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EP0748095A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

System and method for database access administration

Assignee: Cooper Union
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Filing: 1996-05-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-05-29
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Abstract

Abstract A system and method for selectively controlling database access by providing a system and method that allows a network administrator or manager to restrict specific system users from accessing information from certain public or otherwise uncontrolled databases (i.e., the WWW and the Internet). The invention employs a relational database to determine access rights, and this database may be readily updated and modified by an administrator. Within this relational database specific resource identifiers (i.e., URLs) are classified as being in a particular access group. The relational database is arranged so that for each user of the system a request for a particular resource will only be passed on from the local network to a server providing a link to the public/uncontrolled database if the resource identifier is in an access group for which the user has been assigned specific permissions by an administrator. In one preferred embodiment, the invention is implemented as part of a proxy server within the user's local network.

Inventors

  • 👤 Brenda Sue Baker
  • 👤 Eric Grosse

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 08:30
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L63/00; H04L63/10; H04L63/102; G; G06; G06F; G06F21/00; G06F21/60; G06F21/604; G06F2221/00; G06F2221/21; G06F2221/2141; H04L63/02; H04L63/0281

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim 158 words
A system for selectively restricting access to one or more otherwise public information resources, comprising: a relational database containing a first stored listing that associates each of a plurality of resource identifiers with at least one resource rating, and a second stored listing that associates each of a plurality of user identification codes with at least one user clearance rating; a processor adapted to receive a request for network access to one or more particular network resources, said request including a resource identifier and a user identification code, said processor being further adapted to query said first and second listings within said relational database, and execute said request for network access to said one or more particular network resources as a function of the resource rating shown to be associated with said received resource identifier within said first listing, and the user clearance rating shown to be associated with said received user identification code within said second listing.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 154 words
A system for selectively restricting access to one or more otherwise public information resources, comprising: a relational database containing a first stored listing that associates a plurality of resource identifiers with at least one resource rating, and a second stored listing that associates a plurality of user identification codes with at least one user clearance rating; a processor adapted to receive a request for network access to one or more particular network resources, said request including a resource identifier and a user identification code, said processor being further adapted to query said first and second listings within said relational database, and execute said request for network access to said one or more particular network resources as a function of the resource rating shown to be asociated with said received resource identifier within said first listing, and the user clearance rating shown to be associated with said received user identification code within said second listing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 26 words
The system of claim 2 wherein said plurality of resource identifiers associated with at least one resource rating are arranged in a hierarchical directory data structure.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 26 words
The system of claim 3 wherein said plurality of resource identifiers arranged in said hierarchical directory data structure are associated with more than one resource rating.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 26 words
The system of any of the preceding claims wherein at least one of said one or more particular network resources includes at least one in-line image.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 54 words
The system of any of the preceding claims wherein said processor is programmed to execute said request for access if said resource rating associated with said received resource identifier within said first listing, corresponds to at least one of said user clearance ratings associated with said received user identification code within said second listing.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 57 words
The system of any of claims 1 to 5 wherein said processor is programmed to deny execution of said request for access if said resource rating associated with said received resource identifier within said first listing, corresponds to at least one of said user clearance ratings associated with said received user identification code within said second listing.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 18 words
The system of any of the preceding claims wherein said processor is contained within a network proxy server.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 32 words
The system of any of the preceding claims wherein each of said user identification codes identifies one or more terminals adapted for facilitating network access to one or more particular network resources.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 30 words
The system of any of claims 1 to 8 wherein each of said user identification codes identifies one or more individuals authorized to access one or more particular network resources.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 30 words
The system of any of the preceding claims wherein each of said resource identifiers corresponds to one or more uniform resource locators for accessing one or more particular network resources.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 59 words
The system of any of the preceding claims wherein said relational database further includes a data listing associated with one or more of said plurality of resource identifiers, wherein said data listing represents textual information related to the resource rating shown to be associated with said one or more of said plurality of resource identifiers within said first listing.
Claim 13
Independent Claim 86 words
The system of any of the preceding claims wherein said relational database further includes a conditional data listing associated with one or more of said resource identifiers, wherein said conditional data listing represents information indicative of specific conditions under which requests for network access to particular network resources associated with said resource identifier can be executed, and wherein said processor is further adapted to execute said request for network access to said one or more particular network resources as a function of said conditional data listing.
Claim 14
Independent Claim 60 words
The system of any of the preceding claims wherein said relational database further comprises a stored listing of at least one system manager identifier, and said processor is adapted to identify a user as a system manager on the basis of said system manager identifier listing, and thereby permit said identified system manager to modify the contents said relational database.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 37 words
The system of claim 14 wherein said relational database further comprises a stored listing containing at least one HTML page adapted to facilitate the modification of the contents of said relational database by laid identified system manager.
Claim 16
Independent Claim 138 words
A method for selectively restricting access to one or more otherwise public information resources, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for access to one or more particular information resources, wherein said request includes a user identification code and a resource identifier; comparing said received request for access to a relational database containing a stored listing of user identification codes and resource identifiers, wherein each of said resource identifiers is associated with at least one resource rating, and wherein each of said user identification codes is asociated with at least one user clearance rating; executing said request for access as a function of the resource rating shown to be associated with said received resource identifier within said stored listing, and the user clearance rating shown to be associated with said received user identification code within said stored listing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 16 wherein at least one of said one or more particular network resources includes at least one in-line image.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 56 words
The method of claim 16 or claim 17 wherein the execution of said request for access is performed if said stored listing shows said received user identification code to be associated with at least one user clearance corresponding to at least one resource rating shown to be associated with said one or more particular network resources.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 56 words
The method of claim 16 or claim 17 wherein the execution of said request for access is denied if said stored listing shows said received user identification code to be associated with at least one user clearance corresponding to at least one resource rating shown to be associated with said one or more particular network resources.
Claim 20
Independent Claim 33 words
The method of any of claims 16 to 19 wherein each of said user identification codes identifies one or more terminals adapted for facilitating network access to one or more particular network resources.
Claim 21
Independent Claim 30 words
The method of any of claims 16 to 20 wherein each of said user identification codes identifies one or more individuals authorized to access one or more particular network resources.
Claim 22
Independent Claim 32 words
The method of any of claims 16 to 21 wherein each of said resource identifiers correspsonds to one or more uniform resource locators for accessing said one or more particular network resources.
Claim 23
Independent Claim 75 words
The method of any of claims 16 to 22 further comprising the step of providing a user with access to a data listing within said relational database, wherein said data listing is associated with one or more of said plurality of resource identifiers, and wherein said data listing represents textual information related to the resource rating shown to be associated with said one or more of said plurality of resource identifiers within said stored listing.
Claim 24
Independent Claim 62 words
The method of any of the claims 16 to 23 wherein said relational database further comprises a stored listing of at least one system manager identifier, and said processor is adapted to identify a user as a system manager on the basis of said system manager identifier listing, and thereby permit said identified system manager to modify the contents said relational database.

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