Collaborative Document Update Server Reduces Network Traffic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing networked computer systems face inefficiencies in managing information exchanges related to changes in shared electronic documents, leading to unnecessary network traffic and resource usage, as they often send updates regardless of their relevance to clients' active regions.
Innovation Solution
A server-based method determines whether to send updates to clients by identifying changes outside their active regions and sending only relevant data that affects the client's viewport, reducing unnecessary data transmission and resource usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the client requests information regarding changes to a shared electronic document at regular intervals, then the client can stay updated with document changes, but large amounts of unneeded traffic is generated on the network and long delays occur for the information to travel between machines
Solution Approach 1:
The server pushes change information to clients automatically when changes occur, rather than clients polling at regular intervals. This feedback mechanism ensures clients receive updates only when necessary, eliminating unnecessary network traffic while maintaining reliable update delivery
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from periodic client polling to event-driven server pushing, where information is transmitted only at the moment of change rather than at fixed intervals, reducing network overhead while ensuring timely delivery
2Loss of energy
If compressed and/or coded information is sent to the client to recreate the shared-electronic document change, then network traffic is reduced, but the computational capabilities of the client are taxed due to decompression and translation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The server creates and sends a simplified copy of the change information that represents only the affected portion of the document, rather than compressing or encoding the entire document. This copy can be directly applied by the client without requiring decompression or translation, reducing client computational burden while maintaining efficient network usage
Solution Approach 2:
The change information is segmented to include only the specific portions of the document that have changed and are relevant to the client's viewport, rather than transmitting compressed representations of entire documents or large sections, reducing both network traffic and client processing requirements
3Loss of information
If all information contained in the electronic document is sent in response to a request, then the client receives complete document data, but it is impractical due to the large amounts of information contained in electronic documents
Solution Approach 1:
The server identifies and transmits only the specific local portions of the document that have changed and are relevant to the client's current viewport, rather than sending all document information. This localized approach ensures the client receives necessary update information without being overwhelmed by unnecessary data volume
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts and transmits only the relevant change information that affects the client's active region, separating necessary update data from the bulk of the document information that remains unchanged or is irrelevant to the current client view, making data transmission practical while maintaining information completeness for affected areas
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods are described to manage the exchange of information between multiple networked devices in a shared electronic document environment. In an embodiment, a computer implemented method of exchanging information in a collaborative networked environment is performed. The method may include receiving a first active region from a first client, receiving indicia of a change to a shared electronic document, and determining that the first client requires an update. The determining step may include determining the change will affect the first active region, and determining the relevant-change data to send to the first client. Additionally, the method may include sending the relevant-change data to the first client.