Role-based graphical user interfaces

• US 8,789,205 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2010
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Sanjay H., SiMa, Yun-Rui, Dong, Yingtao
• Primary Examiner(s): KOSOWSKI, CAROLYN M
• Application Number:
  US12/764,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20110265188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 726/28, 715/764
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• 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 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A role-based Graphical User Interface (GUI) may be provided. First, information associated with an application user may be received. A role associated the application user may be then determined. The role may then be analyzed to determine which application elements are permitted to the user and which application elements are restricted from the application user. Next, the permitted application elements may be loaded with permissible GUI elements visible and restricted GUI elements hidden. The permissible GUI elements may be associated with the application elements permitted to the application user, while the restricted GUI elements may be associated with the application elements restricted from the user.

Claims

1. A system for providing a role-based Graphical User Interface (GUI), the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to;

determine a type of role corresponding to a system user,

group application components associated with the type of role to form a role corresponding to the system user,

restrict certain application elements from access by the role,

assign the role to the system user,

analyze a first schema file to determine a set of operations permitted to the role,

analyze a second schema file to determine a set of GUI nodes associated with the set of permitted operations,

iteratively analyze each GUI node of the set of GUI nodes to determine if each GUI node comprises permissible data objects to the role,

hide a node of the set of GUI nodes when the node comprises none of the permissible data objects,

display permitted GUI elements associated with permitted application elements, and

display a lock icon in association with restricted GUI element associated with restricted application elements.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the permitted application elements and the restricted application elements are derived from the grouped application components.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein receiving the information associated with the application user comprises receiving user identity information from at least one of the following:

an application login, a system login, and a network associated with the system user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit configured to determine the type of role corresponding to the system user comprises the processing unit configured to determine the type of role based on information from an application login.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit configured to determine the type of role corresponding to the system user comprises the processing unit configured to determine the type of role based on information from a system login.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit configured to determine the type of role corresponding to the system user comprises the processing unit configured to determine the type of role based on information from a network associated with the system user.

7. A memory device having a set of instructions which when executed perform a method for providing a role-based Graphical User Interface (GUI), the method comprising:

determining a type of role corresponding to a system user;

grouping application components associated with the type of role to form a role corresponding to the system user;

restricting certain application elements from access by the role;

assigning the role to the system user;

analyzing a first schema file to determine a set of operations permitted to the role;

analyzing a second schema file to determine a set of GUI nodes associated with the set of permitted operations;

iteratively analyzing each GUI node of the set of GUI nodes to determine if each GUI node comprises permissible data objects to the role;

hiding a node of the set of GUI nodes when the node comprises none of the permissible data objects;

displaying permitted GUI elements associated with permitted application elements; and

displaying a lock icon in association with restricted GUI element associated with restricted application elements.

8. The memory device of claim 7, wherein displaying the permitted GUI elements associated with the permitted application elements comprises displaying the permitted GUI elements associated with the permitted application elements wherein the permitted application elements are derived from the grouped application components.

9. The memory device of claim 7, wherein displaying the lock icon in association with the restricted GUI element associated with restricted application elements comprises displaying the lock icon in association with the restricted GUI element associated with restricted application elements wherein the restricted application elements are derived from the grouped application components.

10. The memory device of claim 7, wherein receiving the information associated with the application user comprises receiving user identity information from at least one of the following:

an application login, a system login, and a network associated with the system user.

11. The memory device of claim 7, wherein determining the type of role corresponding to the system user comprises determining the type of role based on information from an application login.

12. The memory device of claim 7, wherein determining the type of role corresponding to the system user comprises determining the type of role based on information from a system login.

13. The memory device of claim 7, wherein determining the type of role corresponding to the system user comprises determining the type of role based on information from a network associated with the system user.

14. A method for providing a role-based Graphical User Interface (GUI), the method comprising:

determining a type of role corresponding to a system user;

grouping application components associated with the type of role to form a role corresponding to the system user;

restricting certain application elements from access by the role;

assigning the role to the system user;

analyzing a first schema file to determine a set of operations permitted to the role;

analyzing a second schema file to determine a set of GUI nodes associated with the set of permitted operations;

iteratively analyzing each GUI node of the set of GUI nodes to determine if each GUI node comprises permissible data objects to the role;

hiding a node of the set of GUI nodes when the node comprises none of the permissible data objects;

displaying permitted GUI elements associated with permitted application elements; and

displaying a lock icon in association with restricted GUI element associated with restricted application elements.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying the permitted GUI elements associated with the permitted application elements comprises displaying the permitted GUI elements associated with the permitted application elements wherein the permitted application elements are derived from the grouped application components.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying the lock icon in association with the restricted GUI element associated with restricted application elements comprises displaying the lock icon in association with the restricted GUI element associated with restricted application elements wherein the restricted application elements are derived from the grouped application components.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the information associated with the application user comprises receiving user identity information from at least one of the following:

an application login, a system login, and a network associated with the system user.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining the type of role corresponding to the system user comprises determining the type of role based on information from an application login.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the type of role corresponding to the system user comprises determining the type of role based on information from a system login.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the type of role corresponding to the system user comprises determining the type of role based on information from a network associated with the system user.