Patent ID: 6711718
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for editing a printed circuit board (PCB) master design during an editing session throughout which each of first and second users may edit exclusive sub-portions of a PCB master design portion and view edits made to the PCB master design portion by the other of the first and second users during the editing session, comprising:transmitting the PCB master design portion to the first and second users at respective first and second clients for graphical display on each of said clients, the PCB master design portion including first and second exclusive sub-portions, the graphical displays on each of said clients including representations of PCB artwork corresponding to both the first and second exclusive sub-portions; receiving edit requests from the first and second clients during the editing session; determining if edit requests from the first client conflict with edit requests from the second client; accepting requests from the first client to edit the first exclusive sub-portion; accepting requests from the second client to edit the second exclusive sub-portion; rejecting requests from the first client to edit the second exclusive sub-portion; rejecting requests from the second client to edit the first exclusive sub-portion; rejecting a request from the first client to edit the first exclusive sub-portion based on a conflict with a request from the second client to edit the second exclusive sub-portion; and transmitting synchronization data to the first and second clients, the synchronization data permitting update of the graphical displays on each of the first and second clients during the editing session to reflect application of the accepted edit requests to the respective first and second exclusive sub-portions.