EP0319232A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
A multi-user data communication system
Assignee: Xerox Corp
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Filing: 1988-11-28
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-11-28
Abstract
Abstract A multi-user collaborative system in which the contents as well as the current status of other user activity of a shared structured data object (40) representing one or more related structured data objects in the form of data entries can be concurrently accessed by different users respectively at different workstations (14) connected to a common link (12). The what-you-see-is-what-I-see user interface representation of the shared structured data object includes an ordered listing of such entries that are maintained by the structured data object, and various attributes of each listed entry, inter alia , the type and class of entry; the revision number of the shared structured data object; the number of pages and revision number of each structured data object entry; the date of creation and last revision of each such entry; whether an entry can be accessed by a user and, if not, who has prevented such access; whether a local instance of an entry is present on a user's system; and a provision for miscellaneous notes or comments relative to each entry for view by other users. Means is provided for maintaining current information relative to the shared structured object and its entries on a user initiated demand updated basis invoked by a user operation, which operation requires updated information to implement the operation properly. Further, means is provided for locking up one or more data entries by an individual user, and thereby preventing access to the locked entries by other users, to prevent concurrent editing and other changes to the same entries by two or more users. In this connection, editing or modification cannot be performed by a user until the shared structured data object entry or entries have been locked up. Visual indication as to the locked state of entries, and other information relative to the locking user and the time of lock, are updated and displayed in the shared structured data object representation present at user workstations when a user invokes a user operation on the shared structured data object or its contents.
Inventors
- 👤 Sara A. Bly
- 👤 Brady A. Farrand
- 👤 Jeffery D. Hodges
- 👤 Michael D. Kupfer
- 👤 Brian T. Lewis
- 👤 William J. Maybury
- 👤 Michael L. Tallan
- 👤 Stephen B. Tom
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 20:24
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/10; G06F16/17; G06F16/176; G06F16/1767; G06F16/1774
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
161 words
A method for use in a multi-user collaborative system in which the contents of a shared structured data object (40) representing one or more entries can be concurrently accessed by different users respectively at a plurality of different workstations (14) coupled to a common network (12), comprising the steps of: displaying at each workstation a local instance of a representation of the shared structured data object including data relative to any related structured data objects therein; including in the representation a visual indication of activity occurring at other workstations affecting the shared structured data objec's status, and the occurrence of modifications to the contents of the entries; tracking the entries as accessed and modified by respective users and posting any changes in status of the representation at any other workstations on the network containing the shared structured data object when a user invokes an operation relative to an existing local instance of the representation at any one of the other workstations.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
161 words
A method for use in a multi-user collaborative system in which the contents of a shared structured data object (40) representing one or more entries can be concurrently accessed by different users respectively at a plurality of different workstations (14) coupled to a common network (12), comprising the steps of: displaying at each workstation a local instance of a representation of the shared structured data object including data relative to any related structured data objects therein; including in the representation a visual indication of activity occurring at other workstations affecting the shared structured data objec's status, and the occurrence of modifications to the contents of the entries; tracking the entries as accessed and modified by respective users and posting any changes in status of the representation at any other workstations on the network containing the shared structured data object when a user invokes an operation relative to an existing local instance of the representation at any one of the other workstations.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 1, including the steps of: locking up one or more of the entries to prevent access by other users to the locked entries, and displaying at each workstation an indication at the representation of the status of any locked-up entries, including an indication of the locking user.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
117 words
A multi-user collaborative system employing a shared structured data object having related structured data objects capable of being concurrently accessed by different users respectively at different workstations on a networked workstation environment, the shared structured data object being accessible by the users at each of the workstations and at remote file services on the network, means for displaying at each of the workstations the current status of predetermined attributes relating to the current status of, and modifications made to, the related structured data objects, and means included in display means for producing a visual indication of the denial of access to one or more of the related structured data objects by one or more of the users.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
117 words
A multi-user collaborative system employing a shared structured data object having related structured data objects capable of being concurrently accessed by different users respectively at different workstations on a networked workstation environment, the shared structured data object being accessible by the users at each of the workstations and at remote file services on the network, means for displaying at each of the workstations the current status of predetermined attributes relating to the current status of, and modifications made to, the related structured data objects, and means included in display means for producing a visual indication of the denial of access to one or more of the related structured data objects by one or more of the users.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
