Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Distributed data processing
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-15
2001-05-15
Najjar, Saleh (Department: 2758)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Distributed data processing
C709S205000, C709S217000, C709S219000, C709S248000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06233600
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to networked systems and, more particularly, to systems and methods for providing a collaborative work environment over a network.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The world wide network of computers commonly known as the “Internet” has grown rapidly over the last several years. Much of this growth has been driven by the increase in popularity of the World Wide Web (“WWW” or “Web”). The WWW is a collection of files written using HyperText Markup Language (HTML), commonly referred to as “Web pages.” HTML files may be easily configured and created by users and accessed and displayed using specialized applications known as Web browsers, which allow a user to access and view HTML files using a graphical user interface.
Servers hosting HTML files can communicate using the HyperText Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”). HTTP is a communication protocol that provides user access to files (which can be in different formats such as text, graphics, images, sound, video, etc.) written using the HTML page description language. HTML provides basic document formatting functions and allows the developer of the HTML page to specify communication links to other servers and files. Use of an HTML-compliant browser on a client workstation involves specification of a link via a Uniform Resource Locator address or “URL”. Upon such specification, the browser makes a “TCP/IP” request to the server address identified by the link and receives a Web page in return. The browser executing on the client workstation interprets the HTML file that it has received and displays the Web page to the user of the client workstation.
The browser renders the Web page by interpreting HTML tags, which are embedded control information that indicates to a browser when certain action should be taken. For example, a tag may indicate to the browser: (1) that a graphics file should be retrieved and displayed at a particular location on the screen; (2) that the text following the HTML tag should be centered, bolded, or otherwise formatted; (3) that the background of the Web page should be shaded or have a particular pattern; or (4) that a different HTML file should be loaded and displayed in place of the HTML the file the browser in currently displaying.
The relative ease with which information may be collected, organized, and displayed to users throughout the world has made HTML files a popular way of disseminating information in a networked environment. For example, a broad range of companies now use internal collections of HTML files, which are commonly known as “Intranets.” However, while HTML files excel at displaying and disseminating information to one or more groups of networked users, they do not allow a group of users to collaboratively share information in order to work on a common project. For example, although a collection of HTML files may allow separate users to publish information for consumption by one or more other members of a project team, such a collection of files does not does not facilitate a two-way exchange of information and project data between team members. For example, a team member viewing another team member's HTML file cannot add new comments or files to the file being viewed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods and systems for providing a networked, collaborative work environment. In particular, the systems and methods described below allow a group of users to share work and files, engage in discussions related to a common project, and otherwise collaborate. For example, users interact with Web browsers executing on their client workstations to access Web pages that allow them to: participate in ongoing discussions; create new discussions about project topics; upload files to a common area associated with the Web page; download files and edit files that have been uploaded to the Web page by others members of the project team; and create new pages of various types and link them to existing ones. Thus, the disclosed systems and methods allow a set of geographically or corporately separate users to participate on a common project. In addition, the systems and methods of the present invention allow one or more of the users that are authorized to use the set of Web pages representing the common project to enable other users to access the Web page, that is, to allow those users to add new members to the team.
In one aspect, the present invention relates to a method for locally generating HTML pages for display which includes the steps of: receiving data associated with a project via a network; storing the received project data in a database; retrieving an HTML file from a memory element; and using the stored, received data in conjunction with the retrieved HTML file to render an HTML page for display to the user of a client workstation. In some embodiments, the databases are ODBC-compliant.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a system for allowing user to collaborate on a shared project using an HTML file server. A project database is stored on the HTML file server and contains information related to the shared project. Each client workstation locally stores a subset database which includes information related to the project which is relevant to that user's effort on the project. A plurality of HTML files is used in connection with the stored project information to render HTML pages for display to the user.
In still another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for providing a collaborative workspace which allows users to perform work on a shared project. A file request is received from a client workstation. An application capable of viewing the file is invoked. If the file was modified then it is transmitted to the server. In some embodiments, the modified file is transmitted using HTTP.
In still another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for transmitting files from a client workstation executing a network browser to a server which includes the steps of selecting a file to be transferred and dragging the selected file onto the browser application.
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Beir Jeffrey
Crowley Patrick
Dennie Andy
Finnegan Neal
Kleppner Paul
eRoom Technology, Inc.
Najjar Saleh
Testa Hurwitz & Thibeault LLP
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