User registration in file review systems

• US 6,263,340 B1
• Filed: 10/20/1998
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Green, Robin Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Application Number:
  US09/176,087
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/4, 707/7, 707/8, 707/9, 707/10, 707/102, 705/48, 705/75, 709/224, 709/229, 713/156, 379/201
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• 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 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A file review system includes a mechanism for the auto-registration of users. An author of a file in a file review system defines one or more user profiles. A new user of the system is provided with a user identification and password for a user profile. The user profile has data associated with it to restrict or permit access to the file or to functionality associated with the file review. The new user is assigned a new user definition which inherits the data of the user profile. The new user definition is then used by the new user to access the file of the file review, in the manner defined by the author.

Claims

1. A user registration system for a file review system, the file review system providing users with selectively defined access authority to files in the file review system, the user registration system comprising

means for the first defined user to create one or more user profiles, each of the one or more user profiles comprising

a set of user identifiers, and

a set of user access data representing file access authority

registration means for one or more second users to register in the file review system by each one of the second users selecting a one of the one or more user profiles,

the registration means creating a unique second user definition for each of the second users, the second user definition comprising

a set of log on identifiers, and

a set of user definition access data, the user definition access data being derived from the user profile selected by each one of the one or more second users,

the registration means further comprising means for each of the second users to log on to the file review system using each second user'"'"'s log on identifier and means for associating each logged on second user with the corresponding user definition to define the system access authority for each logged on second user.

2. The user registration system of claim 1 in which the set of user identifiers comprises a user ID and a password.

3. The user registration system of claim 1 in which the set of user access data comprises data for access authority for each file in the file review system.

4. The user registration system of claim 1 or claim 3 in which the set of user access data comprises data for default access authority across all files in the system.

5. The user registration system of claim 1 or claim 3 in which the user definition further comprises a set of personal identifiers.

6. The user registration system of claim 5 in which the user personal identifier comprises one or more of user name, user address, and user e-mail address.

7. The user registration system of claim 1 in which the file review system is implemented in an HTML environment and in which the registration means comprises HTML forms made available to HTML browsers of the one or more second users.

8. An HTML-based user registration system for a web-based file review system, the file review system providing a plurality of users with selectively defined access authority to files in the file review system, the user registration system comprising

a common gateway interface program code means for a first defined user to create one or more user profiles, each of the one or more user profiles comprising

a set of user identifiers, and

a set of user access data representing file access authority

a common gateway interface program code registration means for one or more second users to register in the file review system by each one of the second users selecting a one of the one or more user profiles,

the common gateway interface program code registration means creating a unique second user definition for each of the second users, the second user definition comprising

a set of log on identifiers, and

a set of user definition access data, the user definition access data being derived from the user profile selected by each one of the one or more second users,

the common gateway interface program code registration means further comprising means for each of the second users to log on to the file review system using each second user'"'"'s log on identifier and means for associating each logged on second user with the corresponding user definition to define the system access authority for each logged on second user.

9. A computer program product for use with a file review system, the file review system providing users with selectively defined access authority to files in the file review system, computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for user registration, the computer program product having;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer, at the request of a first defined user, to create one or more user profiles, each of the one or more user profiles comprising

a set of user identifiers, and

a set of user access data representing file access authority,

computer readable program code registration means for

causing a computer to register one or more second users in the file review system by each one of the second users selecting a one of the one or more user profiles,

creating a unique second user definition for each of the second users, the second user definition comprising

a set of log on identifiers, and

a set of user definition access data, the user definition access data being derived from the user profile selected by each one of the one or more second users,

at the request of any one of the registered second users, permitting log on to the file review system by using each second user'"'"'s log on identifier

associating each logged on second user with the corresponding user definition to define the system access authority for each logged on second user.

10. A method for registration of users in a file review system, the file review system providing users with selectively defined access authority to files in the file review system, the method comprising the steps of

responding to a request from a first defined user by creating one or more user profiles, each of the one ore more user profiles comprising

a set of user identifiers, and

a set of user access data representing file access authority,

responding to a request from a one of the second users to register in the file registration system by the one of the second users selecting a one of the one or more user profiles,

creating a unique second user definition for the one of the second users, the second user definition comprising

a set of log on identifiers, and

a set of user definition access data, the user definition access data being derived from the user profile selected by each one of the one or more second users,

enabling each of the registered second users to log on to the file registration system using each second user'"'"'s log on identifier and

associating each logged on second user with the corresponding user definition to define the system access authority for each logged on second user.

11. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for registering users in a file review system, the method steps comprising the steps of claim 10.