Method and system of providing access privileges to records of members of a community

• US 7,251,785 B1
• Filed: 08/29/1997
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howard, Kathryn A.
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMSON, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/920,433
• Time in Patent Office: 3,623 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 707/9, 709/223, 709/225, 715/743, 715/742, 715/741
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A method and system of providing access privileges to records of members of a community may comprise storing an assignment of a member of a community to a first position in the community to generate a first relationship. Access privileges to records of the member may be automatically provided to a manager of the first position based on the first relationship. An additional assignment of the member to a second position in the community may be stored to generate a second relationship. During the pendency of the additional assignment, a manager of the second position may be automatically provided with disparate access privileges to records of the member based on the second relationship.

Claims

1. A method of providing access privileges to records of members of a community, comprising:

storing an assignment of a member of a community to a first position in the community to generate a first relationship;

automatically providing a manager of the first position with access privileges to records of the member based on the first relationship;

storing an additional assignment of the member to a second position in the community to generate a second relationship; and

during pendency of the additional assignment, automatically providing a manager of the second position with disparate access privileges to records of the member based on the second relationship.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the manager of the second position has limited access privileges to records of the member.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the manager of the first position has access privileges to administrative records of the member denied to the manager of the second position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional assignment comprises a temporary work assignment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the community comprises a business and the member comprises an employee of the business.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the records comprise personnel records of the member.

7. A method of providing access privileges to records of members of a community, comprising:

storing a first assignment of a first member of a community to a first manager position in the community;

storing a second assignment of a second member of the community to a second manager position in the community;

storing a third assignment of the first manager position to the second manager position to generate a relationship; and

automatically providing the first member with at least a portion of the access privileges of the second member based on the relationship, the access privileges of the second member comprising access privileges to records of members of the community reporting to the secod manager position.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising automatically providing the first manager position with full access privileges of the second manager position to records of members of the community reporting to the second manager position.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the access privileges provided to the first manager position exclude access privileges of the second manager position to administrative records of members of the community reporting to the second manager position.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the community comprises a business and the first and second members comprise employees of the business.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the records comprise personnel records of the member.

12. A system for providing access privileges to records of members within a community, comprising:

a memory operable to store;

a plurality of allowed types of assignments of members of a community to positions in the community; and

a record of assignments of members of the community to positions in the community; and

a processor operable to automatically provide a first member and second member with disparate access privileges to records of third member based on at least two of the recorded assignments in the memory, at least two of the recorded assignments involoving different allowed types of assignments.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the allowed assignments include assignments between positions in the community.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein a temporary assignment of a member to a position is associated with limited access privileges to records of the member.

15. A system for providing access privileges to records of members of a community, comprising:

a memory operable to store;

an assignment of a member of a community to a first position in the community to generate a first relationship; and

an additional assignment of the member to a second position in the community to generate a second relationship; and

a processor operable to;

automatically providing a manager of the first position with access privileges to records of the member based on the first relationship; and

during pendency of the additional assignment, automatically providing a manager of the second position with disparate access privileges to records of the member based on the second relationship.

16. A system for providing access privileges to records of members of a community, comprising:

at least one computer readable medium; and

software encoded on the at least one computer readable medium and operable when executed by a processor to;

store an assignment of a member of a community to a first position in the community to generate a first relationship;

store an additional assignment of the member to a second position in the community to generate a second relationship; and

automatically provide a manager of the first position with access privileges to records of the member based on the first relationship; and

during pendency of the additional assignment, automatically provide a manager of the second position with disparate access privileges to records of the member based on the second relationship.

17. A system for providing access privileges to records of members of a community, comprising:

a memory operable to store;

a first assignment of a first member of a community to a first manager position in the community;

a second assignment of a second member of the community to a second manager position in the community; and

a third assignment of the first manager position to the second manager position to generate a relationship; and

a processor operable to automatically provide the first member with at least a portion of the access privileges of the second member based on the relationship stored in the memory, the access privileges of the second manager comprising access privileges to records of members of the community reporting to the second manager position.

18. A system for providing access privileges to records of members of a community, comprising:

at least one computer readable medium; and

software encoded on the at least one computer readable medium and operable when executed by a processor to;

store a first assignment of a first member of a community to a first manager position in the community;

store a second assignment of a second member of the community to a second manager position in the community;

store a third assignment of the first manager position to the second manager position to generate a relationship; and

automatically provide the first member with at least a portion of the access privileges of the second member based on the relationship, the access privileges of the second manager comprising access privileges to records of members of the community reporting to the second manager position.

19. A method of providing access privileges to records of members of a community, comprising:

storing an assignment of a particular member of a community to a first position in the community to generate a first relationship;

generating a list of at least one authorized fUnction associated with a manager of the first position;

generating a list of at least one authorized object associated with the manager of the first position, the at least one authorized object representing at least one member of the community related to the manager of the first position such that the manager of the first position may access records associated with the at least one member;

providing the manager of the first position with access privileges to records of the particular member based at least partially on the at least one authorized fUnction and the at least one authorized object;

storing an additional assignment of the particular member to a second position in the community to generate a second relationship; and

during pendency of the additional assignment, automatically providing a manager of the second position with disparate access privileges to records of the particular member based on the second relationship.

20. A method of providing access privileges to records of members of a community, comprising:

storing a first assignment of a first member of a community to a first manager position in the community;

storing a second assignment of a second member of the community to a second manager position in the community;

storing a third assignment of the first manager position to the second manager position to generate a relationship; and

generating a list of at least one authorized function associated with the second member;

generating a list of at least one authorized object associated with the second member, the at least one authorized object representing at least one member of the community related to the second member such that the second member may access records associated with the at least one member; and

providing the first member with at least a portion of the access privileges of the second member based at least partially on the at least one authorized function and the at least one authorized object, the access privileges of the second member comprising access privileges to records of members of the community reporting to the second manager position.