Sharing documents

Abstract

A computer system for sharing documents comprises a server 1 having storage containing a plurality of sets of documents, each set having a common password assigned thereto, the server 1 being arranged

Description

This invention relates to a computer system for, and a method of, sharing documents. Various proposals for sharing electronic documents have been proposed in the last few decades, but these have largely focussed on the office environment, leaving some fields relatively less developed in that regard, especially in the entertainment field. One particular field which has been largely paper-based to date is murder mystery entertainment. Whilst the format varies, the general idea is that some performers and some guests will attend a venue, where a story will be played out, generally requiring the guests to guess who has committed one or more (fictional) murders. Usually, there is one performer carrying out the role of police inspector or detective, who is nominally in charge of the investigation into the murder(s). Part of the inspector’s job is to reveal paper-based evidence to the guests at predetermined points during the event. To date, that has been generally managed by preparing the paper-based evidence before the event, ensuring that any updates to the evidence, for example to refer to the current date or the locality of the venue, or to change the names of the characters to match the gender of the performers taking those roles, and to adapt any past dates to such things as the age of the performers, are applied to the evidence. This is a complicated job, and in general requires a fresh set of paper-based evidence to be printed before each event, which is wasteful. As such, it is desirable to arrive at a document sharing system that could be useful, inter alia, for murder mystery entertainment events. According to a first aspect of the invention, we provide a computer system for sharing documents, comprising: • a server, having storage in which are stored a plurality of sets of documents, each set comprising at least one electronic document and having a common password assigned thereto, the server being arranged so as to assign each set of documents a different common password; • at least one set of observer nodes, each set comprising a plurality of observer nodes in electronic communication with the server, the observer nodes being in electronic communication with the server and each having a display; in which the server is arranged to store an assignment of at least one set of documents to each set of observer nodes, and in which the server and each observer node are arranged such that: the server will transmit each electronic document of a set of documents to an observer node of a set of observer nodes; and that observer node will display on its display each document of the set of documents only if the set of documents is assigned to the set of observer nodes and the user inputs the common password for the set of documents into the observer node. As such, this provides for a system where the nodes of a set of nodes of a computer system are provided one password for all of the electronic documents of a set of documents, thus allowing a group of nodes to be allowed access to a set of documents by sharing one common password. Each set of observer nodes may be assigned a plurality of sets of documents, the plurality of sets of documents forming a superset of documents for that set of observer nodes. Thus, by providing the password to each set of the superset, the same set of observer nodes can be provided with access to a different set of documents. Typically, there will be a plurality of electronic documents in each set of documents. The storage may store a set of templates, each template comprising static information and in which at least one electronic document in each set or superset is generated by adding dynamic information into a template. Typically, there will be at least one superset of template documents which can be used to generate one of the supersets of documents by adding the dynamic information thereto. One superset of template documents can be used to generate a plurality superset of documents, each having common static information but differing dynamic information. Some of the dynamic data for each superset of documents may be common dynamic data which is reused in different electronic documents of the superset of documents. As such, the server may be arranged to take as an input the common dynamic data and apply it to a plurality of the documents of a superset of documents. This means that a user does not have to repeatedly enter the same information (e.g. a name) into different documents of a superset of documents. Some of the dynamic data of each superset of documents may be linked dynamic data. As such, the server may be arranged to take as an input a first value, which may be a datum of the dynamic data, and to generate linked dynamic data by applying calculations to that data and then to apply the linked dynamic data to at least one electronic document of the superset of documents. The calculation may be defined in the template. For example, the first value may be a date, and the linked dynamic data may be at least one other date with an offset from the first value, the calculation being to add the offset to the first value. The first value may be a date or an age typically in years, and the calculation may be to provide offsets to the first value. This means that a user can enter one date, and the dates of other events or the ages of characters can be easily worked out. The server may be arranged to transmit each set of documents only when the correct password has been inputted into the observer node, with the observer node being arranged to then display the electronic documents. Alternatively, the server may be arranged to transmit the set of documents before the common password is entered into the observer node, and the observer node may be arranged so as to only display each electronic document once