at a second device, the request including a resource identifier;

an access controller, the access controller comprising computer code configured to;

select a user identifier for the user from the received request;

select an access group identifier from a contact list using the user identifier;

select an access right for the user using the access group identifier;

determine if the user has permission to access a data item identified by the resource identifier;

if the user has permission to access the data item, determine if the access right allows performance of the service; and

provide the service if the access right allows performance of the service;

a memory, wherein the memory stores the access controller; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the communication interface, the processor configured to execute the access controller.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the computer code configured to select the access group identifier for the user comprises computer code configured to:

search the contact list using the user identifier;

select the access group identifier from contact information that matches the user identifier if the user identifier is found in the contact list; and

select a default access group identifier for the access group identifier if the user identifier is not found in the contact list.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the contact information is selected from the group consisting of a name, a phone number, an e-mail uniform resource identifier, and a uniform resource locator homepage.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the computer code configured to determine if the user has permission to access the data item comprises computer code configured to:

identify a resource access group list for the data item;

search the resource access group list using the access group identifier; and

determine that the user has permission to access the data item if the access group identifier is found in the resource access group list.

20. A device for defining an access right to a shared data item, the device comprising:

an access controller, the access controller comprising computer code configured to;

define a group of one or more contacts in a contact list;

assign an access right to the group of one or more contacts; and

assign the group of one or more contacts to a shared data item;

a memory, wherein the memory stores the access controller; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute the access controller.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the computer code configured to assign the group of one or more contacts to the shared data item comprises computer code configured to:

define an access group identifier for the group of one or more contacts; and

associate the defined access group identifier with the shared data item.

22. A system for providing a service based on an access right to a shared data item, the system comprising:

a first device, the first device configured to send a request for a service to a second device, the request including a resource identifier; and

the second device configured to receive the request for the service from a user at the first device;

the second device further comprising;

an access controller, the access controller comprising computer code configured to;

select a user identifier for the user from the received request;

select an access group identifier from a contact list using the user identifier;

select an access right for the user using the access group identifier;

determine if the user has permission to access a data item identified by the resource identifier;

if the user has permission to access the data item, determine if the access right allows performance of the service; and

provide the service if the access right allows performance of the service;

a memory, wherein the memory stores the access controller; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the second communication interface, the processor configured to execute the access controller.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the computer code configured to select the access group identifier for the user comprises computer code configured to:

search the contact list using the user identifier;

select the access group identifier from contact information that matches the user identifier if the user identifier is found in the contact list; and

select a default access group identifier for the access group identifier if the user identifier is not found in the contact list.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the contact information is selected from the group consisting of a name, a phone number, an e-mail uniform resource identifier, and a uniform resource locator homepage.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the computer code configured to determine if the user has permission to access the data item comprises computer code configured to:

identify a resource access group list for the data item;

search the resource access group list using the access group identifier; and

determine that the user has permission to access the data item if the access group identifier is found in the resource access group list.

26. A system for defining an access right to a shared data item, the system comprising:

a first device, the first device configured to send a request for a service from a contact at the first device; and

the second device configured to receive the request for the service from the contact at the first device;

the second device further comprising;

an access controller, the access controller comprising computer code configured to;

define a group of one or more contacts in a contact list;

assign an access right to the group of one or more contacts;

assign the group of one or more contacts to a shared data item;

a memory, wherein the memory stores the access controller; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the second communication interface, the processor configured to execute the access controller.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the computer code configured to assign the group of one or more contacts to the shared data item comprises computer code configured to define an access group identifier to the group of one or more contacts and to associate the defined access group identifier with the data item.

28. A computer program for providing a service based on an access right to a sheared data item, the computer program comprising:

computer code configured to;

receive a request for a service from a user, the request including a resource identifier;

select a user identifier for the user

select an access group identifier from a contact list using the user identifier;

select an access right for the user using the access group identifier;

determine if the user has permission to access a data item identified by the resource identifier;

if the user has permission to access the data item, determine if the access right allows performance of the service; and

provide the service if the access right allows performance of the service.