Inprise Corporation

Diffusion, Inc.

Richard Lee Schwartz

James Lewis Weiner

Charles A Grasso

A computer system having a facility for concurrently sharing objects or resources is described. The system includes a publish-and-subscribe facility or 'Object Exchange,' for facilitating sharing among workgroups. When a data object is 'published' by a user ('publisher'), the object is sent from that user's computer to other computer users specified by the publisher. Those interested in the published data object (published pages) may elect to receive or 'subscribe' to that data. From that point on, the publisher can choose to update the data, such as whenever the published version changes. The 'subscribers' of the published pages automatically get updates. Subscribers of a spreadsheet notebook, for instance, would automatically receive pages as they are published. The Object Manager effects actions by posting messages or 'forms' to either the local Object Exchange (assuming one is the publisher) or the Object Exchange of others (subscribers). Connectivity for the system is provided by the various Object Exchange engines negotiating forms. Each Object Exchange posts and retrieves forms at polling intervals (which may be set to continuous polling). By exploiting the connectivity of existing transport media (e.g., LANs), the present invention delivers workgroup computing benefits to users, but without imposing a rigid structure which restricts when and how they work.

System and methods for automatically distributing a particular shared

An Intranet-based system with methods for co-active information delivery is described. The system allows users to manage the distribution and delivery of information across an enterprise Intranet, the Internet, and common communication channels (e.g., printers, fax, pager and e-mail). The system provides a wizard-like user interface which intuitively walks users through various tasks, including distribution of new documents, updating of existing documents, modifying profiles/policies of documents, groups, roles and individuals. The system provides 'Adaptive Distribution' methodology so that, as organizational changes occur, the system ensures that the most current, relevant information is always made available to appropriate eligible subscribers; no additional effort is required from either the subscribers or the distributors. Subscriber lists of a distribution automatically respond to changes in group composition, accommodating new or departing individuals within the organization, as well as accommodating changing organizational roles. As an organization changes, newly eligible recipients are electronically contacted with their new profile. At the same time, newly ineligible people are automatically cut off from the information flow. In this manner, the adaptive methodology ensures that all of these profiles are contextually linked together and changed automatically as new information or context for any part of the profile is updated.

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Los Altos Hills, CA, United States of America

Richard Lee Schwartz