Hierarchical shared books with database

• US 5,388,196 A
• Filed: 09/07/1990
• Issued: 02/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Byrne, Kenneth C., Pajak, Henry G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark K.
• Application Number:
  US07/578,384
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 395/153, 395/155, 395/160, 395/161
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A representation of a shared structured container type data object with related data bases can be used to present information in a hierarchy or multi-level mode about the activities and status relating to the shared container type structured data object and related data bases and its content of a plurality of structured data objects as well as other information affecting or tracking the shared container type structured data object content in multi-levels. Further, user access control also provides exclusivity or privacy to invoked changes to parts of the shared container type structured data object and related data bases without interference from other users but with an indication to the other users of access control attributes thereby providing coordinated consistency among users relative to changes to all parts of the shared container type structured data object. There is also the provision for sharing a container with related data base and for Quick Query access to the data base allowing the sharing of multiple objects within the container and the capability of populating and querying the various objects within the container as well as within the data base.

Claims

1. A method of managing shared structured data in a multi-user collaborative system that integrates a filing system for storing the shared structured data and a relational database for querying the shared structured data whereby the file system and the relational database can be concurrently accessed and queried by multiple users at a plurality of networked workstations, comprising the steps of

displaying at each workstation the shared structured data including data relative to any related structured data therein,

the step of displaying including a visual indication of activity occurring at other workstations affecting the contents of the shared structured data,

modifying the contents of the shared structured data,

updating the file system with any modifications to the content of the shared structured data, and

automatically populating the relational database with modified shared structured data that has been translated into a relational format, the step of populating being concurrent with the step of updating the file system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said displaying step further comprises the steps of

locking the shared structured data, said locking step providing mutual exclusive access to the shared structured data and translated relational data, and

changing the visual indication of activity on each workstation to alert user of any shared structured data with mutual exclusive access in response to said locking step.

3. The method of claim 1 including the step of, querying the relational database to search for information within the contents of shared structured data, the step of querying including displaying results at any of the plurality of networked workstations upon completion of the updating and populating steps.

4. In a electronic workstation device having a keyboard and display screen desktop, the workstation being electrically interconnected to a remote shared file system and shared relational database for respectively storing and querying shared structured data composed of structured data objects and translated relational data, the screen display desktop being provided with a plurality of window options for access to the shared data through the use of screen icon representations, the shared file system, the shared relational database and the workstation device combining to provide a metaphor for accessing the shared data stored in the file system and the translated relational data in the relational database, a method of access to the shared data and relational data comprising the steps of:

entering a quick query access mode,

selecting an information management window to provide a plurality of structured data object related prompts and filing attribute prompts,

providing search text for the information query,

initiating a common search of the relational database according to selected graphic symbol prompts and search text,

displaying results of the searched shared relational database in a results table on the display screen, the shared data displayed in the results table being accessible from the shared file system.

5. The method of claim 4 including the step of preventing access to selected shared structured data that has acquired mutual exclusive access by other users.

6. A method of operating a multi-user collaborative system having a file system for storing shared structured data and a relational database for quickly accessing converted shared structured data, the file system and the relational database being concurrently accessed by different users at a plurality of workstations, comprising the steps of

displaying at each workstation a representation of the shared structured data including data relative to any related structured data queried from the conversions thereof,

the step of displaying including in said representation a status indicative of activity occurring at other workstations affecting the shared structured data, and

providing an inquiry means to the file system through the relational database, said inquiry means tracking said entries as accessed and modified by respective users concurrent with said file system posting the status thereof in said representation at any workstations upon user completion of modification to any of said entries when a user invokes an operation relative said other workstation representation.

7. A multi-user collaborative system integrating shared structured data and relational data in a network environment, comprising,

a shared file system for storing structured data,

a relational database for storing relational data, disposed remotely of said shared file system,

a plurality workstations, having remote access to said file system and said relational database, said workstations including means for creating structured data,

means for automatically translating the created structured data into relational data, the created structured data and the relational data being concurrently stored in the shared file system and the relational database respectively.

8. A multi-user collaborative system according to claim 7 further comprising, means for collaborative access to the stored structured data in said shared file system and the translated relational data in said relational database from the plurality of workstations, the access means integrating both means for querying the relational database and means for viewing the shared data hierarchically.

9. A method of integrating a multi-user collaborative system having a plurality of networked workstations, comprising the steps of:

creating shared structured data on the networked workstations;

translating independent from the creating step the shared structured data into relational data;

concurrently storing the shared structured data and the relational data, the storing step providing collaborative access of the shared structured data and the relational data to multiple users.

10. The method of claim 9 including the step of, querying the stored relational data, said querying step and said creating step collaboratively providing access to shared structured data referenced by said query step.