Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F21/00—Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
  • G06F21/70—Protecting specific internal or peripheral components, in which the protection of a component leads to protection of the entire computer
  • G06F21/82—Protecting input, output or interconnection devices
  • G06F21/84—Protecting input, output or interconnection devices output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F16/00—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
  • G06F16/90—Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
  • G06F16/93—Document management systems
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F21/00—Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
  • G06F21/60—Protecting data
  • G06F21/62—Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
  • G06F21/6209—Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules 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
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F2221/00—Indexing scheme relating to security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
  • G06F2221/21—Indexing scheme relating to G06F21/00 and subgroups addressing additional information or applications relating to security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
  • G06F2221/2147—Locking files

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the field of document management between different users of stations connected to one another by a wide area network, for example the internet network.
• the present invention proposes an advance in this field.
• the invention relates to a computer system for managing composite documents in multi-user mode, comprising:
• the processing tool comprises:
• an object model comprising a plurality of classes, the structure of which comprises a content pointer, an indication of level, an access method, a validation method, as well as a validation indication,
• the display manager being arranged to allow a joint display of a tree structure, defined according to the level indications, and display / input areas with tabs, corresponding to the contents of the instances of classes existing in a part of the less of the tree,
• the processing tool authorizing access to a zone only according to the access rights of the user concerned, as determined by the user rights manager on a document, - in the event of access, the processing tool authorizing the validation of a zone only according to the validation rights of the user concerned, as determined by the user rights manager on a document,
• the display manager further comprising a first mechanism capable of jointly modifying the display of an area and the corresponding node in the tree structure as a function of the validation status of the area, and a second mechanism capable, at seen level indications, to send a validated state back to the higher level node when all the nodes of a level are validated,
• the processing tool authorizes the signature of the complete document by a user having the corresponding signature rights.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a set of user stations connected to each other by a wide area network
• FIG. 2 represents a functional diagram of the elements of the invention
• FIG. 3 represents the corresponding classes and instances defining a document in the implementation of the invention
• FIG. 4 is a summary table of the roles and rights of a user of the system of the invention.
• FIG. 5 is a view of the graphical interface offered to the user when using the system according to the invention.
• FIG. 1 represents three user stations 1, 2, 3 linked together by a network 6 which can be a local network, for example an Ethernet network, or a wide area network, for example the Internet.
• Station 1 respectively station 2 is equipped with a monitor 12, respectively with a monitor 22, with a central unit 13, respectively with a central unit 23 connected on a USB port to a smart card reader 11 , respectively a smart card reader 21.
• Each station is more particularly equipped with a microprocessor, a working memory (of RAM type or any other suitable technology), a programming memory, a mass memory (for example a hard drive), additional peripheral elements.
• station 1 is connected to station 2 by a platform of servers backed up and administered from a station 3.
• This station 3 shows diagrammatically a network administration and backup of the platform as well as a network of functional administration of the platform.
• This server platform 4 includes a first set of servers hosting an application available on the network 6 to users of stations 1 and 2 under certain conditions.
• a user provided with a smart card and a secret code delivered by a secure means (PKI: public key infrastructure) introduces a smart card into the corresponding reader.
• the user will be issued by the server platform a digital certificate on his smart card.
• a user authenticates with the server platform using his smart card. This system makes it possible to securely identify a user on the server platform.
• This server platform allows an identified user working on station 1 to process document data saved on this same platform, for example in a secure database, and also allows a second identified user working on station 2 to have access to and to be able to process some of this document data according to certain conditions developed below.
• stations 1, 2, 3 and the server platform will use an appropriate operating system, for example the Windows 2000® or XP® operating system.
• FIG. 2 represents the different functional units according to the invention. These functional units are hosted in servers of the server platform 4 of FIG. 1.
• a user may belong to a group of users for example.
• a user role is a set of rights defined for that user. The following concepts are used:
• a community corresponds to a set of administrators and users belonging for example to the same commercial group and having common rights (or roles) such as the right to view the data of all the members of the community,
• a member is a user who can belong to one or more communities and have rights (roles) specific to a member
• a user can work either on his private workspace or on a collaboration workspace, for example a member can work with the community while passing from his private workspace to a workspace of collaboration with the community.
• the server platform comprises a storage area 30 constituted in particular by an LDAP directory 32 and at least one database server 36.
• the directory defines all of the communities.
• the LDAP directory references, among other things, the user accounts associated with the digital certificate.
• the LDAP directory also defines for a user different roles, as well as the associated rights, according to the workspaces in which he can work.
• the relational database type database server 36 (for example SQL) comprises at least three databases: two databases 34 for documents and a database 31 for managing rights on documents.
