Method and software for enabling N-way collaborative work over a network of computers
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for collaboration over a computer network, comprising:
- tracking one or more application level events that occur within a first instance of a stand-alone application operable to create and edit documents in response to user actions wherein the one or more application level events reflect user actions that result in changes to a native document file generated by the first instance of the stand-alone application;
transmitting data comprising the native document file and data regarding one or more application level events over the computer network, automatically and in real time, to a second instance of the stand-alone application; and
causing the second instance of the stand-alone application;
to display a local copy of a document corresponding to a local copy of the native document file,to receive and use the data comprising data regarding one or more application level events to replicate the events that occurred within the first instance,to mirror the user actions performed in the first instance without user intervention by performing an equivalent action on the local copy of the native document file and thereby make corresponding changes to the local copy of the native document file, andto display the changes to the local copy of the document,wherein, in order to provide security for the collaboration, no events that have an effect outside the stand-alone application are propagated.
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Abstract
Method, software, and system for efficiently enabling n-way collaborative work using common software over a network of computers. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each participant in a collaborative session starts up a common software application, which includes a collaboration component. This collaboration component is used to establish a common session that includes all interested parties. The collaboration component replicates operations performed on any one instance of said application to all other instances participating in the same session, so the effect is as if all members of the session were sharing a single instance of the application on a single computer. In one aspect, the collaboration component also supports broadcast of audio and video over a computer network, to enable session participants to see and/or hear each other, and further includes other features that support collaborative work.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for collaboration over a computer network, comprising:
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tracking one or more application level events that occur within a first instance of a stand-alone application operable to create and edit documents in response to user actions wherein the one or more application level events reflect user actions that result in changes to a native document file generated by the first instance of the stand-alone application; transmitting data comprising the native document file and data regarding one or more application level events over the computer network, automatically and in real time, to a second instance of the stand-alone application; and causing the second instance of the stand-alone application; to display a local copy of a document corresponding to a local copy of the native document file, to receive and use the data comprising data regarding one or more application level events to replicate the events that occurred within the first instance, to mirror the user actions performed in the first instance without user intervention by performing an equivalent action on the local copy of the native document file and thereby make corresponding changes to the local copy of the native document file, and to display the changes to the local copy of the document, wherein, in order to provide security for the collaboration, no events that have an effect outside the stand-alone application are propagated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing software for collaboration over a computer network, comprising:
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a first instance of a stand-alone application operable to create and edit documents in response to user actions and to track application level events that occur within the first instance of the stand-alone application, wherein the one or more application level events reflect user actions that result in changes to a native document file generated by the first instance of the stand-alone application; wherein the first instance of the stand-alone application is further operable to receive data regarding one or more application level events that occur within one or more other separate instances of the stand-alone application and that are transmitted over the computer network from the one or more other separate instances of the stand-alone application; wherein the first instance of the stand-alone application is further operable to use the received data regarding one or more application level events to replicate the events that occurred within the one or more other separate instances of the stand-alone application, mirroring user actions performed on the one or more other separate instances of the stand-alone application by performing equivalent actions on a local copy of the native document file, and displaying the changes to the local document corresponding to the native document file, automatically, in real time, and without user intervention, and wherein communications over the computer network that links workstations in a session are encrypted to preserve privacy of a session and no events that have an effect outside the stand-alone application are propagated. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification