Retaining intermediate states of shared groups of objects and notification of changes to shared groups of objects

• US 7,877,356 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Maury, Sébastien, Guiheneuf, Bertrand, Gutknecht, Olivier, Jalon, Julien
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz; Apu M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bibbee; Jared M
• Application Number:
  US10/853,544
• Time in Patent Office: 2,437 Days
• Field of Search: 707/202, 707/203, 707/204, 707/610, 707/620, 707/622
• US Class Current: 707/622
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

A method of sharing a group of one or more objects between a plurality of users, the method comprising providing the group of one or more objects to each user; allowing at least one user to effect a change to an object; providing each change effected by a user to the other users; and providing each user with an indication of all changes made to an object. In addition or instead, the method may comprise providing a notification to the other users of the change. The group may be a calendar and each object may be an event in the calendar.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving and storing, using one or more processors, a collection of events in a folder of a first device on a first network, the folder having associated permissions corresponding to devices having permission to receive events associated with the collection of events, wherein one or more events in the collection of events is a recurring event, each recurring event having an associated recurrence rule, wherein modifying a recurrence rule includes modifying recurring events associated with that recurrence rule, wherein the recurring events are modified as a set, and wherein each recurring event is displayed in two parts including modifications made to the recurring event, and modifications made to the recurrence rule associated with the recurring event;

generating an event, wherein the event is associated with the collection of events on the first device;

modifying the event offline to generate a new version, wherein the modified event includes a set of unordered versions, wherein the new version is added to the set of unordered versions, and wherein each version has corresponding metadata indicating how to display that version; and

when online, automatically transmitting the modified event to other online devices having permission to receive the modified event, wherein the receiving devices order the versions using the metadata corresponding to the unordered versions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata is a list of one or more previous versions present in the event when the new version is generated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the new version includes an associated time stamp indicating when the event was modified and which version was generated, and wherein the receiving devices order the versions using the time stamp and the metadata corresponding to the unordered versions.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the metadata to automatically notify devices having permission to receive events associated with the collection of events, wherein the notification indicates that the event has been modified.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

filtering notifications on devices having permission to receive events associated with the collection of events.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein all versions of the event are retained and none are deleted.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting is done without the intervention of a server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection of events is a collection of calendar events.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified event is transmitted over the first network and a second different network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deleting an event, wherein deleting includes creating a new version of the event, wherein the new version includes deletion data, and wherein a display of the new version includes an indication that the event has been deleted; and

storing the new version of the deleted event together with at least one unmodified version of the event.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

reinstating the event, wherein reinstating includes creating a new version of the event, wherein the new version includes deletion data and reinstate data.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deleting an event, wherein deleting includes replacing all versions of the event with a token indicating that the event has been deleted.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving and storing, using one or more processors, a collection of images in a folder of a first device on a first network, the folder having associated permissions corresponding to devices having permission to receive events associated with the collection of images;

generating an image, wherein the image is associated with the collection of images on the first device;

modifying the image offline to generate a new version, wherein the modified image includes a set of unordered versions, wherein the new version is added to the set of unordered versions, and wherein each version has corresponding metadata indicating how to display that version; and

when online, automatically transmitting the modified image to other online devices having permission to receive the modified image, wherein transmitting is done without the intervention of a server, and wherein the receiving devices order the versions using the metadata corresponding to the unordered versions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the metadata is a list of one or more previous versions of the image when the new version is generated.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the new version includes an associated time stamp indicating when the image was modified and which version was generated, and wherein the receiving devices order the versions using the time stamp and the metadata corresponding to the unordered versions.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

using the metadata to automatically notify devices having permission to receive images associated with the collection of images, wherein the notification indicates that the image has been modified.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

filtering notifications on devices having permission to receive images associated with the collection of images.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein all versions of the image are retained and none are deleted.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the modified image is transmitted over the first network and a second different network.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

deleting an image, wherein deleting includes creating a new version of the image, wherein the new version includes deletion data, and wherein a display of the new version includes an indication that the image has been deleted; and

storing the new version of the deleted image together with at least one unmodified version of the image.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

reinstating the image, wherein reinstating includes creating a new version of the image, wherein the new version includes deletion data and reinstate data.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

deleting an image, wherein deleting includes replacing all versions of the image with a token indicating that the image has been deleted.

23. A method, comprising:

receiving and storing, using one or more processors, a collection of document sections in a folder of a first device on a first network, the folder having associated permissions corresponding to devices having permission to receive events associated with the collection of document sections;

generating a document section, wherein the document section is associated with the collection of document sections on the first device;

modifying the document section offline to generate a new version, wherein the modified document section includes a set of unordered versions, wherein the new version is added to the set of unordered versions, and wherein each version has corresponding metadata indicating how to display that version; and

when online, automatically transmitting the modified document section to other online devices having permission to receive the modified document section, wherein transmitting is done without the intervention of a server, and wherein the receiving devices order the versions using the metadata corresponding to the unordered versions.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the metadata is a list of one or more previous versions of the document section when the new version is generated.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the new version includes an associated time stamp indicating when the document section was modified and which version was generated, and wherein the receiving devices order the versions using the time stamp and the metadata corresponding to the unordered versions.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

using the metadata to automatically notify devices having permission to receive document sections associated with the collection of document sections, wherein the notification indicates that the document section has been modified.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

filtering notifications on devices having permission to receive document sections associated with the collection of document sections.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein all versions of the document sections are retained and none are deleted.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the modified document section is transmitted over the first network and a second different network.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

deleting a document section, wherein deleting includes creating a new version of the document section, wherein the new version includes deletion data, and wherein a display of the new version includes an indication that the document section has been deleted; and

storing the new version of the deleted document section together with at least one unmodified version of the document section.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

reinstating the document section, wherein reinstating includes creating a new version of the document section, wherein the new version includes deletion data and reinstate data.

32. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

deleting a document section, wherein deleting includes replacing all versions of the document section with a token indicating that the document section has been deleted.

33. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable storage mediums containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including;

receiving and storing a collection of events in a folder of a first device on a first network, the folder having associated permissions corresponding to devices having permission to receive events associated with the collection of events, wherein one or more events in the collection of events is a recurring event, each recurring event having an associated recurrence rule, wherein modifying a recurrence rule includes modifying recurring events associated with that recurrence rule, wherein the recurring events are modified as a set, and wherein each recurring event is displayed in two parts including modifications made to the recurring event, and modifications made to the recurrence rule associated with the recurring event;

generating an event, wherein the event is associated with the collection of events on the first device;

modifying the event offline to generate a new version, wherein the modified event includes a set of unordered versions, wherein the new version is added to the set of unordered versions, and wherein each version has corresponding metadata indicating how to display that version; and

when online, automatically transmitting the modified event to other online devices having permission to receive the modified event, wherein the receiving devices order the versions using the metadata corresponding to the unordered versions.

34. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable storage mediums containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including;

receiving and storing a collection of images in a folder of a first device on a first network, the folder having associated permissions corresponding to devices having permission to receive events associated with the collection of images;

generating an image, wherein the image is associated with the collection of images on the first device;

modifying the image offline to generate a new version, wherein the modified image includes a set of unordered versions, wherein the new version is added to the set of unordered versions, and wherein each version has corresponding metadata indicating how to display that version; and

when online, automatically transmitting the modified image to other online devices having permission to receive the modified image, wherein transmitting is done without the intervention of a server, and wherein the receiving devices order the versions using the metadata corresponding to the unordered versions.

35. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable storage mediums containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including;

receiving and storing a collection of document sections in a folder of a first device on a first network, the folder having associated permissions corresponding to devices having permission to receive events associated with the collection of document sections;

generating a document section, wherein the document section is associated with the collection of document sections on the first device;

modifying the document section offline to generate a new version, wherein the modified document section includes a set of unordered versions, wherein the new version is added to the set of unordered versions, and wherein each version has corresponding metadata indicating how to display that version; and

when online, automatically transmitting the modified document section to other online devices having permission to receive the modified document section, wherein transmitting is done without the intervention of a server, and wherein the receiving devices order the versions using the metadata corresponding to the unordered versions.

36. A computer-program product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable storage medium, including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive and store a collection of events in a folder of a first device on a first network, the folder having associated permissions corresponding to devices having permission to receive events associated with the collection of events, wherein one or more events in the collection of events is a recurring event, each recurring event having an associated recurrence rule, wherein modifying a recurrence rule includes modifying recurring events associated with that recurrence rule, wherein the recurring events are modified as a set, and wherein each recurring event is displayed in two parts including modifications made to the recurring event, and modifications made to the recurrence rule associated with the recurring event;

generate an event, wherein the event is associated with the collection of events on the first device;

modify the event offline to generate a new version, wherein the modified event includes a set of unordered versions, wherein the new version is added to the set of unordered versions, and wherein each version has corresponding metadata indicating how to display that version; and

when online, automatically transmit the modified event to other online devices having permission to receive the modified event, wherein the receiving devices order the versions using the metadata corresponding to the unordered versions.

37. A computer-program product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable storage medium, including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive and store a collection of images in a folder of a first device on a first network, the folder having associated permissions corresponding to devices having permission to receive events associated with the collection of images;

generate an image, wherein the image is associated with the collection of images on the first device;

modify the image offline to generate a new version, wherein the modified image includes a set of unordered versions, wherein the new version is added to the set of unordered versions, and wherein each version has corresponding metadata indicating how to display that version; and

when online, automatically transmit the modified image to other online devices having permission to receive the modified image, wherein transmitting is done without the intervention of a server, and wherein the receiving devices order the versions using the metadata corresponding to the unordered versions.

38. A computer-program product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable storage medium, including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive and store a collection of document sections in a folder of a first device on a first network, the folder having associated permissions corresponding to devices having permission to receive events associated with the collection of document sections;

generate a document section, wherein the document section is associated with the collection of document sections on the first device;

modify the document section offline to generate a new version, wherein the modified document section includes a set of unordered versions, wherein the new version is added to the set of unordered versions, and wherein each version has corresponding metadata indicating how to display that version; and

when online, automatically transmit the modified document section to other online devices having permission to receive the modified document section, wherein transmitting is done without the intervention of a server, and wherein the receiving devices order the versions using the metadata corresponding to the unordered versions.