• the database 34 defines at least a first set of tables 33.
• a first set of related tables defines the role (s) of a user for a given document as well as the rights associated with the roles.
• This first set of tables also defines the attributes of a document which can include the type of document, membership in a group of documents, the type of workspace in which a document is used.
• the roles of the LDAP directory are added to the roles defined in the database 34 for a given document.
• the roles associated with the workspaces are defined in the relational database.
• the database 31 defines at least a second set of tables.
• This second set of related tables 35 is defined around a table listing documents designated as specifications.
• This set of related tables makes it possible to determine the composition of a document.
• a specification will include, according to a descending hierarchy of levels, a set of chapters, each chapter comprising a set of sections. Each level can be associated with a set of tabbed display areas.
• This set of tables also includes information on the validation of a tabbed display area according to a given user, as well as on the signature by a given user of specifications.
• the relational database 34 is linked to a database 31 used to store the data relating to documents.
• a query of the relational database 34 generates the search for the corresponding data in the database 31.
• the server platform 4 includes a rights manager 70.
• a table management class can be used by the rights manager. This class may include methods for creating, modifying, deleting a new Document entry in the first set of tables at the request of an authorized user and for matching the rights of a given workspace and a group of document for example.
• a static document group defines a set already existing documents.
• a dynamic group of documents feeds itself according to rules relating to the content of documents. In other words, the documents included in a group of documents vary dynamically depending on the content of the documents.
• the rights manager 70 is intended to manage user rights defined on a group of documents and / or on a set of users.
• the rights manager is also able to search the rights of a given user on a document in the relational database 34 and in the LDAP directory 32.
• the rights manager 70 instantiates a method for reading the management class of the tables of the first set of tables, either a method of reading the role (s) of a given user, or a method of reading the rights of a given user on a document.
• the roles and / or rights of a user for a document are also determined from the user belonging to a group of documents and for a given space.
• the rights manager can also modify the information in the LDAP directory 32.
• the rights manager 70 will be authorized to add / delete a workspace (for example a private space or a collaboration space), create new rights or delete them, any other action using methods of a class used to administer the information in the LDAP directory.
• This rights manager 70 is linked to a processing unit 40 capable of processing document data.
• This processing unit comprises an object model comprising a plurality of classes 42 and a document operator 41 capable of creating, at the request of an authorized user, and of maintaining a document in the form of a set of instances 43 of the classes of the object model.
• the object model is more particularly detailed in FIG. 3.
• classes 42 make it possible to define a document model 44 and methods 45 according to the rights determined by users by the rights manager 70.
• the document operator 41 allows instantiation of the document model 44 to be obtained, a document defined as specifications 43 and the data of which are stored in the database 34.
• the methods 45 include, for example, a document access method and a document validation method. It will be detailed below that these methods 45 can only be used by a given user with the authorization of the processing unit according to the rights of the user for this document.
• the server platform 4 finally comprises a display manager 50 capable of working with the processing unit 40 and the storage area 30 as well as with a display device 60 accessible to the user. Once created, the instances of classes defining a document will be modified by the user author or editor, roles defined below in FIG. 4, and the data will be recorded in the storage area with each modification, for example dynamically.
• the table T is a table with two entries: the rights of a user are specified in the columns of the table, the roles of a user are indicated in the rows of the table.
• a role is defined as a set of rights, and each row of the table includes a set of markers symbolized by squares indicating the rights of the columns associated with a role of a row.
• the rights of a user include the right to display, print, search, see a preview, create, duplicate, delete, export (for example to a spreadsheet) , to write, to validate, to discuss, to publish, to sign, to deviate, and this for a given document.
• rights to revise a superset such as a specification, to make a configuration, in particular for a batch file, as well as to export to a spreadsheet, or even to other applications.
• the roles of a user include the roles of reader, author, editor, publisher, contributor, signer, and export to an application, and this, for a given document.
• the display in FIG. 5 corresponding to the display devices 60 in FIG. 2 is an example of an interface offered to the user.
• the processing unit sends to the display manager 50 the instances of classes 43 defining a document comprising a content pointer of the instances of the classes, a level indicator and methods detailed below.
• the display manager 50 is arranged to allow a joint display of a tree structure 110 in a part 101 of the window 100 and display / tab entry areas 112 in a part 102 of the window 100, these areas corresponding to the contents instances of classes existing in part of the tree structure and the content pointer allowing the display of an area from the tree structure.
• the processing unit 40 authorizes the display of the document only if the user has a right to display this document. The display is done using a display method among the methods 45 of FIG. 3.
