Patent ID: 7634455
Filing Date: 2009-12-15
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A system for sharing data among a plurality of business entities involved in a product supply chain, the system comprising: a storage component configured to store a plurality of data objects pertaining to a product, wherein each stored data object includes a plurality of predefined data groups, and wherein the plurality of stored data objects are maintained by a manufacturer of the product; and a processing component in communication with the storage component, the processing component being configured to: receive, from a user affiliated with a first supplier, a request to access a data object in the plurality of stored data objects, wherein the data object is owned by a second supplier, and the first supplier supplies to the manufacturer a first component for the product; extract from the received request a user identifier that uniquely identifies the user; retrieve a set of privileges associated with the data object and the extracted user identifier, the retrieved set of privileges including read privileges identifying one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is allowed to view; determine, based on the read privileges, one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is not allowed to view; generate a redacted version of the data object, wherein the redacted version of the data object does not include the determined one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is not allowed to view; and transmit the redacted version of the data object to the user, wherein the retrieved set of privileges are defined by the manufacturer based on a business agreement between the manufacturer and the second supplier distinct from the first supplier, wherein the second supplier supplies to the manufacturer a second component for the product, and wherein the business agreement indicates that the first supplier should not have access to the one or more predefined data groups of the data object that the user is not allowed to view and that is sensitive to the second supplier.