Collaborative authoring modes

• US 10,057,226 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2014
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bailor, Jonathan Beckett, Bernstein, Ethan Joseph, Knight, Mark Rolland, Antos, Christopher James
• Primary Examiner(s): Sison, June
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Steven
• Application Number:
  US14/474,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20140373108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1767 Concurrency control, e.g. optimistic or pessimistic approaches
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

A collaborative authoring application provides an authoring environment in which two or more users can edit a document concurrently. Each user edits a copy of the document, sends updates to a master copy of the document, and receives updates from the master copy of the document. The authoring environment may be configured into a public mode of operation, in which content and metadata are synchronized automatically, or into a private mode of operation, in which metadata is synchronized automatically and content is synchronized only at the request of the user. The authoring application may edit documents offline in public or private mode.

Claims

1. An authoring system for editing a user copy of a document on a user device, the user copy being generated based on a master copy of the document, the authoring system comprising:

a processor in communication with a memory storing instructions, the processor executing the instructions to;

provide a local cache stored on the user device, the local cache including a single store cache, a single obtain cache and a single upload cache;

provide an authoring application configured to execute on the user device, the authoring application being configured to edit the user copy of a document, the authoring application being adapted to be selectively configured into an operating mode selected from the group consisting of a public operating mode and a private operating mode, the authoring application being configured to generate metadata updates based on edits made to the user copy of the document by a local user and to generate content updates based on edits made to the user copy of the document by the local user;

synchronize the metadata updates between the user copy of the document and the master copy of the document regardless of the mode of operation into which the authoring application is configured;

store the generated content updates into the store cache of the local cache;

store the generated content updates into the upload cache when the authoring application is configured into the public operating mode; and

share the content updates stored in the upload cache with the master copy of the document, wherein sharing the content updates with the master copy of the document signals a computing device hosting the master copy of the document to integrate the content updates into the master copy.

2. The authoring system of claim 1, wherein the authoring system is further operable to:

obtain external content updates from the master copy of the document regardless of the operating mode into which the authoring application is configured, the external content updates being generated by one or more other authoring applications; and

store the external content updates obtained from the master copy in the obtain cache.

3. The authoring system of claim 2, wherein the authoring application is configured to provide an indication that external content updates are available when the external content updates are stored in the obtain cache, and wherein the authoring application is configured to instantiate the external content updates into the user copy of the document.

4. The authoring system of claim 1, wherein the authoring system is further operable to:

store the generated content updates into the upload cache when the authoring application is configured in the private operating mode and the authoring system received instructions to share the content updates.

5. The authoring system of claim 1, wherein the authoring application is configured to access the master copy of the document via a connection to a network.

6. The authoring system of claim 5, wherein the authoring application is configured to enable editing of the user copy of the document when the authoring application is not connected to the network.

7. The authoring system of claim 5, wherein the authoring application is configured to provide a warning when the authoring application is not connected to the network, the warning indicating the authoring application cannot synchronize the user copy with the master copy.

8. The authoring system of claim 1, wherein the metadata updates include at least one lock generated by the authoring application around at least one data unit of the document that is being edited, the lock inhibiting other authoring applications from editing the data unit on a respective user copy of the document.

15. The authoring system of claim 1, wherein the generated content updates stored in the store cache of the local cache during the private operating mode are held until changing to the public operating mode, wherein in response to changing to the public operating mode the content updates are stored in the upload cache to be shared with the master copy of the document.

9. A computer-implemented method of synchronizing a user copy of a document with a master copy of the document, the user copy of the document being stored on a user device and the master copy of the document being stored on a storage device that is configured to be communicatively coupled to the user device, the method comprising:

connecting the user device to the storage device;

selecting a private mode of operation for an authoring application;

receiving, at the user device, edits made by a local user to the user copy of the document with the authoring application to generate a local content update;

storing in a single local cache of the user device the local content update and a local metadata update related to the local content update;

transmitting periodically from the single local cache of the user device to the storage device the local metadata update without transmitting the local content update, wherein the local metadata update is instantiated into the master copy stored on the storage device;

receiving periodically at the single local cache of the user device external metadata updates from the master copy of the document based on metadata edits made by coauthors to coauthor copies of the document when the master copy has been updated to include the external metadata updates;

instantiating the external metadata updates received from the master copy of the document into the user copy of the document;

receiving periodically at the single local cache of the user device, external content updates from the master copy of the document based on content edits made by the coauthors to the coauthor copies of the document when the master copy has been updated to include the external content updates.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving instantiation instructions; and

instantiating the external content updates into the user copy of the document in accordance with instantiation instructions.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing an indication of availability of the external content updates within the authoring application;

receiving instructions to view the external content updates within the authoring application;

providing options for instantiating the external content updates within the user copy of the document; and

implementing selected options for instantiating the external content updates within the user copy of the document.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving instructions to configure the authoring application into a public mode of operation;

toggling the authoring application into the public mode of operation; and

sharing with the master copy of the document the local content update stored in the local cache at the user device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

disconnecting the user device from the storage device;

continuing to edit the user copy of the document with the authoring application;

storing at the user device any content updates generated by the authoring application after disconnecting the user device from the storage device; and

sharing the content updates stored at the user device when the user device is reconnected to the storage device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

disconnecting the user device from the storage device;

continuing to edit the user copy of the document with the authoring application; and

storing at the user device any content updates generated by the authoring application after disconnecting the user device from the storage device;

wherein the content updates stored at the user device are not shared with the storage device when the user device is reconnected to the storage device until the authoring application is toggled into the public mode of operation.

16. A computer readable storage device storing computer executable instructions, which perform a method of authoring a user copy of a document stored on a user device when executed by a computing device, the method comprising:

configuring an authoring application configured to be executed by the user device to locally author the user copy of the document into one of;

a public mode of operation and a private mode of operation;

receiving edits from a local user to the user copy of the document with the authoring application to generate a plurality of local content updates;

storing and queuing the plurality of local content updates in a single local cache of the user device;

storing in the single local cache metadata updates generated by the authoring application in response to the edits from the local user to the user copy of the documents;

connecting the user device to the storage device;

when the authoring application is configured into the public mode of operation;

sharing the plurality of local content updates from the single local cache to the connected storage device; and

sharing the metadata updates from the single local cache to the connected storage device; and

when the authoring application is configured into the private mode of operation;

withholding the plurality of local content updates from the single local cache from the connected storage device; and

sharing the metadata updates from the single local cache to the connected storage device.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, further comprising:

sharing the local content updates stored in the local cache according to the queue when the user device is connected to the storage device even if the authoring application is closed before the user device is connected.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, further comprising:

obtaining external metadata updates based on external metadata updates made by coauthors to coauthor copies of the document from the master copy of the document after connecting the user device to the storage device; and

instantiating the external metadata updates into the user copy of the document automatically.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, wherein storing and queueing the plurality of local content updates in the single local cache of the user device comprises storing the plurality of local content updates in the local cache when the authoring application receives finalization instructions from the local user.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 19, wherein receiving the finalization instructions triggers sharing of the plurality of local content updates from the single local cache to the connected storage device when the authoring application is configured into the public mode.