Patent ID: 6757871
Filing Date: 2004-06-29
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A common document editing apparatus, comprising:a document storing unit which stores a common document shared by a plurality of users including first and second users; a lock information managing unit which issues an exclusive edition right permitting editing of the common document in response to a request by the first user, wherein the exclusive edition right is identified by lock information, which is associated with the common document to be edited by the first user; a lock information storing unit which stores the lock information specifying the issued exclusive edition right and the common document; and an unlocked lock information storing unit; wherein the lock information managing unit permits overwriting of the common document stored in the document storing unit with the edited common document when the lock information associated with the edited common document is identical to the lock information stored in the lock information storing unit; and wherein the lock information managing unit forcibly cancels the issued exclusive edition right at the request of the second user, transfers the lock information of the forcibly canceled exclusive edition right from the lock information storing unit to the unlocked lock information storing unit, and performs overwriting of the common document with the edited common document in the document storing unit if the lock information associated with the edited common document is identical to the lock information transferred to the unlocked lock information storing unit and if the edited common document is requested to be stored before the second user requests a second exclusive edition right for the common document.