The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 01, 1998
Filed:
Jun. 27, 1996
Peter David Niblett, Whitchurch, GB;
International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A data conferencing network comprises multiple nodes linked together by a communications path. Each node has a copy of a shared data set, which is being updated by the users of the data conferencing network. Updates generated by a user at any particular node are added to a first queue at that node. A permit-token having an associated permit number circulates around all the nodes. When in possession of the permit token, a node can broadcast an update from its first queue. In doing so, it associates the current permit number with the update (to give an update level), and then increments the permit number by one before forwarding the permit token to the next node in its circulation route. Updates received at a node are placed into a second queue. Each receiving node maintains a current update level, representing the most recent update number applied to the shared data set at that node. The second queue is searched for the update having an update level, which exceeds the current update level by one unit. This update is then taken from the queue and applied to the shared data set, and the current update level is accordingly incremented by one unit.