Managing concurrent editing in a collaborative editing environment using cursor proximity and a delay

• US 9,158,746 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bartek, Velda, Masselle, Eric L., McGowan, Patrick G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paula, Cesar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang, Jian
• Application Number:
  US13/495,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20130339847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 715/255, 715/751, 715/755, 715/742, 715/234
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system, method and program product for managing concurrent editing in a collaborative editing environment includes a step of a computer receiving an input to edit an electronic document from a first editor through a first user interface. Responsive to receiving an input to edit an electronic document, the computer tracks a cursor within the electronic document associated with the first editor. The computer locks content of the electronic document within a predetermined proximity of the cursor associated with the first user interface to prevent access to the content of the electronic document within the predetermined proximity of the cursor by one or more second editors. Responsive to the cursor associated with the first editor moving to a new location within the electronic document, the computer unlocks content no longer in the predetermined proximity of the cursor associated with the first editor.

Claims

1. A method for managing concurrent editing in a collaborative editing environment, the method comprising:

receiving an input to edit an electronic document from a first editor through a first user interface;

responsive to receiving an input to edit an electronic document, tracking a cursor within the electronic document associated with the first user interface;

locking content of the electronic document within a proximity of the cursor associated with the first user interface to prevent access to the content of the electronic document within the proximity of the cursor by one or more second editors, wherein scope of the proximity and a length of a delay associated with the cursor are based, at least in part, on one or more dynamic rules, wherein the scope of the proximity of the cursor and the length of the delay are based, at least in part, on a nested relationship of content of the electronic document, wherein a length of the delay at a word-level is greater than a length of the delay at a sentence-level, and the length of the delay at a sentence-level is greater than a length of the delay at a paragraph-level; and

responsive to the cursor moving to a new location within the electronic document, unlocking the content no longer in the proximity of the cursor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the unlocking of the content of the electronic document occurs after a first delay associated with the cursor if the first delay elapses before the content is unlocked due to the content being no longer in the proximity of the cursor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unlocking of the content of the electronic document occurs after a first delay associated with the cursor if the first delay has not elapsed before the content is unlocked due to the content being no longer in the proximity of the cursor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the scope of the proximity of the cursor and the length of the delay are based, at least in part, on a classified type of electronic document that is being edited.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the scope of the proximity of the cursor and the length of the delay are based, at least in part, on a number of editors that are concurrently editing the electronic document, and the scope of the proximity and the length of the delay increase as the number of editors increases.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to detecting that a first editor and a second editor are overwriting each other before either editor can complete an edit on a portion of content of the electronic document, extending a length of a delay imposed on editors editing the portion of content.

7. A computer program product for managing concurrent editing in a collaborative editing environment, the computer program product comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive an input to edit an electronic document from a first editor through a first user interface;

program instructions to track a cursor within the electronic document associated with the first user interface;

program instructions to lock content of the electronic document within a proximity of the cursor associated with the first user interface to prevent access to the content of the electronic document within the proximity of the cursor by one or more second editors, wherein scope of the proximity and a length of a delay associated with the cursor are based, at least in part, on one or more dynamic rules, wherein the scope of the proximity of the cursor and the length of the delay are based, at least in part, on a nested relationship of content of the electronic document, wherein a length of the delay at a word-level is greater than a length of the delay at a sentence-level, and the length of the delay at a sentence-level is greater than a length of the delay at a paragraph-level; and

program instructions to, responsive to the cursor moving to a new location within the electronic document, unlock the content no longer in the proximity of the cursor.

8. The program product of claim 7, wherein the unlocking of the content of the electronic document occurs after a first delay associated with the cursor if the first delay elapses before the content is unlocked due to the content being no longer in the proximity of the cursor.

9. The program product of claim 7, wherein the unlocking the content of the electronic document occurs after a first delay associated with the cursor if the first delay has not elapsed before the content is unlocked due to the content being no longer in the proximity of the cursor associated with the first editor.

10. The program product of claim 7, wherein the scope of the proximity of the cursor and the length of the delay are based, at least in part, on a classified type of electronic document that is being edited.

11. The program product of claim 7, wherein the scope of the proximity of the cursor and the length of the delay are based, at least in part, on a number of editors that are concurrently editing the electronic document, and the scope of the proximity and the length of the delay increase as the number of editors increases.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media further comprise:

program instructions to, responsive to detecting that a first editor and a second editor are overwriting each other before either editor can complete an edit on a portion of content of the electronic document, extend a length of a delay imposed on editors editing the portion of content.

13. A computer system for managing concurrent editing in a collaborative editing environment, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable storage media, and program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive an input to edit an electronic document from a first editor through a first user interface;

program instructions to track a cursor within the electronic document associated with the first user interface;

program instructions to lock content of the electronic document within a proximity of the cursor associated with the first user interface to prevent access to the content of the electronic document within the proximity of the cursor by one or more second editors, wherein scope of the proximity and a length of a delay associated with the cursor are based, at least in part, on one or more dynamic rules, wherein the scope of the proximity of the cursor and the length of the delay are based, at least in part, on a nested relationship of content of the electronic document, wherein a length of the delay at a word-level is greater than a length of the delay at a sentence-level, and the length of the delay at a sentence-level is greater than a length of the delay at a paragraph-level; and

program instructions to, responsive to the cursor moving to a new location within the electronic document, unlock the content no longer in the proximity of the cursor.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the unlocking of the content of the electronic document occurs after a delay associated with the cursor if the delay elapses before the content is unlocked due to the content being no longer in the proximity of the cursor.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the unlocking of the content of the electronic document occurs after a delay associated with the cursor if the delay has not elapsed before the content is unlocked due to the content being no longer in the proximity of the cursor.

16. The computer system of claim 13, the scope of the proximity of the cursor and the length of the delay are based, at least in part, on a classified type of electronic document that is being edited.

17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the scope of the proximity of the cursor and the length of the delay are based, at least in part, on a number of editors that are concurrently editing the electronic document, and the scope of the proximity and the length of the delay increase as the number of editors increases.