147 words
A system as claimed in claim 3, including means at each workstation for updating the status of the representations periodically as maintained at each workstation and at the remote file services, means for preventing access to the representation at the remote file services by other users at other workstations when the updating means is operational relative to a respective user at a respective workstation, the updating means being operational only on a demand notification basis each time a respective user at a respective workstation invokes an operation on the shared structured data object if the nature of execution of the operation is dependent on the currency of the representation, such that if the version of the representation at the respective workstation is not congruent with the version of the representation at the remote file services, the invoked operation will be aborted and the representation will be updated.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
The system of claim 3 or 4, including means at the workstations to update the version of the representation at the remote file services when invoked by an operation on the shared structured data object by a user.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 4 or 5, wherein one of the operations is the limiting of access of at least one of the related structured data objects to the control of the respective user.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
74 words
A user interface representation for use in a networked workstation environment to provide a WYSIWIS abstraction for shared display representation to a plurality of users at different workstations on a network of collaborative activities being carried out among the users, the representation comprising a plurality of fields indicative of the status of the activities and their currency, and means at the workstations for updating the representation upon a user-invoked operation relative to the representation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
74 words
A user interface representation for use in a networked workstation environment to provide a WYSIWIS abstraction for shared display representation to a plurality of users at different workstations on a network of collaborative activities being carried out among the users, the representation comprising a plurality of fields indicative of the status of the activities and their currency, and means at the workstations for updating the representation upon a user-invoked operation relative to the representation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
222 words
A multi-user collaborative system including a plurality of workstations connected for communication among one another via a network and having a display system for displaying and interacting with structured data objects and comprising: a shared structured data object containing a plurality of structured data objects containing linked data; means representing the hierarchical structure of the shared structured data object and the contained structured data objects for display at each of the workstations, and comprising a current status of predetermined attributes of the hierarchical structure and other objects; remote file storage means for storing the objects and their hierarchical representation means, comprising a remote instance thereof for access by users at each of the workstations via the network to provide a local instance thereof; means at the workstations automatically to update the local instance of the hierarchical representation means at a designated workstation to conform to the remote instance of the hierarchical representation means at the remote file storage if the remote instance thereof contains a more-current status of the predetermined attributes, the updating means operating only upon application of operational commands to the local instance of the hierarchical representation means at the designated workstation, which commands, when invoked, could cause a change in the status of at least one of the predetermined attributes of the local instance of the hierarchical representation means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
222 words
A multi-user collaborative system including a plurality of workstations connected for communication among one another via a network and having a display system for displaying and interacting with structured data objects and comprising: a shared structured data object containing a plurality of structured data objects containing linked data; means representing the hierarchical structure of the shared structured data object and the contained structured data objects for display at each of the workstations, and comprising a current status of predetermined attributes of the hierarchical structure and other objects; remote file storage means for storing the objects and their hierarchical representation means, comprising a remote instance thereof for access by users at each of the workstations via the network to provide a local instance thereof; means at the workstations automatically to update the local instance of the hierarchical representation means at a designated workstation to conform to the remote instance of the hierarchical representation means at the remote file storage if the remote instance thereof contains a more-current status of the predetermined attributes, the updating means operating only upon application of operational commands to the local instance of the hierarchical representation means at the designated workstation, which commands, when invoked, could cause a change in the status of at least one of the predetermined attributes of the local instance of the hierarchical representation means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
81 words
The system of claim 8, including means at said workstations for specifying a local instance of a structured object attribute in the displaying hierarchical representation means by selecting its location in the displayed hierarchical representation means whereby the data of the specified structured object are displayed on the workstation, and means for revoking the application of the specifying means when the local instance is not a current version thereof, and retrieving the current version thereof from the remote file storage means.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
39 words
The system of any of claims 3 to 8, wherein the structured data objects comprise a plurality of documents, or folders containing documents that are linked in a predetermined manner and are hierarchically identified in the hierarchical representation means.
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