U.S. patent application number 11/732496 was filed with the patent office on 2008-04-17 for method and apparatus for information exchange over a web based environment.
This patent application is currently assigned to STT WebOS, Inc.. Invention is credited to Sheng Tai Tsao.
Application Number | 20080091761 11/732496 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46328636 |
Filed Date | 2008-04-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080091761 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tsao; Sheng Tai |
April 17, 2008 |
Method and apparatus for information exchange over a web based
environment
Abstract
With the ever increasing size and the explorative growth of
digital document and content, the traditional electronic
information exchanging tool such as email and instant message,
web-meeting etc. can not fully satisfy massive user's needs. With
the development of central controlled distributed scalable virtual
machine (CCDSVM) and the web-based computer user working
(operating) environment (WCUWE), the problems mentioned above can
be easily solved by introduce a common "dynamic work space"
technology of this invention within frame work of CCDSVM and WCUWE.
With "dynamic work space" technology, user can use conventional
browser to instantly post or un-post messages, digital documents or
contents or said resources without install specialized software,
without size limitation, with security, and further to obtain
capability of anywhere and anytime peer-to-peer exchanging
information within organized user-group or in one-to-one fashion.
In addition, WCUWE of CCDSVM provides each user a private work
space and each group a common work space under the dynamic work
space umbrella, therefore, WCUWE provide users of CCDSVM a safe
secure infrastructure hierarchy for users or group of users to
efficiently manage, sharing, and access the right information in
time anywhere on the network.
Inventors: |
Tsao; Sheng Tai; (San Jose,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JAMES M. WU, Esq.;ORION LAW GROUP
Suite 820
84 West Santa Clara Street
San Jose
CA
95113
US
|
Assignee: |
STT WebOS, Inc.
San Jose
CA
|
Family ID: |
46328636 |
Appl. No.: |
11/732496 |
Filed: |
April 2, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10713904 |
Aug 6, 2002 |
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11732496 |
Apr 2, 2007 |
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10713905 |
Aug 12, 2002 |
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11732496 |
Apr 2, 2007 |
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60787653 |
Mar 31, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
709/201 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/0482 20130101;
G06F 9/526 20130101; H04L 41/5054 20130101; H04L 41/0253 20130101;
H04L 41/0879 20130101; H04L 67/10 20130101; G06F 9/54 20130101;
H04L 41/0806 20130101; H04L 67/02 20130101; G06F 2209/541 20130101;
H04L 51/04 20130101; H04L 67/1095 20130101; H04L 41/22
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/201 |
International
Class: |
G06F 15/16 20060101
G06F015/16 |
Claims
1. A web-based central controlled distributed virtual machine
("CCDSVM") for providing dynamic work space for users in groups
performing tasks of post or un-post their messages, files, folders
and other resources in said CCDSVM to one or more audiences on a
network, said CCDSVM comprises: a control system configured to
provisioned one or more provisioned systems connected through a
communication network; at least one client system coupled to said
control system and coupled to said communication network; at least
one console system coupled to said client system and configured to
connect to said communication network; and wherein said control
system includes console support software, which is configured to
provide one or more login users from a web-browser of any system
over said communication network with instant performance of posting
or un-posting messages or files or folders or system resources
information on said control system or on said provisioned system
with group based model or non-group 1-to-1 model to one or more
audiences across said communication network.
2. The CCDSVM of claim 1, wherein said control system, said
provisioned systems, said client system, and said console system
are computational systems, wherein each said computational system
includes a CPU, a network connecting media, wireless cards, a
storage media of memory, disk drives, tape drives, and memory
stick; and wherein said computational systems are server, desktop,
laptop, handheld devices, and cell phone.
3. The CCDSVM of claim 1, wherein said communication network is
Internet, or Intranet or local area network ("LAN") or a
combination of Internet, Intranet, and LAN, and further includes
switches, routers, various cables, network connecting media, domain
name services ("DNS"), gateways, communication protocols, or
firewalls; and wherein said communication protocols employed by
said communication network includes HTML/HTTP, TCP/IP, WML/WAP, or
proprietary based protocols.
4. The CCDSVM of claim 1, wherein said control system is configured
to include web-server software, console support software, and
web-browser software; wherein said provisioned system includes
service software modules, web-browser, and web-server software,
wherein said service software modules are configured to transmit
data between said provisioned system and said console support
software; wherein said console support software is configured to
provision said provisioning systems through an automatic
provisioning protocol, wherein information relating to said
provisioned systems is organized into a list of tables stored in
said control system after provisioning process, and said console
support software further configured to communicate and manage said
provisioned systems, said console support software coupled to said
web interface software for transmitting data between said console
support software and a web-browser of any system visaid web-server
software over said communication network; wherein said console
support software, service software, web-server software, and
web-browser are implemented by C, C++, Java, or JavaScript
programming language; and wherein said console support software,
web-server software modules, service software modules are coupled
and create a web-based computer user work environment
("WCUWE").
5. The CCDSVM of claim 1, wherein said console support software
includes said web-browser for displaying web-pages to users;
wherein each of said web-pages is encoded with HTML, XML, or WML;
and wherein said web-browser is capable of transmitting tasks of
posting objects or un-posting objects to said control system.
6. The CCDSVM of claim 1, wherein each of said users is registered
with console support software, wherein said control system verifies
authentications of said users and assigns a private work space for
each of said users; wherein said private work space is assigned
with various system resources on control system or on provisioned
system; wherein said console support software is configured to
facilitate a login CCDSVM authentication process for each of said
users via a web-based communication network, wherein said console
support software is further configured to provide authenticated
users with web-pages displaying their private work spaces, wherein
said console support software allows said users to perform various
permitted tasks within said private work space.
7. The CCDSVM of claim 6, wherein said tasks include posting
messages, un-posting messages, posting files, posting folders,
system management, folder management, file management, network
management, storage device management, and authentication
management; wherein said assigned resources include system-groups
over said communication network, provisioned systems, control
system, and associated information, wherein said associated
information includes one or more piece of memory, CPU, storage
media of disk drives or RAID or memory stick or tape drives,
storage volumes on disks, file systems, folders, sub-folders, files
in any folder, messages, and user security profile, groups, user's
specific access location/point, email addresses, network
information of network interface cards or ports, DNS, gateway, or
broadcast; wherein resources associated with displayed private work
space of each login user are dynamically assigned by a privileged
user thereby allowing said login user to view assigned resources;
and wherein said login user may permit to change said assigned
resources and said tasks in response to security permission
assigned to said login user.
8. The CCDSVM of claim 1, wherein if said users who perform tasks
of posting or un-posting messages or file or folder or said
resources to said one or multiple audience on said communication
network and at least one or more audiences are in same user-group
as said user with, said communication model is group based model,
wherein if said user who perform said tasks of posting or
un-posting messages or file or folder or said resources to only one
said audience, wherein said one audience has a registered account
with said CCDSVM, wherein said communication model is non-group
based 1-to-1 model; and wherein said audience on said communication
network is a user having an account with said CCDSVM, wherein said
massive users do not have registered accounts with said CCDSMV.
9. The CCDSVM of claim 1, wherein if said user communicate to said
audience with group based model, said user configured to be
assigned to a group account of said CCDSVM; wherein said group
account is created by privileged users of said CCDSVM; wherein said
console support software assigns a common work space to each group
account during group creation time; wherein said common work space
is initially assigned with said resources based on security scope
and permission of said group; and wherein said resources of said
common work space is dynamically assigned to authorized users.
10. A method of supporting multiple users in multiple groups, each
from a web-browser of any systems on network to instantly perform
tasks of posting or un-posting information of private files,
folders, messages, or resources of each original user to/from
common work space of each targeted groups, or to/from private work
space of peer-user in a CCDSVM environment, the method comprises:
providing privileged users of CCDSVM login to CCDSVM from a
web-browser of a system to perform tasks of creating group or user
accounts; assigning said users to one or more specific groups, and
assigning associated passwords, security privileges, initial
resources either on control system or provisioned systems, and
related information to each said user or group; providing automatic
storing information of created user/group into storage media on
control system as user account profile; providing validation of one
or more said users to login CCDSVM each from said web-browser;
providing each validated user a dynamic private work space and
associated group a dynamic common work space by dynamically
retrieving and converting said assigned resources and information
into presentable web-format (web-page) to be displayed in
web-browser of each validated user; providing each validated users
from said web-browser on any system to instantly concurrently
perform tasks of posting or un-posting messages or information of
files, folders, or said resources stored in said private work space
of validated user to/from said common work space of each targeted
groups, or to or from private work space of each targeted peer-user
through operation menu associated with group based model or 1-to-1
model; obtaining and parsing related task information transmitted
from each said user's browser, wherein said task information
includes operation types, original users, type of resources to be
posted or un-posted, targeted user, and time stamps; executing
special designed posting or un-posting tasks, and setting up
results of tasks into each targeted user's private work space, or
into each targeted group's common work space; converting said
results of tasks into presentable web-format (web-page) to be
displayed in each targeted peer users' web-browser; and providing
automatic refreshing to said web-browser of said each targeted peer
user to update new information of said file, folder, messages and
said resources.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein said providing privileged users
of CCDSVM login to CCDSVM from a web-browser of a system to perform
tasks of creating group or user accounts further includes: creating
distinguished account type for each said user and group and
assigning with different resources; assigning same group
identification ("ID") to said users in same group and groups,
wherein a group may have at least one user up to maximum number of
users the console support software has supported, wherein said
security privilege includes which user can access what resource and
perform what kind of tasks on what system; said task information of
creating user and groups transmitted from said web-browser of any
system to said console support software of said control system, and
said user and group account information automatically stored into
storage media in a form of database on said control system upon
console support software executing said task; and said storage
media being memory or disk or both.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein said providing privileged users
of CCDSVM login to CCDSVM from a web-browser of a system to perform
tasks of creating group or user accounts further includes: if said
assigned resource of a user or group being a private folder of said
user, said user permitted to perform tasks of creating or deleting
sub-folder, deleting files, posting or un-posting file and folder,
upload or download, renaming files and folder, copying or moving
file or sub-folder in or out between said private folder and
folders on permitted systems, which includes control system,
provisioned systems, and non-provisioned system; if said permitted
system provisioned system, said console support software of control
system working together with service software modules of
provisioned system to provide user a method to directly copy or
move folders or files between the folders of permitted system and
the assigned private folder area of private work space on either
control system or on provisional system without size limitation;
and said console support software provided said users to directly
upload files from user's local storage on said client system, or on
provisioned system, or on console system to the user's assigned
private folder area of private work space on either control system
or on provisional system without size limitation.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein said assigning said users to
one or more specific groups, and assigning associated passwords,
security privileges, initial resources either on control system or
provisioned systems, and related information to each said user or
group: said user login validation including the validation of user
account name, password, permitted access point (from what system
with what IP address), and related information against counter part
information stored in said user account profile; said presentable
web-format may encoded with HTML, XML, or WML and transmitted
between to web-browser of any system and said control system via
communication link; said encoded presentable web-format including
one or more pieces of run-time code to be run in web-browser and
such run-time code implemented with JavaScript; and the choice of
selecting said web-format depending on the communication link and
the associated protocol of communication line between the control
system and the system wherein said web-browser resides on and said
associated protocol is HTTP, SOAP, or WAP.
