Realtime Synchronized Document Editing by Multiple Users for Blogging

• US 20120110445A1
• Filed: 11/02/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Greenspan, David L., Iba, Aaron Benjamin, Zamfirescu-Pereira, John D.
• Granted Patent: US 11,036,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/256
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71

Abstract

A method includes sending to the plurality of clients copies of the document for realtime editing, and obtaining respective changesets for two or more respective clients in the plurality of clients. A respective changeset represents one or more changes to a respective copy of the document at a respective client. The method also includes generating a result changeset in accordance with the respective changesets, and sending the result changeset to the plurality of clients for updating the respective copies of the document at the plurality of clients.

Claims

1. A method of providing a document to a plurality of clients for realtime editing, the method comprising:

at a server having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors to perform the method,

sending to the plurality of clients copies of the document for realtime editing;

obtaining respective changesets for two or more respective clients in the plurality of clients, a respective changeset representing one or more changes to a respective copy of the document at a respective client;

generating a result changeset in accordance with the respective changesets; and

sending the result changeset to the plurality of clients for updating the respective copies of the document at the plurality of clients.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the document stored at the server in accordance with the respective changesets.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning editing-right-control to a master editor, wherein the editing-right-control is configured to modify an editing-right of the respective client; and

wherein obtaining the respective changesets for the two or more respective clients includes receiving the respective changesets from the two or more respective clients when the two or more respective clients have the editing-right.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the editing-right comprises an editing-right for commenting;

the method includes sending content of the document in a webpage to the plurality of clients for realtime editing, wherein the webpage is configured, when rendered at a respective client having the editing-right, to receive one or more comments on the document and to convey the one or more comments to the server; and

receiving the respective changesets from the respective clients includes receiving the respective changeset from the respective client when the respective client has the editing-right for commenting and the respective changeset includes at least a portion of a respective comment on the document.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending content of the document in a webpage to the plurality of clients for realtime editing, wherein the webpage is configured, when rendered at a respective client having the editing-right, to receive inputs from a respective user of the respective client for editing the document.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the webpage includes instructions for:

determining the respective changeset in accordance with the inputs; and

sending the respective changeset to the server.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising sending an acknowledgment of the respective changeset to a respective client, and

wherein the webpage includes:

instructions for maintaining at the respective client a set of changesets, the set of changesets comprising;

a first changeset, representing changes not transmitted to the server;

and

a second changeset, representing changes transmitted to the server but not acknowledged by the server; and

instructions for sending the first changeset to the server; and

instructions for updating the second changeset in response to receipt of the acknowledgment of the respective changeset by the respective client.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the webpage includes instructions for updating the set of changesets in accordance with the result changeset.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the webpage includes instructions for:

receiving the result changeset for updating the respective copy of the document at the respective client; and

updating the respective copy of the document at the respective client in accordance with the result changeset.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the webpage includes instructions for selecting to view changes to the document in realtime.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the document includes at least a portion of a weblog.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a revision record for the respective client.

13. A server for providing a document to a plurality of clients for realtime editing, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions to;

send to the plurality of clients copies of the document for realtime editing;

obtain respective changesets for two or more respective clients in the plurality of clients, a respective changeset representing one or more changes to a respective copy of the document at a respective client;

generate a result changeset in accordance with the respective changesets; and

send the result changeset to the plurality of clients for updating the respective copies of the document at the plurality of clients.

14. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by one or more processors of a server, the one or more programs comprising instructions to:

send to the plurality of clients copies of the document for realtime editing;

obtain respective changesets for two or more respective clients in the plurality of clients, a respective changeset representing one or more changes to a respective copy of the document at a respective client;

generate a result changeset in accordance with the respective changesets; and

send the result changeset to the plurality of clients for updating the respective copies of the document at the plurality of clients.

15. A method of processing a document for realtime editing, the method comprising:

at a client having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors to perform the method,

displaying at least a portion of a respective copy of the document;

receiving inputs from a respective user of the client for editing the document;

sending, to a server connected to a plurality of clients, document information in accordance with the inputs;

receiving a result changeset for updating the respective copy of the document at the client, the result changeset representing changes to the document based on changes to respective copies of the document at two or more clients in the plurality of clients; and

updating the respective copy of the document at the client in accordance with the result changeset.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining a respective changeset in accordance with the inputs, wherein sending the document information comprises sending a respective changeset, and the respective changeset represents one or more changes to the document at the client.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

maintaining a set of changesets at the client, the set of changesets comprising;

a first changeset, representing changes not transmitted to the server; and

a second changeset, representing changes transmitted to the server but not acknowledged by the server; and

displaying the changesets with the at least a portion of the document,

wherein sending the respective changeset comprises sending the first changeset.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising updating the set of changesets in accordance with the result changeset.

19. A client for processing a document for realtime editing, comprising:

a display device,

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions to;

display at least a portion of a respective copy of the document on the display device;

receive inputs from a respective user of the client for editing the document;

send, to a server connected to a plurality of clients, document information in accordance with the inputs;

receive a result changeset for updating the respective copy of the document at the client, the result changeset representing changes to the document based on changes to respective copies of the document at two or more clients in the plurality of clients; and

update the respective copy of the document at the client in accordance with the result changeset.

20. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by one or more processors of a client, the one or more programs comprising instructions to:

display at least a portion of a respective copy of the document;

receive inputs from a respective user of the client for editing the document;

send, to a server connected to a plurality of clients, document information in accordance with the inputs;

receive a result changeset for updating the respective copy of the document at the client, the result changeset representing changes to the document based on changes to respective copies of the document at two or more clients in the plurality of clients; and

update the respective copy of the document at the client in accordance with the result changeset.

21. A method of providing a document to a plurality of clients for realtime editing, the method comprising:

at a server having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors to perform the method,

sending to a first client of the plurality of clients a first copy of the document;

sending to a second client of the plurality of clients a second copy of the document;

obtaining a first changeset from the first client, the first changeset representing one or more changes to the first copy of the document at the first client;

obtaining a second changeset from the second client, the second changeset representing one or more changes to the second copy of the document at the second client;

generating a result changeset in accordance with at least the first changeset and the second changeset;

sending the result changeset to the first client for updating the first copy of the document; and

sending the result changeset to the second client for updating the second copy of the document.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising concurrently with sending the result changeset to the first client and second client, sending the result changeset to a third client for updating a third copy of the document.