Application-Specific File Type Generation and Use

• US 20130282752A1
• Filed: 04/23/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Day-Richter, John, Cairns, Brian Lewis
• Granted Patent: US 9,195,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules

Abstract

Techniques are described for facilitating file access control of a storage service. In response to a third-party application requesting access to a user'"'"'s file, the service extracts an application-specific ID from a file type associated with the retrieved file; and grants access to the requested file in response to a determination that an application-specific ID for the third-party application matches an application-specific ID extracted from the file. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A method that facilitates file access control of a network storage service, the method comprising:

providing a third-party application database comprising third-party software application descriptions, each third-party software application description including, application title, client ID, supported Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) types and an associated application-specific ID;

providing a user data store comprising files associated with users, each file within the user data store having an associated MIME-type containing an application-specific ID and a file identifier;

receiving a file access request at the storage service over a communication network from a third-party application operating on a computing device, the access request including a client ID for the third-party application and a file identifier for a specific file;

determining an application-specific ID for the third-party application by performing a query in the third-party application database to select a particular third-party software application description that includes the received client ID included in the file access request;

locating a file from the user data store having a file identifier that matches the received file identifier included in the file access request;

extracting an application-specific ID from a MIME type associated with the located file; and

granting access to the requested specific file in the user data store to the third-party application in response to a determination that the determined application-specific ID for the third-party application matches the extracted application-specific ID.

2. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising denying access to the requested specific file in the user data store to the third-party application in response to a determination that the determined application-specific ID for the third-party application does not match the extracted application-specific ID.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the granting includes granting read-only access rights to the requested specific file to the third-party application.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the granting includes granting modify access rights to the requested specific file to the third-party application.

5. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising:

receiving a file creation request at the storage service over the communication network from the third-party application operating on the computing device, the file creation request including a client ID for the third-party application and MIME type for the file to be created, the MIME type containing an application-specific ID;

determining a second application-specific ID for the third-party application by performing a query in the third-party application database to select a particular third-party software application description that included the received client ID included in the file creation request; and

granting permission to create a file to the third-party application in response to a determination that the determined second application-specific ID for the third-party application matches the application-specific ID contained in the MIME type from the file creation request.

6. A computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations that facilitate file access control of a network based file storage service, the operations comprising:

providing a third-party application database having third-party software application descriptions, respective third-party software application description including application title, client ID, supported file types and an associated application-specific ID;

providing a user data store comprising files associated with users, each file within the user data store having an associated file type containing an application-specific ID and a file identifier;

receiving a file access request at the storage service over a communication network from a third-party application operating on a computing device, the file access request including a client ID for the third-party application and a file identifier for a specific file;

determining an application-specific ID for the third-party application by performing a query in the third-party application database to select a particular third-party software application description that includes the received client ID included in the file access request;

retrieving a file from the user data store having a file identifier that matches the received file identifier included in the file access request;

extracting an application-specific ID from the retrieved file; and

granting access to the requested specific file in the user data store to the third-party application in response to a determination that the determined application-specific ID for the third-party application matches the extracted application-specific ID.

7. A computer-readable media according to claim 6 wherein the file type comprises a MIME type.

8. A computer-readable media according to claim 6 wherein the file type comprises a MIME type and wherein extracting an application-specific ID from the retrieved file comprises extracting an application-specific ID from the MIME type in the retrieved file.

9. A computer-readable media according to claim 6, the operations further comprising denying access to the requested specific file in the user data store to the third-party application in response to a determination that the determined application-specific ID for the third-party application does not match the extracted application-specific ID.

10. A computer-readable media according to claim 6 wherein the granting includes granting read-only access rights to the requested specific file to the third-party application.

11. A computer-readable media according to claim 6 wherein the granting includes granting modify access rights to the requested specific file to the third-party application.

12. A computer-readable media according to claim 6, the operations further comprising:

receiving a file creation request at the storage service over the communication network from the third-party application operating on the computing device, the file creation request including a client ID for the third-party application and MIME type for the file to be created, the MIME type containing an application-specific ID;

determining a second application-specific ID for the third-party application by performing a query in the third-party application database to select a particular third-party software application description that included the received client ID included in the file creation request; and

granting permission to create a file to the third-party application in response to a determination that the determined second application-specific ID for the third-party application matches the application-specific ID contained in the MIME type from the file creation request.