14. The method of claim 10, said assigning said users to one or
more specific groups, and assigning associated passwords, security
privileges, initial resources either on control system or
provisioned systems, and related information to each said user or
group: said privileged user instantly assigning a resource to a
general user or group for accessing or instantly withdrawing the
previously assign a resource from said general user or group in
real-time; said user's private work space being a per user dynamic
work environment, which dynamically includes various permitted
assigned information of said resources and allows each user to
perform various task over said resources; said resources of private
work space including private message area and file and folder area,
network or storage information area; said group's common work space
being a per group dynamic work environment, which also dynamically
includes various said permitted resources and allows each users in
same group to perform various task; said resources of common work
space including group common message area, file and folder area,
network or storage information area; said resources being
dynamically retrieved from said database stored on said storage
media and to be converted to presentable web-format and to be
displayed in each user's web-browser depending on the needs; with
security permission, said user in a group moving information back
and forth between user's private work space and group's common work
space; and said console support software of control system
organizing said work space of each group and user into a dynamic
work space of said WCUWE of CCDSVM.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein said providing automatic
storing information of created user/group into storage media on
control system as user account profile includes: to support posting
or un-posting messages, the web-page provided by said console
support software containing a messages input area section and a
messages display section; to support posting or un-posting file or
folder, the web-page provided by said console support software
containing a file and folder management section, which is either
graphically displayed as a file and folder tree or non-graphically
displayed and has an associated operation menu; and the web-page
including a displaying posted files and folders section for said
group based model only, and to support posting or un-posting said
resource information, the web-page provided by said console support
software containing said sections to display various different type
of resources information, which is information of storage devices,
network cards or IP address, CPU status or memory usages on a
system of CCDSVM.
16. The method of claim 15, further including: to support said
group based model, said message display section displaying messages
in common message area of common work space of said group for all
posted messages by users in the same groups; to support said 1-to-1
model, said message display section displaying messages in private
message area of private work space of each peer user for all posted
messages by both original user and peer user; and said message
display section including an additional input field to indicate a
targeted peer user; and said message displaying area associated
with an operation menu.
17. The method of 15, further including: to support said group
based model, said displaying posted files and folders section
displaying files and folders in common file and folder area of
common work space of said group for all posted files or folders
from users in said group; and to support said 1-to-1 model, said
file and folder management section displaying file and folder tree
containing the files or folders of private file and folder area of
private work space of said user, which includes the files or
folders posted by said peer user in addition to the files and
folders belong to the original user; an operation menu associated
with said file and folder management section.
18. The method of claim 10, said providing automatic storing
information of created user/group into storage media on control
system as user account profile further includes: to post a message,
said user typing a message in said message input area section and
clicking an associated submitting button to submit the task of
posing a message or with a equivalent submitting method to send the
task of posing a message from said web-browser on said any system
to said console support software of said control system; to post a
file or folder, said user selecting a file or folder from said file
and folder tree in said file and folder management section, and
then selecting and clicking on a posting operation from said
operation menu to submit the posting task from said web-browser on
said any system to said console support software of said control
system; and with 1-to-1 model, said user providing a targeted user
in responding to a pop-up prompt provided by said designated
run-time script encoded in said web-page; and said system being
said client system, console system or control system.
19. The method of claim 10, wherein providing automatic storing
information of created user/group into storage media on control
system as user account profile includes: to un-post a message, if
it is permitted; said user selecting a targeted message in said
message display section, and then selecting and clicking on
un-posting operation from said operation menu to submit the task of
un-posting a message from said web-browser on said any system to
said console support software of said control system; and to
un-posting a file or folder for both said model, said user
selecting a previously posted file or folder from the file and
folder tree in said displayed file and folder management section
and then selecting and clicking on un-posting operation from said
operation menu to submit the task of un-posting a file or folder
from said web-browser on said any system to said console support
software of said control system; and with 1-to-1 model, said user
providing a targeted user to response to a pop-up prompt provided
by said designated run-time script encoded in said web-page.
20. The method of claim 19, further includes: said console support
software providing said an alternative method for group based model
of un-posting a file or folder; said alternative method providing
an operation menu to said displaying posted files and folders
section in said web-page for said group based model; and if it is
permitted, said user selecting a previously posted file or folder,
regardless belong to which user, from said displaying posted files
and folders section, and then selecting and clicking on un-post
operation from operation menu to submit un-posting task from said
browser to console support software of control system.
21. The method of claim 19 further includes: said console support
software providing a special personal share management section on a
web-page for 1-to-1 model to list all previously posted files or
folders belong to the original user, and providing an operation
menu to allow said original user performing said tasks of
un-posting file or folder; and said special section containing and
displaying all previously posted files and folders along with
associated information of who is the targeted user, which system
the targeted user logging in from, when said file or folder
posted.
22. The method of claim 15, further includes: said displayed file
and folder tree displayed in file and folder management section of
said web-browser being dynamically updated along with the permitted
selection of the file or folder for posting operation by said user
from their web-browser; and said file and folder tree being
designed with multiple layers for displaying and operating the
entire underneath file system for browser base management.
23. The method of claim 10, wherein said providing automatic
storing information of created user/group into storage media on
control system as user account profile includes: said console
support software of control system providing designed operation
menu associated with resources being a pop-up menu or a non-pop-up
menu, and displayable on each user's web-browser; said operation
menu for file and folder management including tasks of rename,
copy/past, delete, move, upload, and download; and said operation
menu for operating said resources being provided with corresponding
operation menu depending on the needs.
24. The method of claim 10, wherein providing automatic storing
information of created user/group into storage media on control
system as user account profile includes: the screen layout of said
web-page provided by said console support software being depending
on applications and communication model of this invention without
limitation; a group based online meeting including four sections in
said web-page; said message input area section, said group message
display section, said displayed file and folder tree management
section of user's private work space, and said displayed section of
files and folders in group common work space, which contains files
or folder posted by users in same group; a group based online
meeting including two sections in said web-page; said message input
area section, and said group message display section; a group based
online meeting including two sections in said web-page; said
displayed file and folder tree management section of user's private
work space, and said displayed section of files and folders in
group common work space, which contains files or folder posted by
users in same group; a non-group based 1-to-1 meeting could
including three sections; said message input area section, said
message display section for messages from both 1-to-1 party, and
said displayed file and folder tree management section of user's
private work space, which includes files or folders posted/shared
from peer users in addition to files and folders belong to the
original user; a non-group based 1-to-1 meeting including four
sections; said message input area section, said message display
section for messages from both 1-to-1 party, and said displayed
file and folder tree management section of user's private work
space, which includes files or folders posted/shared from peer
users in addition to files and folders belong to the original user,
and said special personal share management section; a non-group
based 1-to-1 meeting including only two sections; said message
input area section, and said message display section for messages
from both 1-1 party; a non-group based 1-to-1 meeting including
only two sections; said displayed file and folder tree management
section and said personal share management section; a model of
dynamic posting or un-posting messages or file or folders by users
in a group to each web-browser of massive Internet or Intranet
online un-registered users having two web-pages, one for users in
said group and another for said massive un-registered users; the
first said web-page for said massive user containing one section of
either said message display section or said displayed files and
folders section of common file and folder area of common work space
of said group; said first web-page containing two sections of said
message display section and said displayed files or folders
section; the second said web-page for said users in said group
containing said four sections to instantly post or un-post
messages, files or folders, instantly posting or un-posting
messages, or files and folders; and with each communication model,
said participating users getting and viewing a same web-page with
identical number of screen sections layout; and getting an
identical contents view on message display section and on file and
folder display section for said common work space of said group if
said user participating group based model of communication; each
user getting an unique view on said file and folder management
section, which contains file and folders in their own private work
space.
25. The method of claim 10, wherein providing each validated user a
dynamic private work space and associated group a dynamic common
work space by dynamically retrieving and converting said assigned
resources and information into presentable web-format (web-page) to
be displayed in web-browser of each validated user further
includes: said console support software of control system executing
said posting or un-posting tasks based on obtained and parsed
information with following rules, (1) if said original user posts
information of private files or folders in user private work space
to targeted users in the same group, the information of said file
or folder is deposited to the file and folder area of group common
work space of designated group; (2) if said user try to un-posting
previously posted files or folders in a group common work space,
said console support software searching a matched file or folder in
said common file and folder area of group common work space based
original user and information of file or folder, if there is a
match, the matched entry is deleted from said group common work
space; (3) if said original user posts files or folders in his/her
private work space to a targeted user with said 1-to-1 model, said
information of files or folders of said user deposited to the file
and folder area of private work space of targeted user; (4) if said
user un-posts a previous posted file or folder for targeted user
with said 1-to-1 model, said console support software searches a
matched file or folder in said private file and folder area of
targeted user's private work space based information of original
user and information of file or folder, if there is a match, the
matched entry is deleted from said targeted user's private work
space; (5) if said user posts a message to multiple users in the
same group, said message will be deposited to the common message
area of targeted group's common work space; (6) if said user posts
a message to a targeted users with said non-group based 1-to-1
model, said message is deposited to the private message area of
private work space of targeted user; (7) if said user un-posts a
message in group based communication, said console support software
searches a matched message with information of original user,
message identification and time stamp in said common message area
of a group, if a match is found, the corresponding entry is deleted
from the common message area of targeted group's common work space;
and (8) if said user un-posts message in said non-group based
1-to-1 communication, said console support software search a
matched message with information of original user, message
identification, and time stamp in said private message area of
targeted user's private work space, if a match is found, the
corresponding entry is deleted from the private message area of
targeted user's private work space.
