Suffix Proxy Collaboration Overlay for Secure Web App Sharing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing web applications lack desired collaboration capabilities, and integrating additional or upgraded collaboration features is hindered by the need for access to proprietary source code and vendor permissions, which can introduce security risks and logistical challenges.

Innovation Solution

A collaboration feature overlay architecture that redirects communications through a suffix proxy, maintaining per-user-account activity states and deriving shared states without modifying the underlying web application, thereby providing additional or replacement collaboration capabilities and enhanced security.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If collaboration features are integrated directly into web applications, then collaboration capabilities are improved, but access to proprietary source code and vendor permissions are required, introducing security risks and logistical challenges

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollaboration capabilitiesVSAvoidsecurity risks

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a collaboration feature overlay as an intermediary layer between users and the web application. This overlay provides collaboration capabilities (chat, file sharing, task management) without requiring direct access to the web application's source code or vendor permissions. The overlay acts as a mediator that enables collaboration while maintaining security boundaries, thus resolving the contradiction between improving collaboration adaptability and avoiding security risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If collaboration features are added to web applications, then collaboration functionality is improved, but modification of existing web applications is required, increasing complexity and reducing stability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollaboration functionalityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the collaboration functionality from the core web application by implementing it as a separate overlay layer. This segmentation allows collaboration features to be added without modifying the existing web application codebase, thereby maintaining the original application's stability while providing enhanced functionality. The overlay can be independently developed, deployed, and maintained, reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The collaboration feature overlay operates in a separate dimensional layer above the original web application. Instead of integrating collaboration tools into the application's core structure, the overlay provides collaboration capabilities as an additional layer that interacts with but does not alter the underlying application. This dimensional separation enables functionality enhancement without increasing structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Adaptability or versatility

If collaboration features are integrated into web applications, then collaboration capabilities are enhanced, but vendor permissions and source code access are needed, reducing ease of deployment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollaboration capabilitiesVSAvoidease of deployment

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The collaboration feature overlay serves as an intermediary that does not require direct integration with the web application's source code or vendor permissions. It can be deployed independently and provides collaboration capabilities through a proxy interface, making deployment easier while maintaining adaptability and versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12506796B2Suffix proxied web application collaboration

Publication Date: 2025.12.23 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

In some embodiments, a collaboration feature overlays a web application by receiving a network communication that was redirected from the web application by a suffix proxy. The collaboration feature supplements or replaces activity of the web application by maintaining per-user-account activity states, deriving a shared collaboration state from the activity states, and supplying the shared collaboration state to multiple user accounts. The collaboration feature is installed without modifying the web application. The collaboration feature provides user accounts with a collaboration capability, such as shared document editing, chat rooms, shared calendars, or shared private workspaces. Some collaboration features overlay multiple web applications, even from different vendors, and some collaboration features support posting collaboratively created content to a website even when some contributors to the content are not registered users of the website. Some collaboration features impose stricter or different cybersecurity than an underlying website.