Document and message exchange system for ASP model

• US 6,952,717 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2000
• Issued: 10/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Emerging Solutions, Inc. (Autodesk, Inc.)
• Inventors: Monchilovich, Dushan G., Emerick, Dwayne Allen, Fossi, Daniel T., Wheelis, Matthew E., Burt, Joshua D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US09/693,781
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 709/212, 709/213, 709/226, 709/204, 709/205, 707/102
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

Document and message exchange can be facilitated using a Application Service Provider model. Assigning unique identifiers for data fields allows multiple databases to exchange information using relational databases. A project can be initiated and participants invited to collaborate using a distributed computing environment, such as the global Internet. Participants retain ownership of information by selecting the information to be shared, and optionally storing their information on databases restricted to them. Information is routed between collaborators using unique identifiers. Unique identifiers and their corresponding data fields can be mapped to a user'"'"'s local computing area. Changes in documents and responses to documents can be monitored by inserting new records reflecting the changes into document tables.

Claims

1. A method for using a distributed computer network to facilitate collaboration between clients working on a common project, wherein the distributed computer network comprises client databases and a central database, said method comprising the steps of:

publishing project specific data in a plurality of project data fields to the central database;

assigning a global unique identifier to each project data field of the plurality of project data fields;

mapping the global unique identifier for each project data field to an associated local data field for the project specific data maintained in the client databases; and

exchanging information related to the common project between the client databases, wherein the exchanged information is matched to the associated local data field maintained in the client databases based upon each global unique identifier, said exchanging step comprising the steps of;

selecting information to exchange between a first client database and a second client database, wherein the information comprises a plurality of local data fields maintained in the first client database;

determining whether each local data field of the plurality of local data fields maintained in the first client database is associated with a respective global unique identifier;

in the event that a global unique identifier is not associated with each local data field, obtaining a global unique identifier for each local data field without an associated global unique identifier;

mapping the global unique identifier obtained in said obtaining step to a respective local data field maintained in the first client database; and

transmitting the information from the first client database to the second client database, wherein each local data field in the transmitted information is matched to a corresponding local data field maintained in the second client database based upon the respective global unique identifier.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining from the central database addressing information associated with the second client database, wherein the information is transmitted from the first client database to the second client database according to the addressing information.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said exchanging step further comprises the steps of:

receiving by the second client database the information transmitted in said transmitting step, wherein the information comprises a respective global unique identifier associated with each local data field maintained in the first client database;

determining whether each respective global unique identifier is associated with a local data field maintained in the second client database; and

in the event that a global unique identifier is not associated with a local data field maintained in the second client database, mapping the respective global unique identifier without an associated local data field maintained in the second client database to a local data field maintained in the second client database.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the information exchanged in said exchanging step is not stored in the central database.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing confidential information for a specific client on a specific client database connected to the central database of the distributed computer network,

wherein the specific client retains ownership of the confidential information stored on the specific client database.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said exchanging step comprises exchanging information related to a plurality of common projects between the client databases.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the global unique identifier for each project data field in the central database.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

sending an invitation from the first client database to invite a second client to collaborate on the common project; and

responding to the invitation at the second client database by one of accepting or rejecting the invitation.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said mapping step comprises the steps of:

comparing a particular local data field maintained in a particular client database to a particular project data field published in the central database;

determining if the particular local data field corresponds to the particular project data field based on a result of said comparing step; and

in the event that the particular local data field corresponds to the particular project data field, assigning the global unique identifier associated with the particular project data field to the particular local data field.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of importing the particular project data field and its assigned global unique identifier into the particular client database, in response to a determination that the particular local data field does not correspond to the particular project data field.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of tracking changes to information exchanged between the client databases to determine whether an old version of the information and a new version of the information exist.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said tracking step comprises the steps of:

recording tracked changes to the information in a document table, wherein the document table includes data associated with the old version and the new version; and

setting a status in the document table if the old version is outdated.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said recording step comprises the step of associating the old version and the new version with a document history table when the old version and the new version are part of a family of documents, wherein the document history table stores data indicating changes made to each document in the family of documents.

14. A method for using a distributed computer network to facilitate the exchanging of information between clients in the construction industry, wherein the distributed computer network comprises client databases and a central database, said method comprising the steps of:

storing an electronic document in one of the client databases, the electronic document having a plurality of data fields each containing information to be shared;

publishing the data fields of the electronic document to the central database;

assigning by the central database a global unique identifier to each data field of the plurality of data fields in the electronic document;

storing in the central database each assigned global unique identifier;

mapping each assigned global unique identifier to an associated local data field maintained in the client databases, said mapping step comprising the step of;

comparing a particular local data field in a particular client database to a particular data field of the electronic document published in the central database;

determining if the particular local data field corresponds to the particular data field of the electronic document, based on a result of said comparing step; and

in the event that the particular local data field corresponds to the particular data field of the electronic document, assigning the global unique identifier assigned to the particular data field of the electronic document to the particular local data field; and

exchanging between the client databases the information contained in the electronic document, wherein the exchanged information is matched to the associated local data field maintained in the client databases based upon each assigned global unique identifier.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of importing the particular data field of the electronic document and its assigned global unique identifier into the particular client database, in response to a determination that the particular local data field does not correspond to the particular data field of the electronic document.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of storing confidential information for a specific client on a specific client database connected to the central database of the distributed computer network,

wherein the specific client retains ownership of the confidential information stored on the specific client database.

