User level accessing of low-level computer system operations.

• US 6,266,670 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1998
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Dourish, James P., Edwards, Warren K., Terry, Douglas B., Thornton, James D., Lamping, John O., LaMarca, Anthony G., Salisbury, Michael P., Petersen, Karin
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US09/143,802
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/103, 707/163, 707/500, 707/511, 707/514, 707/515, 707/529, 707/530, 707/203, 707/100, 710/128
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A mechanism is provided which allows a user to enhance the functionalities of system operations in a computer system that were traditionally encapsulated within the computer system, and outside the control of the user. The user is provided with the ability to build arbitrary, extensible behaviors and to have those behaviors executed on low level computer system processes after the user issues an operation request through a known input device. The mechanism may be implemented as properties which are integrated on a content and/or property read write path of the computer system.

Claims

1. A document orientated, user specific method of allowing a user to enhance computational functionalities of computer system operations that are traditionally encapsulated within the computer system, outside control of the user, comprising:

initiating an operation request by the user; and

intercepting the operation requests and performing user determined actions in the form of arbitrary extensible behaviors, the interception of the operation requests considered low level operations performed by an operation in the computer system, and being at least one of content read operations, write operations, move operations, and close operations.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the arbitrary extensible behaviors are implemented as properties.

3. The method according to claim 2 further including providing the user with access to the properties, whereby the user is given an ability to attach the properties to documents managed by the computer system.

4. The method according to claim 3 further including providing a plurality of users with an ability to initiate operation requests and to attach properties to intercept the operation requests.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the properties attached by the users are directed to perform an action to an element other than the document to which it is attached.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the properties attached to a particular document are owned by the user that attached the properties to the particular document, wherein the properties and the document with the properties attached are specific to the user.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of intercepting includes locating a mechanism within a read/write path of the computer system for the intercepting.

8. The method according to claim 2 wherein operations of the computer system are fixed upon configuration of the computer system, and properties are extensible and arbitrary and can be added to the computer system by a user after the computer system has been configured.

9. The method according to claim 2 further including attaching a property element configured to allow a user of the computer system to attach selected properties to the document during normal operation of the computer system.

10. The method according to claim 2 wherein adding the properties to individual documents, allows for granularity control in the system which is at the level of per document control.

11. A system allowing a user to enhance computational functionalities of computer system operations of a computer system, which are traditionally encapsulated within the computer system and outside control of the user, comprised of:

an operation request mechanism which generates operation requests initiated by the user; and

an operation request interception mechanism configured to intercept the operation request and perform user determined actions in the form of arbitrary extensible behaviors, the interception of the operation requests considered low level operations performed in a computer system and being at least one of content read operations, write operations, move operations and close operations.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the arbitrary extensible behaviors are implemented as properties.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the user is provided with access to the properties and is given the ability to attach properties to documents managed by a computer document management system.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein a plurality of users are provided with the ability to initiate operation requests and to attach properties to intercept the operation requests.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the properties attached by the users are directed to perform an action to an element other than the document to which it is attached.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the properties attached to a particular document are owned by the user and the document with the properties attached are specific to the user.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the interception includes locating the operation request interception mechanism within the read/write path of the computer system.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the extensible and arbitrary properties can be added to the operations of the computer system by a user after the computer system has been configured.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein a property attachment element is configured to allow a user of the computer system to attach selected properties to the document during normal operation of the computer system.

20. The system according to claim 12, wherein the properties are added to individual documents, such that granularity control is at the level of per document control.