Method and apparatus for providing controlled access to software objects and associated documents

• US 7,634,455 B1
• Filed: 09/23/1999
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agile Software Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Agile Software Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Sadhureddy, Rao, Keene, Catherine M., Lin, Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US09/401,251
• Time in Patent Office: 3,736 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/100, 707/102, 707/9, 707/10, 707/201, 707/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control

Abstract

A method and device such as a database for storing and providing controlled access to objects and associated documents by multiple users according to predetermined privileges set by the owner, or host, of the stored information. Individual users, or guests, can be given access to the objects, its attributes and associated documents as determined by the host of the information. The host of the information can set up access privileges based on any type of relationship. This is particularly useful in complex business relationships between a host and a plurality of users, both of which may be sensitive about their trade secrets and other confidential information.

Claims

1. A system for sharing data among a plurality of business entities involved in a product supply chain, the system comprising:

a storage component configured to store a plurality of data objects pertaining to a product, wherein each stored data object includes a plurality of predefined data groups, and wherein the plurality of stored data objects are maintained by a manufacturer of the product; and

a processing component in communication with the storage component, the processing component being configured to;

receive, from a user affiliated with a first supplier, a request to access a data object in the plurality of stored data objects, wherein the data object is owned by a second supplier, and the first supplier supplies to the manufacturer a first component for the product;

extract from the received request a user identifier that uniquely identifies the user;

retrieve a set of privileges associated with the data object and the extracted user identifier, the retrieved set of privileges including read privileges identifying one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is allowed to view;

determine, based on the read privileges, one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is not allowed to view;

generate a redacted version of the data object, wherein the redacted version of the data object does not include the determined one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is not allowed to view; and

transmit the redacted version of the data object to the user,

wherein the retrieved set of privileges are defined by the manufacturer based on a business agreement between the manufacturer and the second supplier distinct from the first supplier, wherein the second supplier supplies to the manufacturer a second component for the product, and wherein the business agreement indicates that the first supplier should not have access to the one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is not allowed to view and that is sensitive to the second supplier.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of predefined data groups further include a group of attributes of the data object and a group of documents associated with the data object.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of predefined data groups include a group of links to other data objects in the plurality of data objects.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data object includes data selected from a group consisting of:

product design data, product development data, product supply chain data, business relationship data, business agreement data, bill of material data, change order data, product cost data, product specifications data, and product supplier data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of privileges includes write privileges identifying one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is allowed to modify.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of privileges includes delete privileges identifying one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is allowed to delete.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of privileges includes a privilege that allows the user to add new data groups to the data object.

8. A method for sharing data among a plurality of business entities involved in a product supply chain, the method comprising:

storing, by a computer system, a plurality of data objects pertaining to a product, wherein each stored data object includes a plurality of predefined data groups, and wherein the plurality of stored data objects are maintained by a manufacturer of the product;

receiving, by the computer system, a request to access a data object in the plurality of stored data objects from a user affiliated with a first supplier, wherein the data object is owned by a second supplier, and the first supplier supplies to the manufacturer a first component for the product;

extracting, by the computer system, a user identifier that uniquely identifies the user from the received request;

retrieving, by the computer system, a set of privileges associated with the data object and the extracted user identifier, the retrieved set of privileges including read privileges identifying one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is allowed to view;

determining, by the computer system, one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is not allowed to view based on the read privileges;

generating, by the computer system, a redacted version of the data object, wherein the redacted version of the data object does not include the determined one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is not allowed to view; and

transmitting, by the computer system, the redacted version of the data object to the user,

wherein the retrieved set of privileges are defined by the manufacturer based on a business agreement between the manufacturer and the second supplier distinct from the first supplier, wherein the second supplier supplies to the manufacturer a second component for the product, and wherein the business agreement indicates that the first supplier should not have access to the one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is not allowed to view and that is sensitive to the second supplier.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of predefined data groups include a group of attributes of the data object and a group of documents associated with the data object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of predefined data groups further include a group of links to other data objects in the plurality of data objects.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the data object includes data selected from a group consisting of:

product design data, product development data, product supply chain data, business relationship data, business agreement data, bill of material data, change order data, product cost data, product specifications data, and product supplier data.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the set of privileges includes write privileges identifying one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is allowed to modify.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the set of privileges includes delete privileges identifying one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is allowed to delete.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the set of privileges includes a privilege that allows the user to add new data groups to the data object.

15. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a series of instructions which, when executed by a processing component, cause the processing component to facilitate the sharing of data among a plurality of business entities involved in a product supply chain by:

storing a plurality of data objects pertaining to a product, wherein each stored data object includes a plurality of predefined data groups, and wherein the plurality of stored data objects are maintained by a manufacturer of the product;

receiving, from a user affiliated with a first supplier, a request to access a data object in the plurality of stored data objects, wherein the data object is owned by a second supplier, and the first supplier supplies to the manufacturer a first component for the product;

extracting from the received request a user identifier that uniquely identifies the user;

retrieving a set of privileges associated with the data object and the extracted user identifier, the retrieved set of privileges including read privileges identifying one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is allowed to view;

determining, based on the read privileges, one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is not allowed to view;

generating a redacted version of the data object, wherein the redacted version of the data object does not include the determined one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is not allowed to view; and

transmitting the redacted version of the data object to the user,

wherein the retrieved set of privileges are defined by the manufacturer based on a business agreement between the manufacturer and the second supplier distinct from the first supplier, wherein the second supplier supplies to the manufacturer a second component for the product, and wherein the business agreement indicates that the first supplier should not have access to the one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is not allowed to view and that is sensitive to the second supplier.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of predefined data groups include a group of attributes of the data object and a group of documents associated with the data object.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the plurality of predefined data groups further include a group of links to other data objects in the plurality of data objects.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the data object includes data selected from a group consisting of:

product design data, product development data, product supply chain data, business relationship data, business agreement data, bill of material data, change order data, product cost data, product specifications data, and product supplier data.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the set of privileges includes write privileges identifying one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is allowed to modify.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the set of privileges includes delete privileges identifying one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is allowed to delete.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the set of privileges includes a privilege that allows the user to add new data groups to the data object.