Abstractions and automation for enhanced sharing and collaboration
First Claim
1. A system that facilitates information access control, comprising:
- one or more processors;
a component, implemented using at least one of the one or more processors, that receives an access request for a data item owned by a data item owner, the access request being based on a request from a requesting user; and
an access control component, implemented using at least one of the one or more processors, that;
determines whether the requesting user is a member of a dynamically created group of users based on at least one ongoing and changing activity of the requesting user that is common among the group of users;
dynamically selects an access policy based on the dynamically created group of users to which the requesting user is determined to belong and further based on at least one of availability of the data item owner or an activity of the data item owner; and
selectively provides access to the data item to the requesting user based on the access policy.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides methods for using abstractions of people, including dynamic and static groups of people, to enhance the efficiency of the specification and automation of policies for sharing information between users with a “need-to-know.” An instance of the present invention can also provide these users information based on a “time-to-know.”By providing access to information based on group affiliation and properties of the content of the information, the present invention maintains optimal information privacy while minimizing encumbrances to sharing data with appropriate users and even at appropriate times. The present invention can be integrated with other communication technologies to facilitate access to information in a time appropriate manner. Other instances of the present invention employ automated and semi-automated, mixed-initiative techniques, to make information-sharing decisions. Additional instances of the present invention include the employment of machine-learning techniques to facilitate construction of access policies from the actions or profile of a single user or a community of users, including the construction of automated sharing agents that work in an automated or mixed-initiative manner to respond to real-time requests for information.
109 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system that facilitates information access control, comprising:
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one or more processors; a component, implemented using at least one of the one or more processors, that receives an access request for a data item owned by a data item owner, the access request being based on a request from a requesting user; and an access control component, implemented using at least one of the one or more processors, that; determines whether the requesting user is a member of a dynamically created group of users based on at least one ongoing and changing activity of the requesting user that is common among the group of users; dynamically selects an access policy based on the dynamically created group of users to which the requesting user is determined to belong and further based on at least one of availability of the data item owner or an activity of the data item owner; and selectively provides access to the data item to the requesting user based on the access policy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 18)
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7. A method of operating a computing device, the method comprising:
performing with at least one processor of the computing device; receiving an access request for a data item owned by a data item owner, the access request being based on a request from a requesting user; determining whether the requesting user is a member of a dynamically created group of users based on at least one ongoing and changing activity of the requesting user that is common among the group of users; dynamically selecting an access policy based on the dynamically created group of users to which the requesting user is determined to belong, the dynamically selecting comprising communicating the access request to the data item owner; and selectively providing access to the data item to the requesting user based on the access policy, the selectively providing access comprising when no response to the access request is received from the data item owner within a predetermined amount of time, allowing the requesting user to access at least a portion of the data item. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19)
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13. An article comprising a device having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that enable a processor-based system to perform operations, said computer-executable instructions comprising:
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instructions for enabling the processor-based system to determine whether a requesting user is a member of a dynamically created group of users based on at least one ongoing and changing activity of the requesting user that is common among the group of users, a received access request for a data item owned by a data item owner being based on a request from the requesting user, the at least one ongoing and changing activity including a first ongoing and changing activity, the first ongoing and changing activity being a task, a project, or a meeting; instructions for enabling the processor-based system to dynamically select an access policy based on the dynamically created group of users to which the requesting user is determined to belong; and instructions for enabling the processor-based system to selectively provide access to the data item to the requesting user based on the access policy. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 20)
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Specification