Method, apparatus, and computer program product for selectively granting permissions to group-based objects in a group-based communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11848936-B2
Application number	US-202117380580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2021
Priority date	Feb 12, 2018
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products that provide for an improved, more efficient, and more stable system of networked computing devices. The embodiments disclose an apparatus and system that enable client devices to selectively grant to third party applications permissions to access group-based communication objects of a group-based communication system. The apparatus and system further enable client devices to selectively grant to third party applications permissions to take specific actions with regards to the group-based communication objects within the system. To accomplish the improvements, the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and computing devices maintain a record of the permissions granted to third party applications in a permissions table stored in a computer storage device. The permissions table may be modified to expand the permissions granted to the third party application without requiring a new authentication process that issues a new authenticating token. Further, third party applications are installed at a group level and not at a user level within the system, which increases system stability and efficiency.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method of controlling access to a third-party application (app) on a group-based communication platform, the method comprising:
providing a group-based communication channel on the group-based communication platform,
wherein the group-based communication channel is accessible by a plurality of channel members and provides communication between the plurality of channel members;
providing the third-party app on the group-based communication platform;
receiving a request to access the third-party app by a user of the group-based communication channel;
adding the third-party app to the group-based communication channel based on the request of the user,
wherein the third-party app is accessible to the plurality of channel members;
generating a plurality of app tokens associated with the plurality of channel members; and
granting, to the third-party app, access to group-based communication objects within the group-based communication channel based on the plurality of app tokens.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the user is an administrator of the group-based communication platform and manages installation of the third-party app across a plurality of group-based communication channels.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
initiating installation of the third-party app to the group-based communication channel by selection of a third-party app identifier.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the user is an administrator of the group-based communication platform and controls accessibility of the plurality of channel members to the third-party app.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein interaction of the third-party app with the plurality of channel members is only permitted to the plurality of channel members within the group-based communication channel.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein one or more app tokens from the plurality of app tokens comprise:
an app identifier associated with one or more channel members from the plurality of channel members; and
a group identifier associated with the group-based communication channel.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
retrieving the plurality of app tokens from a group-based communication repository communicatively connected to the group-based communication platform.

8. A method of controlling access to a third-party application (app) on a group-based communication platform, the method comprising:
providing a group-based communication channel on the group-based communication platform,
wherein the group-based communication channel is accessible by a plurality of channel members and provides communication between the plurality of channel members;
providing the third-party app on the group-based communication platform;
receiving a request to access the third-party app by a user of the group-based communication channel;

adding the third-party app to the group-based communication channel based on the request of the user,
wherein the third-party app is accessible to the plurality of channel members;
generating a plurality of app tokens associated with the plurality of channel members; and
granting, to the third-party app, access to group-based communication objects within the group-based communication channel based on the plurality of app tokens.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the user is an administrator of the group-based communication platform and manages installation of the third-party app across a plurality of group-based communication channels.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
initiating installation of the third-party app to the group-based communication channel by selection of a third-party app identifier.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the user is an administrator of the group-based communication platform and controls accessibility of the plurality of channel members to the third-party app.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein interaction of the third-party app with the plurality of channel members is only permitted to the plurality of channel members within the group-based communication channel.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein one or more app tokens from the plurality of app tokens comprise:
an app identifier associated with one or more channel members from the plurality of channel members; and
a group identifier associated with the group-based communication channel.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
retrieving the plurality of app tokens from a group-based communication repository communicatively connected to the group-based communication platform.

15. A system for controlling access to a third-party application (app) on a group-based communication platform, the system comprising:
a memory; and
a hardware processor executing instructions programmed to perform a method for controlling access to the third-party app on the group-based communication platform, the method comprising:

providing a group-based communication channel on the group-based communication platform,
wherein the group-based communication channel is accessible by a plurality of channel members and provides communication between the plurality of channel members;
providing the third-party app on the group-based communication platform;
receiving a request to access the third-party app by a user of the group-based communication channel;

adding the third-party app to the group-based communication channel based on the request of the user,
wherein the third-party app is accessible to the plurality of channel members;
generating a plurality of app tokens associated with the plurality of channel members; and
granting, to the third-party app, access to group-based communication objects within the group-based communication channel based on the plurality of app tokens.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the user is an administrator of the group-based communication platform and manages installation of the third-party app across a plurality of group-based communication channels.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
initiating installation of the third-party app to the group-based communication channel by selection of a third-party app identifier.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the user is an administrator of the group-based communication platform and controls accessibility of the plurality of channel members to the third-party app.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein one or more app tokens from the plurality of app tokens comprise:
an app identifier associated with one or more channel members from the plurality of channel members; and
a group identifier associated with the group-based communication channel.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
retrieving the plurality of app tokens from a group-based communication repository communicatively connected to the group-based communication platform.

Assignees

• Salesforce Inc

Inventors

• Gamache Meagan
• Brito Diogenes
• Benson Buster
• Xie Kefan
• Jennings Paul Matthew
• Sullivan Christopher
• Redman Benjamin William Scholey

Classifications

• H04L63/104 Primary

  Grouping of entities · CPC title

• H04L63/0853

  using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234) · CPC title

• H04L67/53

  using third party service providers · CPC title

• H04L63/0815

  providing single-sign-on or federations · CPC title

• G06F21/6218

  to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database · CPC title