Method and system for online document collaboration

• US 8,117,644 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2010
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Web 2.0 Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Pennar Software Corporation
• Inventors: Chaganti, Damayanti, Chaganti, Naren, Chaganti, Sitapathi Rao
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanier, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US12/799,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20110004943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for online document collaboration includes the steps of establishing on a server computer coupled to the Internet an account for each of a plurality of users; storing on the server computer a document created by a first user; associating a set of access restrictions with the document, said access restrictions including an ability to access the document for modification by one of a first group of users, said first group of users being users whose identities are known to the server computer; receiving, from a second user, a request to modify the document, wherein said request to modify accompanies the second user'"'"'s identification information; verifying the identity of the second user; permitting the second user to modify the document based on a set of access rights granted to the second user; receiving approval or disapproval for the modifications from one or more users; and storing identifying information of the one or more users who approved or disapproved the modifications to the document. In alternative embodiments, the method further includes the step(s) of storing the modified document, storing the identity of the user who modified the document, notifying one or more members of a group if the document is modified or transmitting the modified document to one or more members of a group.

Claims

1. A method for online document collaboration, the method comprising the steps performed by a server computer:

establishing, on the server computer coupled to the Internet, an account for each of a plurality of users;

storing, on the server computer, a document created by a first user;

associating a set of access restrictions with the document, said access restrictions including an ability to access the document for modification by one of a first group of users, said first group of users being users whose identities are known to the server computer;

receiving, from a second user, a request to modify the document, wherein said request to modify accompanies the second user'"'"'s identification information;

verifying the identity of the second user;

permitting the second user to modify the document based on a set of access rights granted to the second user;

receiving approval or disapproval for the modifications from one or more users; and

storing identifying information of the one or more users who approved or disapproved the modifications to the document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of verifying the identity of the second user further comprises the step of:

verifying the second user based on one or more criteria from;

(a) a description of information accessible using an authorization key, (b) an expiration time for an authorization key, (c) the trustworthiness of the second user, (d) the second user'"'"'s password, (e) a security level of the second user, (f) security level of a requesting device, (g) security level of a device to which access is to be provided, (h) a security level of a password that the second party provides, (i) type of device used by the second party, (j) identity of a device used by the second party, (k) address from where a request is made, (l) Internet address from which a request is made, (m) time of day, or (n) day of week.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

creating an audit trail of the document access.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

if the document is modified, notifying one or more members of a group of users that the document was modified or transmitting the modified document to one or more members of a group.

5. The method of claim 1, where the modification to the document includes adding new material to the document, deleting material from the document, making notes within the document, underlining material in the document, adding a digital signature to the document or highlighting material in the document.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

applying the modification made by the second user to the document.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

storing the identity of the second user.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

storing the modified document.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing the modifications made by the second user to the document.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the document is a web page, a news article, a word processor document, a spread sheet, a presentation, an e-book, a piece of music, a piece of audio, a piece of video, a movie, an image, a photograph, or a three-dimensional image.

11. A server computer system comprising a processor configured to execute the method of claim 1.