Integrated collaborative user interface for a document editor program

• US 10,015,215 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2015
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Parker, Jared R., Singh, Sangya, Prickril, Greg, Chan, Wai
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B
• Application Number:
  US14/606,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20150143263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

An integrated collaborative user interface for a document editor is provided. The integrated collaborative user interface includes a document pane, document details pane and a section details pane. Document details and section details are obtained and provided to authors. A collaborative author views the document details, section details and provides updates to a document in the document editor. Changes are then refreshed to the authors to provide a consistent and up-to-date status of the document.

Claims

1. A method for providing notifications to collaborators of a document, comprising:

accessing a document, via a first device of a first user, that is accessible simultaneously by a plurality of devices of other users to collaborate on the document;

associating, via a user interface on the first device of the first user, at least one other user with one or more sections of the document, wherein the at least one other user is allowed to edit the one or more sections via another device;

displaying, in the user interface, a refresh control;

in response to receiving a selection of the refresh control, requesting from the plurality of devices of the other users edits made to the document by the other users;

in response to receiving the edits to the document made by the other users to the one or more sections associated with the at least one other user via the other device;

updating the user interface to indicate a position in the document at which the at least one other user has focus in the document at the time of the selection of the refresh control,

updating a status of authoring for the one or more sections associated with the at least one other user, wherein the status of authoring is automatically set for a given section in response to a given user making edits to the given section, and

updating content in the document based on the edits made between the selection of the refresh control and a prior selection of the refresh control.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising also sending the notification to the devices of the plurality of other users.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the notification as a context-relevant notification.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying information relating to the notification.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising hiding the information from display of the document.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising preventing a display of the information to at least one of the collaborators based on assigned permissions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the edits made to the document are from at least one of the collaborators that is offline.

8. A system for providing notifications to collaborators of a document, the system comprising:

a first computing device comprising;

a processor;

a display;

a document editor program that includes collaborative authoring functionality for collaboration and communication on the document; and

a memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, the instructions being configured to;

access the document, via a user interface of the document editor program, by a first user, that is accessible simultaneously by a plurality of other users to collaborate on the document via other computing devices;

associate a second user with one or more sections of the document, wherein the second user is allowed to edit the one or more sections via a second computing device;

display, in the user interface, a refresh control;

receive, at the user interface, a notification indicating the status has changed for at least one of the one or more sections that were edited by the second user; and

in response to receiving a selection of the refresh control, request, from the second computing device, modifications made to the one or more sections that were edited by the second user;

in response to receiving the modifications;

update the user interface to indicate a position in the document that the second user has focus in the document at the time of the selection of the refresh control,

update a status of authoring for the one or more sections associated with the second user, wherein the status of authoring is automatically set for a given section in response to a given user making edits to the given section, and

update content in the document based on the modifications made since a prior selection of the refresh control.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising also sending the notification to the other computing devices of the plurality of other users.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising sending the notification as a context-relevant notification.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising displaying information relating to the notification.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising hiding the information from display of the document.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising preventing a display of the information to at least one of the collaborators based on assigned permissions.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the edits made to the document are from at least one of the collaborators that is offline.

15. A memory storage device having computer instructions thereon that when executed by a processor enable the processor to provide notifications to collaborators of a document, wherein the instructions enable the processor to execute steps comprising:

accessing a document, via a first device of a first user, that is accessible simultaneously by a plurality of devices of other users to collaborate on the document;

associating, via a user interface on the first device of the first user, at least one other user with one or more sections of the document, wherein the at least one other user is allowed to edit the one or more sections via at least one other device;

displaying, in the user interface, a refresh control;

receiving and displaying, at the user interface, a notification indicating at the least one other user has made edits to the document that are not reflected on the first device;

in response to receiving a selection of the refresh control, requesting from the at least one other device the edits that have been made to the document by the at least one other user since a prior selection of the refresh control;

in response to receiving the edits to the document made by the at least one other user to the one or more sections associated with the at least one other user via the at least one other device;

updating the user interface to indicate a position in the document at which the at least one other user has focus in the document at the time of the selection of the refresh control,

updating a status of authoring for the one or more sections associated with the at least one other user, wherein the status of authoring is automatically set for a given section in response to a given user making edits to the given section, and

updating content in the document based on the edits made between the selection of the refresh control and the prior selection of the refresh control to thereby reflect the edits on the first device.

16. The memory storage device of claim 15, wherein the instructions further enable the processor to execute additional steps comprising:

sending the notification to the devices of the plurality of other users.

17. The memory storage device of claim 15, wherein sending the notification comprises sending a context-relevant notification.

18. The memory storage device of claim 15, wherein the instructions further enable the processor to execute additional steps comprising:

displaying information relating to the notification.

19. The memory storage device of claim 18, wherein the instructions further enable the processor to execute further steps comprising:

hiding the information from display of the document.

20. The memory storage device of claim 18, wherein the instructions further enable the processor to execute further steps comprising:

preventing a display of the information to at least one of the collaborators based on assigned permissions.