Simultaneous multi-user document editing system

• US 7,249,314 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2001
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 1018989 Ontario Limited
• Original Assignee: Thoughtslinger Corporation
• Inventors: Walker, Richard, Sonnenberg, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon; Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Botts; Michael K.
• Application Number:
  US09/933,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20020065848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,163 Days
• Field of Search: 715/511, 715/513, 715/514, 715/515, 715/530
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2147 Locking files
• 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 and methods for simultaneous editing of a document by two or more users are disclosed. The document is divided into a number of sections. Each section is stored in a separate data container, which is part of a document tree. A master copy of the document tree is accessible to a server which transmits all or part of the document tree to two or more clients, each of which is operated by a user. The clients can independently lock different sections, allowing the users to simultaneously edit different sections. When a user completes editing a section, the modified section is stored on the master server and broadcast to other users. The document tree is headed by an independently lockable and editable parent container which is used to store summary information and other information, such as default formatting and other document wide information.

Claims

1. A method for simultaneous multi-user editing of a document by a plurality of users including a first user and a second user, wherein the document includes primary data, the method comprising:

(a) dividing the primary data into three or more mutually exclusive sections, including a first section and a last section;

(b) storing each of the sections in a separate primary container, wherein;

(i) each of the primary containers is a sibling container;

(ii) the primary container in which the first section is stored is designated as a head primary container;

(iii) the primary container in which the last section is stored is designated as a tail primary container;

(iv) the primary containers are part of a master document tree data structure stored in a file system accessible to a server; and

(v) the master document tree includes a parent container; and

(c) linking the primary containers to form a linked list corresponding to the order of the sections in the document, and wherein the primary container corresponding to the first section is at the head of the linked list and the primary container corresponding to the last section is at the tail of the linked list;

(d) recording a link to the head primary container in the parent container;

(e) recording a link to the tail primary container in the parent container;

(f) transmitting a copy of at least part of the master document tree from the server to a first client operated by the first user;

(g) transmitting a copy of at least part of the master document tree from the server to a second client operated by the second user;

(h) receiving a first lock request from the first client, the first lock request identifying a first group of primary containers and wherein the first group of primary containers corresponds to a first part of the document;

(j) determining whether the first user may lock each of the primary containers in the first group of primary containers by at least ensuring that no primary container in the first group of primary containers is locked by a user other than the first user;

(k) if the result in (j) is that the first user may lock each of the primary containers in the first group of primary containers, then;

(i) locking each of the primary containers in the first group of primary containers and identifying each of the primary containers in the first group of primary containers as being locked by the first user;

(ii) transmitting a first confirm lock message to the first client;

(iii) transmitting a first update message to the second client, wherein the first update message indicates that each primary container in the first group of primary containers has been locked;

(iv) receiving a first post request from the first client, wherein the first post request includes one or more new primary containers corresponding to a modified version of the first part of the document;

(v) modifying the master document tree in accordance with the first post request including inserting the one or more new primary containers into the linked list of primary containers; and

(vi) transmitting a second update message to the second client, wherein the second update message includes the one or more new primary containers; and

(l) if the result in (j) is that the first user may not lock each primary container in the first group of primary containers, then transmitting a refused lock message to the first user,

wherein the parent container does not include a direct link to any of the primary containers in the linked list other than the head primary container and the tail primary container.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein in (k)(iii), the first update message also indicates that each primary container in the first group of primary containers has been locked by the first user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein in (k)(vi), the second update message also indicates that the modified version of the first part of the document has been posted by the first user.

4. The method of claim 1 including:

(m) receiving a second lock request from the second client, the second lock request identifying a second group of primary containers wherein the second group of primary containers corresponds to a second part of the document;

(n) determining whether the second user may lock each of the primary containers in the second group of primary containers by at least ensuring that no primary container in the second group of primary containers is locked by a user other than the second user;

(p) if the result in (n) is that the second user may lock each of the primary containers in the second group of primary containers, then;

(i) locking each of the primary containers in the second group of primary containers and identifying each of the primary containers in the second group of primary containers as being locked by the second user;

(ii) transmitting a second confirm lock message to the second client;

(iii) transmitting a third update message to the first client, wherein the third update message indicates that each primary container in the second group of primary containers has been locked;

(iv) receiving a second post request from the second client, wherein the second post request includes one or more new primary containers corresponding to a modified version of the second part of the document;

(v) modifying the master document tree in accordance with the second post request including inserting the one or more new primary containers into the linked list of primary containers; and

(vi) transmitting a fourth update message to the first client, wherein the fourth update message includes the one or more new primary containers; and

(q) if the result in (n) is that the second user may not lock each of the primary containers in the second group of primary containers, then transmitting a refused lock message to the second user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein in (p)(iii), the third update message also indicates that each primary container in the second group of primary containers has been locked by the second user.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein in (p)(vi), the fourth update message also indicates that the modified version of the second part of the document has been posted by the second user.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the first group of primary containers and the second group of primary containers are mutually exclusive and wherein (p)(i) occurs before (k)(iv).

8. The method of claim 1 including, after (k)-(v):

(k)(vii) unlocking at least some of the primary containers in the first group of primary containers.

