SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COLLABORATIVE INFORMATION DISPLAY AND MARKUP

• US 20080313546A1
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 7842317 Canada Incorporated, Xenogenic Development Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: 7842317 Canada Incorporated
• Inventors: Nykamp, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,762,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/194 Calculation of difference between files
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

The present invention provides a system that allows documents of various types to be shared between users at geographically dispersed client computers. The users may contemporaneously manipulate the documents and each users manipulations are displayed to the other users in real time using a lightweight synchronization process.

Claims

1. A method for collaborative display and markup of a document comprising:

(a) in response to a request from a controlling client computer, loading the document at a server;

(b) transmitting the document to a plurality of client computers, including the controlling client computer;

(c) receiving, from the controlling client computer, a New Display State message indicating the display state of the document at the controlling client computer;

(d) transmitting a copy of the New Display State message to each of the client computer, except the controlling client computer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(e) receiving, from the controlling client computer, a New Markup State message indicating one or more markups superimposed on a display of a document at the controlling dent computer; and

(f) transmitting a version of the New Markup State message to the client computers, except for the controlling client computer.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

(g) receiving, from the controlling client computer, a New View message identifying a first view of the document and including view data corresponding to the first view, wherein the view data includes the identity of the document a name for the first view, a display state for the document and a markup state;

(h) recording the view data;

(i) transmitting view data to the client computers, except for the controlling client computer.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

(j) receiving, from a controlling client computer, a Set View message identifying a second view;

(k) retrieving view data corresponding to the second view,

(l) transmitting the view data corresponding to the second view to each of the client computer.

5. A method of collaboratively displaying a document comprising:

(a) receiving a request from a user to load a document;

(b) transmitting a request for the document to a server,

(c) receiving a copy of the document from the server

6. A method of collaboratively displaying a document comprising:

(a) receiving a version of the document from a server;

(b) displaying the document in an initial display state;

(c) receiving a New Display State message from the server; and

(d) displaying the document in accordance with the New Display State message.

7. The method of claim 6 further including:

(e) receiving a control from a user to take control of the display of the document;

(f) allowing the user to manipulate the display of the document; and

(g) transmitting a New Display State to the server wherein the New Display State message indicates the display state of the document resulting from the manipulation by the user.

8. The method of claim 6 or 7 further including:

(h) allowing the user to markup the display of the document; and

(i) transmitting a New Markup State message corresponding to the markup by the user to the user.