# US 12,182,313 B2 · Sponsored access to multi-item document bundles

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- Number: US 12,182,313 B2
- Document ID: US12182313B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/939,687
- Filed: 2022-09-07
- Published: 2024-03-07
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2022-09-07
- Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
- Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
- Inventors: Stephen Lincoln Rice; Sean Lamont Grant Livingston; Shiguang Dong; Zhenguang Chen; Vladimir Fesich; Vijay Sharma
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12182313B2

## CPC

- G06F 21/6218: {to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database}
- G06F 16/9558: {Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations}
- G06F 16/958: Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
- G06F 16/986: {Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions}
- G06F 21/6272: {by registering files or documents with a third party}
- G06Q 10/101: Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
- G06Q 10/103: {Workflow collaboration or project management}
- G06Q 10/40: Business processes related to social networking or social networking services
- H04L 63/102: {Entity profiles}
- H04L 63/105: {Multiple levels of security}
- H04N 21/2541: {Rights Management (protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08)}
- H04N 21/25808: {Management of client data (terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303)}
- H04N 21/2743: Video hosting of uploaded data from client
- H04N 21/63345: {by transmitting keys (key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06)}
- H04N 21/6581: {Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application}
- H04N 21/8586: {by using a URL (processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02)}
- G06F 21/1064: {Restricting content processing at operating system level}
- G06F 2221/2141: Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
- G06F 2221/2145: Inheriting rights or properties, e.g., propagation of permissions or restrictions within a hierarchy
- G06F 2221/2147: Locking files
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A data processing system implements detecting that a first user device associated with a first user has added a first sponsored content item to a host electronic document by adding a first reference to the first sponsored content item to the host electronic document. The first sponsored content item is stored separately in a memory of a cloud-based service from the host electronic document. The data processing system further implements determining that the first user has permission to share the first sponsored content item with other users of the cloud-based service, generating sponsor information to associate the sponsored content item with the host electronic document to permit users having access to the host electronic document to access the sponsored content item, and storing the sponsor information in a sponsored access datastore.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A data processing system comprising:
a processor; and
a machine-readable medium storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
detecting that a first user device associated with a first user has added a first sponsored content item to a host electronic document by adding a first reference to the first sponsored content item to the host electronic document, the first sponsored content item being stored separately from the host electronic document in a memory of a cloud-based service;
determining that that the first sponsored content item includes a second reference to a second sponsored content item, the second sponsored content item being stored separately from the host electronic document and the first sponsored content item, the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item being arranged hierarchically as layers of sponsored content;
determining that the first user has permission to share the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item with other users of the cloud-based service;
responsive to determining that the first user has permission to share the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item, generating sponsor information to associate the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item with the host electronic document to permit users having access to the host electronic document to access the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item;
storing the sponsor information in a sponsored access datastore;
receiving a first request from a second user device associated with a second user to access the host electronic document;
generating a first sponsor token based on the sponsor information associated with the host electronic document, the first sponsor token recursively applying to the layers of sponsored content associated with the host electronic document to enable the second user device to access the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item; and
providing the first sponsor token to the second user device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the first sponsor token includes a claim that the second user has access to the host electronic document, and wherein generating the first sponsor token includes operations of:
signing the first sponsor token with a digital signature key associated with the cloud-based service.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The data processing system of claim 1, wherein generating the first sponsor token includes operations of:
encrypting contents of the first sponsor token using an encryption key associated with the cloud-based service.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable medium includes instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations of:
receiving a second request from the second user device to access the first sponsored content item and the first sponsor token associated with the host electronic document;
determining that the second user is not precluded from accessing the first sponsored content item based on access controls associated with the first sponsored content item; and
providing the first sponsored content item to the second user device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The data processing system of claim 4, wherein the machine-readable medium includes instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations of:
causing the second user device to display the host electronic document and the first sponsored content item on a display of the second user device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable medium includes instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations of:
detecting that the first user device associated with the first user has added a third reference to a third sponsored content item to the host electronic document by adding the third reference to the first sponsored content item to the host electronic document, the third sponsored content item being stored separately from the host electronic document in a memory of a cloud-based service;
determining that the first user has permission to share the third sponsored content item with other users of the cloud-based service; and
updating the sponsor information to associate the third sponsored content item with the host electronic document to permit users having access to the host electronic document to access the second sponsored content item.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable medium includes instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations of:
receiving a third request from a third user device associated with a third user to access the host electronic document;
generating a second sponsor token based on the sponsor information associated with the host electronic document; and
providing the second sponsor token to the third user device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the machine-readable medium includes instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations of:
receiving a fourth request from the third user device to access the host electronic document and the second sponsor token associated with the host electronic document;
determining that the third user is not precluded from accessing the host electronic document;
determining that the third user is not precluded from accessing the first sponsored content item based on access controls associated with the first sponsored content item;
determining that the third user is precluded from accessing the second sponsored content item based on access controls associated with the second sponsored content item;
providing the host electronic document to the third user device;
providing the first sponsored content item to the third user device; and
providing an indication that the third user cannot access the second sponsored content item to the third user device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The data processing system of claim 8, wherein the machine-readable medium includes instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations of:
causing the third user device to display the host electronic document, the first sponsored content item, and a placeholder representation of the second sponsored content item on a display of the third user device.

