Local Calendar Copying for Cross-Client Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing online application and collaboration services, such as Microsoft Office 365, face challenges in sharing electronic calendars across different clients due to the use of 'linked calendar entries,' which are not universally understood, leading to reliability issues and limitations in viewing and customizing shared calendars, especially on mobile devices.
Innovation Solution
The method involves creating and maintaining local copies of remote master calendars within the user's mailbox, allowing direct reading and writing from these copies, rather than relying on linked entries, enabling synchronization and local customizations while intercepting and redirecting write requests to ensure seamless sharing and compatibility across various clients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If linked calendar entries are used to share calendars between mailboxes, then calendar sharing functionality is implemented, but compatibility across different clients and devices is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a local copy of the shared calendar in the sharee's mailbox rather than using a linked entry that points to the sharer's calendar. This copy can be directly accessed and manipulated by the sharee's client without requiring special handling for linked entries, thereby improving compatibility across different clients and devices while maintaining reliable access to shared calendar data.
2Ease of operation
If clients read and write directly to someone else's mailbox via linked entries, then calendar sharing is enabled, but numerous reliability issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the shared calendar data is copied into the sharee's own mailbox. This eliminates the need for clients to directly read and write to someone else's mailbox through linked entries, thereby resolving the reliability issues while maintaining ease of operation. The intermediary copy acts as a buffer that enables direct client access without compromising the integrity of the original mailbox.
3Adaptability or versatility
If linked calendar entries are used, then calendar sharing is implemented, but local customizations on shared calendars are not possible
Solution Approach 1:
By creating a local copy of the shared calendar in the sharee's mailbox, the patent enables the sharee to make local customizations to the calendar data. The copy can be modified independently without affecting the original shared calendar, allowing for local adaptations while avoiding the need for complex client-specific business logic to handle customization requests.
4Reliability
If a separate connection is utilized to synchronize write changes back to the sharer's calendar, then shared calendar updates are maintained, but the process becomes complex and inconsistent across clients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent simplifies the synchronization process by working with a local copy of the shared calendar. Changes made to the copy can be synchronized back to the original calendar through standard mailbox synchronization mechanisms, eliminating the need for complex client-specific synchronization logic. This approach maintains reliable update synchronization while reducing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The techniques described herein facilitate sharing electronic cloud-based calendars via online application and collaboration services, e.g., Microsoft Office 365®. In an implementation, a method of operating an online application and collaboration service for sharing electronic calendars between mailboxes is disclosed. The method includes receiving a request to share a master calendar owned by a first user of the online application and collaboration service with a second user. The master calendar is stored in the first user's mailbox. The method further includes communicating a response indicating acceptance of the request to share the master calendar, generating a copy of the master calendar in the second user's mailbox, and synching the copy of the master calendar with the master calendar using pre-cached data to populate an initial view.