Method and software for enabling n-way collaborative work over a network of computers
DC
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for collaboration over a computer network, comprising:
- intercepting data regarding one or more application level events that occur within a first instance of a stand-alone application operable to create and edit documents in response to user actions, and wherein said one or more application level events reflect user actions that result in changes to a native document file generated by said first instance of stand-alone application, wherein a session manager acts as a distribution point between said first instance and one or more other instances of said stand-alone application and is operable to resolve conflicts between said one or more application level events that occur within said first instance and said one or more other instances by using a sequence number assigned to each of said one or more application level events to determine which of said one or more application level events to discard and which of said one or more other instances of said stand-alone application receive notification;
transmitting, by said session manager, data comprising said native document file and said data regarding one or more application level events over said computer network, automatically and in real time, to said one or more other instances of said stand-alone application; and
causing said one or more other instances of said stand-alone application;
to display a local copy of a document corresponding to a local copy of said native document file,to receive and use said data comprising data regarding one or more application level events to replicate said events that occurred within said first instance,to mirror said user actions performed in said first instance without user intervention by performing an equivalent action on said local copy of said native document file and thereby make corresponding changes to said local copy of said native document file, andto display said changes to said local copy of said document.
3 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method, software, and system for efficiently enabling n-way collaborative work using common software over a network of computers. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each participant in a collaborative session starts up a common software application, which includes a collaboration component. This collaboration component is used to establish a common session that includes all interested parties. The collaboration component replicates operations performed on any one instance of said application to all other instances participating in the same session, so the effect is as if all members of the session were sharing a single instance of the application on a single computer. In one aspect, the collaboration component also supports broadcast of audio and video over a computer network, to enable session participants to see and/or hear each other, and further includes other features that support collaborative work.
40 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A method for collaboration over a computer network, comprising:
-
intercepting data regarding one or more application level events that occur within a first instance of a stand-alone application operable to create and edit documents in response to user actions, and wherein said one or more application level events reflect user actions that result in changes to a native document file generated by said first instance of stand-alone application, wherein a session manager acts as a distribution point between said first instance and one or more other instances of said stand-alone application and is operable to resolve conflicts between said one or more application level events that occur within said first instance and said one or more other instances by using a sequence number assigned to each of said one or more application level events to determine which of said one or more application level events to discard and which of said one or more other instances of said stand-alone application receive notification; transmitting, by said session manager, data comprising said native document file and said data regarding one or more application level events over said computer network, automatically and in real time, to said one or more other instances of said stand-alone application; and causing said one or more other instances of said stand-alone application; to display a local copy of a document corresponding to a local copy of said native document file, to receive and use said data comprising data regarding one or more application level events to replicate said events that occurred within said first instance, to mirror said user actions performed in said first instance without user intervention by performing an equivalent action on said local copy of said native document file and thereby make corresponding changes to said local copy of said native document file, and to display said changes to said local copy of said document. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A computer readable storage medium storing software for collaboration over a computer network, comprising:
-
a first instance of a software plug-in operable to intercept data regarding one or more application level events that occur within a first instance of a stand-alone application operable to create and edit documents in response to user actions, and to which said first instance of said software plug-in has been plugged in and wherein said one or more application level events reflect user actions that result in changes to a native document file generated by said first instance of stand-alone application are delivered to said plug-in, wherein a session manager acts as a distribution point between said first instance of said software plug-in and one or more other instances of said software plug-in operable to intercept data regarding one or more application level events that occur within one or more other instances of said stand-alone application and is operable to resolve conflicts between said one or more application level events that occur within said first instance of said stand-alone application and said one or more other instances of said stand-alone application by using a sequence number assigned to each of said one or more application level events to determine which of said one or more application level events to discard and which of said one or more other instances of said software plug-in receive notification; software for transmitting, by said session manager, a copy of said native document file and said data regarding one or more application level events over said computer network to one or more other instances of said plug-in plugged into said one or more other instances of said stand-alone application; and said one or more other instances of said software plug-in plugged into said one or more other instances of said stand-alone application and operable to receive and use said data regarding one or more application level events to replicate said events that occurred within said first instance of said stand-alone application, using said one or more other instances of said stand-alone application to mirror said user actions performed on said first instance by performing an equivalent action on a local copy of said native document file, and to display said changes to said local document corresponding to said native document file, automatically, in real time, and without user intervention. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method for collaboration over a computer network, comprising:
-
intercepting data regarding one or more viewer level events that occur within a first instance of a stand-alone application comprising a document viewer viewing a first copy of a native document file generated by said first instance of said stand-alone application, wherein a session manager acts as a distribution point between said first instance and one or more other instances of said stand-alone application and is operable to resolve conflicts between said one or more viewer level events that occur within said first instance and said one or more other instances by using a sequence number assigned to each of said one or more viewer level events to determine which of said one or more viewer level events to discard and which of said one or more other instances of said stand-alone application receive notification; and transmitting, by said session manager, said data regarding one or more viewer level events over said computer network to said one or more other instances of said stand-alone application; wherein said one or more other instances of said stand-alone application are operable to display a document corresponding to another copy of said native document file and to receive and use said data regarding one or more viewer level events to replicate said events that occurred within said first instance of said stand-alone application, to mirror said user actions performed in said first instance, and to display changes to said document corresponding to said user actions. - View Dependent Claims (23)
-
-
24. A computer readable storage medium storing software for collaboration over a computer network, comprising:
-
a first software plug-in operable to intercept data regarding one or more application level events that occur within a first stand-alone application operable to create and edit documents in response to user actions, and to which said first software plug-in has been plugged in and wherein said one or more application level events reflect user actions that result in changes to a first version of a native document file generated by said first stand-alone application are delivered to said first software plug-in, wherein a session manager acts as a distribution point between said first software plug-in and one or more other instances of said software plug-in and is operable to resolve conflicts between said one or more application level events that occur within said first stand-alone application and one or more other stand-alone applications by using a sequence number assigned application level events to discard and which of said one or more other stand-alone applications receive notification; software for transmitting, via said session manager, a copy of said native document file and said data regarding one or more application level events over said computer network to one or more other instances of said software plug-in plugged into one or more other stand-alone applications; and said one or more other instances of said software plug-in plugged into said one or more other stand-alone applications and operable to receive and use said data regarding one or more application level events to replicate said events that occurred within said first stand-alone application, using said one or more other stand-alone applications to mirror said user actions performed on said first version by performing an equivalent action on a second version of said native document file, and to display said changes to said second version of said native document file, automatically, in real time, and without user intervention.
-
Specification
-
- Resources
Litigation Campaign Assessment
Thank you for your request. You will receive a custom alert email when the Litigation Campaign Assessment is available.
×
Litigation Data
-
Current AssigneeZAMA Innovations LLC
-
Original AssigneeRosebud LMS, Inc.
-
InventorsLejter, Moises, Greene, Stephen, Mohan, John J.
-
Primary Examiner(s)Zhen; Li B
-
Assistant Examiner(s)Anya; Charles E
-
Application NumberUS10/127,777Publication NumberTime in Patent Office2,402 DaysField of Search715/500.1, 715/501.1, 715/513, 715/738, 715/740, 715/748, 715/751, 715/753, 715/756, 715230-233, 709201-207, 709217-219, 719/318, 719/311US Class Current719/318CPC Class CodesG06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or ...G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment da...G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcast...H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is...H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the a...H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-part...H04L 67/10 in which an application is ...H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networ...