26. The method of claim 25 further includes: said console support
software of control system executing each task of posting or
un-posting file or folder or messages or any said resources
initiated by multiple said users concurrently in memory speed; and
during said depositing information of file or folder or depositing
a message to said any work space, a lock mechanism deployed to
protect the integrity of task operation.
27. The method of claim 25, further includes: said console support
software of control system also providing privileged user to
perform tasks of saving messages in either said group common
message area or in said private message area by write messages into
either a record file or text file on external storage media such as
disk; said records in record file containing message identification
number, the original user, the targeted user and the message its
self; said console support software also providing privileged user
to perform task of resetting said message area in either group
common work space or said user private work space by emptying said
message area.
28. The method of claim 10, wherein providing each validated users
from said web-browser on any system to instantly concurrently
perform tasks of posting or un-posting messages or information of
files, folders, or said resources stored in said private work space
of validated user to/from said common work space of each targeted
groups, or to or from private work space of each targeted peer-user
through operation menu associated with group based model or 1-to-1
model includes: a designated said run-time code encoded in said
web-page setting up and periodically initiating the task of said
automatic refreshing web-page of said web-browser of each user; the
rate of periodically auto refreshing said web-browser adjusted by
said console support software depends on the needs of
communication; and each said user also manually refreshing said
web-page by clicking on a designed refreshing button to submit the
task.
29. The method of claim 10, wherein providing each validated users
from said web-browser on any system to instantly concurrently
perform tasks of posting or un-posting messages or information of
files, folders, or said resources stored in said private work space
of validated user to/from said common work space of each targeted
groups, or to or from private work space of each targeted peer-user
through operation menu associated with group based model or 1-to-1
model further includes: upon receiving task/request of refreshing
web-page/web-browser, said console support software obtaining and
parsing the requested task to determine which user, which browser,
and which section of browser need to be refreshed, and what
information need to be update; and based on parsed information,
said console support software retrieved corresponding information
either from said user's private work space or group's common work
space, and further converting said information into said
presentable web-format, and finally transmit the converted new
web-page back to the corresponding sections of said browser for
displaying.
30. The method of claim 10, wherein providing each validated users
from said web-browser on any system to instantly concurrently
perform tasks of posting or un-posting messages or information of
files, folders, or said resources stored in said private work space
of validated user to/from said common work space of each targeted
groups, or to or from private work space of each targeted peer-user
through operation menu associated with group based model or 1-to-1
model further includes: in both said group based communication or
non-group based 1-to-1 communication model, each user seeing files
(digital documents and contents) posted by each peer user, each
user retrieving files posted by peer users to realize the
exchanging files between communication party with conventional
web-browser and without size limitation.
31. The method of claim 10, further include: said console support
software providing each said users a center view for personal share
control and further to effectively control the massive previously
posted file or folder during 1-to-1 communication; said user
conveniently selecting a previously posted file or folder and
further to perform un-posting task via an operation menu.
32. The method of claim 10, further includes: with said different
security permission hierarchy imposed on various users and groups,
said console support software providing a leader in a work team to
post one or more folders without entering group online meeting
model, and to be access by all members in a team while do not
permit other individual member to do the similar task; each team
member still having privilege to perform non-group based 1-to-1
posting or un-posting operation and sharing for files and folders;
and said privileged user dynamically setting each user's security
permission and roles in real-time, and therefore, the each users in
said team having a changed scope and view of resource for access
when their roles are changed.
33. The method of claim 10, further includes: said division of each
user's private work space and each group's common work space
provided by said WCUWE of CCDSVM enforcing security protection for
each user and each group of users to perform posting or un-posting
or said tasks concurrently without interfering with each other; and
letting each user or group of users to securely work together and
sharing each other throughout the universe of Intranet, Intranet,
and LAN.
34. The method of claim 24, further includes: said rich resources
information assigned by WCUWE of CCDSVM and contained in each
users' private user work space or group common work space providing
displaying and sharing information with various web-page layout to
satisfy various applications; and combining said rich resources
information and each user's ability of performing concurrent
multi-tasks from a single web-browser on any system provided by
WCUWE, user can perform various tasks over network, storage, system
monitoring and so on far beyond the file or folder or message's
post and un-post operation over CCDSVM.
35. A method of web based information exchange, comprising:
receiving a first posting request from a first user resided across
an Internet; identifying a first posting object in response to said
posting request and posting requirements associated with said first
posting request; determining a first group in which said first user
is a member; obtaining a list users within said first group from a
local storage device; generating a first web page including said
posting object; and providing said first web page to users of said
first group via users' systems through the Internet; and monitoring
said first web page and determining whether any of said users have
access said web page.
36. The method of claim 35, further comprising: receiving a second
posting request from a second user resided across an Internet;
identifying a second posting object in response to said second
posting request and posting requirements associated with said
second posting request; generating a second web page including said
second posting object; un-posting said first web page; providing
said second web page to users of said first group via users'
systems through the Internet; and monitoring said second web page
and determining whether any of said users have access said second
web page.
Description
PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based upon
U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/787,653, filed on
Mar. 31, 2006 in the name of the same inventor and entitled
"Instant Post Document and Messages to Users from Central
Controlled Distributed Scalable Virtual Machine," and this
application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/713,904, filed on Aug. 12, 2002 in the name
of the same inventor and entitled "Concurrent Web Based Multi-Task
Support for Control Management System," and is also a
continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
10/713,905, filed on Aug. 12, 2002 in the name of the same inventor
and entitled "Method and Apparatus for Web-based Storage On
Demand."
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention generally relates to communications
network. More specifically, the present invention relates to web
based communications system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] With increasing popularity of using the Internet and World
Wide Web ("the Web") for the rapidly changing digital world,
individuals as well as enterprises, exchange (or swap) large
volumes of information through the Web. The demand for larger and
faster information exchange has increasingly grown in recent years.
For example, various business meetings and conferences are
conducted over the Web with attendees scattered around the world.
To enhance the communication between the meeting attendees, not
only voice (and/or image) information is important, but also
information exchange can be critical.
[0004] Fast, volume, and secure information exchange is important
in enhancing the efficiency of a communications network. A problem
associated with a conventional network is limited size and speed.
For example, a typical email system limits the size of each email,
such as 10 megabytes, thereby a reasonable speed of delivery of
such email can be achieved. Another problem associated with a
conventional network is that various hosts require software
installation before a user can use their platform. For example,
Skype.TM. requires users to install its proprietary software on the
user's systems before it allows them to use its platform.
[0005] Accordingly, there is a need in the art to provide a faster,
more secure, volume information exchange over the Web.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for
information exchange over a web environment.
[0007] With the development of central controlled distributed
scalable virtual machine (CCDSVM) and the web-based computer user
working (operating) environment (WCUWE), the problems mentioned in
the previous section can easily be solved by introducing a "dynamic
work space" technology of this invention within the frameworks of
CCDSVM and WCUWE.
[0008] With dynamic work space technology, one or more login users
of CCDSVM, each using a browser of any system and from anywhere,
can instantly perform tasks. For example, each user can post or
un-post messages, files, folders, or other resources on systems of
CCDSVM with group-based model or non-group 1-to-1 model to one or
more audiences on the network. This technology will also achieve
larger scales of secure information exchange without size
limitation and the installation of special software.
[0009] The implementation of this invention has provided users with
a web-browser based, 1-click system that is capable of securing
exchanges of messages, files, folders, or other information
resources on systems crossing network domains without size
limitation.
[0010] Additional features and benefits of the present invention
will become apparent from the detailed description, figures, and
claims set forth below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The present invention will be understood more fully from the
detailed description given below and from the accompanying drawings
of various embodiments of the invention, which, however, should not
be taken to limit the invention to the specific embodiments, but
are for explanation and understanding only.
[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a layout of a CCDSVM
with a central control management system and multiple provisioned
systems, client system and console system in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating a layout of a CCDSVM
with which users from their web-browser of provisioned system can
communicate with each other in accordance with another embodiment
of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 2B is a block diagram illustrating a layout of a CCSDVM
with only a single control management system to be accessed by
massive client systems in accordance with another embodiment of the
present invention;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a
software for a CCDSVM in accordance with one embodiment of the
present invention;
[0016] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a dynamic work space in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 4A illustrates an example of a resource which may be
assigned to a user-group common work space in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 4B illustrates an example of a user private work space
and possible assigned system resources in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of resource objectives on
systems in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0020] FIG. 6A illustrates an example of displaying a web-page with
4 sections in web-browser of user X in user-group-1 during an
interactive online meeting in accordance with one embodiment of the
present invention;
[0021] FIG. 6B illustrates an example of displaying a web-page with
4 sections in web-browser of user Y in user group-1 during
interactive online meeting in accordance with another embodiment of
the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 6C illustrates an example of displaying a web-page with
4 sections in web-browser of user X in user group-1 before
interactive online meeting in accordance with another embodiment of
the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 6D illustrates an example of displaying a web-page with
4 sections in web-browser of user Y in user group-1 before
interactive online meeting in accordance with another embodiment of
the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 6E illustrates an example of a displayed web-page that
each massive online user can access and view from each of their
browser without login to CCDSVM during said user X and user Y in
user-group-1 online meeting in accordance with another embodiment
of the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 7A illustrates one-to-one, peer-to-peer post or un-post
messages and folders of user X in accordance with one embodiment of
the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 7B illustrates one-to-one, peer-to-peer post or un-post
messages and folders of user Y in accordance with another
embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 8A is an example of a web-based graphic presentation
view of assigned resources in a user X's private work space in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 8B is an example of a web-based graphic presentation of
assigned resource in the private work space of user Y in accordance
with another embodiment of the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 8C is an example of a web-based graphic presentation
view of user Y's private work space after user X dynamically posted
and shared "folder 2" in user X's private space in accordance with
another embodiment of the present invention;
[0030] FIG. 9A is an example of a pop-up menu for folder in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
[0031] FIG. 9B is an example of a pop-up menu for file in
accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
[0032] FIG. 10A is an example of a non pop-up operation menu for
folder in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0033] FIG. 10B is an example of a non pop-up operation menu for
folder in accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention;
[0034] FIG. 11 is an example of a center view of a list of posted
files or folders in sharable file & folder area of a common
work space of a user X in accordance with one embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0035] Embodiments of the present invention are described herein in
the context of a method, system and apparatus for providing a web
based communications network with fast, volume, and secure
information exchange. Those of ordinary skill in the art will
realize that the following detailed description of the present
invention is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way
limiting. Other embodiments of the present invention will readily
suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of
this disclosure. Reference will now be made in detail to
implementations of the present invention as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings. The same reference indicators will be used
throughout the drawings and the following detailed description to
refer to the same or like parts.
