Integrated data processing system with links

• US 7,174,504 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yozosoft Company Limited
• Original Assignee: WUXI Evermore Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Tsao, Sheng A.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, CONG LAC T
• Application Number:
  US10/291,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20030149941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 715/503, 715/530, 715/500, 715/504, 715/508
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

An integrated data processing system for generating and editing data files comprising the first and second data files, each data file including an array of data objects that each has an associated object address, and object content being any of a number, a formula, a date, a text, media data, and binary data, each object address in a data file being unique with respect to that data file. The system further performs automatically updating the second file to reflect changes in the first data file, comprising one or more target data objects in the second data file, the one or more target data objects addressing a corresponding one or more source data objects in the first data file, wherein automatic updating is performed in response to a predetermined number of changes in values and/or addresses of the one or more source data objects.

Claims

1. An integrated data processing system comprising an application program for user interaction with stored data, comprising:

(a) means for generating and editing data files, each data file comprising an array of data objects, each of the data objects having an object address associated therewith, and an object content being any of a number, a formula, a date, a text, media data, and binary data other than a number, a formula, a date, and a text, each object address being unique with respect to object addresses addressable by the system;

(b) the means for editing comprising;

(i) means for selecting a source subset of the data objects having respective source object addresses;

(ii) means for copying the source subset as target data objects to different object addresses of one or more of the data files;

(iii) means for selectively linking the target data objects to the corresponding source object addresses thereof;

(iv) means for modifying values and/or addresses of the source subset as reflective of further editing of data files; and

(v) means for maintaining the linkages between the target data objects and the source object addresses following modification of the source object addresses; and

(c) means for refreshing the target data objects in response to and to reflect changes in the values and/or addresses of the source subset of the data objects,

whereby the target data objects are automatically updated in response to a predetermined number of changes in values and/or addresses of source data objects.

2. An integrated data processing system comprising first and second computers connected through a communication network, a first data file saved in association with the first computer and a second data file saved in association with the second computer, each data file comprising an array of data objects having object content, each of the data objects having an object address associated therewith, the object content being any of a number, a formula, a date, a text, media data, and binary data other than a number, a formula, a date, and a text, each object address being unique with respect to object addresses addressable by the system, the system further comprising means for automatically updating the second file to reflect changes in the first data file, comprising one or more target data objects in the second data file, the one or more target data objects addressing a corresponding one or more source data objects in the first data file, wherein automatic updating is performed in response to a predetermined number of changes in values and/or addresses of the one or more source data objects.

3. An integrated data processing system comprising an application program for user interaction with stored data, comprising:

(a) means for generating and editing data files, each data file comprising an array of data objects, each of the data objects having an object address associated therewith and an object content, the object content being any of a number, a formula, a date, a text, media data, and binary data other than a number, a formula, a date, and a text, each object address in a data file being unique with respect to that data file;

(b) the means for editing comprising;

(i) means for selecting a source subset of the data objects of the data file, the object addresses thereof being source object addresses;

(ii) means for copying the source subset as target data objects to different object addresses in the data file;

(iii) means for selectively linking the target data objects to the corresponding source object addresses thereof;

(iv) means for modifying values and/or addresses of the source subset as reflective of further editing of the data file; and

(v) means for maintaining the linkages between the target data objects and the source object addresses following modification of the source object addresses; and

(c) means for refreshing the target data objects in response to and to reflect changes in the values and/or addresses of the source subset of the data objects, whereby the target data objects are automatically updated in accordance with the further editing of data files, and wherein the automatic updating is in response to a predetermined number of changes in values and/or addresses of source data objects.