Patent · US Expired

Shared file system for digital content

US6260040A · kind A · utility

246Cited by
21References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 5, 1998
Grant dateJul 10, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 5, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99939
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A distributed client server system for managing and storing digital files includes a digital library and a shared file system, wherein the digital library further includes a library client, a library server including a library catalog, and an object server and wherein the shared file system includes a workstation with a local storage and a shared file server with a shared file storage. The digital library maintains metadata about the files in the shared file system, in a database in the library catalog. The metadata for a file includes different names for different versions of the file and a check-in status flag. A read operation is performed on the shared file system by a user retrieving a file directly from the shared file system. A write operation is performed by the user invoking a digital library application, which in turn changes the status of the flag to "checked-out". When a file is "checked-out" it can not be edited by any other user. When the "checked-out" file is saved, it is saved under a new name. When a user quits after editing the file, the status of the file is changed back to "checked-in".

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