Cooperative work support system

Details Cooperative work support system Cooperative work support system

1999-02-10

2002-01-29

Burgess, Glenton B. (Department: 2153)

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput

Multicomputer data transferring via shared memory

C709S241000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06343316

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cooperative work support system and a computer readable medium which provides a responsive cooperative work environment for work such as presentations and cooperative writing.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 10-31063, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND ART
As computer networks have progressed in recent years, a concept of CSCW (Computer Supported Cooperative Work), which facilitates multi-user cooperative work using computers networked together has been developed. The CSCW is realized by a cooperative work support system, which allows users to work together through the computer network.
FIG. 10
is a block diagram showing the structure of the cooperative work support system of the background art.
Files shared by terminals
21
to
23
are stored in a file system
421
of a server
20
. To access the shared file according to shared application programs
721
to
723
, a request for permission is sent to other terminals using inter-host communicators
711
to
713
, and information of the file to be accessed is sent to shared file provider
411
in the server
20
through lines
511
to
513
.
On receipt of the information, the shared file provider
411
reads the shared file from the file system
421
, and sends it through lines
511
to
513
to the shared application programs
721
to
723
in the terminals
21
to
23
. Thus, the file stored in the file system
421
can be shared by and utilized in all of the shared application programs
721
to
723
.
However, since the main storage area available to the shared application programs
721
to
723
is limited, when a user refers to data portions in references during the cooperative work, the data portions of the file must be re-read from the file system
421
using the shared file provider
411
in the server
20
.
When the transmission rate of the lines
511
to
513
is low or congestion occurs with transactions from the terminals
21
to
23
, responses of data requested by the shared application programs
721
to
723
may be delayed. Therefore, the multi-user cooperative work from the terminals
21
to
23
is often interrupted and responsive cooperative work cannot be achieved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cooperative work support system and a computer readable medium which provide a responsive cooperative work environment for work such as presentations and cooperative writing.
In order to accomplish the above object, the cooperative work support system of the present invention has a plurality of terminals in a communication network, wherein each terminal comprises: a cooperative work execution means for providing cooperative work by the terminals by sending and receiving data between the terminals through the communication network; a specification means for specifying a file in the terminal as a shared file to be used in the cooperative work between the terminals; a shared file storage means for storing the shared file specified by the specification means; a shared file information transmission means for transmitting information of the shared file to the other terminal through the communication network; a shared file information storage means for storing the information of the shared file; a determination means for determining whether the shared file specified by the cooperative work execution means exists within the terminal, based on the information of the shared file stored in the shared file information storage means; a transmission request means for creating and sending a transmission request to request transmission of the shared file when it is determined by the determination means that the shared file does not exist within the terminal; a transmission means for transmitting the shared file to the shared file storage means in the terminal which is the sender of the transmission request in response to the transmission request; and an update means for updating the information of the shared file in the shared file information storage means when the shared file is transmitted from the terminal.
In the cooperative work support system of the present invention, when it is determined that the shared file exists within the terminal, the cooperative work execution means uses the shared file stored in the shared file storage means, when it is determined that the shared file does not exist within the terminal, the shared file being transmitted by the transmission means from the other terminal to the shared file storage means, the information of the shared file being updated by the update means, and the cooperative work execution means using the shared file stored in the shared file storage means.
The terminals in the cooperative work support system have shared file storage means for storing the shared file. Even when the shared file exists in the other terminal, the shared file is transmitted, so that the cooperative work execution means can utilize the shared file within the terminal. Therefore, the cooperative work support system of the embodiment prevents delays in response to access to a shared file and provides a responsive cooperative work environment without interruption.
In the cooperative work support system of the present invention, the transmission means obtains the storage position of the shared file in the shared file storage means from the information stored in the shared file information means, the transmission means transmitting the shared file according to the obtained storage position.
In the cooperative work support system of the present invention, the shared file information transmission means transmits the position in the shared file storage means as the information of the shared file specified by the specification means, the shared file information storage means stores the storage position in the other terminal transmitted from the shared file information transmission means of the other terminal, the transmission request means transmits the storage position in the other terminal with the transmission request, and the transmission means transmits the shared file according to the storage position transmitted from the transmission request means.
In the cooperative work support system of the present invention, the shared file storage means stores the storage position of the shared file specified by the specification means, and the transmission means transmits the requested shared file according to the storage position of the shared file in the shared file storage means.
In the cooperative work support system of the present invention, the information stored in the shared file information storage means includes a sharing time of the shared file, and each terminal comprises: a time determination means for determining the sharing time of each shared file stored in the shared file information storage means after the cooperative work execution means terminates a process; an information determination means for determining the other information of the shared file when it is determined that the sharing time of the shared file is temporary; a first deleting means for deleting the information of the shared file from the shared file information storage means when the information determination means determines that the other information indicates a predetermined first value; and a second deleting means for deleting the information of the shared file from the shared file information storage means and for deleting the shared file from the shared file storage means when the information determination means determines that the other information indicates a predetermined second value.
The terminals in the cooperative work support system have shared file storage means for storing the shared file. Even when the shared file exists in the other terminals, the shared file is transmitted, so that the cooperative work execution means can utilize the shared file within the terminal. Therefore, the cooperative work support system of the embodiment pr

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