the common password has been entered. As such, whilst the common password is required to complete the transmittal and display of the electronic documents, the transmittal can be before the password is input. The server may store in the storage a superset password for each superset of documents. The server may be arranged to transmit all of the electronic documents of a superset of documents to an observer node of the set of observer nodes if the superset password is input into that observer node. As such, all documents of the superset can be downloaded, but the common password for each set of documents will still be required in order to display them. Each observer node may be a mobile computing device, typically a mobile telecommunications device such a mobile phone or smartphone, or a tablet or portable computer. However, each node may alternatively be a static computer such as a desktop computer. Typically, each observer node will be in communication with the serve through a communication network, such as the Internet. There may be control node for each set of observer nodes, in electronic communication with the server. The server may be arranged to transmit each password of each set of documents associated with the set of observer nodes to the control node. As such, the user of the control node for a set of observer nodes can distribute each password to the users of the set of observer nodes. Each observer node may be arranged so as to transmit data back to the server. Typically, data transmitted by each observer node will be set out in a form, which may be formed from a template form, which may be associated with the superset of templates. The server may be arranged to send the data, or a selected subset of the data (for example, all of the responses from each set of observer nodes that meet a criteria, such as having picked a correct answer) to the control node. Typically, each observer node will not be able to edit the documents. The electronic documents may be documents that are to be shared with guests of a murder mystery entertainment. According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of sharing documents, comprising: • storing a plurality of sets of documents on a server, each set comprising at least one electronic document and having a common password assigned thereto; • the server assigning each set of documents a different common password; • for each set of documents and for each observer node of a set of observer nodes, each set of observer nodes having at least one set of documents assigned thereto: o the server electronically transmitting each electronic document of the set of documents to that observer node o that observer node displaying each electronic document on a display of the observer node only if the set of documents is assigned to the set of observer nodes and the observer node provides the common password for the set of documents. As such, this provides for a method where the nodes of a set of observer nodes are provided one password for all of the electronic documents of a set of documents, thus allowing a group of nodes to be allowed access to a set of documents by sharing one common password. Each set of observer nodes may be assigned a plurality of sets of documents, the plurality of sets of documents forming a superset of documents for that set of observer nodes. Thus, by providing the password to each set of the superset, the same set of observer nodes can be provided with access to a different set of documents. Typically, there will be a plurality of electronic documents in each set of documents. The storage may store a set of templates, each template comprising static information and in which at least one electronic document in each set or superset is generated by adding dynamic information into a template. Typically, there will be at least one superset of template documents which can be used to generate one of the supersets of documents by adding the dynamic information thereto. One superset of template documents can be used to generate a plurality superset of documents, each having common static information but differing dynamic information. Some of the dynamic data for each superset of documents may be common dynamic data which is reused in different electronic documents of the superset of documents. As such, the method may comprise the server taking as an input the common dynamic data and applying it to a plurality of the documents of a superset of documents. This means that a user does not have to repeatedly enter the same information (e.g. a name) into different documents of a superset of documents. Some of the dynamic data of each superset of documents may be linked dynamic data. As such, the method may comprise the server taking as an input a first value, which may be a datum of the dynamic data, and to generate linked dynamic data by applying calculations to that data and then to apply the linked dynamic data to at least one electronic document of the superset of documents. The calculation may be defined in the template. For example, the first value may be a date, and the linked dynamic data may be at least one other date with an offset from the first value, the calculation being to add the offset to the first value. The first value may be a date or an age typically in years, and the calculation may be to provide offsets to the first value. This means that a user can enter one date, and the dates of other events or the ages of characters can be easily worked out. The method may comprise the server transmitting each set of documents only when the correct password has been inputted into the observer node, with the observer node then displaying the electronic documents. Alternatively, the server may transmit the set of documents before the common password is entered into the observer node, and the observer node may display each electronic document only once the common password has been entered. The server may assign a superset password for each superset of documents. The server may transmit all of the electronic