Synchronizing distributed work through document logs

a document log and distributed work technology, applied in the field of digital object distribution, can solve the problems of increasing cost and expense, synchronizing distributed work, and wasting substantial effort and time in the overhead of addressing these documents

US20070219942A1Inactive Publication Date: 2007-09-20WOLFF GREGORY J +1
105 Cites 15 Cited by

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Patent Type
Applications(United States)
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2007-09-20
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for synchronizing distributed work. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving first and second metadata entries, adding the first and second metadata entries to a set corresponding to a digital object, and providing access to first and second unique identifiers used for referencing the first and second metadata entries respectively, where the first and second unique identifiers are based on contents of the first and second metadata entries respectively.
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Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application may be related to U.S. application Ser. No. 11 / 322,435, filed on Dec. 29, 2005, entitled “Coordination and Tracking of Workflow,” assigned to the corporate assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 887,998, filed on Jul. 9, 2004, entitled “Synchronizing Distributed Work Through Document Logs,” assigned to the corporate assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to the field of digital object distribution; more particularly, the present invention relates to synchronizing information corresponding to a digital object. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Millions of documents are sent back and forth every day. Substantial effort and time is spent in the overhead of addressing these documents. In the workplace, this substantial time and effort resul...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0022] A method and apparatus for synchronizing data centered around digital objects (e.g., documents) that scales up to arbitrary sized groups or sets. In one embodiment, the synchronization is performed using a conceptual framework referred to herein as “document logs.” Document logs are similar to Web logs. Document logs differ from Web logs in that they are anchored to a particular document, rather than the HTTP location that anchors web logs.

[0023] In one embodiment, a document log has log entries. Individual log entries consist of metadata. The metadata may comprise short text messages and / or optional links entered by one or more people or automated systems. The document log may be distributed. In one embodiment, the document log is distributed as XML.

[0024] Unlike the client / server framework of weblogs, document log distribution and processing is a process distributed among nodes (e.g., units, devices, etc.) connected in a network. The process can be arbitrarily scaled. In ...