Patent ID: 7249314
Filing Date: 2007-07-24
Classification: G06F,G06Q

Abstract:
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: (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: (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.