[0036] In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features
of the implementations described herein are shown and described. It
will, of course, be appreciated that in the development of any such
actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions
must be made in order to achieve the developer's specific goals,
such as compliance with application- and business-related
constraints, and that these specific goals will vary from one
implementation to another and from one developer to another.
Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort
might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a
routine undertaking of engineering for those of ordinary skill in
the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
[0037] In accordance with the present invention, the components,
process steps, and/or data structures described herein may be
implemented using various types of operating systems, computing
platforms, computer programs, and/or general purpose machines. In
addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that
devices of a less general purpose nature, such as hardwired
devices, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application
specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or the like, may also be used
without departing from the scope and spirit of the inventive
concepts disclosed herein. Where a method comprising a series of
process steps is implemented by a computer or a machine and those
process steps can be stored as a series of instructions readable by
the machine, they may be stored on a tangible medium such as a
computer memory device (e.g., ROM (Read Only Memory), PROM
(Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Eraseable
Programmable Read Only Memory), FLASH Memory, Jump Drive, and the
like), magnetic storage medium (e.g., tape, magnetic disk drive,
and the like), optical storage medium (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, paper
card and paper tape, and the like) and other known types of program
memory.
[0038] Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the
following detailed description of the present invention is
illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting.
Other embodiments of the present invention will readily suggest
themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this
disclosure. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that
these specific details may not be required to practice to present
invention. In other instances, well-known circuits and devices are
shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the present
invention. In the following description of the embodiments,
substantially the same parts are denoted by the same reference
numerals.
[0039] While particular embodiments of the present invention have
been shown and described, it will now be apparent to those skilled
in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that many more
modifications than mentioned above are possible without departing
from the inventive concepts disclosed herein. Therefore, the
appended claims are intended to encompass within their scope all
such modifications as are within the spirit and scope of this
invention.
[0040] The present invention can be implemented by a web based
system operated in a network infrastructure, such as a central
controlled distributed scalable virtual machine ("CCDSVM"). FIG. 1
illustrates a CCDSVM in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention. A CCDSVM includes a group of provisioned systems
3, a control management system 2, console systems 1, and client
systems 10. Control management system ("control system") 2 is
configured to control a group of systems ("provisioned system") 3.
Console systems ("console systems") 2 provide management while
client systems 10 ("client systems") initiate accessing provisioned
systems 3 via a web-browser over a network infrastructure, such as
the Intranet, an Internet, and/or a LAN.
[0041] The network infrastructure ("network") includes all
necessary hardware and software that facilitate various users from
different geographic locations to communicate through the Internet,
an Intranet, and/or a LAN. The hardware of the network includes
network connection media, wireless media, circuitry components, and
communication equipments. The network connection media includes
various cables such as Ethernet and/or optical fiber. The wireless
media is capable of establishing wireless communication links
through air. The circuitry components include processor, data bus,
memory devices, and/or circuit board. The communication equipments,
such as switches, routers, gateways, and/or adapters, are used to
provide a communications network. It should be noted that there are
other possible elements of communication equipment that may be
needed to form a communication link, but they are not necessary to
understand the present invention.
[0042] The software infrastructure includes Internet Protocol
("IP") addresses and system name identification software such as
Domain Name System ("DNS"), firewall software, IP gateway set-up
software, IP broadcast, and so forth. The communication protocols
over the network could be IP-based standard or non-standard
proprietary protocols such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol ("HTTP")
over Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol ("TCP/IP") or
Simple Object Access Protocol ("SOAP") over TCP/IP. It should be
further noted that some IP based protocols are proprietary
protocols and some are non-IP based protocols.
[0043] A web-browser is an application program that allows a user
to access information over the Web, such as Windows Internet
Explorer ("IE"), FireFox, Netscape, and/or Mozillar. A web-browser
could also be any proprietary software, which uses web-protocols
such as HTTP, WAP, SOAP for communication over the network. The
web-browser can be implemented with any suitable programming
languages such as C, C++, Java, or XML, or a combination of the
suitable languages.
[0044] A web page, on the other hand, is a displayable information
resource that is accessible through web-browser. The web page may
be hosted by a web server via a web server system and can be
transmitted (or retrieved) by a web-browser.
[0045] Provisioned systems 3, client systems 10, console systems 1,
and control management system 2 are computational systems, which
could be server system, desktop or laptop system, handheld devices
such as PDA, wireless phone, and so forth. The computational
systems include CPUs, storage devices, and memory controller. The
storage devices include internal memory such as read-only memory
("ROM") and/or random access memory ("RAM"). The storage devices
may further include external storage devices such as magnetic disks
or tapes, which include redundant array of independent drives
("RAID"), JBOB, and memory stick. The associated storage controller
can be Integrated Drive Electronics ("IDE"), Small Computer System
Interface ("SCSI"), Fiber optical controller, or a combination of
above-mentioned devices.
[0046] The computational systems also include non-embedded or
real-time embedded OS running, which could be Linux, or Windows,
Unix, or proprietary OS. It should be noted that the present
invention may include multiple control systems at different layers
of system configuration topology wherein each of the control
systems is capable of communicating with each other through a
network. The control systems at middle layers play dual roles as
both control system and provisioned system in the system
configuration topology.
[0047] FIG. 1 illustrates a CCDSVM platform with multiple clients
in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The
CCDSVM includes console systems 1, control management system 2,
provisioned systems 3, and networks 11-12, wherein networks 11-12
are used inter-connecting with all systems of CCDSVM and client
systems 10.
[0048] Console system 1 is a computational system having a
web-browser or web-console 9 wherein web-browser is used by
privileged users for accessing the CCDSVM platform. Web browser 9,
which could be on any system, permits a user to access information
from the CCDSVM by following a web URL link. For example, a
privileged user enters a term of
"https://69.107.28.123/stt/sttwebos" on a command line of web
browser 9 and once the link is established, the user can obtain
information hosted by the web-based computer user work/operation
environment ("WCUWE"). Console system 1, in one embodiment, further
includes software modules 13, wherein modules 13 may be used to
facilitate communication between console system 1 and control
management system 2.
[0049] Control system 2, in one embodiment, is a server system, a
desktop or a laptop system with memory and storage capabilities.
Control system 2 includes web server software 7 and console
supporting software 6. Console supporting software 6 includes web
server interface software modules 5 and control management software
modules 4. The control management system 2 may also have
web-browser 9 used as a web-console 9 of control system 2. Web
server software 7 sends/receives data to/from web-console 9 of
console system 1 or client system 10 or control system 2. Web
server software 7 is configured to provide secure sockets layer
("SSL") encryption to encrypting the data before transmission to
enhance the security. Web server software 7 could be commercially
available software such as Apache.TM. from open source, or IIS from
Microsoft or a proprietary software. Web server software modules
and console support software modules can be implemented by any
suitable or a combination of any suitable programming languages
such as C, C++, Java, JavaScript, HTML, or XML.
[0050] Console supporting software 6 communicates with service
software modules 8 of provisioned systems 3. Web server interface 5
of console support software 6 is capable of providing special
functions that are otherwise performed by web server 7. If no
provisioned system 3 is coupled to the CCDSVM platform, control
management system 2, in one embodiment, is reconfigured to continue
monitoring systems over the network while the CCDSVM platform is
also reconfigured to a single stand-alone system, as shown in FIG.
2B. Users can access and/or obtain objects or system resources via
web-browser 9, which can be resided at any client system 3 or
console system 1
[0051] Provisioned system 3, in one embodiment, is a computational
system, wherein the system may contain suitable operating system
("OS"). Provisioned systems 3 can be automatically provisioned by
control system 2 through an automatic system service pool
construction protocol. Provision process, also known as pooling
process, is a method allowing control system 2 to control one or
more network systems by reconfiguring the network systems. For
example, when a provisioned system boots up via a communication
protocol, control system 2 obtains provisioned system's name, IP
address, and system information wherein the system information
includes network information, storage information, file system
information and so forth. Each provisioned system 3 can be
monitored, accessed, and/or operated by a user(s) through
web-browser 9 of console system 1. In an alternative embodiment,
provisional system 3 is controlled by users through client systems
10 via control system 2 with proper users' authentication. Each
provisioned system 3 contains service software modules 8, which is
used to communicate with servers over the Web. For example, service
software modules 8 of provisioned system 3 can communicate with
control management software 4 to carry out tasks for viewing or
operating on resources of provisioned system 3. Service software 8
can communicate with web-browser 9 of client system 10 or console
system 1 to transfer data between them or deliver service to them,
or to communicate with another provisioned system 3 to send or
receive data.
