Method and system for implementing a clipboard

• US 7,509,577 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Corporation, Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Corporation, Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuwata, Katie, Su, William, Nguyen, Truc
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stevens; Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/384,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20040039995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,209 Days
• Field of Search: 715/531, 715/530, 715/255, 715/256, 709/203, 714/2
• US Class Current: 715/256
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for implementing a pointer-based clipboard. The clipboard system comprises a plurality of information or description files for storing information about files that are edited, in addition to files for storing information relating to changes made to a document and to locations of temporary files relating to the document. In addition, the system employs temporary storage which is preferably deleted upon session termination.

Claims

1. A system for remote document editing, comprising:

storage means disposed on a server adapted for storage of data representative of a plurality of editable, electronic documents;

means adapted for receiving, via at least one thin client interface, a request to edit an electronic document selected from the plurality thereof, which request is accompanied by an identifier associated with a requesting thin client interface;

means adapted for commencing a unique document edit session on each selected electronic document corresponding to each received edit request and associated identifier;

display output means adapted for communicating data, via a thin client interface corresponding to an associated identifier, for generating a display of a corresponding electronic document thereon;

means adapted for storing on the server a session-based document information file associated with each electronic document after receipt of an edit request corresponding thereto, each document information file including at least one of document identifier data, document type data, document location data and document size data;

means adapted for communicating edit data, in a native thin client format and corresponding to at least one edit operation, from the thin client to the server;

means adapted for receiving into a storage on the server, via each thin client interface, the at least one edit operation relative to a corresponding edit session of the electronic document;

data input means adapted for receiving, via each thin client interface, document selection data representative of a selected portion of the electronic document corresponding to an associated edit session;

a clipboard information file, corresponding to each edit session, disposed on the server, which clipboard information file is adapted for storing the selected portion of a corresponding electronic document;

a pointer memory disposed on the server adapted for storing pointer information corresponding to an edit session associated with the selected portion of a corresponding electronic document;

data editor means adapted for selectively performing, on the server, an edit operation to at least one electronic document with each selected portion and edit data received from the storage, which selected portion is accessed in accordance with associated pointer information and the document information file upon termination of a document edit session on a corresponding thin client interface; and

means adapted for storing each edited electronic document in the storage means.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the edit operation is at least one of cut, copy, and paste of selection portion relative to at least one selected electronic document.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the document information file is stored in a format selected from markup language based files, flat files, text files, and database files.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the document information storage means is temporary.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the document information storage means is associated with at least one of a session identifier and a user identifier.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

page information storage means adapted for storage of data representative of each page of the document and wherein the data representative of each page is stored in a separate file.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the page information storage means is temporary.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the page information storage means is associated with at least one of a session identifier and a user identifier.

9. The system of claim 6 further comprising page property information storage means adapted for storage of property information about each page, wherein the page property information is stored as a file in a format selected from markup language based files, flat files, text files, and database files.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising means adapted for creating a document information file associated with the electronic document after receipt of an edit request.

11. A method for remote document editing, comprising the steps of:

storing of data representative of a plurality of editable, electronic documents in a storage area disposed on a server;

receiving, via at least one thin client interface, a request to edit an electronic document selected from the plurality thereof, which request is accompanied by an identifier associated with a requesting thin client interface;

commencing a unique document edit session on each selected electronic document corresponding to each received edit request and associated identifier;

communicating data, via a thin client interface corresponding to an associated identifier, for generating a display of a corresponding electronic document thereon;

storing a session-based document information file associated with each electronic document after receipt of an edit request corresponding thereto on the server, each document information file including at least one of document identifier data, document type data, document location data and document size data;

communicating edit data, in a native thin client format and corresponding to at least one edit operation, from the thin client to the server;

receiving into a storage area on the server, via each thin client interface, the at least one edit operation relative to a corresponding edit session of the electronic document;

receiving, via each thin client interface, document selection data representative of a selected portion of the electronic document corresponding to an associated edit session;

storing the selected portion of a corresponding electronic document in a clipboard information file corresponding to each edit session on the server;

storing pointer information corresponding to an edit session associated with the selected portion of a corresponding electronic document in a pointer memory on the server; and

selectively performing an edit operation, via the server, to at least one electronic document with each selected portion and edit data retrieved from the storage which selected portion is accessed in accordance with associated pointer information and the document information file upon termination of a document edit session on a corresponding thin client interface; and

storing an edited electronic document in the storage area.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the edit operation is at least one of cut, copy, and paste of selection portion relative to at least one selected electronic document.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the document information file is stored in a format selected from markup language based files, flat files, text files, and database files.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the document information storage area is temporary.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the document information storage area is associated with at least one of a session identifier and a user identifier.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of storing data representative of each page of the document in a page information storage area and wherein the data representative of each page is stored in a separate file.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the page information storage area is temporary.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the page information storage area is associated with at least one of a session identifier and a user identifier.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of storing property information about each page in a page property information storage area, wherein the page property information is stored as a file in a format selected from markup language based files, flat files, text files, and database files.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of creating a document information file associated with the electronic document after receipt of an edit request.

21. A computer implemented method for remote document editing, comprising the steps of:

storing of data representative of a plurality of editable, electronic documents in a storage area disposed on a server;

receiving, via at least one thin client interface, a request to edit an electronic document selected from the plurality thereof, which request is accompanied by an identifier associated with a requesting thin client interface;

commencing a unique document edit session on each selected electronic document corresponding to each received edit request and associated identifier;

communicating data, via a thin client interface corresponding to an associated identifier, for generating a display of a corresponding electronic document thereon;

storing a session-based document information file associated with each electronic document after receipt of an edit request corresponding thereto on the server, each document information file including at least one of document identifier data, document type data, document location data and document size data;

communicating edit data, in an native thin client format and corresponding to at least one edit operation, from the thin client to the server;

receiving into a storage on the server, via each thin client interface, the at least one edit operation relative to a corresponding edit session of the electronic document;

receiving, via each thin client interface, document selection data representative of a selected portion of the electronic document corresponding to an associated edit session;

storing the selected portion of a corresponding electronic document in a clipboard information file corresponding to each edit session on the server;

storing pointer information corresponding to an edit session associated with the selected portion of a corresponding electronic document in a pointer memory on the server;

selectively performing an edit operation to at least one electronic document with each selected portion and edit data retrieved from the storage, which selected portion is accessed in accordance with associated pointer information and the document information file upon termination of a document edit session on a corresponding thin client interface; and

storing each edited electronic document in the storage area.

22. The computer implemented method of claim 21 wherein the edit operation is at least one of cut, copy, and paste of selection portion relative to at least one selected electronic document.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 21 further comprising the step of storing data representative of each page of the document in a page information storage area and wherein the data representative of each page is stored in a separate file.

24. The computer implemented method of claim 23 further comprising the step of storing property information about each page in a page property information storage area, wherein the page property information is stored as a file in a format selected from markup language based files, flat files, text files, and database files.

25. The computer implemented method of claim 21 further comprising the step of creating a document information file associated with the electronic document after receipt of an edit request.