### Claim 10

A method implemented in a data processing system for sponsoring access to sponsored electronic content, the method comprising:
detecting that a first user device associated with a first user has added a first sponsored content item to a host electronic document by adding a first reference to the first sponsored content item to the host electronic document, the first sponsored content item being stored separately from the host electronic document in a memory of a cloud-based service;
determining that that the first sponsored content item includes a second reference to a second sponsored content item, the second sponsored content item being stored separately from the host electronic document and the first sponsored content item, the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item being arranged hierarchically as layers of sponsored content;
determining that the first user has permission to share the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item with other users of the cloud-based service;
responsive to determining that the first user has permission to share the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item, generating sponsor information to associate the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item with the host electronic document to permit users having access to the host electronic document to access the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item;
storing the sponsor information in a sponsored access datastore;
receiving a first request from a second user device associated with a second user to access the host electronic document;
generating a first sponsor token based on the sponsor information associated with the host electronic document, the first sponsor token recursively applying to the layers of sponsored content associated with the host electronic document to enable the second user device to access the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item; and
providing the first sponsor token to the second user device.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the first sponsor token includes a claim that the second user has access to the host electronic document, and wherein generating the first sponsor token further comprises:
signing the first sponsor token with a digital signature key associated with the cloud-based service.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving a second request from the second user device to access the first sponsored content item and the first sponsor token associated with the host electronic document;
determining that the second user is not precluded from accessing the first sponsored content item based on access controls associated with the first sponsored content item; and
providing the first sponsored content item to the second user device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising:
causing the second user device to display the host electronic document and the first sponsored content item on a display of the second user device.

### Claim 14

A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which are stored instructions that, when executed, cause a processor of a programmable device to perform operations of:
detecting that a first user device associated with a first user has added a first sponsored content item to a host electronic document by adding a first reference to the first sponsored content item to the host electronic document, the first sponsored content item being stored separately from the host electronic document in a memory of a cloud-based service;
determining that that the first sponsored content item includes a second reference to a second sponsored content item, the second sponsored content item being stored separately from the host electronic document and the first sponsored content item, the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item being arranged hierarchically as layers of sponsored content;
determining that the first user has permission to share the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item with other users of the cloud-based service;
responsive to determining that the first user has permission to share the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item, generating sponsor information to associate the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item with the host electronic document to permit users having access to the host electronic document to access the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item;
storing the sponsor information in a sponsored access datastore;
receiving a first request from a second user device associated with a second user to access the host electronic document;
generating a first sponsor token based on the sponsor information associated with the host electronic document, the first sponsor token recursively applying to the layers of sponsored content associated with the host electronic document to enable the second user device to access the first sponsored content item and the second sponsored content item; and
providing the first sponsor token to the second user device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first sponsor token includes a claim that the second user has access to the host electronic document, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprising instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations of:
signing the first sponsor token with a digital signature key associated with the cloud-based service.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations of:
receiving a second request from the second user device to access the host electronic document and the first sponsor token associated with the host electronic document;
determining that the second user is not precluded from accessing the first sponsored content item based on access controls associated with the first sponsored content item;
determining that the second user is precluded from accessing the second sponsored content item based on access controls associated with the second sponsored content item;
providing the host electronic document and the first sponsored content item to the second user device; and
providing an indication that the second user cannot access the second sponsored content item to the second user device.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations of:
causing the second user device to display the host electronic document, the first sponsored content item, and the second sponsored content item on a display of the second user device.