Systems and methods for rule inheritance

• US 7,185,010 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2005
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Morinville V. Paul
• Original Assignee: Paul V. Morinville
• Inventors: Morinville, Paul V.
• Primary Examiner(s): RIMELL, SAMUEL G
• Application Number:
  US11/034,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20050154744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/6, 707/10, 707/102, 707/3, 707/104.1, 709/225, 715/853, 705/8, 705/9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control 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 2221/2145 Inheriting rights or properties, e.g., propagation of permissions or restrictions within a hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99947 Object-oriented database structure reference
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Systems and methods for automating and increasing the efficiency of business processes using inheritance of access/approval rules within an organization based upon the relationship of positions within the organization and the roles associated with the positions. In one embodiment, a role structure is used in conjunction with a hierarchical organization structure to allow access/approval rules to be inherited by some of the positions from other positions based upon the relationship of positions within the organization and the roles associated with the positions. Access/approval rules can be applied across equivalent or similar positions, yet differentiated between distinct portions of the organization and the distinct roles associated with the positions. Consequently, particular access/approval rules are not necessarily inherited by all of the positions subordinate to a particular position with which the rule originates, and are not necessarily inherited by all of the positions that are associated with a particular role.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

defining a hierarchical organizational structure of positions within an organization;

associating one of a plurality of roles with each of the positions;

defining one or more business processes;

a first position within the hierarchical organizational structure associating one or more access/approval rules with a first one of the business processes, wherein the access/approval rules are applicable to a first subset of the roles;

automatically associating the one or more access/approval rules with the first one of the business processes for all positions that are subordinate to the first position within the hierarchical organizational structure and that are associated with the first subset of roles; and

enabling access by positions associated with the first subset of roles to the first one of the business processes according to the access/approval rules.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of roles comprises ones of the roles that have a selected major function.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of roles comprises ones of the roles that have a selected major function and a selected specialty.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of roles comprises ones of the roles that have a selected major function, a selected specialty and a selected skill.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for a second position subordinate to the first position,

associating one or more additional access/approval rules with the first one of the business processes, wherein the access/approval rules are applicable to a second subset of the roles, and

automatically associating the one or more additional access/approval rules with the first one of the business processes for all positions that are subordinate to the second position within the hierarchical organizational structure and that are associated with the second subset of roles.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each position in the hierarchical organizational structure inherits the access/approval rules that are associated with all of the superior positions in the hierarchical organizational structure and that are applicable to the role associated with the position.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more access/approval rules define access rights of the corresponding roles with respect to the first one of the business processes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more access/approval rules define restrictions of the corresponding roles with respect to the first one of the business processes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first one of the business processes comprises accessing a company'"'"'s information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the first position to modify access/approval rules implemented by the first position and positions subordinate to the first position in the hierarchical organizational structure.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising preventing the first position from modifying access/approval rules implemented by positions superior to the first position in the hierarchical organizational structure.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically making the first one of the business processes available to all positions subordinate to the first role within the hierarchical organizational structure.

13. A system comprising:

Software encoded on a computer-readable medium and executable by a computer system to perform the method including

defining a hierarchical organizational structure of positions within an organization;

associating one of a plurality of roles with each of the positions;

defining one or more business processes;

a first position within the hierarchical organizational structure associating one or more access/approval rules with a first one of the business processes, wherein the access/approval rules are applicable to a first subset of the roles; and

automatically associating the one or more access/approval rules with the first one of the business processes for all positions that are subordinate to the first position within the hierarchical organizational structure and that are associated with the first subset of roles.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first subset of roles comprises ones of the roles that have a selected major function.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first subset of roles comprises ones of the roles that have a selected major function and a selected specialty.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the first subset of roles comprises ones of the roles that have a selected major function, a selected specialty and a selected skill.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

for a second position subordinate to the first position,

associating one or more additional access/approval rules with the first one of the business processes, wherein the access/approval rules are applicable to a second subset of the roles, and

automatically associating the one or more additional access/approval rules with the first one of the business processes for all positions that are subordinate to the second position within the hierarchical organizational structure and that are associated with the second subset of roles.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein each position in the hierarchical organizational structure inherits the access/approval rules that are associated with all of the superior positions in the hierarchical organizational structure and that are applicable to the role associated with the position.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising enabling the first position to modify access/approval rules implemented by the first position and positions subordinate to the first position in the hierarchical organizational structure.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising preventing the first position from modifying access/approval rules implemented by positions superior to the first position in the hierarchical organizational structure.