Method, system, and computer program product for searching files on a network

• US 8,082,252 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2010
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Dayon, Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): Colin, Carl
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rashid, Harunur
• Application Number:
  US12/773,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20100223303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 709/217, 707/802, 707/736, 715/234
• US Class Current: 707/736
• 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: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for accessing web pages on a network are provided. In use, different users are provided access to a plurality of sections of a created file based on a value for at least one dimension assigned to each section of the created file. In particular, a user is conditionally provided access to a section of a created file, based on a comparison of a user value indicating a community with which the user is associated to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the section of the created file.

Claims

1. A method for creating searchable files on a computer network, the method performed by a processor comprising:

accepting signals provided by a file creator via a user input device to create a file, the created file having a plurality of sections;

accepting signals provided by the file creator via the user input device to assign a value for at least one dimension to each section of the created file;

storing the plurality of sections of the created file in a retrievable form; and

providing different users access to the plurality of sections of the created file based on the value for the at least one dimension assigned to each section of the created file by;

identifying a first user value for at least one dimension to which a first user is associated, the first user value indicating a first community with which the first user is associated;

for a first section of the created file, comparing the first user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the first section of the created file;

conditionally providing the first user access to the first section of the created file, based on the comparison of the first user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the first section of the created file;

for a second section of the created file, comparing the first user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the second section of the created file;

conditionally providing the first user access to the second section of the created file, based on the comparison of the first user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the second section of the created file;

identifying a second user value for at least one dimension to which a second user is associated, the second user value indicating a second community with which the second user is associated;

for the first section of the created file, comparing the second user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the first section of the created file;

conditionally providing the second user access to the first section of the created file, based on the comparison of the second user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the first section of the created file;

for the second section of the created file, comparing the second user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the second section of the created file; and

conditionally providing the second user access to the second section of the created file, based on the comparison of the second user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the second section of the created file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accepting signals provided by the file creator via the user input device to assign at least one theme to the created file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the theme assigned to the created file was created by the first user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accepting signals provided by the file creator via the user input device to assign a value for at least one file property, the at least one file property including a lifespan and an access list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the file creator provides input through a web browser.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the created file is based on a template defining one or more fonts and one or more pieces of artwork.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented using a plurality of instances of a software program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user is provided access to the first section of the created file in response to a determination from the comparison that the first user value matches the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the first section of the created file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user is denied access to the first section of the created file in response to a determination from the comparison that the first user value does not match the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the first section of the created file.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first community to which the first user is associated is a community to which the first user is assigned.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the signals include, for each section of the created file, a selection from the file creator of the value for the at least one dimension, such that the selection creates the assignment of the value for the at least one dimension to the section of the created file.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sections of the created file is assigned multiple different sets of a value for the at least one dimension.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the sets of a value for the at least one dimension indicates a different community.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein for each section of the created file, the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the section of the created file is specified for granting access to the section of the created file to users associated with the value.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein for each section of the created file, the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the section of the created file is specified for denying access to the section of the created file to users associated with the value.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the dimensions include a geographic location category, a department category and a time period category.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a community to which each section of the created file is assigned categorizes the section of the created file according to a corporate structure using the geographic location category and the department category, and further categorizes the section of the created file according to a timeframe using the time period category.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein a community to which each section of the created file is assigned and the first community to which the first user is associated are within a corporate structure.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein a community to which each section of the created file is assigned and the first community to which the first user is associated includes a geographic location and a department.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the department includes a department of the corporate structure to which each section of the created file concerns.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the value for the at least one dimension assigned to each section of the created file defines a publication date associated with the section of the created file.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the community to which each section of the created file is assigned and the first community to which the first user is associated each include a group of people.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising accepting signals provided by the file creator via the user input device to assign a theme to each section of the created file, the theme associated with at least one of the values for the at least one dimension assigned to each section of the created file.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein for the section of the created file associated with the theme, the at least one of the values associated with the theme is automatically assigned to the section of the created file based on the assignment of the theme to the section of the created file.

25. A system for creating searchable files on a computer network comprising:

a processor for;

accepting signals provided by a file creator via a user input device to create a file, the created file having a plurality of sections;

accepting signals provided by the file creator via the user input device to assign a value for at least one dimension to each section of the created file;

storing the plurality of sections of the created file in a retrievable form; and

providing different users access to the plurality of sections of the created file based on the value for the at least one dimension assigned to each section of the created file by;

identifying a first user value for at least one dimension to which a first user is associated, the first user value indicating a first community with which the first user is associated;

for a first section of the created file, comparing the first user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the first section of the created file;

conditionally providing the first user access to the first section of the created file, based on the comparison of the first user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the first section of the created file;

for a second section of the created file, comparing the first user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the second section of the created file;

conditionally providing the first user access to the second section of the created file, based on the comparison of the first user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the second section of the created file;

identifying a second user value for at least one dimension to which a second user is associated, the second user value indicating a second community with which the second user is associated;

for the first section of the created file, comparing the second user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the first section of the created file;

conditionally providing the second user access to the first section of the created file, based on the comparison of the second user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the first section of the created file;

for the second section of the created file, comparing the second user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the second section of the created file; and

conditionally providing the second user access to the second section of the created file, based on the comparison of the second user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the second section of the created file.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

accepting signals provided by the file creator via the user input device to assign at least one theme to the created file.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the system is operable such that the theme assigned to the created file was created by the first user.

28. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

accepting signals provided by the file creator via the user input device to assign a value for at least one file property, the at least one file property including a lifespan and an access list.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the system is operable such that the file creator provides input through a web browser.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the system is operable such that the created file is based on a template defining one or more fonts and one or more pieces of artwork.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the system is implemented using a plurality of instances of a software program.

32. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for creating searchable files on a computer network, the method comprising:

accepting signals provided by a file creator via a user input device to create a file, the created file having a plurality of sections;

accepting signals provided by the file creator via the user input device to assign a value for at least one dimension to each section of the created file;

storing the plurality of sections of the created file in a retrievable form; and

providing different users access to the plurality of sections of the created file based on the value for the at least one dimension assigned to each section of the created file by;

identifying a first user value for at least one dimension to which a first user is associated, the first user value indicating a first community with which the first user is associated;

for a first section of the created file, comparing the first user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the first section of the created file;

conditionally providing the first user access to the first section of the created file, based on the comparison of the first user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the first section of the created file;

for a second section of the created file, comparing the first user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the second section of the created file;

conditionally providing the first user access to the second section of the created file, based on the comparison of the first user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the second section of the created file;

identifying a second user value for at least one dimension to which a second user is associated, the second user value indicating a second community with which the second user is associated;

for the first section of the created file, comparing the second user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the first section of the created file;

conditionally providing the second user access to the first section of the created file, based on the comparison of the second user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the first section of the created file;

for the second section of the created file, comparing the second user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the second section of the created file; and

conditionally providing the second user access to the second section of the created file, based on the comparison of the second user value to the value for the at least one dimension assigned to the second section of the created file.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, further comprising:

accepting signals provided by the file creator via the user input device to assign at least one theme to the created file.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the theme assigned to the created file was created by the first user.

35. The computer program product of claim 32, further comprising:

accepting signals provided by the file creator via the user input device to assign a value for at least one file property, the at least one file property including a lifespan and an access list.

36. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the file creator provides input through a web browser.

37. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the created file is based on a template defining one or more fonts and one or more pieces of artwork.

38. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the computer program product is implemented using a plurality of instances of a software program.