[0052] Service software modules 8 may include special software
modules having compatible functionalities of web-server software 7
of control system 2 and to dedicate handling HTTP protocol or other
web protocols if there is needs for web-based communication with
client 10 or with other provisioned system 3 or with control system
2. Software modules 8 could be commercially available web server
software 7 or any proprietary software. The service software
modules 8 could be implemented with any suitable programming
languages such as C, C++, Java, or JavaScript.
[0053] Net 11 and Net 12 are network infrastructures that are
capable of providing communication links between control management
system 2, console system 1, client system 10, and/or provisioned
systems 3.
[0054] Client systems 10 may not be a part of CCDSVM, but with the
permission and authorization, users from web-browser 9 of client
system 10 can login to CCDSVM and access the permitted resources of
CCDSVM using web-browser 9 by following a web URL link of CCDSVM.
While privileged users can obtain, manage, access, and/or operate
system resources from CCDSVM through WCUWE, regular
(non-privileged) users at client systems 10 may be permitted to
access only limited system resources of CCDSVM.
[0055] CCDSVM configuration, in one embodiment, includes four data
flow paths. First data path is a communication link between web
browser 9 of client host 10 (or console host 1 or control
management system 2) and web handling software on control system 2
(such as web-server 7 or console support software 6). With this
path of data flow, whenever a user sends a request from web-browser
9 to web-server 7 or console support software 6, console support
software 6 collects required information from target provisioned
systems 3 and converts them into standard structured information
(web-format) for web communication. The targeted system could be
one of provisioned systems 3 or control system 2. The information
collected by console support software 6 of control system 2 could
be the system status, or the storage information, or the network
information, or the user authentication profile, or the file system
information, or files & folders information on control system
2, or any targeted provisioned system 3. Console support software 6
then passes this converted structured information to web server
software 7 and further transmits to web-browser 9 through
communication link Net 11 and Net 12 so that it can be displayed
and viewed by a conventional web browser 9, as shown in FIG. 1.
[0056] The communication protocol used between web-browser 9 of
client system 10 (or console system 1 or control system 2) and web
server 7 of control system 2 could be HTTP, HTTPS (SSL encrypted
HTTP protocol) or any suitable web protocols for web communication,
which could successfully transmit the data on the web or could be
other standard or proprietary IP-based on non-IP-based protocols.
This data path may be referred to as console support software 6,
which transmits data to/from web-browser 9 or web-server 7.
[0057] The second data path is the data flow through communication
link between control system 2 and provisioned systems 3. Requests
targeted to a provisioned system 3 are passed from console support
software 6 of control system 2 to service modules 8 of provisioned
systems 3 through communication link network 12. When the responses
for those requests are received by control system 2, service
modules 8 of provisioned system 3 carry out the requested tasks,
and then send the response back to console support software 6 of
control system 2. The implementation of the actual products of this
invention on the second data path may use proprietary TCP/UDP/IP
based protocols for the communication between provisioned systems 3
and control system 2. However, other standards or proprietary
IP-based or any suitable non-IP-based protocol are also possible.
The communication protocols used between console support software 6
of control system and service modules 8 of provisioned system 3 can
be any suitable IP based or non-IP based protocols, whichever is
suitable to transmit data between them. The typical data flow
through this path could be the boot message, system status, network
information, or storage information of provisioned system 3, as
shown in FIG. 1.
[0058] The third data path is the data flow between provisioned
systems 3 and client system 10 or console system 1 via
communication link 12. Referring back to FIG. 1, console support
software 6 of control system 2 may present a web link, which points
to an object on a provisioned system 3, to a user working on
web-browser 9 of client system 10 or console system 1 or control
system 2. The object pointed by the web link on the provisioned
system 3 could be a text file, MPEG video, PDF document, MS Power
Point, Word documentation, etc. It also could be a link of another
web service program. From web browser 9, a user can directly access
the information on a provisioned system 3 pointed by the web link
without go through the control system 2 again. In this case,
service modules 8 of provisioned system 3 also include web server
software modules or equivalent one to directly support web browser
9 as mentioned before. The communication protocols with the third
path could be web protocols such as HTTP or WAP. Alternatively, the
communication protocols can be other standards or proprietary
IP-based or non-IP-based protocols. To simplify the discussion, the
data transmitted on this path will be mentioned as service software
module 8 that send data to or receive data from web-browser 9 and
vice versa.
[0059] The fourth data path is data flow through communication link
between provisioned system 3 and another provisioned system 3. With
this path, service modules 8 of one provisioned system 3 can
directly transmit data or information to service modules 8 of
another provisioned system 3 via a communication link Net 12
without going through control system 2. The implementation of the
actual products of this invention, for example, uses a proprietary
IP-based protocol for communications between the two provisioned
systems 3. The principle of this invention, however, does not rely
on or limit to proprietary protocol. It should be noted that other
standard or proprietary IP-based or any suitable non-IP-based
protocol may also be possible. The data and information transmitted
through the fourth data path can be various types of data. For
example, a user on web browser 9 obtains a file or a folder on a
provisioned system 3 provided by control system 2 and also selects
a targeted folder on a targeted system provided by control system.
The user can also instruct to transfer a file from a current target
provisioned system 3 to another provisioned system 3 by a mouse
click. The data file will then be transferred directly between the
two provisioned systems 3 without going through control system
2.
[0060] FIG. 2A illustrates a variation of CCDSVM platform for web
browser-based communication in accordance with one embodiment of
the present invention. CCDSVM platform illustrated in FIG. 2A is
similar to the platform illustrated in FIG. 1 except every
provisioned systems 3 includes a web-browser 9. Thus, with proper
authentication process, each user of provisioned systems 3 may
access, manage their own provisioned system 3 from web-browser 9
either on their own local provisioned system 3 or on any client
system anywhere on the network. It should be noted that when a user
is registered with a provisioned system 3, the user is authorized
to access provisioned system 3 locally but not with CCDSVM. On the
other hand, when a user is registered with CCDSVM, the user is then
authorized to access multiple provisioned systems 3 and control
system 2 of CCSDVM.
[0061] FIG. 2B illustrates another example of a variation of
CCDSVM, in which there is no provisioned systems 3 in CCDSVM.
Control system 2 can run on its own and CCDSVM has degenerated into
a single stand-alone system (FIG. 2B), and users through
web-browser 9 on any client system 3 (or on console system 1, or on
stand-alone control system 2) are allowed to access and to operate
the permitted objects and system resources on stand-alone control
system 2.
[0062] Unless specifically specified, the console support software
modules 6 of control system 2, the provisioned systems 3, the
service software modules 8 of provisioned system 3, and the
web-browser 9 of control system 2, client system 10, and console
system 1 are referred to the CCDSVM platform illustrated in FIG.
1.
[0063] A web-based computer user work/operation environment
("WCUWE") of CCDSVM is a software infrastructure, shown in FIG. 3,
which provides each permitted user to log into CCDSVM and further
provide each login user a private web-browser based operating
environment, which is a private work space including the assigned
and permitted resources on control system 2 or on provisioned
system 3 on the network. WCUWE further provides each user from a
single web-browser to perform various permitted tasks and
operations over various system resources (FIG. 5), wherein the
tasks can be performed concurrently from a single login
web-browser.
[0064] The tasks also include allowing privileged users to create
users, groups, assign users to each group, to assign initial
associated system resources to each user or group, and to save the
information of created users and groups into a database stored on a
storage media of the control system. The information needed for
creating users or groups include user names, user IDs, assigned
security permissions, passwords, access points, group names, group
IDs, maximum members in a group, and so forth. The tasks also
include various system operations such as manage network, storage,
file system, folder, files, messages, user security, and so
forth.
[0065] The database is organized as one or more lists of tables,
wherein each of the lists contains various resources. For example,
the resources could be one or more user's information, one or more
system's information, one or more network cards, and one or more
disk drive's information. The storage media could be a system's
internal storage or disk drive, for example.
[0066] The WCUWE of CCDSVM includes software modules of present
invention. For example, the software includes console support
modules 6 of control system 2, service software modules 8 of
provisioned system 3, and other service software 13 of console
system 1. The current implementation of WCUWE is based on a
proprietary design of this invention. However, the nature and
spirit of this invention does not limit to proprietary designed
software. The WCUWE of CCDSVM also includes other proprietary
software modules or conventional software such as web-server 7 of
control system 2, web-browser 9 of the control system 2, the client
system 10, and console system 1.
[0067] The WCUWE of CCDSVM can be implemented with any suitable or
combination of various suitable programming languages such as C,
C++, Java, JavaScripts, HTML, or XML for example. To simplify the
discussion, the WCUWE will be used to represent software modules in
CCDSVM described above.
[0068] Users of CCDSVM may be created by CCDSVM through a given
process or any users on the Internet, Intranet, or LAN without
registering with CCDSVM. The WCUWE of CCDSVM provides user access
to various resources and performs various tasks through a preferred
model of mouse clicking on graphically represented resource objects
on browser.
[0069] WCUWE is designed to be operated on a CCDSVM platform, and
is specially designed to provide dynamic work space (FIG. 4) to
each user associated with various CCDSVM. WCUWE further performs
tasks of instantly posting or un-posting user's private resources
to peers in a group or to each peer user of CCDSVM not in a group
or not in the same group, or massive public users on the network.
Massive public users do not have accounts with the CCDSVM
platform.
[0070] The dynamic work space of WCUWE is a centrally controlled
collection of each group's work space and/or user's work space.
Console support software 6 of control system 2 of CCDSVM will
assign each user a private work space and each group a common work
space when each user or group account is created by a privileged
user after corresponding WCUWE software on control system and
provisioned system enter into an operational mode. When a user or a
group account is created, each user is assigned to a specific user
security scope and permission. An important aspect of WCUWE of
CCDSVM is that it assigns each user and/or each user-group a
working space based on user and group security permission.
[0071] A work space is an organized information structure, which
can be saved on storage media of memory or disk drives or both of
memory and disk drives by console support software 6. A work space
is created while a privileged user is performing the tasks of
creating a user or group. The work space will be initiated and
assigned with system resources of CCDSVM as shown in FIG. 5.
