Document Sharing Service Remote Application Rendering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional document sharing systems fail to allow users to access and edit documents on client devices that lack the necessary document editor or viewer applications, particularly on devices like tablets and mobile phones, which often do not support specific file formats.
Innovation Solution
A document sharing service that remotely accesses and renders document editor and viewer applications on a user's device by selecting a computer with the required application, even if the user's device does not have it installed, and remotes the user interface for the application to the client device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If document editor/viewer applications are required to be installed locally on client devices, then document access and editing functionality is reliable, but device compatibility and accessibility are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that hosts document editor and viewer applications. When a user needs to access a document, the server provides the appropriate application remotely, eliminating the need for local installation while maintaining full functionality. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by decoupling the requirement for applications from the client device itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The server is designed to host multiple document editor and viewer applications simultaneously, making it universally capable of handling various document formats. This multi-functional server can serve diverse client devices with different capabilities, providing the needed application based on the document type and user needs, thus improving both reliability and adaptability.
2Ease of operation
If all necessary document applications are installed locally on every device, then full document editing capability is available, but device complexity and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts document editor and viewer applications from the client device environment and relocates them to a remote server. This extraction eliminates the need for users to install, update, or manage multiple applications locally, while still providing full document editing capabilities when needed through remote access.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service document editing by allowing users to access documents and the necessary applications through a web browser without requiring local software installation. The server automatically provides the appropriate application based on the document type, making the system easy to operate while reducing device complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If document applications are accessed remotely from a server, then device compatibility is improved, but network dependency and access speed may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The server pre-loads and maintains document editor and viewer applications in ready state, so when a user needs to access a document, the application is already prepared and can be provided immediately through the browser. This preliminary preparation minimizes access delays while maintaining the benefits of remote access and device compatibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for and methods of providing a document sharing service in combination with remote access to document editor and/or viewer applications is disclosed. A hosting service of a client-server computing system includes a network of one or more host computers, a document sharing server that further includes a document sharing service, and a document database for storing shared documents. Methods of the disclosure include a method of creating a document and saving to the document sharing service, a method of a user accessing a document available through the document sharing service, and a method of selecting a computer of the client-server computing system on which to launch the requested document editor/viewer application. Further, the client-server computing system supports three classes of client devices, wherein each of the three classes provides unique functionality with respect to the document sharing service.