Patent · US Expired

Automatic update of file versions for files shared by several computers which record in respective file directories temporal information for indicating when the files have been created

US5909689A · kind A · utility

273Cited by
4References
8Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateSep 18, 1997
Grant dateJun 1, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 18, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99954
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A computer program/software determines the latest version for one or more data files used by several interconnected computers or workstations, and selectively updates each file version stored in individual directories on the computers or workstations. The program allows sharing of the data files among a group of users working on a large project, for example, by determining, based on the system date/time information obtained from each computer, when a data file was created or last updated in each computer directory. Those data files with the less recent date/time are selectively either replaced or merged with the most recent version of the file via the interconnection structure among the computers. As a result, each computer directory always maintains the most recent version of the data file.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.