Real-Time Calendar Collaboration via Intermediary Server Synchronization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional electronic calendar systems do not enable real-time collaboration or immediate rendering of changes made to a shared calendar across multiple devices, and they are limited by fixed time units and user interface structures.

Innovation Solution

A digital map calendar system that allows real-time collaboration by manipulating the user interface and calendar content, using a state change module to receive notifications and a replica module to retrieve and update calendar content across devices, enabling seamless and continuous rendering of changes across all connected clients.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional electronic calendar systems are used, then system simplicity is maintained, but real-time collaboration and immediate rendering of changes across multiple devices are not enabled

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereal-time collaboration capabilityVSAvoidsystem architecture complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a server as an intermediary component that mediates between multiple calendar clients. The server receives change notifications from one client, processes the changes, and distributes updated calendar content to other clients. This intermediary architecture enables real-time collaboration while managing system complexity centrally rather than requiring complex peer-to-peer synchronization between all devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If fixed time units and user interface structures are used, then system stability is maintained, but adaptability to different collaboration scenarios is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecalendar view flexibilityVSAvoidinterface manipulation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic calendar views that allow users to manipulate time units and interface structures in real-time. Instead of fixed time grids, the system allows dynamic adjustment of view extents, zoom levels, and time unit representations. This dynamic approach enables adaptability to different collaboration scenarios while the server manages the complexity of synchronizing these dynamic changes across all connected clients.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3970094B1Real time collaboration in calendar
Publication Date: 2023.06.07 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3970094B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3970094B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3970094B1 patent drawingFigure 2A

AI summary

An apparatus for a real-time collaboration in calendar is described herein. The apparatus includes a state change module to receive a change notification at a second calendar client rendering a shared calendar. The apparatus also includes an identification module to retrieve an identification (ID) of calendar content, a change in a user interface state, and an extent of a calendar view from a first data structure. Finally, the apparatus includes a replica module of the second client to retrieve calendar content from a second data structure using the ID as an index value.