documents of a superset of documents to an observer node of the set of observer nodes if the superset password is input into that observer node. As such, all documents of the superset can be downloaded, but the common password for each set of documents will still be required in order to display them. Each observer node may be a mobile computing device, typically a mobile telecommunications device such a mobile phone or smartphone, or a tablet or portable computer. However, each node may alternatively be a static computer such as a desktop computer. Typically, each observer node will be in communication with the serve through a communication network, such as the Internet. There may be control node for each set of observer nodes, in electronic communication with the server. The method may comprise transmitting each password of each set of documents associated with the set of observer nodes to the control node. As such, the user of the control node for a set of observer nodes can distribute each password to the users of the set of observer nodes. Typically, each observer node will not be able to edit the documents. The method may comprise each observer node transmitting data back to the server. Typically, the method will comprise a user of each observer node entering data into th observer node, typically into a form transmitted to the observer node by the server node, in which the form may be formed from a template form, which may be associated with the superset of templates. The server may send the data, or a selected subset of the data (for example, all of the responses from each set of observer nodes that meet a criteria, such as having picked a correct answer) to the control node. For both of the above aspects, each set of observer nodes may be associated with users attending a particular event (for example, one murder mystery event). Each set of documents may comprise those electronic documents that are to be disclosed to the attendees of the event in one go, and the superset of documents may comprise all of the electronic documents that are to be disclosed to the attendees at the event in total. Each superset of template documents may represent the base documents for all events following the same script. The electronic documents may be documents that are to be shared with guests of a murder mystery entertainment. There now follows, by way of example, description of embodiments of the invention, described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows schematically a system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows the external functions of a node for use in the system of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows the internal functions of the node of Figure 2; Figure 4 shows the internal functions of a server for use in the embodiment of Figure 1; Figures 5 and 6 show the contents of the storage of the server of the Figure 4; Figure 7 shows a template document stored on the server of Figure 4; Figure 8 shows the template document of Figure 7 completed to form an electronic document stored on the server of Figure 4; and Figure 9 to 17 show screenshot of an example application working on an observer node of Figure 1. Figure 1 shows a system for distributing documents for murder mystery entertainment in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention. A server 1 is connected through the Internet 2 to a plurality of nodes 5, 6 at different venues 3, 4. Two venues 3, 4 are shown in Figure 1, although the server 1 will support many more. At each venue 3, 4, there are potentially two different types of nodes: observer nodes 6 which will be operated by the guests attending the event, and an optional control node 5 operated by a performer of the event. Typically, the nodes 5, 6 will be mobile telecommunication devices, and more particularly smartphones. Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings show the functionality of the nodes 5, 6 in more detail, with Figure 2 showing the external functionality and Figure 3 showing the internal functionality. Each node (noted as 6 in Figures 2 and 3) will typically be a smartphone (such as the Apple iPhone (RTM) or Samsung Galaxy (RTM)) on which applications can be loaded. As such, each node 6 will have externally a screen 10 on which data can be displayed to a user, a camera 11 by means of which images of the user’s surroundings can be captured, a microphone by means of which sounds emanating from the user’s surroundings can be captured, and a speaker 13 for generating sounds. Each node 6 will also have internally storage 16 (such as flash, or other non-volatile, random access memory / RAM) and memory 17 (such as random access memory RAM) a processor 15 for executing computer code stored in the storage 16 or memory 17, an input / output controller 14 for communication with the external components discussed above, and a network controller 18 for controlling the mobile connectivity functions of the node 6. In this embodiment, the node 6 will be capable of communication via at least fourth generation broadband cellular networks (“4G” or long term evolution “LTE”) and wireless local access networks such as WiFi (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers standard IEEE 802.11) or Bluetooth (RTM) (IEEE 802.15.1), and of receiving and interpreting GPS (Global Positioning System) radionavigation systems. The server 1 will have similar, although not identical functionalities as shown in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings. It will have storage 26 (typically a hard disk or solid state drive) and random access memory 27, as well a processor 25 that can process computer code stored in memory 27 or on storage 26. There will be a network controller 28, which will typically be a wired network connection to the Internet 4. Input / output controller 24 controls access to any local peripherals (of which there need not be any in case of “headless” operation). The storage 26 will store documents for use in the murder mystery entertainment, as shown in Figure 5 