TRACKING AND EDITING A RESOURCE IN A REAL-TIME COLLABORATIVE SESSION

• US 20070250506A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mitra, Kanchan, Krum, Kyle, Stevens, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method and system for tracking and editing a resource in a real-time collaborative session is provided. A collaboration system provides real-time collaborative sessions between participants. When a participant in a collaboration session uploads a non-editable copy of a resource for viewing in the collaborative session, the collaboration system records the participant who uploaded the non-editable copy of the resource as the owner of an original copy of the resource and the location of the resource on that participant'"'"'s machine. When the same or another participant attempts to edit the non-editable copy of the resource during the collaborative session, the collaboration system locates the original copy of the resource and starts the sharing of the resource in an editable form in the collaborative session.

Claims

1. A method in a collaboration system for tracking a non-editable copy of a resource in a real-time collaborative session, the method comprising:

receiving the non-editable copy of the resource for viewing in the real-time collaborative session; and

recording a location of an original copy of the non-editable copy of the resource,

such that the recorded location can be used to identify an owner of the original copy of the non-editable copy of the resource during the real-time collaborative session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recorded location identifies the location of the resource on owner'"'"'s machine.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

upon receiving a request to edit the non-editable copy of the resource,

obtaining authorization to allow editing of the non-editable copy of the resource; and

initiating the sharing of the resource in an editable form.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the resource is shared from the owner'"'"'s machine.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the authorization to allow editing of the non-editable copy of the resource is obtained from the owner of the original copy of the non-editable copy of the resource.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising, upon failing to obtain authorization to allow editing of the non-editable copy of the resource, denying the request to edit the non-editable copy of the resource.

7. The method of claim 3 further comprising granting a participant of the real-time collaborative session who requested to edit the non-editable copy of the resource control of the of the resource in the editable form.

8. The method of claim 3 further comprising granting the owner of the original copy of the non-editable copy of the resource control of the resource in the editable form.

9. The method of claim 3 further comprising verifying the location of the original copy of the non-editable copy of the resource.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising, upon failing to verify the location of the original copy of the non-editable copy of the resource, receiving from the owner of the original copy of the non-editable copy of the resource a new location of the original copy of the non-editable copy of the resource.

11. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a collaboration system to track a non-editable copy of a resource in a real-time collaborative session, by a method comprising:

hosting a meeting between a plurality of meeting participants;

receiving from one of the meeting participants a non-editable copy of a resource for viewing during the meeting; and

recording the meeting participant who uploaded the non-editable copy of the resource for viewing during the meeting as an owner of an original copy of the resource.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the owner of the original copy of the resource is recorded in a resource owner table.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the recording includes recording an indication of a machine used by the meeting participant to uploaded the non-editable copy of the resource for viewing during the meeting.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 further comprising:

detecting an attempt by another one of the meeting participants to edit the non-editable copy of the resource;

obtaining authorization to allow the another one of the meeting participants to edit of the non-editable copy of the resource;

causing the resource to be shared in an editable form during the meeting; and

allowing the another one of the meeting participants control of the resource in the editable form for editing.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 further comprising:

failing to obtain authorization to allow the another one of the meeting participants to edit the non-editable copy of the resource; and

not allowing the another one of the meeting participants to edit of the editable copy of the resource.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising, upon failing to obtain authorization to allow the another one of the meeting participants to edit the non-editable copy of the resource, not causing the resource to be shared in an editable form.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising, upon failing to obtain authorization to allow the another one of the meeting participants to edit the non-editable copy of the resource, granting the owner of the original copy of the resource control of the resource in the editable form for editing.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 further comprising verifying the location of the original copy of the resource.

19. A collaboration system for tracking a non-editable copy of a resource in a real-time collaborative session, the system comprising:

a component configured to provide a collaborative session between participants of the collaborative session;

a component configured to receive a resource in a non-editable form to be viewed during the collaborative session; and

a component configured to record a location of an original copy of the resource received in the non-editable form to be viewed during the collaborative session.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising a component configured to request authorization to allow editing of the resource upon detecting an attempt to edit the resource during the collaborative session.