METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR METADATA-DRIVEN DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT AND ACCESS CONTROL

• US 20110196896A1
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Smetters, Diana K., Churchill, Elizabeth F., Nelson, Lester D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2453 Query optimisation

Abstract

A system is provided to facilitate tag-based organization of documents. During operation, the system receives an original user query. The system extends the query to include documents with an IN-tag and exclude documents with an OUT-tag. The system then performs a search based on the extended query to indicate a collection of documents which satisfy the extended query. The system further allows a user to add a document to the collection of documents or remove a document from the collection of documents. Next, the system modifies a tagging property of the document.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating tag-based document access control, the method comprising:

providing at a computer system a user interface to add to a document a tag that specifies an access-control scheme for a part of the document, wherein the tag comprises;

a condition part that specifies the conditions for enforcing access control policies, and

a policy part that specifies the access control policies to be enforced and specifies the part of the document over which the access control policies are applied;

receiving the tag that specifies an access control scheme for a part of the document; and

applying the access-control scheme at the computer system to the part of the document based on the tag and a state of another computer system that stores the document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag specifies one or more of:

a time at which the access-control scheme is activated or deactivated; and

a period of time during which the access-control scheme is effective.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the tag specifies an event upon the occurrence of which the access-control scheme is activated or deactivated.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the access-control scheme specifies one or more users or user groups to whom access to the part of the document is denied or allowed.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing a warning in response to receiving a command that conflicts with the access-control scheme.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for facilitating tag-based document access control, the method comprising:

providing at a computer system a user interface to add to a document a tag that specifies an access-control scheme for a part of the document, wherein the tag comprises;

a condition part that specifies the conditions for enforcing access control policies, and

a policy part that specifies the access control policies to be enforced and specifies the part of the document over which the access control policies are applied;

receiving the tag that specifies an access control scheme for a part of the document; and

applying the access-control scheme at the computer system to the part of the document based on the tag and a state of another computer system that stores the document.

7. The storage medium of claim 6, wherein the tag specifies one or more of:

a time at which the access-control scheme is activated or deactivated; and

a period of time during which the access-control scheme is effective.

8. The storage medium of claim 6,

wherein the tag specifies an event upon the occurrence of which the access-control scheme is activated or deactivated.

9. The storage medium of claim 6,

wherein the access-control scheme specifies one or more users or user groups to whom access to the part of the document is denied or allowed.

10. The storage medium of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises issuing a warning in response to receiving a command that conflicts with the access-control scheme.

11. A system for facilitating tag-based document access control, the method comprising:

a user interface configured to add to a document a tag that specifies an access-control scheme for a part of the document, wherein the tag comprises;

a condition part that specifies the conditions for enforcing access control policies, and

a policy part that specifies the access control policies to be enforced and specifies the part of the document over which the access control policies are applied;

a receiving mechanism configured to receive the tag that specifies an access control scheme for a part of the document; and

an access-control mechanism configured to apply the access-control scheme at the computer system to the part of the document based on the tag and a state of another computer system that stores the document.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the tag specifies one or more of:

a time at which the access-control scheme is activated or deactivated; and

a period of time during which the access-control scheme is effective.

13. The system of claim 11,

wherein the tag specifies an event upon the occurrence of which the access-control scheme is activated or deactivated.

14. The system of claim 11,

wherein the access-control scheme specifies one or more users or user groups to whom access to the part of the document is denied or allowed.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising a warning mechanism configured to issue a warning in response to receiving a command that conflicts with the access-control scheme.