Various system resources on either provisioned system 3 and/or on
control system 2 may include respective memory, system-groups,
systems in system-group, file system, folder, files, storage media,
and network media, for example. The common work space 15, shown in
FIG. 4A, of each group may be initially assigned with information
of system resources (FIG. 5) such as users in this group, message
area, file systems, folders and files on a specific provisioned
system 3 or on control system 2, for example. The resources of the
common work space may also be dynamically assigned or allocated by
a permitted user after creating group account. For example, during
an online interactive meeting, a user posts a file to the common
work space, so that a new entry of a file node is added to a file
and a folder tree area of common work space. In addition, each
group may be assigned to one or more users, wherein each user can
also be assigned to a private work space 6 of FIG. 4 and FIG. 4B
during a user account setup. The private work space may also be
initially assigned by system resources of CCDSVM during a user
account setup session. Alternatively, the private work space is
dynamically assigned by the resources of CCDSVM after the account
is created.
[0072] For example, a privileged user can dynamically permit or
deny a general user's access to a list of storage devices. During
the operation, at one second, a user may see a list from user's
web-browser, and at another second, a general user can no longer
see the list. Also, if an authorized user can access a list of
storage devices on a provisioned system and further, can take one
of the devices offline so that the device list on the provisioned
system will have one less device to be displayed.
[0073] In another example, at one second, a privileged user allows
a general user to access a file J in folder N on system M of
CCDSVM, and at another second, the privileged user resets previous
permission thereby the general user can view and access the file J
in folder N on system M of CCDSVM, and a second later, the general
user cannot view and access it any more. The actual implementation
of console support software 6 of control system 2 has achieved this
capability.
[0074] In addition, each type of resources in the work space is
organized as a list of tables and can be stored in storage media in
control system. The integrity of security of each group is
protected by limiting different resources to different groups. As
such, each group is authorized to have a limited view over assigned
system resources on provisioned system 3 as well as control system
2. The same security integrity at user level can be achieved by
assigning different system resources of provisioned system 3 and/or
control system 2 to different individual user based on assigned
security permission. Therefore, each user is authorized to access
and view the assigned resources.
[0075] FIG. 4A has shown an example of assigned resources of users
17, message area 18, and folders and files area 19, and others 20
in common work space of a group. The messages from each user in
user-group in common message area 18, and the information of
folders and files in common files and folder area 19 can be shared
by all users in a same user-group. All resources in each group's
common work space can be selectively displayed in web-browser of
each login user, who belongs to same user group after said
resources in said group being converted to presentable web-format
(web-page) by the console support software 6 of control system 2 of
CCDSVM.
[0076] FIG. 4B has shown an example of resources in private work
space (16) of a user, which has assigned private message area 21,
private file, folder area 22, and private network or storage or
other information area 23. The assigned resources only can be
exclusively viewed and accessed by the designated user unless
he/she agrees to share with peer user crossing group boundary or
with peer user in same group. The said folder (directory) is a data
structure which can hold one more files and sub-folders at logical
file system level and at physical level on storage media.
[0077] FIG. 8A has shown an example of displaying an actually
implemented portion of web-page encoded with assigned resources in
private work space of user X, which includes a system-group-A 33 on
said network, multiple provisioned systems 3 under system-group-A,
private folders of user X on a system, and files under folders 32
in a displayed private work space of user X.
[0078] FIG. 8B has shown another example of displaying an actually
implemented portion of web-page encoded with assigned resources in
private work space of user Y, which includes control system 2,
private folder and files 35 of user B in a private work space of
user Y.
[0079] The private work space of user X and user Y may also include
private message area 21 and other resources, which are not
displayed in FIG. 8A & FIG. 8B because WCUWE is designed to
dynamically display part of user's private work space whenever
there is needs.
[0080] It is notable that said user X and user Y, may be in same
user-group such as said group-1, however, each of them could have a
significant different scope of private work space assigned by the
console support software 6 of control system 2 due to they have
been assigned with very different resources on systems depending on
each user's role and security permission, which setup by privileged
user of CCDSVM through web-based user interface provided by the
said console support software 6. This is the beauty of the
invention of WCUWE for CCDSVM.
[0081] The FIG. 6C and FIG. 6D are examples of web-page view in
said web-browser 9 of user X and user Y in user-group-1 before an
interactive online meeting. As shown in FIG. 6C and FIG. 6D, user X
or user Y or other users (who's web-page/browser did not depicted)
in same user-group-1 have entered a group online meeting after
their login to CCDSVM from each browser on any system on said
network and all get an identical web-page provided by the said
console support software 6 of control system 2 except with
different contents in displayed private work space section of
web-page due to each user has assigned with different resources.
The web-page screen layout provided by said console support
software 6 contains four sections: [0082] 1) a private user message
input area (section-1), [0083] 2) a message displaying section for
common message area 18 of FIG. 4A for all users in user-group-1
(section-2), [0084] 3) a file or folder display section for group
common file and folder area 19 of FIG. 4A for all users in same
user-group-1 (section-3), and [0085] 4) a file and folder tree
displaying and management section (section-4) for user folder and
file tree in private file and folder area 22 of FIG. 4B of a user's
private work space.
[0086] Initially, the section-1, section-2, and section-3 are all
empty due to no one has post any file or message yet. The said
console support software 6 gets each login user's portion of
assigned folders and files for online meeting from stored private
file and folder area 22 of FIG. 4B of private work space of each
user on said storage media, and further convert said file or folder
information to presentable web-format (web-page) to be displayable
in said section-4 of web-page/web-browser 9 of each user. The
choice of total four sections of web-page layout and the order of
each section on the browser screen is irrelevant to this invention
since other choices of design are also possible, and further, this
invention does not have limitation on what web-screen layout shall
be. The said information of file or folder includes the system name
where the file or folder resided, the named and path of the file or
folder, the owner of file or folder, the time stamps, the size of
the file and so on without limitation.
[0087] During the interactive online meeting, the said console
support software 6 provides each user to post or un-post files or
folders to said section-3 of displayed group's common documents and
contents management section with several steps. First, for example,
providing said user X to click on one targeted file "Doc 1" 24 or
folder a time in section-4 of displayed said file and folder
management area of said user private work space. Second, select the
operation of either post or un-post from an operation menu (see
FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B, FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B). Finally click on the
selected operation to submit the task of either post or un-post on
selected file or folder.
[0088] Each user with permission may perform un-post operation if
such user has at least a previously posted file or folder, which
has already displayed in section-3 of common document and content
management section of said web-browser 9 of all login users in said
same user-group, see FIG. 6A or FIG. 6B for example.
[0089] If a file is selected, the said file operation menu is used
and if a folder is selected, the said folder operation menu is used
respectively. It is also possible to only provide one menu for both
file and folder operation by said console support software 6. The
said operation menu either can be pop-up menu for folder as shown
in FIG. 9A or pop-up menu for file as shown in FIG. 9B, or
non-pop-up menu for folder as shown in FIG. 10A or non-pop-up menu
for file as shown in FIG. 10B. The choice of operation menu is
irrelevant to this invention although the actual implementation of
this part of invention has used pop-up menu, and as matter of the
facts that there is no limitation on how the operation menu is to
be designed in this invention.
[0090] In the example of FIG. 6A, user X can post a file named "Doc
1" 24 to said section-3 of common document and contents display
section of said web-browser 9, In the example of FIG. 6B, user Y
also can post a file named "picture 1" 25 to common document and
contents display section of said web-browser 9. In addition,
another not depicted user Z posted a file of "project code". The
said files or folders could be one on said control system 2 or on
provisioned any provisioned system 3 of CCDSVM.
[0091] In addition, during the interactive online meeting, the
console support software 6 of control system 2 also provides each
user to post message to massive users in same group from said
section-1 of private user message input section after typing a
message and click on the "send" button. In the example of FIG. 6A,
user X posted a message of "Msg1 of user X" 26. In the example of
FIG. 6B, user Y also posted a message of "Msg2 of user Y" 27. In
addition, another non depicted user posted a message of "Msg3 of
user Z". As a result, all of three messages were displayed in the
same said section-3 of each user's browser.
[0092] In a specific situation, the said console support software 6
also provides permitted user to un-post the previously posted
message. Just for example, in FIG. 6A, the said console support
software 6 provides permitted user X to select a previously posted
"Msg2 of user Y" 27 from said section-2 of common message display
section of said web-browser 9 of user X, and select un-post
operation from said operation menu and submit the selected un-post
task.
[0093] The detailed information of how the post or un-post task to
be implemented will be discussed in next two paragraphs 3.4 and
3.5. In addition, with this invention, the action of the "post"
information such as posting information of files or folders or
messages or other resources is equivalent to the action of "share"
information. The action of "un-post" information is equivalent to
the action of "un-share" previously posted or shared information,
in other words, "remove" previously posted or shared
information.
[0094] After user transmitting information data of the post or
un-post task from web-browser 9 of console system 1 or client
system 10 or control system 2 to control system 2, the console
support software 6 of control system 2 obtains and parses the data
to determine: who is the original user initiating the task; what
type of task; what type of associated resources for task to work
on; who is the targeted user; and what is the time stamp, and may
also include other information without limitation. Console support
software 6 further determines that if the task is to post a file or
folder from said original user, the said console support software 6
picks up the corresponding file or folder information from file and
folder area 22 of FIG. 4B of private work space of original user
and deposits such information to the file and folder area 19 of
FIG. 4A of common work space of said group in this case.
[0095] If the task is to un-post a previously posted file or folder
from a specific user in said common work space of said group, the
said console support software 6 search for the corresponding
information of file or folder from that specific user in the said
file folder area of said common work space of said group and
further remove the entry of matched information from said common
work space of said group after it is found.
[0096] If the task is to post a message to users in said group, the
parsed message will be stored in private message area 21 of FIG. 4B
of original user's said private work space 16 of FIG. 4 and also is
copied to message area 18 of FIG. 4A of common work space 15 of
FIG. 4 of said user-group by said console support software 6.
[0097] If a task is to un-post (delete/remove) a previously posted
message, the said console support software 6 searches for a
matching message in said common message area 18 of FIG. 4A of said
common work space of said group and remove such message entry if it
is found based on message and original user identification and
other associated information such as time stamp, security
permission and so on without limitation.
