Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer conferencing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-06
2001-01-30
Rinehart, Mark H. (Department: 2758)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer conferencing
C709S211000, C709S225000, C340S870030, C710S200000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182115
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to computer software, and in particular to a method and system for enabling multiple users in a networked environment to edit a common text string. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system by which applications can select appropriate locking, update, and unlocking semantics for a shared data string.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Real-time remote collaboration is becoming increasingly important in both business and education environments. For example, collaboration can support remote Help Desks over the Web (e.g. a customer can receive assistance from a bank officer to fill out a loan application), distance learning (e.g. students can see a lecture being given remotely and can ask the instructor questions), and business applications (e.g. collaborative word processing, document review, etc.).
In advanced collaborative applications, it is necessary to share information among multiple users. Each user needs to be able to see the current state of shared information. Moreover, each user should be able to manipulate and change this shared information. Finally, manipulation should occur in a controlled way, in order to prevent information corruption from simultaneous access.
Existing collaboration systems limit the application programmer to a single set of locking, update, and unlocking semantics. For example, one known system provides implicit locks based on which user currently has keyboard focus on the application; the user relinquishes the lock by releasing application focus. In this system, every keystroke generates an update event to other participants in the collaboration. Applications have no way to change the locking behavior or to cause string update events to be sent less frequently.
In general, it is preferable for an application to have the capability to allow any one of a variety of locking behaviors and to allow different locking behaviors for different elements of shared text. For example, whereas one string may be associated with an implicit lock (granted when the user gives that string focus), another string may have an explicit lock (granted when the user takes some particular action such as clicking on a “lock” button), while yet another string may have a deferred lock (granted only when the user attempts to update the string). A similar range of possibilities is available for string update events and for unlocking the string.
Therefore, there exists a need to provide the application developer with a system for integrating a wide range of locking, unlocking, and updating strategies for shared data. Moreover, such a system should allow the developer to assign different semantics to each element of shared data in an application.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide, within a networked environment, a method for selecting and customizing a locking semantic for an element of shared data.
Another object of the present invention is to provide, within a networked environment, a method for selecting and customizing an unlocking semantic for an element of shared data.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide, within a networked environment, a method for selecting and customizing an update semantic for an element of shared data.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a unified mechanism for supporting customization of the behavior of a shared data element.
To achieve the foregoing objects and in accordance with the purpose of the invention as broadly described herein, a method and system are disclosed for defining a shared string with application-selectable locking, unlocking, and update behavior. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings.
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Cuomo Gennaro A.
Fraenkel Michael L.
Greco Carmine Fred
Nguyen Binh Q.
Singhal Sandeep K.
Clay A.. Bruce
International Business Machines Corp.
Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec P.A.
Rinehart Mark H.
Willett Stephan
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