Computer device for managing documents in multi-user mode

1. A computer system for managing composite documents in a multi-user mode, including:

one or more server devices including:

a processor device for processing document data;

a document data display manager coupled to a display screen; and

a document user rights manager coupled to the processor device,

wherein, the processor device is configured to:

generate an object model, including a plurality of classes, structured to include a content pointer, a level indicator, an access mechanism, a validation mechanism, and a validation indicator, and

create and maintain in a data store a document in the form of a set of object model class instances,

wherein, the display manager is configured to concurrently display on the display screen a tree diagram of the document, a plurality of zones for the document, and a plurality of tabs, each level of the tree diagram being identified according to a level indicator, each of the plurality of zones corresponding to a node of the tree diagram and further providing contents of the class instances existing in the corresponding node of the tree diagram, and a tab of the plurality of tabs corresponding to the plurality of zones being displayed,

wherein, the processor is configured to only authorize access to the document according to access rights of a user concerned determined by the document user rights manager,

wherein, if the document is accessed, the processor device is configured to only authorize validation of a zone displayed for the document according to validation rights of the user concerned, as determined by the document user rights manager,

wherein, the display manager includes a first mechanism for concurrently modifying the display on the display screen of the zone and the display of the corresponding node in the tree diagram according to status of the validation of the zone, and a second mechanism, when all sibling nodes of a current node associated with a current zone are validated based on the level indicators of the nodes of the tree diagram, for validating a status of a parent of the current node of the tree display,

wherein, when a head of the tree diagram is validated, the processor device is configured to authorize signature for an entirety of the document by a user having corresponding signature rights, the processor device being further configured to transmit the signed document to a computer device for display thereon.

2. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the tree diagram includes levels arranged in a descending hierarchy, in particular levels such as document, chapter and section, each level comprising one or more nodes.

3. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein a tabbed display/input zone corresponds to a node at a level.

4. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the document user rights manager determines the user rights for a given document based on the instantiation of a method of reading the rights of that user.

5. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the user rights for a document include at least some of the following rights: the right to display, print, search, preview, create, duplicate, link, delete, export, write, validate, discuss, publish, enter, and sign a document.

6. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the document user rights manager determines the user role data for a given document based on the instantiation of a method of reading the role of that user, the role data being defined by a set of rights.

7. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the user role data for a document includes at least some of the roles such as:

reader, defining at least the rights to display, print, search, preview, and export a document for a user,

author, defining at least the rights to create, duplicate, delete, and revise a document for a user,

editor, defining at least the rights to write, validate, and discuss a document for a user,

publisher, defining at least the right to publish a document for a user,

contributor, defining at least the rights to validate and discuss a document for a user,

signatory, defining at least the right to sign a document for a user.

8. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first mechanism is capable of changing the node color according to the validation status of the corresponding zone,

the second mechanism is capable, when the color of all the nodes at a level indicates that they are validated, of changing the node color of the higher level to indicate validation thereof.

9. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the document user rights manager is designed to manage rights defined for a group of documents and/or for a set of users.

10. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the display manager includes a third mechanism capable, based on the validation of a higher node, of propagating the node validation to lower levels.