Providing access to a private resource in an enterprise social networking system

• US 9,460,474 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2014
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Grignon, Yanik
• Primary Examiner(s): Traore, Fatoumata
• Application Number:
  US14/268,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20140330732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, apparatus, systems, and computer readable storage media for providing access to a private resource in an enterprise social networking system. One or more servers may receive a request for access to a private resource to be granted to a user from a publisher. The publisher may be configured to publish a message as a feed item to one or more feeds, where the message includes a user identification identifying the user. The user does not have access to the private resource. The feed item may be provided to display in the one or more feeds. Access may be granted to the user via the one or more feeds. In some implementations, access may be granted in response to a user input from the feed item associated with a moderator or owner, the moderator or owner having a privilege to control user access to the private resource.

Claims

1. A system for providing access to a private resource in an enterprise social networking system, the system comprising:

a database system implemented using a server system comprising one or more physical processors, the database system configurable to cause;

displaying, in a user interface on a display of a device, a publisher configurable to publish feed items to a feed of the enterprise social networking system, the feed being dedicated to the private resource, the private resource and the feed being accessible to only authorized users of the enterprise social networking system identifiable as having access to the private resource, the publisher comprising;

an input area configurable to receive text, and

a first selection operable to share the text in the feed as a feed item;

automatically detecting entry, in the input area of the publisher, of a user identification (ID) identifying a first user of the enterprise social networking system;

automatically determining, responsive to detecting the entry of the user ID, that the first user is unauthorized to access the private resource;

displaying, in the user interface and responsive to automatically determining that the first user is unauthorized to access the private resource, a message comprising;

a notification that the first user is unauthorized to access e private resource, and

a second selection operable to send, to an authorized administrator associated with the private resource, a request to grant the first user access to the private resource

determining that the second selection has been selected; and

displaying, on a display of a device of the authorized administrator and responsive to determining that the second selection has been selected, input controls configurable to receive input from the authorized administrator to grant the first user access to the private resource.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the first user is unauthorized to access to the private resource comprises:

comparing the user ID against a membership database, the membership database identifying the authorized users identifiable as having access to the private resource.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein text entered in the input area of the publisher includes a symbol in the form of a hashtag or an @mention in combination with the user ID.

4. The system of claim 1, the database system further configurable to cause:

granting to the first user, responsive to receiving the input from the authorized administrator, access to the private resource.

5. The system of claim 1, the database system further configurable to cause:

determining that the first user belongs to the enterprise social networking system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein access to the private resource includes unlimited privileges to retrieve social network data and initiate social networking actions available to the authorized users identifiable as having access to the private resource.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein access to the private resource includes limited privileges defined by a user having the privilege to control user access to the private resource and the feed.

8. The system of claim 1, the database system further configurable to cause:

comparing one or more membership parameters for granting access to the private resource against an attribute of the first user;

determining that the attribute satisfies the one or more membership parameters for granting access to the first user; and

displaying, in the user interface and responsive to determining that the attribute satisfies the one or more membership parameters, a recommendation in association with the feed.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the input controls are further configurable to receive input to perform at least one of denying, ignoring, and reassigning the request for access.

10. A computer-implemented method for providing access to a private resource in an enterprise social networking system, the method comprising:

causing display of, in a user interface on a display of a device, a publisher configurable to publish feed items to a feed of the enterprise social networking system, the feed being dedicated to the private resource, the private resource and the feed being accessible to only authorized users of the enterprise social networking system identifiable as having access to the private resource, the publisher comprising;

an input area configurable to receive text, and

a first selection operable to share the text in the feed as a feed item;

automatically detecting entry, in the input area of the publisher, of a user identification (ID) identifying a first user of the enterprise social networking system;

automatically determining, responsive to detecting the entry of the user ID, that the first user is unauthorized to access the private resource;

causing display of, in the user interface and responsive to automatically determining that the first user is unauthorized to access the private resource, a message comprising;

a notification that the first user is unauthorized to access the private resource, and

a second selection operable to send, to an authorized administrator associated with the private resource, a request to grant the first user access to the private resource

determining that the second selection has been selected; and

causing display of, on a display of a device of the authorized administrator and responsive to determining that the second selection has been selected, input controls configurable to receive input from the authorized administrator to grant the first user access to the private resource.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining that the first user is unauthorized to access to the private resource comprises:

comparing the user ID against a membership database, the membership database identifying the authorized users identifiable as having access to the private resource.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein text entered in the input area of the publisher includes a symbol in the form of a hashtag or an @mention in combination with the user ID.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

granting to the first user, responsive to receiving the input from the authorized administrator, access to the private resource.

14. A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code capable of being executed by one or more processors when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code comprising instructions configurable to cause:

displaying, in a user interface on a display of a device, a publisher configurable to publish feed items to a feed of an enterprise social networking system, the feed being dedicated to a private resource, the private resource and the feed being accessible to only authorized users of the enterprise social networking system identifiable as having access to the private resource, the publisher comprising;

an input area configurable to receive text, and

a first selection operable to share the text in the feed as a feed item;

automatically detecting entry, in the input area of the publisher, of a user identification (ID) identifying a first user of the enterprise social networking system;

automatically determining, responsive to detecting the entry of the user ID, that the first user is unauthorized to access the private resource;

displaying, in the user interface and responsive to automatically determining that the first user is unauthorized to access the private resource, a message comprising;

a notification that the first user is unauthorized to access the private resource, and

a second selection operable to send, to an authorized administrator associated with the private resource, a request to grant the first user access to the private resource

determining that the second selection has been selected; and

displaying, on a display of a device of the authorized administrator and responsive to determining that the second selection has been selected, input controls configurable to receive input from the authorized administrator to grant the first user access to the private resource.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein text entered in the input area of the publisher includes a symbol in the form of a hashtag or an @mention in combination with the user ID.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, the instructions configurable to cause:

granting to the first user, responsive to receiving the input from the authorized administrator, access to the private resource.