Variably controlling access to content

• US 8,838,645 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Whitten, Alma W., O'Sullivan, Joseph K.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHONG H
• Application Number:
  US14/141,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20140114960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 263 Days
• Field of Search: 707/694, 707/781, 707/783
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A software module is presented that enables a person to determine the relevance of a document while preventing the person from making a copy of the entire document. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by programmatically controlling which portions of a document will be presented to a user and which portions will not be presented to the user. In one embodiment, the software module is used in conjunction with a search engine to present a document search result.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a computer comprising at least one processor for providing controlled access to a document, the method comprising:

receiving a search query;

identifying a document responsive to the search query;

identifying a plurality of search excerpts in the document, wherein a search excerpt of the plurality of search excerpts is a portion of the document that satisfies the search query;

accessing usage data describing how many times a plurality of users have accessed the plurality of search excerpts in the document;

determining that the usage data indicates that the search excerpt of the plurality of search excerpts has not been accessed by any of the plurality of users; and

determining, based on the usage data, whether to present the search excerpt in response to the search query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to present the search excerpt comprises:

determining to deny access to the search excerpt responsive to the usage data indicating that access was provided to search excerpts of the plurality of search excerpts other than the search excerpt.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to present the search excerpt comprises:

determining to deny access to the search excerpt responsive to the usage data indicating that access was provided to all search excerpts other than the search excerpt.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to present the search excerpt comprises:

determining to grant access to the search excerpt responsive to the usage data indicating that access was not provided to one or more search excerpts other than the search excerpt.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining to grant access to the search excerpt, presenting the search excerpt in association with a link to the document.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a set of documents including the document is identified responsive to the search query, and wherein determining whether to present the search excerpt comprises:

presenting search results including the set of documents in response to the search query;

receiving a request to access the document in the set of documents in response to presenting the search results; and

determining, based on the usage data, whether to present the search excerpt in response to the request to access the document.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to determining not to present the search excerpt:

modifying a visual appearance of the search excerpt; and

presenting the modified search excerpt.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein modifying the visual appearance of the search excerpt comprises distorting the search excerpt.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing request data describing how many times a plurality of users have requested the search excerpt; and

determining, based on the request data, whether to present the search excerpt.

10. A system for providing controlled access to a portion of a document, the system comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer program modules executable to perform steps comprising;

receiving a search query;

identifying a document responsive to the search query;

identifying a plurality of search excerpts in the document, wherein a search excerpt of the plurality of search excerpts is a portion of the document that satisfies the search query;

accessing usage data describing how many times a plurality of users have accessed the plurality of search excerpts in the document;

determining that the usage data indicates that the search excerpt of the plurality of search excerpts has not been accessed by any of the plurality of users; and

determining, based on the usage data, whether to present the search excerpt in response to the search query; and

a computer processor for executing the computer program modules.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein determining whether to present the search excerpt comprises:

determining to deny access to the search excerpt responsive to the usage data indicating that access was provided to search excerpts of the plurality of search excerpts other than the search excerpt.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein determining whether to present the search excerpt comprises:

determining to grant access to the search excerpt responsive to the usage data indicating that access was not provided to one or more search excerpts other than the search excerpt.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the steps further comprise:

responsive to determining to grant access to the search excerpt, presenting the search excerpt in association with a link to the document.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein a set of documents including the document is identified responsive to the search query, and wherein determining whether to present the search excerpt comprises:

presenting search results including the set of documents in response to the search query;

receiving a request to access the document in the set of documents in response to presenting the search results; and

determining, based on the usage data, whether to present the search excerpt in response to the request to access the document.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer program modules for providing controlled access to a document, the computer program modules executable to perform steps comprising:

sending a search query to a server, wherein the server is adapted to;

identify a document responsive to the search query;

identify a plurality of search excerpts in the document, wherein a search excerpt of the plurality of search excerpts is a portion of the document that satisfies the search query;

access usage data describing how many times a plurality of users have accessed the plurality of search excerpts in the document;

determine that the usage data indicates that the search excerpt of the plurality of search excerpts has not been accessed by any of the plurality of users; and

determine, based on the usage data, whether to present the search excerpt in response to the search query; and

receiving a response from the serve indicating whether the server determined to provide access to the search excerpt in response to the search query.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the server determines to deny access to the search excerpt responsive to the usage data indicating that access was provided to search excerpts of the plurality of search excerpts other than the search excerpt.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the server determines to grant access to the search excerpt responsive to the usage data indicating that access was not provided to one or more search excerpts other than the search excerpt.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the server determines to grant access to the search excerpt, and wherein the response from the server indicates the search excerpt in association with a link to the document.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the server identifies a set of documents including the document responsive to the search query, and wherein the steps further comprise:

receiving a response from the server indicating search results including the set of documents; and

sending to the server a request to access the document in the set of documents in response to the search results, wherein the server is further adapted to;

determine, based on the usage data, whether to present the search excerpt in response to the request to access the document.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the server determines to deny access to the search excerpt, and wherein the response from the server includes a version of the search excerpt having a modified visual appearance.