Control for enabling a user to preview display of selected content based on another user's authorization level

• US 7,599,935 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Slack Technologies, Inc. (Salesforce.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brody, Paul, DeJesus, Ericson, La Rotonda, Michael, Sample, Neal, Perelman, Ellen Sue
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Leslie
• Application Number:
  US11/314,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20060184578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 707/8, 707/9, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/916 Audio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/961 Associative
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Enabling a first user to preview content as it would be seen by a second user, if the second user had a selected user relationship with the first user. The selected user relationship may include a relationship degree, a relationship category, a relationship rating, and/or other form of relationship. In one embodiment, a user interface enables the first user to assign user relationships to portions of content and to other users. The first user selects a user relationship, which is used to access those portions of content that are associated with the first user and assigned the selected user relationship. The corresponding portions of content are used to generate a preview display for the first user, illustrating the portions of content that would be accessible to other users assigned the same user relationship or assigned a closer user relationship. Preview may be generated by a server or a local client.

Claims

1. A method for previewing content on a computer display device, comprising:

receiving a selected user relationship indicating a relationship between a first user and a second user;

accessing content that is limited to information associated with the first user and is associated with the selected user relationship between the first user and the second user, wherein the selected user relationship controls which portions of the content are accessible to the second user if the second user were to request access to the content associated with the first user; and

providing a preview portion of the accessed content for display to the first user on the computer display device, enabling the first user to preview the preview portion of the accessed content as it would be displayed to the second user on another computer display device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to accessing the content, associating the content with a user relationship by at least one of the following:

receiving an assignment of the user relationship to the content from the first user; and

automatically associating the content with the user relationship based on one of the following;

a behavior, a predefined setting, and an agreement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected user relationship is received from a client user interface operated by the first user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected user relationship comprises at least one of the following:

a degree of relationship between the first user and the second user;

a category of relationship between the first user and the second user; and

a rating of the relationship between the first user and the second user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein accessed content includes at least one of the following;

profile information, a blog entry, a review, a list, a set of images, information about a related user;

information about a group to which the first user belongs, and a message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the preview portion is provided as a markup document for display by a browser.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the content to a client that locally accesses the content and provides the preview portion by filtering the content to enable the first user to preview the preview portion of the accessed content as it would be seen by the second user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising preparing the preview portion based on a capability of a device through which the preview portion will displayed to the first user.

9. A computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions for performing actions of claim 1.

10. A server for previewing content, comprising:

a communication interface in communication with a client;

a memory for storing instructions; and

a processor in communication with the communication interface and with the memory, wherein the processor performs actions based at least in part on the stored instructions, including;

receiving from the client a preview selection indicating a user relationship;

accessing content that is limited to information associated with the client and the user relationship, wherein the user relationship controls which portions of the content are accessible to a user associated with the user relationship; and

providing to the client a preview of the content as the content would be displayed to the user associated with the user relationship.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the processor actions further include, prior to accessing the content, associating the content with a user relationship by at least one of the following:

receiving an assignment of the user relationship to the content from the client; and

automatically associating the content with the user relationship based on one of the following;

a behavior, a predefined setting, and an agreement.

12. The server of claim 10, wherein the preview selection indicates at least one of the following:

a degree of relationship between the client and another user;

a category of relationship between the client and the other user; and

a rating of the relationship between the client and the other user.

13. The server of claim 10, wherein accessed content includes at least one of the following;

profile information, a blog entry, a review, a list, a set of images, information about a related user;

information about a group to which the client belongs, and a message.

14. The server of claim 10, wherein the processor actions further include preparing the preview based on a capability of a device through which the preview will displayed through the client.

15. A processor readable storage medium that includes instructions and data, wherein the execution of the instructions provides for previewing content at a computer display device by enabling actions, the actions comprising:

providing a user interface that enables a first user to select a user relationship that is associated with a set of content accessible to a second user, wherein the selected user relationship identifies a form of association, of a plurality of possible associations, between the first user and the second user;

enabling the first user to submit the selected user relationship and an identifier of the first user in a request for the set of content, which comprises information about the first user that the first user has specified as accessible to any user that is related to the first user with the form of association identified by the selected relationship; and

displaying the set of content for viewing by the first user at the computer display device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, prior to enabling the first user to request the set of content, enabling the first user to associate a portion of the content with a user relationship.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising using the user relationship to filter content stored by a local client device to obtain the set of content.

18. A client device for previewing content, comprising:

a communication interface in communication with a server;

a memory for storing instructions; and

a processor in communication with the communication interface and with the memory, wherein the processor performs actions based at least in part on the stored instructions, including;

providing a user interface that enables a first user to select a user relationship that is associated with a set of content accessible to a second user, wherein the content is limited to information associated with both the first user and the selected user relationship, and wherein the selected user relationship controls which portions of the content are accessible to the second user if the second user were to request access to the content associated with the first user;

enabling the first user to submit the selected user relationship and an identifier of the first user in a request the set of content; and

displaying the set of content for viewing by the first user.

19. The client device of claim 18, wherein the client device comprises a mobile terminal.