User interface for controlling access to computer objects

Abstract

A computer object access control graphical user interface allows a user to set computer locations where a computer object may be accessed and other users who may access the computer object. The computer object may be a computer file, a computer message, person contact information, etc. The access control user interface may operate, for example, to save a computer object to one or more computer locations, and also to specify sharing of the computer object with one or more other users so that they can access the object. Saving a computer object and setting the sharing of it are together referred to as controlling access to the object, the former referring to where the object may be accessed from and the latter referring to who may access the object. This provides, therefore, a unified interface for selecting and displaying destinations that can be either a file store or a person, thereby unifying the control of access to a computer object.

1 . A computer object access control graphical user interface rendered on a computer display screen for controlling access to a computer object, comprising: 
 a name field indicating a name for the computer object; and    one or more access control fields rendered together and indicating plural selectable computer spaces for the computer object, at least one of the computer spaces corresponding to a computer location and at least one of the computer spaces corresponding to access to the computer object for one or more computer users.    
     
     
         2 . The user interface of  claim 1  in which the at least one of the computer spaces corresponding to access to the object for one or more computer users is provided by one of plural computer communication formats.  
     
     
         3 . The user interface of  claim 1  in which the plural computer communication formats include email.  
     
     
         4 . The user interface of  claim 1  in which the plural computer communication formats include instant messaging.  
     
     
         5 . The user interface of  claim 1  in which the plural selectable computer spaces for the computer object are listed in a ranked sequence.  
     
     
         6 . The user interface of  claim 5  in which the sequence is ranked according to associations to the computer object determined automatically from user computer interactions.  
     
     
         7 . The user interface of  claim 1  in which computer spaces corresponding to a computer location and computer spaces corresponding to access for computer users are listed together in a single access control field.  
     
     
         8 . The user interface of  claim 1  in which computer spaces corresponding to a computer location and computer spaces corresponding to access for computer users are listed in separate respective access control fields.  
     
     
         9 . The user interface of  claim 1  in which access control field includes a flat representation without hierarchy of plural selectable computer spaces corresponding to computer locations of a hierarchical file structure.  
     
     
         10 . In a computer readable medium, software for a computer object access control graphical user interface, comprising 
 software to render a computer object access control graphical user interface on a computer display screen for controlling access to a computer object, the user interface including a name field indicating a name for the computer object and an access control field indicating plural selectable computer spaces for the computer object, at least one of the computer spaces corresponding to a computer location and at least one of the computer spaces corresponding to access to the computer object for one or more computer users.    
     
     
         11 . The software of  claim 10  in which the at least one of the computer spaces corresponding to access to the object for one or more computer users is provided by a computer communication format.  
     
     
         12 . The software of  claim 10  in which the computer communication format includes email.  
     
     
         13 . The software of  claim 10  in which the computer communication format includes instant messaging.  
     
     
         14 . The software of  claim 10  in which the plural selectable computer spaces for the computer object are listed in a ranked sequence.  
     
     
         15 . The software of  claim 14  in which the sequence is ranked according to associations to the computer object determined automatically from user computer interactions.  
     
     
         16 . The software of  claim 10  in which computer spaces corresponding to a computer location and computer spaces corresponding to access for computer users are listed together in a single access control field.  
     
     
         17 . The software of  claim 10  in which computer spaces corresponding to a computer location and computer spaces corresponding to access for computer users are listed in separate respective access control fields.  
     
     
         18 . The software of  claim 10  in which access control field includes a flat representation without hierarchy of plural selectable computer spaces corresponding to computer locations of a hierarchical file structure.  
     
     
         19 . A computer object access control graphical user interface rendered on a computer display screen for controlling access to a computer object, comprising: 
 a query field for indicating a query to access the computer object; and    a recent object field rendered with the query field and listing plural computer objects that have been accessed by the user, the plural computer objects including objects obtained from computer locations and computer communication objects.    
     
     
         20 . The user interface of  claim 19  in which the plural computer objects are listed in reverse chronological order in the recent object field.  
     
     
         21 . The user interface of  claim 19  in which the query field receives a query a chunk expression language format.  
     
     
         22 . In a computer readable medium, software for a computer object access control graphical user interface, comprising 
 software to render a computer object access control graphical user interface rendered on a computer display screen for controlling access to a computer object, the user interface including a query field for indicating a query to access the computer object, and a recent object field rendered with the query field and listing plural computer objects that have been accessed by the user, the plural computer objects including objects obtained from computer locations and computer communication objects.