Identification of sharing level

• US 8,898,593 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sgro, Richard Joseph, Sharma, Manoj, Rhee, Yong Woo, Duke, Bojana Marjanovic
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, MARSHON L
• Application Number:
  US13/253,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20130091461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751, 715/769, 715/810
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for identifying a sharing level of content items in a content library. The content library includes a first content item having a first sharing configuration and a second content item having a second sharing configuration. The first sharing state associated with the first content item is set based on the first sharing configuration. The second sharing state associated with the second content item is set based on the second sharing configuration. A content list including multiple rows and a sharing hint column is displayed. A first row corresponds to the first content item, and a second row corresponds to the second content item. A first icon corresponding to the first sharing state is arranged under the sharing hint column on the first row. A second sharing icon corresponding to the second sharing state is arranged under the sharing hint column on the second row.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for identifying a sharing level of content items in a content library, the method comprising computer-implemented operations for:

retrieving a first sharing configuration associated with a first content item in the content library;

retrieving a second sharing configuration associated with a second content item in the content library;

setting a first sharing state associated with the first content item based on the first sharing configuration, the first sharing state being set from a plurality of sharing states comprising a locked state indicating that a content item is accessible only by the owner, a small semi-locked state indicating that the content item is accessible only by a first number of users less than or equal to a threshold, a large semi-locked state indicating that the content item is accessible only by a second number of users greater than the threshold, an enterprise state indicating that the content item is accessible only by employees within an enterprise, and a global state indicating that the content item is publicly accessible;

setting a second sharing state from the plurality of sharing states, the second sharing state associated with the second content item based on the second sharing configuration; and

displaying a content list containing a plurality of rows, a plurality of columns, and a plurality of elements, the plurality of rows including a first row corresponding to the first content item and a second row corresponding to the second content item, the plurality of columns including a sharing hint column, the plurality of elements including a first element and a second element, the first element arranged under the sharing hint column on the first row and containing a first sharing icon corresponding to the first sharing state, the second element arranged under the sharing hint column on the second row and containing a second sharing icon corresponding to the second sharing state.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising computer-implemented operations for:

receiving a first user interaction indicating that a cursor is hovering over the first sharing icon; and

in response to receiving the first user interaction indicating that the cursor is hovering over the first sharing icon, launching a tooltip positioned over the content list, the tooltip containing a list of names of authorized users who are authorized by an owner to access the first content item.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising computer-implemented operations for:

receiving a second user interaction indicating that the first sharing icon has been selected; and

in response to receiving the second user interaction indicating that the first sharing icon has been selected, launching a window positioned over the content list, the window containing an interface enabling the owner to contact the authorized users.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the interface further enables the owner to modify the authorized users.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first sharing configuration specifies a first set of users who are authorized by an owner to access the first content item;

and wherein the second sharing configuration specifies a second set of users who are authorized by the owner to access the second content item.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein setting the first sharing state associated with the first content item based on the first sharing configuration comprises identifying, from the plurality of sharing states, the first sharing state that matches the first sharing configuration;

and

wherein setting the second sharing state associated with the second content item based on the second sharing configuration comprises identifying, from the plurality of sharing states, the second sharing state that matches the second sharing configuration.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein displaying the content list containing the plurality of rows, the plurality of columns, and the plurality of elements comprises:

identifying, from a plurality of sharing icons, the first sharing icon that matches the first sharing state; and

identifying, from the plurality of sharing icons, the second sharing icon that matches the second sharing state.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of sharing icons comprises a lock icon corresponding to the locked state, a person icon corresponding to the small semi-locked state, a people icon corresponding to the large semi-locked state, a building icon corresponding to the enterprise state, and a globe icon corresponding to the global state.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein a quantity of the first set of users is less than the threshold;

wherein the first sharing icon comprises the person icon; and

wherein the first sharing icon comprises a numeric indicator arranged adjacent to or partially overlapping the first sharing icon, the numeric indicator specifying the quantity of the first set of users.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of columns further comprises a type column, a name column, a modified column, and a modified by column;

wherein the plurality of elements further comprises a first type element, a second type element, a first name element, a second name element, a first modified element, a second modified element, a first modified by element, and a second modified by element;

wherein the first type element is arranged under the type column on the first row and contains a first type icon specifying a first type of the first content item, and the second type element is arranged under the type column on the second row and contains a second type icon specifying a second type of the second content item;

wherein the first name element is arranged under the name column on the first row and contains a first name of the first content item, and the second name element is arranged under the name column on the second row and contains a second name of the second content item;

wherein the first modified element is arranged under the modified column on the first row and contains a first date and time when the first content item was last modified, and the second modified element is arranged under the modified column on the second row and contains a second date and time when the second content item was last modified; and

wherein the first modified by element is arranged under the modified by column on the first row and contains a first identifier of who last modified the first content item, and the second modified by element is arranged under the modified by column on the second row and contains a second identifier of who last modified the second content item.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

retrieve a first sharing configuration associated with a first content item in a content library, the first sharing configuration specifying a first set of users who are authorized by an owner to access the first content item;