[0098] It shall be noticed that the task of un-posting a file or
folder of this invention does not actually delete the file and
folder from original user's private work space. In addition, a lock
protection mechanism is deployed whenever a message or information
of a file or folder is written, stored, or deposited to either said
private space or said common work space, or to said disk drives or
other storage media. Throughout the rest of discuss, the lock
protection is assume to be a default action without further
mentioning whenever a write/store/deposit action take place. As
matter the fact, each task of posting file, folder, and message as
well as task of un-posting the previously posted file or folder, or
message performed by multiple users in multiple groups with this
invention can be executed by the said console support software 6
instantly with memory speed.
[0099] FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B illustrate that after console support
software 6 of control system 2 successfully executing the tasks for
each user in each group, any user in a said user-group can get a
fresh view of said section-2 of the common messages display area of
user-group-1, and a fresh view of said section-3 of the common
documents & contents display area of user-group-1 from each
user's said web-browser 9 on client system 10 of FIG. 1 or on
control system 2 of FIG. 1 or on console system 1 of FIG. 1.
[0100] User can manually click on a refresh-button, which does not
show on FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, to refresh corresponding part of
screen of either said section-2 or section-3. Also said
corresponding part of browser screen of said section-2 or section-3
can be automatically refreshed. As matter of the fact, optionally,
the said console support software 6 has encoded a run-time script
in said web-page, which is encoded with said presentable web-format
and to be displayed in said web-browser 9 after each user login to
CCDSVM and start group online meeting.
[0101] The said run-time script will automatically and periodically
perform tasks of refreshing said section-2 and section-3 of web
browser screen. The frequency of the periodic refreshing can be
adjusted by said console support software 6 of CCDSVM depends on
the needs of the meeting, which typically can range from 1 to 3
seconds and there is no limitation on this aspect. Also, with the
preferred example, said run-time script provided by WCUWE is a
JavaScript, however, other type of programming scripts or methods
are also possible and there is no limitation on what kind of
run-time program shall be used in this invention. In addition, the
said console support software 6 provides each user the choices of
either automatic or manual refreshing their said web-browser 9.
[0102] Upon refreshing said section-2 or section-3 of said
web-browser 9 screen of each user, a request of updating such
screen will be generated and sent from said web-browser 9, to
control system 2. The said console support software 6 obtains and
parses each request to determine what user-group, and which part of
said common work space of said group need to be updated.
[0103] Based on information of each parsed request, the said
console support software 6 of control system 2 retrieves the
updated resources and objectives from said common work space 15 of
FIG. 4 of said user-group, which includes recent posted files,
folders, or messages from each user in said group, and also
includes the updated list of files and folders or messages after
un-post one or more files or folders, or messages by users in same
group. Finally, console support software 6 of control system 2
converts retrieved information of resources and objects to
presentable web-format (web-page).
[0104] If the request is to update the group messages, the
converted information is sent to the section-2 of group common
message display area in corresponding user's said web-page/web
browser 9. If the request is to update the group common files and
folders display area, the converted information is sent to the
section-3 of said web-browser 9. Therefore, after refreshing said
sections on said web-browser 9, each user can have an identical
view of all posted files and folders from section-3 of group common
document display area on said browser 9, and can have an identical
view of all messages from section-2 of group common message display
area on said web-browser 9, which posted by all other users in a
same group. Meanwhile said console support software 6 still allow
each user kept most of resources and objects in their own private
work space un-exposed to other users in same group during the
online interactive meeting.
[0105] For example, User X at his/her said web-browser 9 can see
"picture 1" 25 of FIG. 6A posted by user Y in group common file and
folder display area but not other information in user Y's private
work space area, and plus the "Doc 1" posted by user X himself.
Also, user Y at his/her said web-browser 9 can see "Doc 1" 24 of
FIG. 6B posted by user X in group common file and folder display
area but not other information in user X's private file and folder
display area, and plus the "picture 1" posted by user Y
himself.
[0106] A difference between a conventional Internet group
communication model and the group based communication model
described in the present invention is that console support software
6 of control system 2 provides each user to control post or un-post
said resources from user's own private work space while the
conventional Internet communication model are not capable of
performing posting/un-posting task. Also, for example, un-posting a
previous posted folder with WCUWE of CCDSVM does not delete the
materials in user's private work space while the delete operation
with said existing Internet group communication model will
completely delete the posted folder. The dynamic work space of this
invention represents a true beauty of the combined security
protection of information and flexibility and efficiency of online
meeting provided by WCUWE of CCDSVM to each users and groups in
online meeting.
[0107] In addition, with a preferred example, since posted
information of each files are encoded by said console support
software 6 with a web link and displayed in said section-3 of
web-browser 9, therefore, each user in a user-group can click on
said link to download the files, which provided in private file and
folder area of private work space of their peer users in group,
from a system where the file is located. For example, user X can
download said "picture 1", which may reside on either control
system 2 or provisioned system 3, from user Y and user Y can
download said "Doc 1", which also may reside on either control
system 2 or provisioned system 3 from user X at same time. This
achieves a true peer-to-peer exchanging files on permitted system
from permitted users in said user-group. In addition, there is no
size limitation on the file size for file to be downloaded, which
is a gifted benefit from Internet technology. Besides the exampled
and understandable method of download, other methods of retrieve
peer users' digital documents or contents are also possible by
deploying a more efficient proprietary file transfer mechanism to
reach the results of said exchanging file. It shall be noted that
the said method of download is only applicable to said files and
does not apply to folder and other said resource information. To
get a targeted peer user's entire folder and the underneath files
and sub folders, a special files and folder transfer method is
required.
[0108] As shown in FIGS. 9A & 9B, and FIGS. 10A & 10B,
console support software 6 of control system 2 also provides each
user to perform many other tasks during online meeting through said
operation menu such as upload, rename, delete, copy/past and so on
without limitation. The upload operation allows each user to
dynamically upload files one a time through web-browser 9 from
local storage of client system 10 or console system 1 to said
user's private work space on control system 2 during meeting, and
further to be posted to said common space of user-group each user
belong to.
[0109] The mouse click driven copy/past operation allows files and
folders from permitted folders of permitted provisioned system 3 to
be dynamically physically copied to each users' private work space
on control system 2, and the information of said files and folders
could further to be displayed in said web-page/browser of each user
and to be posted to common work space of group each user belong to
in addition to direct posting these file or folders as described in
previous paragraph 3.3 without physical copying over. As matter of
the fact, operations provided by console support software 6 of
control system 2 have added efficiency to posting or un-posting
files and folders for each user depending on the real needs.
[0110] Additionally, said console support software 6 provides each
user of each group capability of saving the posted messages of
common message area of said common work space of said each group
into a file in common file & folder area of said common work
space of each group. Further, the saved file can be viewed,
downloaded by each user in each group with same method of posting.
Besides whenever there is needs, said console support software 6
provide users to reset message area to be empty by removing all
message entries in message area of said user-group's common work
space.
[0111] The important fact is that the designed WCUWE of CCDSVM has
provided concurrent users each from a single web browser anywhere
on the network to securely perform permitted various tasks, which
could be run concurrent within a single web-browser. Because of
console support software 6 of control system 2 let each users have
exclusive view for resource objects in their private work space and
in said common work space of a group each user belong to, and let
each user to manage resource objects in their own private space,
the multiple users in multiple groups can concurrently post or
un-post files, folders, messages, or other resource objects without
interfere users in other user-groups. Thus, the work spaces of each
user and each group are well protected.
[0112] Hence, the console support software 6 of control system 2
provides privileged users to perform tasks of creating multiple
users and user-groups on control system, and each group can be
assigned with variable size of users for online interactive
meeting. The total number of users and the total number of groups,
and maximum number of users per groups of WCUWE of CCDSVM can
support is an implementation issue and depends on the capacity of
the control system 2. The WCUWE of CCDSVM and CCDSVM has been
designed with unlimited scalability for both users and provisioned
systems 3. On the other hand, the spirit of this invention does not
limit to with the boundary issues of WCUWE and CCDSVM.
[0113] FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B illustrate that each user-X and user-Y
has a different private work space than others, and each has
assigned with different system resources. Without joining any group
or participating any group meeting, console support software 6 of
control system 2 also can provide user X and user Y to peer-to-peer
instantly post files or folders one a time to each other, or
instantly un-post the previous posted files and folders through
similar steps as posting or un-posting materials in group online
meeting model: [0114] 1) Let each user can perform mouse clicking
on source of file or folder for post or un-post; [0115] 2) Let user
select post operation task if user want to post any file or folder
through operation menu; or let user select un-post operation task
from operation menu if said user like to un-post a previously
posted file or folder; [0116] 3) upon submitting operation task,
let each user provide input to prompt of "who is a targeted user?"
provided by said console support software 9, and further submit the
selected task; [0117] 4) Said console support software 6 obtains
and parses task information of original user, source of file or
folder, type of operation, and other information; [0118] 5) If said
type of operation is post file or folder, said console support
software 6 deposits the information of said source file or folder
to said private file and folder area of said private work space of
targeted user. If said operation type is un-post a file or folder,
said console support software 6 search a corresponding file or
folder information from said private file and folder area of said
private work space of said targeted user to match the said source
file or folder, if found a match, the corresponding entry of the
file or folder is removed from said private file and folder area of
said private work space of targeted user; and [0119] 6) Upon each
user refreshing the web-page in web-browser 9, the said console
support software retrieves and convert the updated information in
said private file and folder area of private work space of targeted
user into presentable web-format (web-page) and transmit said
web-page to web-browser 9 of each user for displaying and
viewing.
[0120] For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, user X can follow said
steps 1) to 3) to post his "folder 2" 32 in displayed files and
folders area of private working space of user X's web-browser 9 to
user Y. As shown in FIG. 8B, upon user Y refreshing his/her said
web-browser 9 on a system by walking on any system node or folder
node in displayed tree, user Y will see the said "folder 2" 32 in
his/her displayed private file and folder tree of private work
space of user Y shown in FIG. 8C. As matter of the fact, when
talking system node and file & folder tree on said web-browser
9, a refreshing web-page screen request is generated and to be
handled as described in paragraph 3.4-3.5 or in steps described
above.
