System and method for online/offline uninterrupted updating of rooms in collaboration space

• US 6,594,664 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2000
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Estrada, Julio, Estrada, Miguel A., Shore, Maurice B.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US09/477,469
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 707/517, 707/10, 707/202, 707/203, 707/204, 707/2, 709/225, 709/226, 709/231, 709/203, 709/204, 717/101, 717/202, 705/14, 345/826
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Collaboration space object model provides for a Place consisting of rooms. A room is made up of pages. Folders are used to organize pages. Members belong to rooms, and are those users authorized to access them. Place type controls the creation of a place, including how many rooms it has, for example. Room type controls the appearance and content of rooms. A form manages the display of data notes. A form can contain fields for containing data and employ scripts to process and compute data. A page is the basic vehicle for content. Content is created using an or importing content from an external source. A member is also a data note, and each place contains its own member directory. A place is created and managed from a client browser in on-line mode and in offline mode with respect to a replicated copy of the space. Room security is independently managed, and security and aesthetics characteristics of subrooms selectively inherited. Room navigation and workflow processing is provided, as are forms creation and uploading from browser to server.

Claims

1. System for updating rooms in collaboration space, comprising:

a first browser;

a second browser;

a database of place files;

a server for modifying a place file selectively in online or off-line mode;

in on-line mode, said server being operable;

responsive to a user request from said first browser, for serving to said user a duplicate of said place file while maintaining said place file for access by another user at said second browser;

responsive to input from said first browser,

modifying said duplicate file to create a modified place file; and

responsive to a command from said first browser to publish said modified place file for replacing said place file with said modified place file; and

in off-line mode, said server being operable;

responsive to a user request from said first browser, for replicating to said first browser a mini-server and said duplicate of said place file;

said mini-server being operable in offline mode, responsive to input from said first browser, for modifying said duplicate file while said server is operable for serving said place file to said second browser; and

said mini-server being operable responsive to said user publishing said modified file for replicating said modified file back to said server to replace said place file.

2. Method for offline updating of a place in collaboration space, said place including one or more rooms, each said room including a container for data and an access control list of persons authorized to enter said room, comprising the steps of:

offline updating said place in collaboration space by

replicating a mini-server and a duplicate of a place file from a space server database of place files to a client browser;

operating said mini-server with reference to said access control list to authorize access to a room of said duplicate of said place file by an authorized user at said client browser;

responsive to input by said authorized user at said client browser, operating said mini-server to modify said duplicate place file; and

responsive to a publish action, replicating said modified duplicate place file back to said space server to replace said place file.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

serving said place file to a second browser responsive to requests for said place file before said modified duplicate place file has been published.

4. A server for selectively updating rooms in collaboration space in on-line or off-line mode, comprising:

a database of place files;

in on-line mode, said server being operable;

responsive to a user request from a first browser, for serving to said user a first duplicate of said place file while maintaining said place file for access by another user at a second browser;

responsive to input from said first browser, for modifying said first duplicate file to create a first modified place file; and

responsive to a command from said first browser to publish said first modified place file for replacing said place file with said first modified place file; and

in off-line mode, said server being operable;

responsive to a user request from said first browser, for replicating to said first browser a mini-server and a second duplicate of said place file for offline modification of said second duplicate file to create a second modified place file;

responsive to said user publishing said second modified file for receiving from said first browser a replication of said second modified place file; and

replacing said place file with said second modified place file.

5. Method for offline updating of a place file in collaboration space, said place file including one or more rooms, each said room including a container for data and an access control list of users authorized to enter said room, comprising the steps of:

offline updating said place in collaboration space by

responsive to a user request from a first browser, replicating to said first browser a mini-server and a duplicate of said place file;

operating said mini-server to authorize access to said duplicate of said place file by said user;

operating said mini-server responsive to input by said user to modify said duplicate place file to create a modified place file;

responsive to said user publishing said modified place file, receiving from said first browser a replication of said modified place file; and

replacing said place file with said replication of said modified place file.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

serving said place file to a second browser responsive to requests for said place file before said modified place file has been published.

7. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for offline updating of a place file in collaboration space said place file including at least one room of data and an access control list associated with each said room, said method steps comprising:

offline updating said place in collaboration space by

responsive to a user request from a first browser, replicating to said first browser a mini-server and a duplicate of said place file for offline modification of said duplicate of said place file by a user authorized at said browser by said mini-server with reference to said access control list to create a modified place file;

responsive to said user publishing said modified place file, receiving from said first browser a replication of said modified place file; and

replacing said place file with said replication of said modified place file.

8. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for offline updating of a place file in collaboration space, said place file including at least one room of data and an access control list associated with each said room, the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect offline updating of said place in collaboration space including

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect responsive to a user request from a first browser, replicating to said first browser a mini-server and a duplicate of said place file for offline modification of said duplicate file to create a modified place file;

computer readable program code means for causing said mini-server responsive to said access control list to authorize access to a room of said duplicate place file by said browser user to create said modified place file;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect responsive to said user publishing said modified place file, receiving from said first browser a replication of said modified place file; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect replacing said place file with said modified place file.

9. A computer program product or computer program element for selectively updating rooms in collaboration space in online or off-line mode according to the steps of:

maintaining a database of place files;

in on-line mode;

responsive to a user request from a first browser, serving to said user a first duplicate of said place file while maintaining said place file for access by another user at a second browser;

responsive to input from said first browser, modifying said first duplicate file to create a first modified place file; and

responsive to a command from said first browser to publish said first modified place file, replacing said place file with said first modified place file; and

in off-line mode;

responsive to a user request from said first browser, replicating to said first browser a miniserver and a second duplicate of said place file for offline modification of said second duplicate file to create a second modified place file;

responsive to said user publishing said second modified file, receiving from said first browser a replication of said second modified place file; and

replacing said place file with said second modified place file.