Client integrated artwork/file repository system

• US 8,200,697 B1
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boundless Network, Inc. (Zazzle, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Boundless Network, Inc. (Zazzle, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kraybill, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Cottingham, John R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Uddin, Mohammed R
• Application Number:
  US12/021,466
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 707/802, 707/783, 707/999.001
• 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 system for access to a file, comprising:

a computing device comprising a processor executing a set of computer readable instructions; and

a computer readable storage medium for storing a data structure, the data structure readable by instructions executing on a processor and comprising;

a set of nominal key;

value pairs corresponding to a classification selected from the group comprising a geographic location classifier, an industrial classifier, a file classifier and an account classifier;

a set of files, wherein each file in the set of files has the nominal key;

value pair file classifier associated therewith, wherein the nominal key;

value pair file classifier is associated with an attribute of the file; and

a set of user accounts, wherein each user account in the set of user accounts has the nominal key;

value pair account classifier associated therewith, wherein the nominal key;

value pair account classifier is associated with an attribute of the user account;

wherein, the instructions are executable to compare the nominal key;

value pair account classifier from the set of nominal key;

value pair account classifiers with the nominal key;

value pair file classifier from the set of nominal key;

value pair file classifiers to determine if the attributes of the nominal key;

value pair account classifiers matches with the attributes of one or more files in the set of files, and

wherein the instructions are executable to allow the user accounts from the set of user accounts associated with a matching nominal key;

value pair account classifier to modify the files associated with the matching nominal key;

value pair file classifier.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the set of files comprises a first set of files from a user, a second set of files from a customer, a third set of files from a supplier, and a fourth set of files from a catalogue, and

wherein the sets of files are displayed to the customer on one or more interfaces.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the set of nominal key:

value pairs have object inheritance.

4. A system for access to a file, comprising

a network;

a plurality of computers in communication over the network; and

a memory in communication with the network, the memory comprising;

instructions executable by a processor; and

a data structure, comprising;

a set of nominal key;

value pairs corresponding to a classification selected from the group comprising a geographic location classifier, an industrial classifier, a file classifier and an account classifier;

a set of files, wherein each file in the set of files has the nominal key;

value pair file classifier associated therewith, wherein the nominal key;

value pair file classifier is associated with an attribute of the file; and

a set of user accounts, wherein each user account in the set of user accounts has the nominal key;

value pair account classifier associated therewith, wherein the nominal key;

value pair account classifier is associated with an attribute of the user account;

wherein, the instructions are executable to compare the nominal key;

value pair account classifier from the set of nominal key;

value pair account classifiers with the nominal key;

value pair file classifier from the set of nominal key;

value pair file classifiers to determine if the attributes of the nominal key;

value pair account classifiers matches with the attributes of the files in the set of files, and

wherein the instructions are executable to allow the user accounts from the set of user accounts associated with the matching nominal key;

value pair account classifier to modify the files associated with the matching nominal key;

value pair file classifier.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising an interface for receiving a file, wherein the set of instructions are executable to store the received file in the data structure.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the file from the set of files are displayed to a user on an interface, wherein said displayed file have a nominal key:

value pair file classifier with an attribute that matches an attribute of a nominal key;

value pair account classifier.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the nominal key:

value pair file classifiers maintain one or more of hierarchy, dependence, class inheritance and object inheritance.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the nominal key:

value pair account classifiers maintain one or more of hierarchy, dependence, class inheritance and object inheritance.

9. A method for providing access to a file, comprising:

associating the nominal key;

value pair file classifier with each file of a set of files, wherein the nominal key;

value pair file classifier is associated with an attribute of the corresponding file and the nominal key;

value pair file classifier is a set of nominal key;

value pairs corresponding to a classification selected from the group comprising a geographic location classifier, an industrial classifier, a file classifier and an account classifier;

associating the nominal key;

value pair account classifier with each user account of a set of user accounts, wherein the nominal key;

value pair account classifier is associated with an attribute of the corresponding user account; and

comparing a nominal key;

value pair account classifier from the set of nominal key;

value pair account classifiers with a nominal key;

value pair file classifier from the set of nominal key;

value pair file classifiers to determine if the attributes of the nominal key;

value pair account classifiers matches with attributes of the files in the set of files, and

allowing one or more user accounts from the set of user accounts associated with the matching nominal key;

value pair to access the files associated with the matching nominal key;

value pair file classifier.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising

receiving, by an interface, a file;

