Worksheet Access Control for Shared Data Warehouse Security

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern businesses face challenges in managing worksheet access within cloud-based data warehouses, where different user accounts have varying levels of access to data sources, leading to potential security and data integrity issues.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an access module that verifies user authorization for both worksheet architecture and underlying data sets before granting access, using a system that includes graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to manage worksheet access and authorization, allowing users to share worksheets while ensuring appropriate access rights are maintained.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If user accounts are granted access to worksheets in cloud-based data warehouses, then data accessibility and operational efficiency are improved, but security risks and data integrity issues worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata accessibilityVSAvoidsecurity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments access authorization into two distinct components: worksheet architecture access and underlying data set access. This segmentation allows the system to grant users access to worksheet structures while maintaining separate control over the actual data, thereby improving data accessibility without compromising security. The dual-authorization mechanism ensures that users can only access data they are explicitly authorized for, even if they have worksheet access rights.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary access control mechanism that mediates between worksheet sharing and data access. This intermediary layer verifies both worksheet architecture authorization and underlying data set authorization before granting access, acting as a security buffer that allows efficient data access while maintaining robust security controls.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If dual authorization verification is implemented for worksheet access, then security and data integrity are improved, but system complexity and access overhead worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-establishing authorization relationships between user accounts, worksheets, and data sets. The system proactively determines and stores authorization information before access requests occur, allowing the dual-authorization verification to proceed efficiently without adding significant overhead during actual access operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables self-service through automated authorization verification mechanisms that independently check both worksheet architecture access and underlying data set access rights. The system autonomously performs the dual-authorization checks without requiring manual intervention, reducing the perceived complexity for users while maintaining robust security protocols.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12587532B1Managing worksheet access
Publication Date: 2026.03.24 SIGMA COMPUTING INC
  • US12587532B1 patent drawing
  • US12587532B1 patent drawing
  • US12587532B1 patent drawing

AI summary

Managing worksheet access including receiving a request from a first user account to access a worksheet shared from a second user account, wherein the worksheet comprises a worksheet architecture for at least one data set from a database; determining that the first user account is authorized to access the worksheet architecture of the worksheet; determining that the first user account is authorized to access the at least one data set presented by the worksheet; and granting the first user account access to the worksheet in response to determining that the first user account is authorized to access the worksheet architecture of the worksheet and determining that the first user account is authorized to access the at least one data set presented by the worksheet.