| US 7,580,934 B2 | ||
| Information processing method and apparatus for managing access rights to an object | ||
| Hajime Futatsugi, Setagaya (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Sep. 06, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/218,507. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2004-264593 (JP), filed on Sep. 10, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0059211 A1, Mar. 16, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. G06F 7/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 707—9 [707/204] | 18 Claims |
| 1. An information processing apparatus for managing access rights to an object, comprising:
a memory configured to store objects that are hierarchically managed and access rights information associated respectively
therewith, the access rights information for each object indicating access rights for one or more users, and the objects including
a low-level object having an inheritance attribute indicating whether or not the low-level object inherits access rights from
an object at a higher level, wherein the inheritance attribute is distinct from the access rights information and wherein
the inheritance attribute has a first value when the low-level object can inherit access rights from an object at a higher
level and has a second value when the low-level object cannot inherit access rights from an object at a higher level; and
a processor, said processor configured to function as a determination unit to determine a user's access rights with respect
to the low-level object,
wherein (i) if the inheritance attribute of the low-level object has the second value, which indicates that inheritance cannot
be performed, the determination unit determines the user's access rights with respect to the low-level object based on access
rights information associated with the low-level object, and (ii) if the inheritance attribute of the low-level object has
the first value, which indicates that inheritance can be performed, the determination unit determines the user's access rights
with respect to the low-level object based on access rights information associated with the low-level object, if the access
rights information associated with the low-level object includes access rights for the user, and determines the user's access
rights based on access rights information associated with a higher-level object that includes access rights information regarding
the user, if the access rights information associated with the low-level object does not include access rights for the user,
wherein the low-level object can have access rights information concerning one or more users and can inherit access rights
information concerning other users.
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