CONTENT ACCESS CONTROL IN A SOCIAL NETWORK

• US 20160112428A1
• Filed: 12/21/2015
• Published: 04/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Terleski, Jonathan W., Delaye, Darren Lee
• Granted Patent: US 9,923,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• 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: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods associated with a social network application. A plurality of posts associated with a client system user is displayed. First and second posts in the plurality of posts are respectively associated with first and second recipient groups. While the posts are displayed, a content item area is displayed. An input, comprising a content item, is received from the user in the content item area. An affordance is presented that enables the user to designate access control information corresponding distribution entities. The content item and the access control information are transmitted to a system whereupon access to the content item is restricted in accordance with the access control information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a social network application at a client system;

displaying a plurality of posts associated with a user of the client system, wherein a first post in the plurality of posts is associated with a first recipient group associated with the user and a second post in the plurality of posts is associated with a second recipient group associated with the user, wherein the first recipient group is other than the second recipient group;

displaying, while the plurality of posts are displayed, a content item area;

receiving input in the content item area from the user, the input comprising a content item;

presenting an affordance that enables the user to designate access control information corresponding to one or more distribution entities; and

transmitting the content item and the access control information to a system, wherein access to the content item is restricted to distribution entities in accordance with the access control information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a respective distribution entity is an individual user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the user, input updating the access control information to produce updated access control information;

wherein prior to receiving the input updating the access control information, the access control information does not designate a distribution entity.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the user, input updating the access control information to produce updated access control information;

wherein prior to receiving the input updating the access control information, the access control information includes one or more distribution entities.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more distribution entities included in the initial access control information include:

one or more distribution entities in an access control list associated with a most recent prior content item input by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further including:

causing the content item to be distributed to one or more of the distribution entities to whom access has been enabled.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

a respective distribution entity in the access control information comprises a social network circle of one or more recipient entities,

the user is a member of a social network circle, the one or more recipient entities are in the social network circle, and the respective distribution entity further includes a first recipient entity who is not a member of the social network circle, and

causing the content item to be distributed comprises;

sending an email message to the first recipient entity who is not a member of the social network circle, the email message comprising the content item or a location of the content item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a member of a social network circle, and wherein a respective distribution entity is a social network circle of one or more recipient entities.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a respective distribution entity in the one or more distribution entities is a set of one or more social network circles, each social network circle having one or more recipient entities.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a respective distribution entity in the one or more distribution entities includes one or more recipient entities associated with the user and one or more recipient entities associated with a respective recipient entity associated with the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a respective distribution entity in the one or more distribution entities is a domain, the domain including one or more recipient entities.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a respective distribution entity in the one or more distribution entities is a single recipient entity, the single recipient entity being an individual user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the user of the client system and the individual user are both members of the same social network.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the user of the client system is a member of a social network circle, and wherein the individual user is not a member of the social network circle.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a respective distribution entity in the one or more distribution entities is a content feed associated with the user.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, from the user, input providing credentials to access the content feed.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a respective distribution entity in the one or more distribution entities includes one or more recipient entities associated with a specified geographical region.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein a respective distribution entity in the one or more distribution entities includes one or more recipient entities associated with a specified institution.

19. A client system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs that when executed by the one or more processors cause the client system to;

in a social network application,

display a plurality of posts associated with a user of the client system, wherein a first post in the plurality of posts is associated with a first recipient group associated with the user and a second post in the plurality of posts is associated with a second recipient group associated with the user, wherein the first recipient group is other than the second recipient group;

display, while the plurality of posts are displayed, a content item area;

receive input in the content item area from the user, the input comprising a content item;

present an affordance that enables the user to designate access control information corresponding to one or more distribution entities; and

transmit the content item and the access control information to a system, wherein access to the content item is restricted to distribution entities in accordance with the access control information.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs that when executed by one or more processors of a client system cause the client system to:

in a social network application,

display a plurality of posts associated with a user of the client system, wherein a first post in the plurality of posts is associated with a first recipient group associated with the user and a second post in the plurality of posts is associated with a second recipient group associated with the user, wherein the first recipient group is other than the second recipient group;

display, while the plurality of posts are displayed, a content item area;

receive input in the content item area from the user, the input comprising a content item;

present an affordance that enables the user to designate access control information corresponding to one or more distribution entities; and

transmit the content item and the access control information to a system, wherein access to the content item is restricted to distribution entities in accordance with the access control information.