US 10,949,271 B2Granted

Enhanced copy-and-paste

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsDong Chen, Shao Jun Ding, Zhi Li Guan, Yang Liang, Xin Peng Liu, Ting Yin, Wu Mi Zhong

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Abstract

An enhanced copy-and-paste function copies multiple logical and physical software objects from a source computing environment to a distinct target computing environment. A physical object can be any software-data entity, such as a document, a container, a database, or a disk image. A logical object contains a hierarchy of two or more physical or logical objects. Objects are copied to a logical copy clipboard, where they may be assembled into logical objects. Each physical object is then transferred one at a time to a conventional physical clipboard, transmitted to a corresponding physical clipboard in a corresponding target environment, and then forwarded to a logical paste clipboard, where the original logical objects are reconstructed and pasted into the target environment. Each logical object may be pasted into multiple target environments and may contain physical objects copied from multiple source environments. Multiple logical objects may contain the same physical object.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An enhanced copy-and-paste system comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a computer-readable hardware storage device coupled to the processor, the storage device containing program code configured to be run by the processor via the memory to implement a method for enhanced copy-and-paste functionality, the method comprising:

receiving a copy-and-paste instruction requesting that a combination of multiple logical objects and multiple physical software objects be copied from a first source environment of a set of computerized environments and pasted to a first target environment of the set of computerized environments,
where each environment of the set of computerized environments is selected from the group consisting of:
a cloud-based container, a smartphone, a tablet, a desktop computer, an Internet-of-Things-connected device, an enterprise network, a local-area network, and a notebook computer,
where a physical software object is a software object that can be managed by only one corresponding type of application software,
where a logical object is a hierarchical data structure that consists of at least two software objects selected from the group consisting of physical software objects and logical objects,
where two physical software objects comprised by a single logical object are each managed by a different type of application software, and
where the combination of objects to be copied and pasted passes sequentially through a four-buffer structure that consists of:
a logical copy clipboard, located in the first source environment, that is capable of simultaneously storing the entire combination of objects, either in the original form of the combination or as a single logical object that consists of all logical and physical objects of the combination,
a physical copy clipboard, located in the first source environment, that is capable of storing only one physical software object at a time, and that directly receives from the logical copy clipboard a serial sequence of software objects, where the serial sequence of software objects consists of all physical software objects comprised by the single logical object,
a physical paste clipboard, located in the first target environment, that is capable of storing only one physical software object at a time, and that directly receives from the physical copy clipboard the serial sequence of software objects, and
a logical paste clipboard, located in the first target environment, that is capable of storing the combination of objects in the original form of the combination, and that reassembles the sequentially transferred physical software objects, directly received from the physical paste clipboard, into the single logical object and then directly pastes the combination of objects from the reassembled single logical object into the first target environment, where the pasted objects are pasted in the original form of the combination.

8 more elements

A method for enhanced copy-and-paste, the method comprising:

receiving a copy-and-paste instruction requesting that a combination of multiple logical objects and multiple physical software objects be copied from a first source environment of a set of computerized environments and pasted to a first target environment of the set of computerized environments,
where each environment of the set of computerized environments is selected from the group consisting of:
a cloud-based container, a smartphone, a tablet, a desktop computer, an Internet-of-Things-connected device, an enterprise network, a local-area network, and a notebook computer,
where a physical software object is a software object that can be managed by only one corresponding type of application software,
where a logical object is a hierarchical data structure that consists of at least two software objects selected from the group consisting of physical software objects and logical objects,
where two physical software objects comprised by a single logical object are each managed by a different type of application software, and
where the combination of objects to be copied and pasted passes sequentially through a four-buffer structure that consists of:
a logical copy clipboard, located in the first source environment, that is capable of simultaneously storing the entire combination of objects, either in the original form of the combination or as a single logical object that consists of all logical and physical objects of the combination,
a physical copy clipboard, located in the first source environment, that is capable of storing only one physical software object at a time, and that directly receives from the logical copy clipboard a serial sequence of software objects, where the serial sequence of software objects consists of all physical software objects comprised by the single logical object,
a physical paste clipboard, located in the first target environment, that is capable of storing only one physical software object at a time, and that directly receives from the physical copy clipboard the serial sequence of software objects, and
a logical paste clipboard, located in the first target environment, that is capable of storing the combination of objects in the original form of the combination, and that reassembles the sequentially transferred physical software objects, directly received from the physical paste clipboard, into the single logical object and then directly pastes the combination of objects from the reassembled single logical object into the first target environment, where the pasted objects are pasted in the original form of the combination.

8 more elements

A computer program product, comprising a computer-readable hardware storage device having a computer-readable program code stored therein, the program code configured to be executed by an enhanced copy-and-paste system comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a computer-readable hardware storage device coupled to the processor, the storage device containing program code configured to be run by the processor via the memory to implement a method for enhanced copy-and-paste functionality, the method comprising:

receiving a copy-and-paste instruction requesting that a combination of multiple logical objects and multiple physical software objects be copied from a first source environment of a set of computerized environments and pasted to a first target environment of the set of computerized environments,
where each environment of the set of computerized environments is selected from the group consisting of:
a cloud-based container, a smartphone, a tablet, a desktop computer, an Internet-of-Things-connected device, an enterprise network, a local-area network, and a notebook computer,
where a physical software object is a software object that can be managed by only one corresponding type of application software,
where a logical object is a hierarchical data structure that consists of at least two software objects selected from the group consisting of physical software objects and logical objects,
where two physical software objects comprised by a single logical object are each managed by a different type of application software, and
where the combination of objects to be copied and pasted passes sequentially through a four-buffer structure that consists of:
a logical copy clipboard, located in the first source environment, that is capable of simultaneously storing the entire combination of objects, either in the original form of the combination or as a single logical object that consists of all logical and physical objects of the combination,
a physical copy clipboard, located in the first source environment, that is capable of storing only one physical software object at a time, and that directly receives from the logical copy clipboard a serial sequence of software objects, where the serial sequence of software objects consists of all physical software objects comprised by the single logical object,
a physical paste clipboard, located in the first target environment, that is capable of storing only one physical software object at a time, and that directly receives from the physical copy clipboard the serial sequence of software objects, and
a logical paste clipboard, located in the first target environment, that is capable of storing the combination of objects in the original form of the combination, and that reassembles the sequentially transferred physical software objects, directly received from the physical paste clipboard, into the single logical object and then directly pastes the combination of objects from the reassembled single logical object into the first target environment, where the pasted objects are pasted in the original form of the combination.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.