Permission-based document server

• US 20070260648A1
• Filed: 05/05/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Friesenhahn, Dustin, Xue, Mingquan
• Granted Patent: US 8,166,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment

Abstract

Detailed herein is a technology which, among other things, identifies and provides an audience-appropriate version of a document, upon request. In one approach to this technology, a request for the document is received at a document-specific access point associated with that document. This document request is associated with specific file access authorizations. These specific file access authorizations are used to identify one of the available versions of the document. The version of the document so identified is then retrieved.

Claims

1. A method of providing an audience-appropriate version of a document, comprising:

receiving a request for a document at a document access point associated with said document, said document comprising a plurality of document versions, wherein said request is associated with file access authorizations, and wherein said plurality of document versions are associated with file access permissions;

identifying one of said plurality of document versions, wherein the file access permissions of said one of said plurality of document versions correspond to said file access authorizations; and

retrieving said one of said plurality of document versions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said data did access point comprises a uniform resource locator (URL).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a most-commonly accessed version of said document; and

comparing said file access authorizations with the file access permissions associated with said most-commonly accessed version of said document.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said file access permissions comprise one of a plurality of access levels.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating a user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said receiving a request comprises receiving a request from said user.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

returning said one of said plurality of document versions to said user.

8. A document server for returning the most recent version of a document, said document server comprising:

a network module for receiving a document request, and transmitting a retrieved document version;

a document storage module, coupled to said network module, for storing a plurality of document versions, each of said plurality of document versions having an associated permission requirement;

an identification module, coupled to said network module, for identifying a clearance level associated with said document request;

an authorization module, coupled to said identification module, for determining which of said plurality of document versions to retrieve,

wherein said authorization module compares said clearance level associated with said document request with the associated permission requirement for each of said plurality of document versions, and retrieves one of said plurality of document versions corresponding to said document request.

9. The document server of claim 8, further comprising:

a user interface, coupled to said network module, for receiving instructions and for displaying information.

10. The document server of claim 8, wherein said document storage module comprises a database.

11. The document server of claim 10, wherein said database comprises an SQL database.

12. The document server of claim 8, further comprising:

an administration module, coupled with said doctrine storage module, for setting said associated permission requirements for said plurality of document versions.

13. The document server of claim 12, wherein said associated permission requirements for said plurality of document versions comprise one of a plurality of access levels.

14. The document server of claim 8, wherein, if more than one of said plurality of document versions corresponds to said document request, said authorization module retrieves a most recent version of said plurality of document versions.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

providing a single access point for accessing a plurality of versions of a document, each of said plurality of versions having associated permissions;

receiving a document request at said single access point, said document request comprising an authorization level;

comparing said authorization level with said associated permissions for each of said plurality of versions; and

accessing one of said plurality of versions corresponding to said document request.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

determining the availability of each of said plurality of versions.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

determining the associated permissions for each of said plurality of versions.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said single access point comprises a uniform resource locator (URL).

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a unique access point for each of said plurality of versions.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein each said unique access point comprises a URL.