retrieve a second sharing configuration associated with a second content item in the content library, the second sharing configuration specifying a second set of users who are authorized by the owner to access the second content item;

set a first sharing state associated with the first content item based on the first sharing configuration, the first sharing state being set from a plurality of sharing states comprising a locked state indicating that a content item is accessible only by the owner, a small semi-locked state indicating that the content item is accessible only by a first number of users less than or equal to a threshold, a large semi-locked state indicating that the content item is accessible only by a second number of users greater than threshold, an enterprise state indicating that the content item is accessible only by employees within an enterprise, and a global state indicating that the content item is publicly accessible;

set a second sharing state from the plurality of sharing states, the second sharing state associated with the second content item based on the second sharing configuration; and

display a content list containing a plurality of rows, a plurality of columns, and a plurality of elements, the plurality of rows including a first row corresponding to the first content item and a second row corresponding to the second content item, the plurality of columns including a sharing hint column, the plurality of elements including a first element and a second element, the first element arranged under the sharing hint column on the first row and containing a first sharing icon corresponding to the first sharing state, the second element arranged under the sharing hint column on the second row and containing a second sharing icon corresponding to the second sharing state.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein to set the first sharing state associated with the first content item based on the first sharing configuration, the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to identify, from the plurality of sharing states, the first sharing state that matches the first sharing configuration;

and

wherein to set the second sharing state associated with the second content item based on the second sharing configuration, the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to identify, from the plurality of sharing states, the second sharing state that matches the second sharing configuration.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein to display the content list containing the plurality of rows, the plurality of columns, and the plurality of elements, the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to:

identify, from a plurality of sharing icons, the first sharing icon that matches the first sharing state; and

identify, from the plurality of sharing icons, the second sharing icon that matches the second sharing state.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the plurality of sharing icons comprises a lock icon corresponding to the locked state, a person icon corresponding to the small semi-locked state, a people icon corresponding to the large semi-locked state, a building icon corresponding to the enterprise state, and a globe icon corresponding to the global state.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein a quantity of the first set of users is less than the threshold;

wherein the first sharing icon comprises the person icon;

wherein the first sharing icon comprises a numeric indicator arranged adjacent to or partially overlapping the first sharing icon, the numeric indicator specifying the quantity of the first set of users; and

wherein the first sharing icon is adapted to glow when one of the first set of users is currently editing the first content item.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to:

receive a first user interaction indicating that a cursor is hovering over the first sharing icon; and

when the first user interaction indicating that the cursor is hovering over the first sharing icon is received, launch a tooltip positioned over the content list, the tooltip containing a list of names of the first set of users.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to:

receive a second user interaction indicating that the first sharing icon has been selected; and

when the second user interaction indicating that the first sharing icon has been selected is received, launch a window positioned over the content list, the window containing an interface enabling the owner to contact the first set of users and to modify the first set of users.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first sharing configuration specifies a first set of users who are authorized by an owner to access the first content item, and wherein the second sharing configuration specifies a second set of users who are authorized by the owner to access the second content item.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the plurality of columns further comprise a type column, a name column, a modified column, and a modified by column,

wherein the plurality of elements further comprise a first type element, a second type element, a first name element, a second name element, a first modified element, a second modified element, a first modified by element, and a second modified by element,

wherein the first type element is arranged under the type column on the first row and contains a first type icon specifying a first type of the first content item and the second type element is arranged under the type column on the second row and contains a second type icon specifying a second type of the second content item,

wherein the first name element is arranged under the name column on the first row and contains a first name of the first content item and the second name element is arranged under the name column on the second row and contains a second name of the second content item,

wherein the first modified element is arranged under the modified column on the first row and contains a first date and time when the first content item was last modified and the second modified element is arranged under the modified column on the second row and contains a second date and time when the second content item was last modified, and

wherein the first modified by element is arranged under the modified by column on the first row and contains a first identifier of who last modified the first content item and the second modified by element is arranged under the modified by column on the second row and contains a second identifier of who last modified the second content item.

18. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor; and

a program module which executes in the processor from the memory and which, when executed by the processor, causes the computer system to;

retrieve a first sharing configuration associated with a first content item in a content library, the first sharing configuration specifying a first set of users who are authorized by an owner to access the first content item,

retrieve a second sharing configuration associated with a second content item in the content library, the second sharing configuration specifying a second set of users who are authorized by the owner to access the second content item,

set a first sharing state associated with the first content item based on the first sharing configuration,

set a second sharing state associated with the second content item based on the second sharing configuration, and

display a content list containing a plurality of rows, a plurality of columns, and a plurality of elements, the plurality of rows including a first row corresponding to the first content item and a second row corresponding to the second content item, the plurality of columns including a sharing hint column, the plurality of elements including a first element and a second element, the first element arranged under the sharing hint column on the first row and containing a first sharing icon corresponding to the first sharing state, the first sharing icon comprising a numeric indicator arranged adjacent to or partially overlapping the first sharing icon, the numeric indicator specifying a quantity of the first set of users, the second element arranged under the sharing hint column on the second row and containing a second sharing icon corresponding to the second sharing state.