Real time update notification

• US 8,060,562 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chesley, Harry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIU, HO T
• Application Number:
  US11/275,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20060168002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,154 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Computer method and apparatus for communicating information between a plurality of client computers by means of a communications network. A data server computer coupled to the network communicates data from the data server computer to one or more of a plurality of client computers in response to a request for data by a client computer in the form of a hypertext transfer protocol update request. The data server computer sends the data made available from the data server computer in response to a data update request from one of the plurality of client computers to said data server computer. A communications server computer coupled to the communications network for communicating the fact that the data on the server has been updated by communicating a client to client message from the client computer that updated the data on the data server computer to other client computers thereby prompting said other client computers to request updated data from the data server computer.

Claims

1. A non-signal, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform:

providing new data to a database by one client computer of a plurality of client computers through an http server, the new data configured to be catalogued into a node of the database in a hierarchical structure that is accessible by the plurality of computers via a network, the node having a type, the new data having a type and comprising a message corresponding to a collaborative project among the plurality of client computers;

receiving a cautionary message if the new data is rejected by the database because the type of data does not match a type assigned to the node; and

communicating by the one client computer of the plurality of client computers to at least one of the remaining client computers by an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) message that new data to the database has been provided through the http server, wherein the IRC message is transmitted through a first IRC channel to a first set of the plurality of client computers if the new data is stored in a first location of the database and is transmitted through a second IRC channel to a second set of the plurality of client computers if the new data is stored in a second location of the database, the first set different than the second set, the first location different than the second location, and the first channel different than the second channel.

2. A non-signal, computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the node is assigned a goal for defining a type of data configured to be received at the node.

3. A non-signal, computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 comprising receiving a second cautionary message from the database when a type of the message does not match the goal of the node.

4. A non-signal, computer-readable storage medium of claim 3 wherein the one client computer is configured to selectively communicate the IRC message to one or more of the remaining plurality of client computers based upon a location in the database wherein the new data is stored.

5. A non-signal, computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the one client computer is configured to selectively communicate the IRC message to one or more of the remaining plurality of client computers based upon a location in the database wherein the new data is stored.

6. A non-signal, computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 comprising, before communicating the IRC message, creating the IRC message, the IRC message configured to prompt one or more of the remaining plurality of client computers to which the IRC message is communicated to automatically access the new data in the database.

7. A non-signal, computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 comprising, before communicating the IRC message, creating the IRC message, the IRC message comprising information about the new data and an acceptance mechanism, the acceptance mechanism configured to allow a client of one or more of the remaining plurality of client computers to which the IRC message is communicated to accept or decline the IRC message, wherein, if accepted, the IRC message is configured to cause the client computer to assess the new data in the database.

8. A system for updating data in a hierarchical database comprising:

one client computer of a plurality of client computers, the one client computer configured to;

provide new data to the database through an http server, the new data configured to be catalogued into a node of the database in a hierarchical structure that is accessible by the plurality of computers via a network, the node having a type, the new data having a type and comprising a message corresponding to a collaborative project among the plurality of client computers;

communicate to at least one of the remaining client computers of the plurality of client computers by an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) message that new data to the database has been provided through the http server, wherein the IRC message is transmitted through a first IRC channel to a first set of the plurality of client computers if the new data is stored in a first location of the database and is transmitted through a second IRC channel to a second set of the plurality of client computers if the new data is stored in a second location of the database, the first set different than the second set, the first location different than the second location, and the first channel different than the second channel; and

a messaging system configured to receive a cautionary message if the new data is relected by the database because the type of data does not match a type assigned to the node.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein a response direction tool determines that the type of the message received from the one client computer matches the type of node and wherein a message hierarchy updates the message at the node based on the determination of the response direction tool.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein a message hierarchy receives an update signal for updating the type of the node and wherein the type of the message received from the one client computer is compared to the updated type of the node.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the message hierarchy updates the message at the node if the type of the message received from the one client computer matches the updated type of the node.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein a response direction tool is configured to determine that the message is undesirable when the type of the message received from the one client computer does not match the type of the node.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein a message hierarchy updates the message at the node with both the undesirable message and the cautionary message when the response direction tool determines that the message received from the one client computer is undesirable.

14. A method of updating data within a database comprising:

providing new data to the database by one client computer of a plurality of client computers through an http server, the new data configured to be catalogued into a node of the database in a hierarchical structure that is accessible by the plurality of computers via a network, the node having a type, the new data having a type and comprising a message corresponding to a collaborative project among the plurality of client computers;

receiving a cautionary message if the new data is rejected by the database because the type of data does not match a type assigned to the node; and

communicating by the one client computer of the plurality of client computers to at least one of the remaining client computers by an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) message that new data to the database has been provided through the http server, wherein the IRC message is transmitted through a first IRC channel to a first set of the plurality of client computers if the new data is stored in a first location of the database and is transmitted through a second IRC channel to a second set of the plurality of client computers if the new data is stored in a second location of the database, the first set different than the second set, the first location different than the second location, and the first channel different than the second channel.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising, before communicating the IRC message, creating the IRC message, the IRC message configured to prompt one or more of the remaining plurality of client computers to which the IRC message is communicated to automatically access the new data in the database.