EP0315425A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Distributed computer system,
Assignee: Xerox Corp
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Filing: 1988-11-02
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-11-02
Abstract
Abstract Embedded references to uniquely-named, piece table style, persistent data structures are employed to give workstation users within a distributed computing environment controlled access to shared non-textual media files, such as digital voice, music, scanned image or video files, without requiring any duplication or movement of such files. A new piece table with a unique identification is entered into a reference database each time a new non-textual media file is recorded to identify such file by name and length. Users may employ their workstations to edit existing piece tables to create and enter into the reference database additional piece tables referring to one or more specified intervals of one or more of the existing non-textual media files, without requiring any duplication or movement of any part of any of those files. Name references to these piece tables may be embedded in ordinary text files and messages to give users access to the underlying non-textual media files.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel C. Swinehart
- 👤 Douglas B. Terry
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 14:58
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/40; G06F16/10; G06F16/16; G06F16/162
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
274 words
A hypermedia distributed computer system, including a communications medium (22), a plurality of workstations (24) coupled to the communications medium for enabling users to transfer digital textual data back and forth between the workstations, a file server (36) coupled to the communications medium for storing digital non-textual data files containing human-perceivable information; transducers located near at least some of the workstations, the transducers being coupled to the communications medium independently of the workstations, for enabling users to record non-textual data files on the file server and to playback such files subject to access authorization; management means coupled to the file server and to the communications medium for allocating uniquely named storage space on the file server whenever a new non-textual data file is to be recorded thereon, and for determining the length of each of the files at the conclusion of its recording, the management means including a database system having a reference database into which the management means makes a uniquely-named immutable entry whenever a new non-textual data file is recorded on the file server, with the entry referring to such file by name and length, and the workstations including editing means for enabling users to manipulate the reference database entries to create additional uniquely named immutable entries for the reference database, with such additional entries referring to user-selected intervals of user-selected non-textual data files, whereby the reference names may be embedded in textual data distributed to users to give users access to selected ones of the non-textual data files and selected parts of the files in arbitrarily specified order, without requiring that any of the non-textual data files be duplicated or moved.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
274 words
A hypermedia distributed computer system, including a communications medium (22), a plurality of workstations (24) coupled to the communications medium for enabling users to transfer digital textual data back and forth between the workstations, a file server (36) coupled to the communications medium for storing digital non-textual data files containing human-perceivable information; transducers located near at least some of the workstations, the transducers being coupled to the communications medium independently of the workstations, for enabling users to record non-textual data files on the file server and to playback such files subject to access authorization; management means coupled to the file server and to the communications medium for allocating uniquely named storage space on the file server whenever a new non-textual data file is to be recorded thereon, and for determining the length of each of the files at the conclusion of its recording, the management means including a database system having a reference database into which the management means makes a uniquely-named immutable entry whenever a new non-textual data file is recorded on the file server, with the entry referring to such file by name and length, and the workstations including editing means for enabling users to manipulate the reference database entries to create additional uniquely named immutable entries for the reference database, with such additional entries referring to user-selected intervals of user-selected non-textual data files, whereby the reference names may be embedded in textual data distributed to users to give users access to selected ones of the non-textual data files and selected parts of the files in arbitrarily specified order, without requiring that any of the non-textual data files be duplicated or moved.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of Claim 1, wherein the non-textual data files contain digitally-recorded sound, and the transducers are sound transducers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of Claim 2, wherein the non-textual data files are composed of digitized speech.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
The system of Claim 3, wherein the speech is recorded on the file server in encrypted form, and wherein users receiving references to the encrypted speech files are given all necessary keys for decrypting the speech files to which the references pertain, whereby decryption occurs only when the speech files are played back.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
23 words
The system of any preceding Claim, wherein the workstations include means for graphically representing the references to assist the users in editing them.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
38 words
The system of Claims 3 and 5, wherein the non-textual data files are composed of digitized speech, and the graphical representations distinguish between talkspurts and intervening gaps of predetermined minimum duration in the speech represented by the references.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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