13. A storage service operating on a computer-implemented server operatively coupled to a communication network, the storage service having file access control and comprising:

a third-party application database comprising third-party software application descriptions, each third-party software application description including, application title, client ID, supported Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) types and an associated application-specific ID;

a user data store comprising files associated with users, each file within the user data store having an associated MIME-type containing an application-specific ID and a file identifier;

an application ID checker operative to receive a file access request at the storage service over the communication network from a third-party application operating on a computing device, the file access request including a client ID for the third-party application and a file identifier for a specific file, the application ID checker also operatively configured to determine an application-specific ID for the third-party application by performing a query in the third-party application database to select a particular third-party software application description that includes the client ID included in the access request;

a file MIME type extractor operative to also receive the access request and locate a file from the user data store having a file identifier that matches the received file identifier included in the access request, the MIME type extractor also operatively configured to extract an application-specific ID from a MIME type associated with the located file; and

file access controller operative to grant access to the requested specific file in the user data store to the third-party application in response to a determination that the determined application-specific ID for the third-party application matches the extracted application-specific ID.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein the file access controller is operative to deny access to the requested specific file in the user data store to the third-party application in response to a determination that the determined application-specific ID for the third-party application does not match the extracted application-specific ID.

15. A system according to claim 13 wherein the file access controller operative to grant access to the requested specific file is operative to grant, to the third-party application, read-only access rights to the requested specific file.

16. A system according to claim 13 wherein the file access controller operative to grant access to the requested specific file is operative to grant, to the third-party application, modify access rights to the requested specific file.

17. A system according to claim 13 and further operative to receive a file creation request over the communication network from the third-party application, the file creation request including a client ID for the third-party application and MIME type for the file to be created, the MIME type containing an application-specific ID;

the application ID checker being further operative to determine a second application-specific ID for the third-party application by performing a query in the third-party application database to select a particular third-party software application description that includes the received client ID included in the file creation request; and

file access controller being operative to grant permission to create a file to the third-party application in response to a determination that the determined second application-specific ID for the third-party application matches the application-specific ID contained in the MIME type from the file creation request.

18. A method of file access control of a network storage service, the method comprising:

providing a third-party application database comprising third-party software application descriptions, respective third-party software application descriptions including, application title, client ID, supported file types and an associated application-specific ID;

providing a user data store comprising files associated with users, each file within the user data store having an associated file type string containing an application-specific ID and a file identifier;

receiving a file access request at the storage service over a communication network from a third-party application operating on a computing device, the access request including a client ID for the third-party application and a file identifier for a specific file;

determining an application-specific ID for the third-party application by performing a query in the third-party application database to select a particular third-party software application description that includes the received client ID included in the file access request;

extracting an application-specific ID from a file type string associated with a file in the user data store having a file identifier that matches the received file identifier from the file access request; and

granting access to the requested specific file in the user data store to the third-party application in response to a determination that the determined application-specific ID for the third-party application matches the extracted application-specific ID.

19. A method according to claim 18 and further comprising denying access to the requested specific file in the user data store to the third-party application in response to a determination that the determined application-specific ID for the third-party application does not match the extracted application-specific ID.

20. A method according to claim 18 wherein the granting includes granting read-only access rights to the requested specific file to the third-party application.

21. A method according to claim 18 wherein the granting includes granting modify access rights to the requested specific file to the third-party application.

22. A method according to claim 18 wherein the file type string comprises a MIME type.

23. A method according to claim 18 wherein the file type string comprises a MIME type and wherein extracting an application-specific ID from the retrieved file comprises extracting an application-specific ID from the MIME type in the retrieved file.

24. A method according to claim 18 and further comprising:

receiving a file creation request at the storage service over the communication network from the third-party application operating on the computing device, the file creation request including a client ID for the third-party application and file type string for the to be created, the file type string containing an application-specific ID;

determining a second application-specific ID for the third-party application by performing a query in the third-party application database to select a particular third-party software application description that included the received client ID included in the creation request; and

granting permission to create a file to the third-party application in response to a determination that the determined second application-specific ID for the third-party application matches the application-specific ID contained in the file type string from the file creation request.