[0121] In addition to post messages in group-based communication
involving parties with two or more users, WCUWE of CCDSVM also
provide each user to post message to each other user with non-group
based 1-to-1 message model. FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B have shown an
example of user X and user Y, who may not be in same user-group,
however, the console support software 6 of control system 2
provides each user to share and exchange messages with each other
from a three-section web-page in said browser 9.
[0122] The section-3 of web-page in said browser 9 let user to work
with same said steps of non-group based 1-to-1 posting files and
folders or un-posting previously posted files or folders as
described in paragraph 3.9. The section-3 included in FIGS. 7A and
7B just for a demonstration of how flexible of this invention is to
display information under private work space of each user. Further,
the number of sections in the screen layout and the order of each
section in web-page display really is not a limitation to this
invention.
[0123] The section-1 is user message input area together with an
additional input field of "To who" due to unlike in group online
meeting, the said console support software 9 have no knowledge of
who is the targeted user in this case. User can posting a message
with similar said steps as previous discussed in paragraph 3.3-3.4
of this invention. Nevertheless, unlike with group meeting
messaging model, after obtaining and parsing information of the
messages from each user, the console support software 6 of control
system 2 will deposit the message to both targeted peer user and
the original sending user's message areas of private work space.
Further, with same said steps of displaying messages in each user's
browser, which described in paragraph 3.4-3.5, each user can view
both own message and messages from peer user in section-2 of
browser.
[0124] For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, user X input a message of
"msg4 of user X" 30 and type "user Y" in input field of "To who",
and then submit the message by clicking on "Send" button. Similar
as shown in FIG. 7B, user Y input a message of "Msg3 of user Y" 31,
and type "user X" in input field of "To who", and then submit the
message. Upon the refreshing web-page at web-browser 9 of each
user, the user X will see the message 30 he/she sent and the
message 31 from user Y. Also the user Y will see both messages 30
and 31 at same time.
[0125] Again, the said design choice of three section of web-page
display and the order of each section is just a preferred example
of implementation for non-group based peer user communication. This
invention does not limited by web-screen display layout, for
example, a screen display only with said section-1 and section-2
are also possible and so on without limitation.
[0126] The WCUWE of CCDSVM has provided a security hierarchy for
members of any team to work together cross multiple locations. With
said security hierarchy and said steps of posting or un-posting
file and folder, the console support software 6 of control system 2
can specially let only team leader with capability of posting
folder or file to be viewed, shared, and accessed by all team
members or by an individual member in non-group meeting based
environment. In addition, console support software also let each
team member to post or un-post his/her file or folders to only a
specific peer user one a time in non-group-meeting based
environment. Again the said files or folders could be on said
control system 2 or on any provisioned said provisioned system
3.
[0127] It is relatively straightforward for WCUWE of CCDSVM, more
specifically the console support software 6, to support massive
online users, who do not have account with CCDSVM and can not login
CCDSVM to view the dynamically posted files, folders, or messages
by users with account of CCDSVM.
[0128] In a preferred example, such as shown in FIG. 6E, console
support software 6 of control system 2 provides a web-page to
massive online users, who do not have to login CCDSVM. The said
web-page could be layout with two major sections with section-1 to
display messages in sharable message area in a designated
user-group's common work space while the section-2 to display file
or folders in sharable file or folder area in said designated
user-group's common work space.
[0129] For users belong to same said designated user-group, each
user from a web-browser on any system of said network to login to
CCDSVM and get said group online meeting web-page as shown in FIG.
6A for user X and FIG. 6B for user Y. Further as described
previously in paragraph 3.3-3.4, each user in said group can
instantly post message to said message area of designated
user-group's common work space, or post one file or folder to the
sharable file and folder area in designated user-group's common
work space. Also, each user in user-group can instantly un-post the
previously posted files or folders by removing the corresponding
file or folder entry in file and folder area in designated
user-group's common work space, or un-post the previously posted
messages from common message area of common work space of said
user-group as described in previous several paragraph 3.3-3.5.
[0130] Meanwhile as previously described in paragraph 3.4-3.5 and
as shown in FIG. 6E, the said web-page in browser 9 for massive
online users, who have no account with CCDSVM, can be dynamically
updated, displayed, and viewed by massive users anywhere through
their own browser accordingly with the same pace as dynamically
display in said section-2 and section-3 of web-page/browser as
shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B. Again, the said two sections of
web-page display layout is a preferred example and it does not
limit this invention because with this invention other layout is
also possible, for example, it may be desired to have web-page
layout only contains one section, which is either for messages or
file or folder's display depending on the application's need.
[0131] As shown in FIG. 8A, FIG. 8B, and FIG. 8C, with non-group
based peer-to-peer post or un-post files and folders, people may
often do not remember how many files and folders has been posted
for sharing. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, user X can select
"folder 2" 32, select post on operation menu, and provide target
"user Y" to share "folder 2" 32. As show in FIG. 8C, user Y can see
"Folder 2" 32 of user X in web-browser of user Y after user X post
"Folder 2" 32. If user X select various files or folders for other
dozen people to post and share, user X will have difficult time to
remember what has been shared and who are targeted users. As shown
in FIG. 11, the console support software 6 of control system 2 can
provide each user, user X for example, a center view of a control
list of how many files or folders being posted by him or her and to
who.
[0132] As shown in FIG. 11 of personal share management, in view of
user X's web-browser 9, an entry of posted "Folder 2" 30 is listed
at bottom of said control list and it is posted/shared to user Y.
Further, said console support software 6 can provide each user
selectively un-post the previously posted files and folders by
clicking on the "delete shared?" of operation menu for
corresponding entries in the said shared list of center view
web-page and further to generate a un-post operation task. For
example, user X clicks on "delete share?" to un-post "Folder 2" 32.
Thereafter, as described in paragraph 3.4-3.5, said console support
software 6 of control system 2 will execute the said un-post task.
Further upon refreshing the targeted user Y's web-page/web-browser,
in stead of seeing "Folder 2" 32 as shown in FIG. 8C, user Y will
see an updated view of said of web-page as shown in FIG. 8B, where
the "Folder 2" 30 has been removed. The said operation menu for
"delete share?" depicted here just for example and it could be
displayed in any other form.
[0133] In addition to let original user in a group to control the
un-posting file or folder in group based communication, the said
console support software 6 of control system 2) may also provide a
privileged user to un-post the previously posted files or files in
the said displayed file and folder section of said web-page. To
support this capability, the said console support software 6 will
provide an operation menu to associate with said displayed files
and folders in said display section, further to allow privileged
user to perform similar un-post operation. After receiving the
un-post operation, the said console support software 6 will perform
similar said searching for selected file or folder in the group
file and folder area 19 of FIG. 4A) of group common work space of
said group, if there is match the corresponding entry will be
deleted. Also, the file and folder section of web-page/web-browser
can be refreshed accordingly as described before.
[0134] Having briefly described embodiments of the web based
network environment in which the present invention operates, FIG.
12 illustrates an example of a computer system 1200, which is an
exemplary client system 10, provisioned system 3, control system 2,
or console system 1 in which the features of the present invention
may be implemented. Process of the web based information exchange
can be implemented in any processor-based computer system, such as
a PC, a workstation, or a mainframe computer. It will be apparent
to those of ordinary skill in the art that other alternative
computer system architectures may also be employed.
[0135] Referring back to FIG. 12, computer system 200 includes a
processing unit 201, an interface bus 211, and an input/output
("IO") unit 220. Processing unit 201 includes a processor 202, a
main memory 204, a system bus 211, a static memory device 206, a
bus control unit 205, a mass storage memory 207, and a production
planning module 230. Bus 211 is used to transmit information
between various components and processor 202 for data processing.
Processor 202 may be any of a wide variety of general-purpose
processors or microprocessors such as Pentium.TM. microprocessor,
Motorola.TM. 68040, or Power PC.TM. microprocessor.
[0136] Main memory 204, which may include multiple levels of cache
memories, stores frequently used data and instructions. Main memory
204 may be RAM (random access memory), MRAM (magnetic RAM), or
flash memory. Static memory 206 may be a ROM (read-only memory),
which is coupled to bus 211, for storing static information and/or
instructions. Bus control unit 205 is coupled to buses 211-212 and
controls which component, such as main memory 204 or processor 202,
can use the bus. Bus control unit 205 manages the communications
between bus 211 and bus 212. Mass storage memory 207, which may be
a magnetic disk, an optical disk, hard disk drive, floppy disk,
CD-ROM, and/or flash memories for storing large amounts of data.
Web based information exchange 230, in one embodiment, is a network
control component for facilitating information exchange over the
Web. It should be noted that web based information exchange 230
could be software or hardware or a combination of software and
hardware components.
[0137] I/O unit 220, in one embodiment, includes a display 221,
keyboard 222, cursor control device 223, and communication device
225. Display device 221 may be a liquid crystal device, cathode ray
tube ("CRT"), touch-screen display, or other suitable display
device. Display 221 projects or displays images of a graphical
planning board. Keyboard 222 may be a conventional alphanumeric
input device for communicating information between computer system
200 and computer operator(s). Another type of user input device is
cursor control device 223, such as a conventional mouse, touch
mouse, trackball, or other type of cursor for communicating
information between system 200 and user(s).
[0138] Communication device 225 is coupled to bus 211 for accessing
information from remote computers or servers, such as server 104 or
other computers, through wide-area network 102. Communication
device 225 may include a modem or a network interface device, or
other similar devices that facilitate communication between
computer 200 and the network. Computer system 200 may be coupled to
a number of servers via a network infrastructure such as the
infrastructure illustrated in FIG. 1.
[0139] The present invention has been described in considerable
details with reference to certain examples. However, other versions
and examples are also possible, therefore, the spirit of this
invention shall not be limited to these examples and/or
embodiments. Also, the claims of this invention will label with
numbering and in most cases, the numbering does not represent any
sequence or order unless specifically described as the steps of a
method.
* * * * *
References