Client integrated artwork/file repository system

• US 8,788,531 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boundless Network, Inc. (Zazzle, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Boundless Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Kraybill, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Uddin, Mohammed R
• Application Number:
  US13/462,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20120215814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 707/783, 707/803, 707/781, 707/999.009
• US Class Current: 707/783
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling file access. A data structure is provided which includes a set of files (artwork for a promotional products ordering system in some embodiments) and a set of user accounts. Each file and each account has associated arbitrary classifiers associated therewith. When account classifier(s) match file classifier(s), the corresponding users (salespersons in some embodiments) may access the files. The matching files may be listed for the users. The arbitrary classifiers can be nominal key:value pairs. A system is provided which includes a network, computers, and memory which contains such a data structure. The system may include a Web based file access interface. A method is provided in which arbitrary classifiers are associated with files and users. Users with classifiers which match a file classifier are allowed access to the corresponding file. An administrator may upload files to a shared repository in the memory.

Claims

1. A file sharing system comprising a file sharing computer communicatively coupled to a network, the file sharing computer having a processor and a computer readable medium storing a set of instructions and a data structure comprising metadata identifying:

a set of files, each file associated with metadata identifying at least one file classifier associated therewith, each file classifier identifying an attribute or classification of an associated file; and

a set of user accounts, each user account associated with metadata identifying at least one account classifier associated therewith, each user account classifier identifying an attribute or classification of an associated user account;

wherein the file classifiers and user account classifiers are unstructured, free-form or arbitrary;

wherein the file sharing computer is further operable to;

communicate with one or more user computers over the network, wherein a communication received from the one or more user computers comprises a request to add or modify a file by a user associated with a user account in the set of user accounts; and

compare the at least one file classifier associated with the requested file to the set of account classifiers for the user requesting to add or modify the file to determine if an attribute of the at least one account classifier matches with an attribute of the one or more file classifiers in the set of files,

wherein, for each of the set of account classifiers which matches a file classifier, the user accounts associated with the matching account classifier will be allowed to add or modify the file associated with the at least one matching file classifier, wherein access allows the user associated with a matching account classifier to add the file or modify the file in a file repository in the file sharing system.

2. The file sharing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more user computers are associated with one of a customer, a service provider or a supplier.

3. The file sharing system of claim 1, wherein the at least one file classifier has object inheritance, wherein the one or more user computers having access permission to a first file inherit access permission to a second file.

4. The file sharing system of claim 3, wherein the at least one file classifier comprises a set of nominal key:

value pairs corresponding to a geographic location, an industry, or an account.

5. The file sharing system of claim 1, wherein the set of classifiers for each user account in the set of user accounts comprises a nominal key:

value pair associated with an attribute of that account.

6. The file sharing system of claim 1, wherein the data structure comprises a relational database.

7. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer medium coupled with a processor, the computer program product executable to:

store, in the non-transitory computer readable medium, a data structure comprising metadata identifying each file in a set of files and at least one file classifier associated therewith, each file classifier identifying an attribute or classification of an associated file; and

store a set of classifiers for each user account in a set of user accounts stored in the data structure, each user account classifier identifying an attribute or classification of an associated user account;

wherein the file classifiers and user account classifiers are unstructured, free-form or arbitrary;

wherein the computer program product is further operable to;

communicate with one or more user computers over the network, wherein a communication received from the one or more user computers comprises a request to add or modify a file by a user associated with a user account in the set of user accounts; and

compare the at least one file classifier associated with the requested file to the set of account classifiers for the user requesting to add or modify the file,

wherein, for each of the set of account classifiers which matches a file classifier, the user accounts associated with the matching account classifier will be allowed to add or modify the file associated with the matching file classifier, wherein access allows the user associated with a matching account classifier to add the file or modify the file in a file repository in the file sharing system.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the one or more user computers are associated with one of a customer, a service provider or a supplier.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the at least one file classifier has object inheritance, wherein the one or more user computers having access permission to a first file inherit access permission to a second file.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the at least one file classifier comprises a set of nominal key:

value pairs corresponding to a geographic location, an industry, or an account.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the set of classifiers for each user in the set of users comprises a nominal key:

value pair associated with an attribute of that account.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the data structure comprises a relational database.

13. A method for file sharing over a network, comprising:

storing, in a non-transitory computer readable medium, a data structure comprising metadata identifying each file in a set of files and at least one file classifier associated therewith, each file classifier identifying an attribute or classification of an associated file; and

storing a set of classifiers for each user account in a set of user accounts stored in the data structure, each user account classifier identifying an attribute or classification of an associated user account;

wherein the file classifiers and user account classifiers are unstructured, free-form or arbitrary;

wherein the method further comprises;

communicating with one or more user computers over the network, wherein a communication received from the one or more user computers comprises a request to add or modify a file by a user associated with a user account in the set of user accounts; and

comparing the at least one file classifier associated with the requested file to the set of account classifiers for the user requesting to add or modify the file,

wherein, for each of the set of account classifiers which matches a file classifier, the user accounts associated with the matching account classifier will be allowed to add or modify the file associated with the matching file classifier, wherein access allows the user associated with a matching account classifier to add the file or modify the file in a file repository in the file sharing system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more user computers are associated with one of a customer, a service provider or a supplier.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one file classifier has object inheritance, wherein the one or more user computers having access permission to a first file inherit access permission to a second file.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one file classifier comprises a set of nominal key:

value pairs corresponding to a geographic location, an industry, or an account.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the set of classifiers for each user in the set of users comprises a nominal key:

value pair associated with an attribute of that account.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the data structure comprises a relational database.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising assigning the file Classifier.