Patent ID: 8230348
Filing Date: 2012-07-24
Classification: G06F,G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer system for storage, sharing and synchronization of data between a plurality of users, comprising: a plurality of content data items electronically stored on a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium in a central memory; a plurality of electronic folders stored in the central memory, each folder being configured to contain content data items and/or contain child folders in a multi-level hierarchical structure; associations stored in the central memory, the associations placing each of the plurality of content data items into at least one folder, wherein each content data item of the content data items may be associated directly into each of the plurality of folders; a server logically programmed for accessing the central memory and providing selected access to the plurality of folders and the content data items associated in the plurality of folders; and a viewer on each of a plurality of peripheral computers, each viewer providing user identification information identifying a user to the server; wherein the server, using the user identification information, provides viewer access to folders and to content data items in the multi-level hierarchical structure falling within at least one top level folder with access granted to that user, wherein multiple users can have simultaneous, synchronized access to a same folder, and such that new associations for existing folders or existing content data items can newly grant access to existing content data items for additional users; wherein any user with access to a content data item can change a content of that content data item; wherein any user can change parts of the multi-level hierarchical structure to which that user has access; wherein changes made by an initiating user to a content data item or to a part of the multi-level hierarchical structure are transmitted as a primary change message from a viewer of the initiating user to the server; wherein the server acts automatically on the primary change message by changing the content data item the initiating user made changes to, the associations, and/or the multi-level hierarchical structure in accordance with the primary change message; wherein the server sends a change advice message to all users logged on to the system and with access to the changed content data item or the changed part of the multi-level hierarchical structure, the change advice message notifying the users logged on to the system that the change has been made; and wherein each primary change message and each change advice message identifies which content data item or part of the multi-level hierarchical structure has been changed and what the specific change was without containing the entire data for the changed content data item or the entire multi-level hierarchical structure.