SYNCHRONIZATION OF ELECTRONIC POSTINGS

• US 20090083338A1
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Evans, Christopher A., Moromisato, George P., Ozzie, Raymond E.
• Application Number:
  US11/859,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083338A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

Systems and methods of providing synchronization of electronic postings are disclosed herein. A first pre-existing file item is identified in a first file system of a first computing device. A first posting can be received at the first file system. The first posting can a user-entered posting. The first posting can be associated with the first pre-existing file item in the first file system. A synchronization request can be sent to a second file system of a second computing device. The synchronization request causes the second file system to automatically create a second posting and to associate the second posting with a second pre-existing file item in the second file system. The second posting in the second file system is a synchronized copy of the first posting.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing postings for a file system, comprising:

identifying a first pre-existing document in a first file system of a first computing device;

receiving a first posting at the first file system, the first posting being associated with the first pre-existing document in the first file system; and

sending a synchronization request to a second file system of a second computing device, wherein the synchronization request causes the second file system to automatically create a second posting and to associate the second posting with a second pre-existing document in the second file system, the second posting in the second file system being a synchronized copy of the first posting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second pre-existing document is a synchronized copy of the first pre-existing document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are peer computing devices that transmit and receive data through a data network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising permitting a user to enter the first posting at the first file system via a discussion pane or discussion window.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first posting is associated with the first pre-existing document by adding metadata to the first posting that includes a document identifier corresponding to the first pre-existing document.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first posting is associated with the first pre-existing document by adding metadata to first pre-existing document that includes a posting identifier corresponding to the first posting.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the first posting with the first pre-existing document in the first file system is performed in response to a user input requesting to make such association.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the first posting with the first pre-existing document in the first file system is performed as a result of the first pre-existing document being opened.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the first posting with the first pre-existing document in the first file system is performed as a result of the first pre-existing document being last edited.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform the steps received in claim 1.

11. A method of synchronizing a posting from a first computing device to a second computing device, comprising:

receiving, at a second file system of the second computing device, a synchronization request from a first file system of the first computing device, wherein the synchronization request is associated with a first posting in the first file system, the first posting being associated with a first pre-existing document in the first file system;

automatically creating a second posting in the second file system, the second posting being a synchronized copy of the first posting; and

associating the second posting with a second pre-existing document in the second file system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second pre-existing document is a synchronized copy of the first pre-existing document.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are peer computing devices that transmit and receive data through a data network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first posting is associated with the first pre-existing document by adding metadata to the first posting that includes a document identifier corresponding to the first pre-existing document.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first posting is associated with the first pre-existing document by adding metadata to first pre-existing document that includes a posting identifier corresponding to the first posting.

16. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform the steps received in claim 11.

17. A system of synchronizing computer, comprising:

a file system module that manages a first pre-existing document in a first computing device;

a posting management module that receives a first posting at the first file system, the first posting being associated with the first pre-existing document in the first file system; and

a synchronization module that sends a synchronization request to a second file system of a second computing device, wherein the synchronization request causes the second file system to automatically create a second posting and to associate the second posting with a second pre-existing document in the second file system, the second posting in the second file system being a synchronized copy of the first posting.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the synchronization module is further configured to receive a synchronization request from the second file system, wherein the synchronization request is associated with a third posting that is associated with the second pre-existing document in the second file system, the synchronization module further configured to automatically create a fourth posting in the first file system, the fourth posting being a synchronized copy of the third posting, the fourth posting being associated the first pre-existing document in the first file system.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the second pre-existing document is a synchronized copy of the first pre-existing document.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are peer computing devices that transmit and receive data through a data network.

21. A method of synchronizing postings for a file system, comprising:

identifying a first pre-existing folder in a first file system of a first computing device;

receiving a first posting at the first file system, the first posting being associated with the first pre-existing folder in the first file system; and

sending a synchronization request to a second file system of a second computing device, wherein the synchronization request causes the second file system to automatically create a second posting and to associate the second posting with a second pre-existing folder in the second file system, the second posting in the second file system being a synchronized copy of the first posting.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second pre-existing folder is a synchronized copy of the first pre-existing folder.

23. A method of synchronizing postings for a file system, comprising:

identifying a first pre-existing file system item in a first file system of a first computing device;

receiving a first posting at the first file system, the first posting being associated with the first pre-existing file system item in the first file system; and

sending a synchronization request to a second file system of a second computing device, wherein the synchronization request causes the second file system to automatically create a second posting and to associate the second posting with a second pre-existing file system item in the second file system, the second posting in the second file system being a synchronized copy of the first posting.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the file system item is a folder or a file.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the file system item is a text file, an image file, a media file, a database file, or a configuration file.