9. The method of claim 8 including:

(m) receiving a second lock request from the second client, the second lock request identifying a second group of primary containers, wherein the second group of primary containers corresponds to a second part of the document and wherein at least one of the primary containers in the second group of primary containers was included in the first post request;

(n) determining whether the second user may lock each of the primary containers in the second group of primary containers by at least ensuring that no primary container in the second group of primary containers is locked by a user other than the second user;

(p) if the result in (n) is that the second user may lock each of the primary containers in the second group of primary containers, then;

(i) locking each of the primary containers in the second group of primary containers and identifying each of the primary containers in the second group of primary containers as being locked by the second user;

(ii) transmitting a second confirm lock message to the second client;

(iii) transmitting a third update message to the first client, wherein the third update message indicates that each primary container in the second group of primary containers has been locked;

(iv) receiving a second post request from the second client, wherein the second post request includes one or more new primary containers corresponding to a modified version of the second part of the document;

(v) modifying the master document tree in accordance with the second post request including inserting the one or more new primary containers into the linked list of primary containers; and

(vi) transmitting a fourth update message to the first client, wherein the fourth update message includes the one or more new primary containers; and

(q) if the result in (n) is that the second user may not lock each of the primary containers in the second group of primary containers, then transmitting a refused lock message to the second user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein in (p)(iii), the third update message also indicates that each primary container in the second group of primary containers has been locked by the second user.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein in (p)(vi), the fourth update message also indicates that the modified version of the second part of the document has been posted by the second user.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the primary data type of the document is text and wherein each section of the document corresponds to one of the following:

(a) a character;

(b) a word;

(c) a sentence; and

(d) a paragraph.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the primary containers are linked together to form a singly-linked list.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein each of the sibling containers includes an article containing the text of the section corresponding to the sibling container.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the primary containers are linked together to form a doubly linked list.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein one of the sections includes embedded data of a secondary data type, wherein the secondary data type is different from the primary data type and wherein the embedded data is stored in a sub-tree headed by the sibling container corresponding to the one section.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the one section also includes data of the primary data type and wherein the data of the primary data type is stored in the sibling container corresponding to the one section.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the one section contains no data other than the embedded data.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the primary data type of the document is text and wherein each section of the document corresponds to one of the following:

(a) a group of paragraphs; and

(b) a chapter.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the document also includes editable summary information and further including:

(m) storing the summary information in the parent container;

(n) receiving a second lock request from the second client, the second lock request identifying the parent container;

(p) determining whether the parent container may be locked by the second user by at least ensuring that the parent container is not locked by a user other than the second user;

(q) if the result in (p) is that the second user may lock the parent container, then;

(i) locking the parent container and identifying the parent container as being locked by the second user;

(ii) transmitting a confirm lock message to the second client;

(iii) transmitting a third update message to the first client, wherein the third update message indicates that the parent container has been locked;

(iv) receiving a second post request from the second client, wherein the second post request includes a modified version of the parent container;

(v) modifying the master document tree in accordance with the second post request including updating the parent container; and

(vi) transmitting a fourth update message to the first client, wherein the fourth update message includes the modified version of the parent container; and

(r) if the result in (p) is that the second user may not lock the parent container, then transmitting a refused lock message to the second user,

wherein q(i) occurs before (k)(iv).

21. The method of claim 20 wherein in (q)(iv) and in (q)(vi), the modified version of the parent container stores a modified version of the summary information.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein in (q)(iii) the third update message also indicates that the parent container has been locked by the second user.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein in (q)(vi), the fourth update message also indicates that the modified version of the parent container storing the modified version of the summary information has been posted by the second user.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein at least one of the primary containers stores change tracking information.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein the document also includes formatting information, and wherein the formatting information is stored in the parent container and wherein in (q)(iv) and in (q)(vi) the modified version of the parent container includes modified formatting information.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the formatting information includes change tracking information.

27. The method of claim 20 further including:

(i) assigning each user a unique user handle;

(ii) recording a user'"'"'s privilege level to access the summary information by storing the user'"'"'s handle in the parent container together with any restrictions on the user'"'"'s permission to access the summary information; and

(iii) wherein in (p) determining that the second user can lock the parent container also includes ensuring that the second user'"'"'s privilege level allows the second user to lock the parent container.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the document tree data structure is a document sub-tree forming part of a container tree data structure and wherein the container tree data structure includes other document sub-trees corresponding to other documents.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the container tree data structure has a root container and wherein the parent container of the document tree data structure is a child container of the root container.

30. The method of claim 1 further including:

(i) assigning each user a unique user handle;

(ii) recording a user'"'"'s privilege level to access a section of the document by storing the user'"'"'s handle in the associated container together with any restrictions on the user'"'"'s permission to access the section; and

(iii) wherein in (j) determining that the first user can lock each of the primary containers in the first group of primary containers also includes ensuring that the first user'"'"'s privilege level allows the first user to lock each of the primary containers in the first group of primary containers.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one section is deleted from the first part of the document, and in k(iv) the post request includes fewer containers than in the first group of primary containers.

32. The method of claim 1 further including recording a link to the parent container in each of the primary containers.