Operation right interlinking method and cooperative working method for shared application programs

• US 5,948,056 A
• Filed: 01/13/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Mizuno, Hiromi, Fukuoka, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US08/782,100
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.34, 395/200.35, 395/676, 395/330, 370/260
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register

Abstract

The invention provides an operation right interlinking method and a cooperative working method wherein, when a plurality of shared application programs operate cooperatively with each other to effect a cooperative work, operation rights of the shared application programs are always possessed by a same terminal so that a work can be performed efficiently without an inconsistency. To this end, the operation rights of the shared application programs are controlled in an interlinking relationship with each other. When a request for an operation right is issued to a first application program of a first terminal, the first application program requests a first application program of a second terminal for transmission of the operation right and sends an operation right change notification to a second application program of the first terminal whose operation right is to be interlinked with the first application program. Upon reception of the operation right change notification, the second application program of the first terminal requests a second application program of the second terminal based on the operation right change notification.

Claims

1. A cooperative working method for shared application programs in which the shared application programs cooperatively operate among a plurality of terminals to effect a cooperative work, the method comprising:

providing each of the shared application programs with a respective operation right and

reporting operation right transmission information of a first one of the shared application programs to a second one of the shared application programs to control transmission of the operation right of the second shared application program, wherein the operation rights of the first shared application program and the second shared application program are interlinked;

wherein;

the first shared application program provides an end of the first shared application program indication to the second shared application program;

when the first shared application is operating and the second shared application program receives the operation right transmission notification, the second shared application program transmits the operation right for said second shared application program based on the operation right transmission information; and

when the first shared application is not operating and the second shared application program receives the operation right transmission notification, the second shared application program transmits the operation right of the second shared application program based on original operation right transmission information from a user of the second shared application program.

2. The cooperative working method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

providing the individual operation rights with a high-low order relationship; and

interlinking the operation right of a low-order one of the shared application programs with the operation right of a high-order one of the shared application programs to effect the cooperative work.

3. A cooperative working method for shared application programs in which the shared application programs cooperatively operate among a plurality of terminals to effect a cooperative work, the method comprising:

providing each of the shared application programs with a respective operation right;

reporting operation right transmission information of a first one of the shared application programs to a second one of the shared application programs to control transmission of the operation right of the second shared application program, wherein the operation rights of the first shared application program and the second shared application program are interlinked;

providing the individual operation rights with a high-low order relationship; and

interlinking the operation right of a low-order one of the shared application programs with the operation right of a high-order one of the shared application programs to effect the cooperative work.

4. The cooperative working method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the high-low order relationship set between the plurality of shared application programs is reversed to allow bidirectional interlinking of the operation rights of the high- and low-order shared application programs.

5. A cooperative working method for shared application programs in which the shared application programs cooperatively operate among a plurality of terminals to effect a cooperative work, the method comprising:

providing each of the shared application programs with a respective operation right;

reporting operation right transmission information of a first one of the shared application programs to a second one of the shared application programs to control transmission of the operation right of the second shared application program, wherein the operation rights of the first shared application program and the second shared application program are interlinked, the second shared application program determining whether the operation right of the second shard application program should be transmitted based on the operation right transmission information from the first shared application program;

providing the individual operation rights with a high-low order relationship; and

interlinking the operation right of a low-order one of the shared application programs with the operation right of a high-order one of the shared application programs to effect the cooperative work.

6. The cooperative working method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the high-low order relationship set between the plurality of shared application programs is reversed to allow bidirectional interlinking of the operation rights of the high- an low- order shared application programs.