of the enclosed drawings. Electronic documents 30 will each typically comprise text and images, and as such may be a word processing document (e.g. a DOC or DOCX file created by an application compatible with Microsoft Word), a presentation format (such as PPT or PPTX created by an application compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint), a page description language (such as Adobe PDF or PostScript) or an HTML document. The electronic documents 30 are arranged into sets 31, which themselves are arranged into supersets 32 as will be described in more detail below. Each superset 32 contains all of the electronic documents 30 for one murder mystery event at one venue, with each set 31 comprises the documents that will be released to guests at the same time. The storage 26 also comprises templates 40, which are arranged in sets 41 and supersets 42 as with the electronic documents 30, as shown in Figure 6 of the attached drawings. In order to generate the electronic documents 30 for a murder mystery event, the user uses the server 1 to generate those documents 30 from a superset 42 of templates 40. As shown in Figure 7. each template comprises static text and graphics 50, and dynamic material 51a, 51b, 51c, 5 Id shown in Figure 7 as placeholders. In one embodiment, the user can simply input to the server 1 each dynamic entry. However, to aid the user, the server 1 can be arranged to calculate common dynamic data, such as dates and names of character. The latter is useful where a single part could be played by different gender actors, and so there is possibility of different names. As such, all of the electronic documents of one superset can have the correct character names applied automatically; this applies also to the correct pronouns. Likewise, this can be used where the events can be set in different locations. Furthermore, where the documents refer to fictional events which are spaced apart in time, the user can potentially enter a base date - e.g. the date the event is occurring -and then the server 1 can automatically calculate dates offset from there (e.g. a letter may be dated 12 years prior to the date of the event, or a different letter could be sent so many years after the fictional date of birth of one of the characters). This means that the user does not have to manually calculate all of the dates. As such, Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings shows the electronic document completed from the template shown in Figure 7. The static text 60 remains the same as the static text in Figure 7, but placeholder 51a has been replaced by placename 61a, placeholder 51b has been replaced by date 61b, and placeholders 51c and 5 Id has been replaced by names 61c, 6Id. As such, the user does this until all the placeholders representing dynamic material are full. The user can access the server 1 either directly (if the server is, for example, a desktop computer), or through the internet 2 (in which case the server could be “in the cloud” or at a separate location to the venues 3, 4. If a control node 5 is employed, the user can use that to generate or modify the documents 30 on the server 1 as described above. The superset of documents 31 for a venue 3, 4 has now been created. The server 1 assigns a different common password to each set 31 of documents, and a superset password to each superset of documents. The operation of this can be seen in respect of the following Figures, which depict what a guest using an observer node 6 would see on the screen 10. The observer node 6 would run an “app” or application typically downloaded from the application store for their particular smartphone. Initially, as shown in Figure 9, the guest is notified that they have not signed in for any events. They are given the option to do so. If they do so, as shown in Figure 10, they are prompted for the superset password or “event code”. They can enter this through on-screen keyboard as shown in Figure 11. If the guest correctly enters the superset password, then at this point the observer node 6 can potentially download from server 1 through the Internet 2 all of the electronic documents 30 of the superset 32 to which the superset password refers; as explained below the documents alternatively can be downloaded late. The user is shown that they are signed up for the event as shown in Figure 12. The guest can do this before attending the event at the venue, or can do so when the arrive. Once at the event, the performers providing the event will notify the guests when it is time to consider the electronic documents (e.g. it is time to reveal some evidence to the guests). They do so by providing the guests with the common password for one set of documents. If one of the performers has the optional control node 5, then they can read the password from that control node, otherwise one of the performers will need to have downloaded the passwords earlier. The guests can navigate through the app to the “evidence” section shown in Figure 13. This shows that the evidence is at present locked. The user then navigates to that set of evidence (e.g. set 1), enters the common password for that set of electronic documents through an interface such as that shown in Figure 14 (where numbers can be entered sequentially) or that shown in Figure 15 (which resembles a combination lock). If the correct common password - here a four digit number - is correctly entered, the user is displayed a list of the electronic documents 30 in this set 31 (that is, one round of evidence). The user can then select one of the documents 30 to view, resulting in a view such as Figure 16. It is at this point that the observer node 6 can download the electronic document 30 from the server should it not already have done so. Once unlocked - that is, once the common password for a set of documents is entered - the user is free to navigate away from that set and back again, as shown by Figure 17 which shows that the first set of evidence, and a list of suspects, has been unlocked, but not the other sets.

