Secure content sharing
Convenient sharing of information among authorized network users may be facilitated by allowing a user to send information originating from multiple applications in aggregate form to another user, e.g., using a secure messaging service. In scenarios where data access is restricted, a server may check the recipient's access privileges prior to forwarding the information to her.
1. A method of sharing accessed content between authorized users within a network-managed user group, the method comprising:
providing access to multiple software applications to a first user at a first user device;
by the first user using the first user device, selecting a second user and a third user within the user group, wherein the second and third users have different access privileges permitting access to contents from the multiple software applications;
defining a set of contents, for transmission to the second user and to the third user, at least in part by the first user selecting contents from the multiple accessed software applications, wherein the first user has access privileges permitting access to the entire set of contents;
combining only portions of the set of contents to which the access privileges of the second user permit access into a first compilation;
combining only portions of the set of contents to which the access privileges of the third user permit access into a second compilation, wherein the first and second compilations include different portions of the set of contents;
causing transmission of only the first compilation to the second user; and
causing transmission of only the second compilation to the third user.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the first compilation in a data repository before causing transmission of only the first compilation to the second user; and
storing the second compilation in the data repository before causing transmission of only the second compilation to the third user.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising authenticating the first user before providing access to the multiple software applications to the first user.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
authenticating the second user before causing transmission of only the first compilation to the second user; and
authenticating the third user before causing transmission of only the second compilation to the third user.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
before authenticating the second user, sending a first notification to the second user regarding availability of the first compilation and prompting the second user to authenticate; and
before authenticating the third user, sending a second notification to the third user regarding availability of the second compilation and prompting the third user to authenticate.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first compilation is transmitted to a second user device; and/or
the second compilation is transmitted to a third user device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein defining the set of contents comprises converting at least a portion of a screen display into an image file.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein defining the set of contents comprises virtually printing contents of selected ones of the multiple software applications.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein defining the set of contents comprises integrating the selected contents into a multi-media case file.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein defining the set of contents comprises receiving annotations of the selected contents.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining only portions of the set of contents to which the access privileges of the second user permit access into the first compilation comprises redacting the set of contents by excising therefrom portions to which the second user does not have access privileges.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing transmission of only the first compilation to the second user device comprises (i) storing the first compilation in a central repository, (ii) causing transmission of a link to the stored first compilation to a second user device, and (iii) upon execution of the link at the second user device, transmitting the stored first compilation to the second user device.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the link to the stored first compilation is transmitted to the second user device without the second user requesting transmission of contents within the set of contents.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating metadata with the set of contents, the metadata identifying at least one of the first user, at least one of the software applications from which the set of contents is selected, or a subject to which the set of contents pertains.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the software applications provides access to electronic medical records, the subject to which the set of contents pertains comprising a patient identifier.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein combining only portions of the set of contents to which the access privileges of the second user permit access into the first compilation is performed based at least in part on the metadata.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining only portions of the set of contents to which the access privileges of the second user permit access into the first compilation comprises consulting a database of user access privileges.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the software applications are executed on a remote hosting server, access to the software applications being provided by executing, on the first user device, a terminal emulator service displaying output from the software applications received via a network connection with the hosting server.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein defining the set of contents comprises selection, by the first user, of display contents comprising multiple display portions containing data from different ones of the accessed software applications.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein defining the set of contents comprises selection, by the first user, among the accessed software applications, applications for transmission of their contents.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the defined set of contents is static.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the defined set of contents is dynamic.
23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the defined set of contents comprises at least one of a selectable web link, an image sequence displayable as video, or audio content.
24. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first compilation is transmitted to the second user without the second user requesting transmission of contents within the set of contents; and
the second compilation is transmitted to the third user without the third user requesting transmission of contents within the set of contents.
25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access privileges of the second and third users are not defined by the first user.
26. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the portions of the set of contents to which the access privileges of the second user permit access are combined into the first compilation without the second user requesting transmission of the contents within the set of contents; and
the portions of the set of contents to which the access privileges of the third user permit access are combined into the second compilation without the third user requesting transmission of contents within the set of contents.
27. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the portions of the set of contents to which the access privileges of the second user permit access are combined into the first compilation without the set of contents being redacted by the first user; and
the portions of the set of contents to which the access privileges of the third user permit access are combined into the second compilation without the set of contents being redacted by the first user.