Automatic data update

• US 20020133509A1
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Robert P., Johnston, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,058,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A process of accessing data in a database, inputting the accessed data to a form, using the form with the accessed data by a first user, monitoring the database to detect changes to the accessed data by a second user while the form is being used by the first user, updating the accessed data in the form while being used by the first user in accordance with rules corresponding to the detected changes, and displaying update status of the accessed data in accordance with the updating. The update status can indicate if the accessed data has not been changed since the first user began using the accessed data; if the first user has changed the accessed data; and if the second user has changed the accessed data while the first user is using the accessed data. The process can be implemented in a standalone processing device or in a network.

Claims

1. A process comprising:

monitoring a database to detect changes to accessed data in the database; and

updating the accessed data during use of the data in accordance with synchronization rules in response to the detected changes.

2. A device comprising:

a processor monitoring a database to detect changes to accessed data in the database, and updating the accessed data during use of the data in accordance with synchronization rules in response to the detected changes.

3. A process comprising:

accessing data stored in a database;

inputting the accessed data to a form;

using the form with the inputted accessed data by a first user;

monitoring the database to detect changes to the accessed data by a second user while the form is being used by the first user; and

updating the accessed data in the form while being used by the first user in accordance with rules corresponding to the detected changes.

4. The process according to claim 3, further comprising:

displaying update status of the accessed data in accordance with the updating; and

storing the inputted accessed data used by the first user in the database.

5. A device comprising:

a processor to access data stored in a database, to input the accessed data to a form, to use the form with the input accessed data by a first user, to monitor the database to detect changes to the accessed data by a second user while the form is being used by the first user, and to update the accessed data in the form while being used by the first user in accordance with rules corresponding to the detected changes.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the rules synchronize simultaneous changes made by the first user and the second user to the accessed data.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the rules are based upon characteristic of edits by a second user to the accessed data and characteristic of the accessed data.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein use of the accessed data by the first user includes editing the accessed data.

9. The device according to claim 5, wherein the processor provides update notification to the first user while the form is being used by the first user.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the update notification comprises displaying update history information corresponding to each accessed data in the form.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the update notification includes displaying the accessed data in different colors in accordance with the updating.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the update notification includes associating comment bubbles with the accessed data.

13. The device according to claim 5, wherein the inputted accessed data is stored locally and the database is stored remotely.

14. The device according to claim 5, wherein the processor further maintains a change log of the accessed data.

15. A device comprising:

means for accessing data stored in a database;

means for inputting the accessed data to a form;

means for using the form with the inputted accessed data by a first user;

means for monitoring the database to detect changes to the accessed data by a second user while the form is being used by the first user; and

means for updating the accessed data in the form while being used by the first user in accordance with rules corresponding to the detected changes.

16. A system to automatically update forms, the system comprising:

a server storing data in a database; and

clients connected to the server via a network and accessing the data stored in the database, wherein the accessed data is input to a form used by a first user, the database being monitored to detect changes to the accessed data by a second user while the form is being used by the first user, and the accessed data in the form being updated while being used by the first user in accordance with rules corresponding to the detected changes.

17. A computer readable medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method of automatically updating forms to be performed by a computer, the method comprising:

accessing data stored in a database;

inputting the accessed data to a form;

using the form with the inputted accessed data by a first user;

monitoring the database to detect changes to the accessed data by a second user while the form is being used by the first user; and

updating the accessed data in the form while being used by the first user in accordance with rules corresponding to the detected changes.