Collaboration framework

• US 8,024,661 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Kreisel, Carolyn E., Rogers, Ryan P., Bibliowicz, Jacobo, Lipari, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonshock; Dennis
• Application Number:
  US11/923,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20080046828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751, 715/753, 715/757
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture enables users to collaborate on an actual stored drawing document across a network. A single document is stored on a server who establishes a collaboration session with multiple users that collaborate in real time and dynamically view modifications executed by the users. Users maintain simultaneous write access to the document. Asynchronous commands are received from users, that have a delay of a defined time period, include any modifications made in real time by the user transmitting the asynchronous command, and cause the server to transmit any modifications to all of the multiple users in the collaboration session. The server also maintains a history of all modifications to the actual stored drawing document. The history can be used by a user to undo any user'"'"'s modifications.

Claims

1. A method for one or more users to collaborate on an actual stored drawing document across a network, comprising:

(a) maintaining a single actual stored drawing document on a server;

(b) the server establishing a collaboration session wherein multiple users on multiple client computers collaborate in real time and dynamically view modifications, executed by any one of the multiple client computers to a local copy of the single actual stored drawing document, performed in real time by any one of the multiple users on the client computers in the collaboration session, wherein during the collaboration session;

(i) the multiple client computers maintain simultaneous write access to the single actual stored drawing document;

(ii) asynchronous commands are received by the server that are generated and transmitted from one or more of the multiple client computers, wherein the asynchronous commands;

(1) have a delay between each asynchronous command of a fixed time period, wherein the fixed time period depends on whether the one or more client computers comprise a single client computer or multiple collaborating client computers having one specific value for a single client computer and a different specific value for multiple collaborating client computers;

(2) include any modifications made in real time by the user on the client computer that is transmitting the asynchronous command;

(3) cause the server to transmit any modifications to all of the multiple client computers in the collaboration session;

(4) the asynchronous commands comprise a strong heartbeat received from a transmitting client computer;

(5) the strong heartbeat command does not comprise a data modification command;

(6) in response to receipt of the strong heartbeat, the server will not timeout a workspace session of the transmitting client computer and will not mark the workspace session as inactive; and

(iii) the server maintains a history of all modifications to the actual stored drawing document, wherein any of the one or more multiple client computers in the collaboration session can undo any user'"'"'s modifications using the history.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the server maintaining a record of the collaboration session including name, numbers, and statuses of the two or more collaborators.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the command specifies an object identifier for an object in the drawing document that is modified.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein an extensible set of three dimensional modeling tools for modifying the drawing document is supported on all of the users in the collaboration session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the asynchronous command comprises a data modification command;

(b) if the data modification command is received from a non-collaborating client computer, the data modification command comprises a level of a workspace for the single actual stored drawing document; and

(c) if the data modification command is received from one of multiple collaborating client computers;

(1) the data modification command does not comprise the level of the workspace; and

(2) the server assigns the level to the workspace and transmits the data modification command and the level to the multiple collaborating computers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the server transmits the data modification command and the level to specific multiple collaborating computers whose client level is lower than the level assigned by the server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the asynchronous commands received from each of the multiple collaborating client computers comprises a corresponding level of a workspace for the transmitting client computer.

8. A method for one or more users to collaborate on an actual stored drawing document across a network, comprising:

(a) one or more multiple users on multiple client computers collaborating in a collaboration session across a network, via a server, to modify a single actual stored drawing document maintained by the server, in real time, wherein the one or more multiple client computers dynamically display modifications, executed by any one of the multiple client computers to a local copy of the single actual stored drawing document, performed in real time by any one of the multiple users on the client computers in the collaboration session, wherein during the collaboration session;

(i) the multiple client computers maintain simultaneous write access to the single actual stored drawing document;

(ii) two or more asynchronous commands are transmitted by each of the multiple client computers to the server, wherein the two or more asynchronous commands;

(1) have a delay between the asynchronous commands of a fixed time period, wherein the fixed time period depends on whether the one or more client computers comprise a single client computer or multiple collaborating client computers having one specific value for a single client computer and a different specific value for multiple collaborating client computers;

(2) include any modifications made in real time by the user on the client computer that is transmitting the asynchronous command;

(3) cause the server to transmit any modifications to all of the multiple client computers in the collaboration session;

(4) the asynchronous commands comprise a strong heartbeat received from a transmitting client computer;

(5) the strong heartbeat command does not comprise a data modification command;

(6) in response to receipt of the strong heartbeat, the server will not timeout a workspace session of the transmitting client computer and will not mark the workspace session as inactive; and

(iii) any of the one or more multiple client computers in the collaboration session can undo any user'"'"'s modifications using a history of all modifications to the actual stored drawing document, wherein the history is maintained by the server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the asynchronous command specifies an object identifier for an object in the drawing document that is modified.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein an extensible set of three dimensional modeling tools for modifying the drawing document is supported on all of the users in the collaboration session.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

(a) the asynchronous command comprises a data modification command;

(b) if the data modification command is transmitted from a solo non-collaborating client computer, the data modification command comprises a level of a workspace for the single actual stored drawing document; and

(c) if the data modification command is transmitted from one of multiple collaborating client computers;

(1) the data modification command does not comprise the level of the workspace;

(2) the level is assigned to the workspace by the server; and

(3) one or more of the multiple collaborating client computers receives the data modification command and the level in response.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

specific client computers of the multiple collaborating client computers receive the data modification command and the level, wherein the specific client computers comprise client computers whose client level is lower than the level assigned by the server.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the asynchronous commands transmitted from each of the multiple collaborating client computers comprises a corresponding level of a workspace for the transmitting client computer.