Claims

1. A computer system for sharing documents, comprising:• a server, having storage in which are stored a plurality of sets of documents, each set comprising at least one electronic document and having a common password assigned thereto, the server being arranged so as to assign each set of documents a different common password;• at least one set of observer nodes, each set comprising a plurality of observer nodes in electronic communication with the server, the observer nodes being in electronic communication with the server and each having a display;in which the server is arranged to store an assignment of at least one set of documents to each set of observer nodes, and in which the server and each observer node are arranged such that:the server will transmit each electronic document of a set of documents to an observer node of a set of observer nodes; andthat observer node will display on its display each document of the set of documentsonly if the set of documents is assigned to the set of observer nodes and the user inputs the common password for the set of documents into the observer node.

2. The computer system of claim 1, in which each set of observer nodes is assigned a plurality of sets of documents, the plurality of sets of documents forming a superset of documents for that set of observer nodes.

3. The computer system of claim 2, in which the storage stores a set of templates, each template comprising static information and in which at least one electronic document in each set or superset is generated by adding dynamic information into a template.

4. The computer system of claim 3, in which there is at least one superset of template documents which can be used to generate one of the supersets of documents by adding the dynamic information thereto.

5. The computer system of claim 4, where one superset of template documents can be used to generate a plurality superset of documents, each having common static data but differing dynamic data.

6. The computer system of any of claims 3 to 5, in which some of the dynamic data for each superset of documents may be common dynamic data which is reused in different electronic documents of the superset of documents.

7. The computer system of claim 6, in which the server is arranged to take as an input the common dynamic data and apply it to a plurality of the documents of a superset of documents.

8. The computer system of any of claims 3 to 7, in which some of the dynamic data of each superset of documents may be linked dynamic data, wherein the server is arranged to take as an input a first value and to generate linked dynamic data by applying calculations to that data and then to apply the linked dynamic data to at least one electronic document of the superset of documents.

9. The computer system of any preceding claim, in which the server is arranged to transmit each set of documents only when the correct password has been inputted into the observer node, with the observer node being arranged to then display the electronic documents.

10. The computer system of any of claims 1 to 8, in which the server is arranged to transmit the set of documents before the common password is entered into the observer node, and the observer node may be arranged so as to only display each electronic document once the common password has been entered.

11. The computer system of claim 10, in which the server is arranged to store in the storage a superset password for each superset of documents, and to transmit all of the electronic documents of a superset of documents to an observer node of the set of observer nodes if the superset password is input into that observer node.

12. The computer system of any preceding claim, comprising a control node for each set of observer nodes, in electronic communication with the server, wherein theserver is arranged to transmit each password of each set of documents associated with the set of observer nodes to the control node.

13. A method of sharing documents, comprising:• storing a plurality of sets of documents on a server, each set comprising at least one electronic document and having a common password assigned thereto;• the server assigning each set of documents a different common password;• for each set of documents and for each observer node of a set of observer nodes, each set of observer nodes having at least one set of documents assigned thereto:o the server electronically transmitting each electronic document of the set of documents to that observer nodeo that observer node displaying each electronic document on a display of the observer nodeonly if the set of documents is assigned to the set of observer nodes and the observer node provides the common password for the set of documents.

14. The method of claim 13, in which each set of observer nodes is assigned a plurality of sets of documents, the plurality of sets of documents forming a superset of documents for that set of observer nodes.

15. The method of claim 14, in which the storage stores a set of templates, each template comprising static information and in which at least one electronic document in each set or superset is generated by adding dynamic information into a template.

16. The method of claim 15, in which there is at least one superset of template documents which can be used to generate one of the supersets of documents by adding the dynamic information thereto.

17. The method of claim 16, in which some of the dynamic data for each superset of documents may be common dynamic data which is reused in different electronic documents of the superset of documents, with the method comprising the server taking as an input the common dynamic data and applying it to a plurality of the documents of a superset of documents.

18. The method of any of claims 15 to 17, in which some of the dynamic data of each superset of documents is linked dynamic data where the method comprises the server taking as an input a first value, which may be a datum of the dynamic data, and generating linked dynamic data by applying calculations to that data and then to apply the linked dynamic data to at least one electronic document of the superset of documents.

19. The method of any of claims 13 to 18, comprising the server transmitting each set of documents only when the correct password has been inputted into the observer node, with the observer node then displaying the electronic documents.

20. The method of any of claims 13 to 18, comprising the server transmitting the set of documents before the common password is entered into the observer node, and the observer node displaying each electronic document only once the common password has been entered.

21. The method of claim 20, in which the server assigns a superset password for each superset of documents, such that the server transmits all of the electronic documents of a superset of documents to an observer node of the set of observer nodes if the superset password is input into that observer node.

22. The method of any of claims 13 to 21, in which there is a control node for each set of observer nodes, in electronic communication with the server and the method comprises transmitting each password of each set of documents associated with the set of observer nodes to the control node.

Images