and

uploading the received file to a memory containing a shared repository of the set of files, wherein uploading the file comprises associating one or more nominal key;

value pair file classifiers with the file.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the nominal key:

value pair file classifiers maintain one or more of hierarchy, dependence, class inheritance and object inheritance.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying, on an interface, a list of all files having one or more nominal key:

value pair file classifiers that match one or more nominal key;

value pair account classifiers.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable program instructions implementing a method of allowing access to a set of files, wherein the computer-executable program instructions comprise:

code for associating the nominal key;

value pair file classifier with each file of a set of files, wherein the nominal key;

value pair file classifier is associated with an attribute of the file and the at least one nominal key;

value pair file classifier is a set of nominal key;

value pairs corresponding to a classification selected from the group comprising a geographic location classifier, an industrial classifier, a file classifier and an account classifier;

code for associating the nominal key;

value pair account classifier with each user account of a set of user accounts, wherein the nominal key;

value pair account classifier is associated with an attribute of the user account; and

code for comparing a nominal key;

value pair account classifier from the set of nominal key;

value pair account classifiers with a nominal key;

value pair file classifier from the set of nominal key;

value pair file classifiers to determine if of the attributes for each of the nominal key;

value pair account classifiers matches with the attributes of one or more files in the set of files; and

code for allowing user accounts from the set of user accounts associated with the matching nominal key;

value pair to access the files associated with the matching nominal key;

value pair file classifier.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the instructions further comprise:

code for receiving, by an interface, a file; and

code for uploading the received file to a memory containing a shared repository of the set of files, wherein uploading the file comprises associating one or more nominal key;

value pair file classifiers with the file.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the instructions further comprise code for maintaining one or more of hierarchy, dependence, class inheritance and object inheritance for the nominal key:

value pair file classifiers.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the instructions further comprise code for displaying, on an interface, a list of all files having one or more nominal key:

value pair file classifiers that match one or more nominal key;

value pair account classifiers.

17. A system for sharing a file, comprising a computing device having a processor and a computer readable medium for storing a data structure, the data structure readable by instructions executing on the processor and comprising:

a set of nominal key;

value pairs corresponding to a classification selected from the group comprising a geographic location classifier, an industrial classifier, a file classifier and an account classifier;

a set of files, wherein each file in the set of files the free-form nominal key;

value pair file classifier associated therewith, wherein the free-form nominal key;

value pair file classifier is associated with an attribute of the file;

a set of user accounts, wherein each user account in the set of user accounts has the free-form nominal key;

value pair account classifier associated therewith, wherein the free-form nominal key;

value pair account classifier is associated with an attribute of the user account; and

wherein, the instructions are executable to compare a free-form nominal key;

value pair account classifier from the set of free-form nominal key;

value pair account classifiers with the free-form nominal key;

value pair file classifier from the set of free-form nominal key;

value pair file classifiers to determine if the attributes for each of the free-form nominal key;

value pair account classifiers matches with one or more attributes of the files in the set of files, and

wherein the instructions are executable to allow the user accounts from the set of user accounts associated with the matching free-form nominal key;

value pair account classifier to modify the files associated with the matching free-form nominal key;

value pair file classifier.

18. A system for sharing product files, comprising:

a processor configured to execute instructions;

a computer readable medium, storing a data structure, the data structure readable by instructions executing on the processor and comprising;

a set of nominal key;

value pairs corresponding to a classification selected from the group comprising a geographic location classifier, an industrial classifier, a file classifier and an account classifier;

a set of files, wherein each file in the set of files comprises the unstructured nominal key;

value pair file classifier associated therewith, wherein the unstructured nominal key;

value pair file classifier is associated with an attribute of the file;

a set of user accounts, wherein each user account in the set of user accounts has the unstructured nominal key;

value pair account classifier associated therewith, wherein the unstructured nominal key;

value pair account classifier is associated with an attribute of the user; and

an interface operable to receive a first file from a customer, wherein the interface is operable to display a second file to the customer;

wherein, the instructions are executable to compare the unstructured nominal key;

value pair account classifier from the set of unstructured nominal key;

value pair account classifiers with the unstructured nominal key;

value pair file classifier from the set of unstructured nominal key;

value pair file classifiers to determine if the attributes for each of the unstructured nominal key;

value pair account classifiers matches with the attributes of the files in the set of files, and

wherein the instructions are executable to allow the user accounts from the set of user accounts associated with the matching unstructured nominal key;

value pair account classifier to modify the files associated with the matching unstructured nominal key;

value pair file classifier.