RESTRICTING ACCESS TO CALENDAR ENTRIES

• US 20080134344A1
• Filed: 12/01/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: MCBREARTY, GERALD FRANCIS
• Application Number:
  US11/566,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20080134344A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes

Abstract

The illustrative embodiments provide a computer implemented method, an apparatus, and a computer usable program product for restricting access to a calendar. An engine receives a request from a user to view a set of dates in the calendar. Responsive to receiving the request, the engine determines an access level for the user that identifies a range of viewable dates available to the user. Responsive to determining the access level, the engine presents a limited view of the calendar that comprises the set of dates within the range of viewable dates.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for restricting access to a calendar, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to view a set of dates in the calendar;

responsive to receiving the request, determining an access level for the user that identifies a range of viewable dates available to the user; and

responsive to determining the access level, presenting a limited view of the calendar that comprises the set of dates within the range of viewable dates.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the limited view of the calendar comprises the range of viewable dates.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting an expiration date for when the user can access the limited view of the calendar; and

responsive to reaching the expiration date, removing access to the user to the limited view of the calendar.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the limited view of the calendar comprises at least one data entry recorded in the range of viewable dates, and wherein the computer implemented method further comprises:

allowing the user to access the at least one data entry when the user accesses the limited view of the calendar.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the user to change the access level for the user; and

responsive to accepting the request to change the access level, updating automatically the access level for the user.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the step of updating automatically the access level for the user comprises:

fetching a user identification and an updated range of viewable dates from the request to change the access level;

storing the user identification and the updated range of viewable dates in a storage device; and

presenting the updated range of viewable dates to the user.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the request to change the access level is a request to increase or decrease the range of viewable dates.

8. A data processing system comprising:

a user interface;

an engine coupled to the user interface, wherein the engine receives a request from the user interface to view a set of dates in a calendar; and

a database coupled to the engine, wherein the database identifies an access level for a user in response to receiving the request, wherein the access level identifies a range of viewable dates in the calendar available to the user, and wherein the engine presents a limited view of the calendar that comprises the set of dates within the range of viewable dates.

9. The data processing system of claim 8, wherein the limited view of the calendar comprises the range of viewable dates.

10. The data processing system of claim 8, wherein the engine determines an expiration date for when the user can access the limited view of the calendar, and wherein the engine removes access to the user to the limited view of the calendar in response to reaching the expiration date.

11. The data processing system of claim 8, wherein the limited view of the calendar comprises at least one data entry recorded in the range of dates, and wherein the engine allows the user to access the at least one data entry when the user accesses the limited view of the calendar.

12. The data processing system of claim 8, wherein the engine receives a request from the user to change the access level for the user, and wherein the engine automatically updates the access level for the user in the database in response to accepting the request to change the access level.

13. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the automatic updating by the engine comprises:

fetching a user identification and an updated range of viewable dates from the request to change the access level;

storing the user identification and the updated range of viewable dates in a storage device; and

presenting the updated range of viewable dates to the user.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium including computer usable program code for restricting access to a calendar, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving a request from a user to view a set of dates in the calendar;

responsive to receiving the request, computer usable program code for determining an access level for the user that identifies a range of viewable dates available to the user; and

responsive to determining the access level, computer usable program code for presenting a limited view of the calendar that comprises the set of dates within the range of viewable dates.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the limited view of the calendar comprises the range of viewable dates.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

computer usable program code for setting an expiration date for when the user can access the limited view of the calendar; and

responsive to reaching the expiration date, computer usable program code for removing access to the user to the limited view of the calendar.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the limited view of the calendar comprises at least one data entry recorded in the range of viewable dates, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

computer usable program code for allowing the user to access the at least one data entry when the user accesses the limited view of the calendar.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving a request from the user to change the access level for the user; and

responsive to accepting the request to change the access level, computer usable program code for updating automatically the access level for the user.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer usable program code for updating automatically the access level for the user comprises:

computer usable program code for fetching a user identification and an updated range of viewable dates from the request to change the access level;

computer usable program code for storing the user identification and the updated range of viewable dates in a storage device; and

computer usable program code for presenting the updated range of viewable dates to the user.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the request to change the access level is a request to increase or decrease the range of viewable dates.