• the display manager 50 allows the display of a toolbar 104 comprising icons corresponding to actions for handling the document displayed by the user. These actions include the possibility of saving modifications made to a document, validating a tabbed display / input area of the document, deleting information in the tabbed display / input areas of the document, dialoging with a another user in a collaboration space, for example, to validate a document modified and validated by a first user.
• the processing unit authorizes the display manager to activate these icons according to the rights of the user concerned on this document in a given space. These rights are sought by the rights manager 70 of FIG. 2.
• the processing unit sends to the display manager 50 the document instance 43 comprising the methods corresponding to the actions possible by a user on this document.
• the methods will include in a nonlimiting manner a method to display, a method to validate, a method to delete, a method to see, a method to dialogue in the case of instance of the document viewed in Figure 5.
• the processing unit At the request of a user wishing to access a document, the processing unit, through the rights manager, checks the user's right to access the documents. In the case of possible access, the processing unit retrieves document data using the databases 31 and 34. From this data, the processing unit uses appropriate classes to construct a document tree on the one hand, and to build and associate a set of tabbed display / input areas to the different nodes of the tree structure. On sending this data from the processing unit to the display manager, the latter displays the tree structure on the one hand, and display / entry areas with tabs on the other hand, on the display device 60. During an action of a user on one of the components of the window 100, a dynamic processing of this action is carried out by the processing unit using the appropriate classes.
• a document displayed will be detailed below by way of examples. It is in fact the visualization of a set of class instances defining a particular document corresponding to specifications for a consumer product.
• the tree structure 110 provides a synthetic display of the specifications of the consumer product concerned.
• This tree structure comprises, according to a descending hierarchy, different levels comprising one or more nodes.
• a document 121 comprises, on a directly lower level, chapters 122.
• a chapter can comprise on a directly lower level, one or more sections 123, a section can comprise on a directly lower level one or more subsections 124, themselves may include one or more sub-sections 125.
• Each level includes a level indicator.
• different squares correspond to the document, a square corresponds to the chapter, different circles correspond to the sections, a circle corresponds to the sub-sections, a star corresponds to the sub-sub sections.
• the level indicators can change color under certain conditions, in particular as a function of a validation state. In another embodiment, these level indicators may appear under certain conditions, depending on a validation state for example.
• Part 102 of window 100 includes different display / entry areas 112 with tab 114.
• different tabs appear in part 102 and one of the display areas / tabbed entry appears on the screen.
• the tab display / input areas will be in read-only mode or in write mode.
• the user can write, modify and choose information in suitable input fields.
• an identification tab 117 corresponding to the product file chapter 122 of the tree structure includes different input fields 115 making it possible to identify the product.
• Each tab display / input zone includes a button 116 for validation of the zone by the user.
• this validation state of the zone is managed dynamically by the display manager which modifies the display of the zone concerned according to its validation state.
• the display manager modifies the display of at least one zone and the corresponding node in the tree structure.
• the modification of the display of a zone can consist of the modification of the background color of the zone, the modification of the display of a node can correspond to the modification of the color or the shape of the indication level of the corresponding node.
• other embodiments could be envisaged according to the invention such as modifying the color or the typography of the title of the node in the tree structure.
• the display manager in view of the level indications indicating a validated state for each node of the lower level, is adapted to bring this validated state back to the node higher level by changing the display of the level indication of the higher level node.
• validation of the upper node is activated if all the lower nodes are activated.
• a document can be validated as a whole by performing validation at the document node.
• the processing tool authorizes the signing of the complete document by a user having the corresponding signing rights thanks to the sign button 117.
• the processing unit calculates a hash function of the original document and creates a new XML document, containing this hash function, to be signed in order to keep this signature document.
• the processing unit will only provide the display manager with the signature method if the user concerned has the right to sign. If this method is supplied to the display manager, it displays a signed icon that can be activated by the user concerned.
• the signature is then verified by the processing unit linked to the LDAP directory.
• the invention relates to the functions of the tool of the processing unit cooperating with the rights manager and the display manager, the functions of the display manager using the data of a document supplied by the processing unit and reacting to the actions of a user on a document viewed.
• the processing unit retrieves the data from the specifications, chapters, sections, subsections corresponding to a set of class instances comprising for each class methods for retrieving the validation status of the specifications, chapters, sections and subsections, and the corresponding tabs.
• the processing unit is able to build from this data of specifications, chapters, sections, an XML-type data stream which reflects the validation status of the document as well as the appearance of the tree structure. This generation of XML data streams is carried out from suitable classes.
• the processing tool is also suitable for generating an HTML data stream from the XML stream.

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• 2003
  • 2003-03-31 FR FR0303961A patent/FR2853102B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2004
  • 2004-03-30 WO PCT/FR2004/000798 patent/WO2004090749A2/fr active Application Filing
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