Synchronizing metadata describes user content updates and an indication of user gestures being performed within the document, and across client systems using different communication channels

• US 8,327,278 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Knight, Mark Rolland, Bernstein, Ethan Joseph, Antos, Christopher J., Bailor, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANNAVAJJALA, SRIRAMA T
• Application Number:
  US12/371,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 715/748, 715/230, 715/201, 715/205, 715/752, 715/234, 715/255, 715/753, 709/203, 709/206, 709215-220, 705/342, 707692-698, 707705-711, 707726-729, 707740-746, 707748-749, 707609-612, 707614-615
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Tools and techniques for synchronizing metadata and document content across client systems using different communication channels are provided. These tools may define logical communication channels between client software components, and may allocate one of these channels to synchronizing updates to the contents of documents shared between these client components. These tools may allocate another one of the communication channels to synchronizing metadata between the client components, with the metadata describing activity pertaining to the shared documents. The client components may receive indications of activity made by users to the document contents, and may create metadata representing the activity. These client components may then transmit this metadata, using the further communication channel, to any number of other client components automatically in real time with the updates.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when loaded into a processor and executed, cause the processor to:

define a plurality of logical communication channels between a client component and a server component;

allocate at least a first one of the communication channels for synchronizing an update to contents of a document that is shared between the client component and another client component;

allocate at least a further one of the communication channels for synchronizing a first metadata between the client component and the server component, wherein the first metadata describes user content updates and an indication of user gestures being performed within the document;

receive an indication of at least one instance of activity pertaining to the contents of the document by a user accessing the client components;

create the first metadata representing the activity;

transmit the first metadata, using the further communication channel, from the client component to the server component automatically in real-time with the update; and

receive a command from the user, and in response to the command, transmit the document contents and a second metadata representing a state of the document from the client component to the server component using the first communication channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising instructions to transmit the document contents to the another client component via the server component.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions to receive the command include instructions to receive a command to save a current state of the document.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising instructions to instantiate a foreground process for transmitting updates to the document contents using the first communication channel, and further comprising instructions to instantiate a background process for transmitting the first metadata using the further communication channel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising instructions to transmit the first metadata to another client component via at least one server component.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indication of user gestures being performed on the document further includes information specifying a particular region of the document where a user is currently editing.

7. An apparatus comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when loaded into a processor and executed, cause the processor to:

define a plurality of logical communication channels to a client component;

allocate at least a first one of the communication channels for synchronizing an update to contents of a document that is shared between the client component and another client component;

allocate at least a further one of the communication channels for synchronizing a first metadata between the client component and the another client component, wherein the first metadata describes user content updates and an indication of user gestures being performed within the document;

receive the first metadata from the client component via the further communication channel, wherein the first metadata relates to a first copy of the document content on the client component;

process the first metadata to assess any impact to a further copy of the document content that is maintained locally at the client component;

receive, via the first communication channel from the client component, at least one update to the first copy of the document contents and a second metadata; and

apply the update and the second metadata received via the first communication channel to a further first copy of the document content.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the instructions to receive an update include instructions to receive the update to the document content in response to a command issued by a user accessing the client component.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the instructions to receive the update include instructions to receive the update to the document content in response to a save command issued by a user accessing the client component.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the instructions to receive the first metadata include instructions to receive metadata created and transmitted automatically by the client component in real time with the update.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising instructions to receive the first metadata from the client component via at least one server component.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the indication of user gestures being performed on the document further includes information specifying a particular region of the document where a user is currently editing.

13. A system comprising:

a first client system including at least a first processor and at least a first computer-readable storage medium coupled to communicate with the first processor, wherein the first storage medium includes at least a first client software component for maintaining a first copy of a document locally at the first client system;

at least a second client system including at least a second processor and at least a second computer-readable storage medium coupled to communicate with the second processor, wherein the second storage medium includes at least a second client software component for maintaining a second copy of the document locally at the second client system;

a first logical channel placing the first and second client software components in communication with one another, wherein the first logical channel is adapted for synchronizing a first metadata between the first and second client software components, wherein the first metadata represents user content updates and an indication of user gestures being performed within the first or second copies of the document, and wherein the first metadata is generated and transmitted in real time with occurrences of the user content updates and the indication of user gestures; and

at least a second logical channel placing the first and second client software components in communication with one another, wherein the second logical channel is adapted for synchronizing at least one update to the document comprising changes to the document contents and a second metadata in response to a least one command issued by a user accessing the first or second client system.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first and second client software components are respective instances of a document editing application.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first logical channel is adapted to operate with least one background process that synchronizes the first metadata between the first and second client systems, and wherein the second logical channel is adapted to operate with a least one foreground process that synchronizes the least one update to the document and the second metadata between the first and second client systems.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the indication of user gestures being performed on the document further includes information specifying a particular region of the document where a user is currently editing.