17. A method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of tracking changes to information exchanged between the client databases to determine whether an old version of the information and a new version of the information exist.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said tracking step comprises the step of recording tracked changes to the information in a document table, wherein the document table includes data associated with the old version and the new version.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said tracking step comprises the step of setting a status in the document table if the old version is outdated.

20. A method according to claim 14, wherein said exchanging step comprises the steps of:

selecting information to exchange between a first client database and a second client database, wherein the information comprises a plurality of local data fields maintained in the first client database;

determining whether each local data field of the plurality of local data fields maintained in the first client database is associated with a respective global unique identifier;

in the event that a global unique identifier is not associated with each local data field, obtaining a global unique identifier for each local data field without an associated global unique identifier;

mapping the global unique identifier obtained in said obtaining step to a respective local data field maintained in the first client database; and

transmitting the information from the first client database to the second client database, wherein each local data field in the transmitted information is matched to a corresponding local data field maintained in the second client database based upon the respective global unique identifier.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein said exchanging step further comprises the steps of:

receiving by the second client database the information transmitted in said transmitting step, wherein the information comprises a respective global unique identifier associated with each local data field maintained in the first client database;

determining whether each respective global unique identifier is associated with a local data field maintained in the second client database; and

in the event that a global unique identifier is not associated with a local data field maintained in the second client database, mapping the respective global unique identifier without an associated local data field maintained in the second client database to a local data field maintained in the second client database.

22. A method for using a distributed computer network to facilitate collaboration between clients working on a common project, wherein the distributed computer network comprises client databases and a central database, said method comprising the steps of:

publishing project specific data in a plurality of project data fields to the central database;

assigning a global unique identifier to each project data field of the plurality of project data fields;

mapping the global unique identifier for each project data field to an associated local data field for the project specific data maintained in the client databases, wherein said mapping step comprises the steps of;

comparing a particular local data field maintained in particular client database to a particular project data field published in the central database;

determining if the particular local data field corresponds to the particular project data field based on a result of said comparing step;

in the event that the particular local data field corresponds to the particular project data field, assigning the global unique identifier associated with the particular project data field to the particular local data field; and

importing the particular project data field and its assigned global unique identifier into the particular client database, in response to a determination that the particular local data field does not correspond to the particular project data field; and

exchanging information related to the common project between the client databases, wherein the exchanged information is matched to the associated local data field maintained in the client databases based upon each global unique identifier.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein said exchanging step comprises the steps of:

selecting information to exchange between a first client database and a second client database, wherein the information comprises a plurality of local data fields maintained in the first client database, and wherein each local data field in the first client database is associated with a respective global unique identifier; and

transmitting the information from the first client database to the second client database, wherein the transmitted information is matched to a corresponding local data field maintained in the second client database based upon the respective global unique identifier associated with each local data field maintained in the first client database.

24. A method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of obtaining from the central database addressing information associated with the second client database, wherein the information is transmitted from the first client database to the second client database according to the addressing information.

25. A method according to claim 22, wherein said exchanging step comprises the steps of:

selecting information to exchange between a first client database and a second client database, wherein the information comprises a plurality of local data fields maintained in the first client database;

determining whether each local data field of the plurality of local data fields maintained in the first client database is associated with a respective global unique identifier;

in the event that a global unique identifier is not associated with each local data field, obtaining a global unique identifier for each local data field without an associated global unique identifier;

mapping the global unique identifier obtained in said obtaining step to a respective local data field maintained in the first client database; and

transmitting the information from the first client database to the second client database, wherein each local data field in the transmitted information is matched to a corresponding local data field maintained in the second client database based upon the respective global unique identifier.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein said exchanging step further comprises the steps of:

receiving by the second client database the information transmitted in said transmitting step, wherein the information comprises a respective global unique identifier associated with each local data field maintained in the first client database;

determining whether each respective global unique identifier is associated with a local data field maintained in the second client database; and

in the event that a global unique identifier is not associated with a local data field maintained in the second client database, mapping the respective global unique identifier without an associated local data field maintained in the second client database to a local data field maintained in the second client database.

27. A method according to claim 22, wherein said exchanging step further comprises exchanging the information without storing the information in the central database.

28. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of storing confidential information for a specific client on a specific client database connected to the central database of the distributed computer network,

wherein the specific client retains ownership of the confidential information stored on the specific client database.

29. A method according to claim 22, wherein said exchanging step comprises exchanging information related to a plurality of common projects between the client databases.

30. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of storing the global unique identifier for each project data field in the central database.

31. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

sending an invitation from a first one of the client databases to invite a second client to collaborate on the common project; and

responding to the invitation at a second one of the client databases by one of accepting or rejecting the invitation.

32. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of tracking changes to information exchanged between the client databases to determine whether an old version of the information and a new version of the information exist.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein said tracking step comprises the steps of:

recording tracked changes to the information in a document table, wherein the document table includes data associated with the old version and the new version; and

setting a status in the document table if the old version is outdated.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein said recording step comprises the step of associating the old version and the new version with a document history table when the old version and the new version are part of a family of documents, wherein the document history table stores data indicating changes made to each document in the family of documents.