Systems and methods for user-specific document change highlighting

• US 20050138540A1
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Baltus, M. Charlotte, Martin, Nathaniel G.
• Application Number:
  US10/740,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138540A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/194 Calculation of difference between files

Abstract

A user-specific change highlighting system and method keeps track of which version of an information object, such as a document, was last viewed by or downloads to the user. When a user reads or downloads a new version of the document, the system and method checks whether the current version is different from the last-viewed version. If the document has changed, the present invention uses, for example, color, font or some other technique to highlight the changes that have been made to the document.

Claims

1. A method for highlighting changes in an information object, comprising:

a) identifying a user;

b) obtaining a selected version of an information object requested by the user;

c) obtaining a previous version of the information object based on a result of identifying the user;

d) determining a difference between the selected version of the information object and the previous version of the information object; and

e) outputting a rendered version of the information object highlighting the difference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein c) further comprises:

automatically obtaining a version of the information object that was most recently accessed by the identified user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein e) comprises displaying the rendered version of the information object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein e) comprises printing the rendered version of the information object on a printing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein e) comprises encoding information on the stored information in glyphs such that the encoded information designates the version of the information object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected version of the information object is a current version of the information object and is automatically selected.

7. An apparatus that highlights changes in an information object, comprising:

a) a query interface that receives a user identification and a request for an information object;

b) a processor that retrieves a selected version of the information object and a previous version of the information object, the previous version being obtained based on the identification;

c) a delta determination device that determines a difference between the selected version and the previous version; and

d) a renderer that generates a rendered version of the information object highlighting the difference.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the selected version is a current version of the information object and is automatically selected.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the previous version is a version that was most recently accessed by the user and automatically selected.

10. A system comprising:

the apparatus according to claim 7;

at least one database that stores the current version and the previous version; and

an output device that outputs the rendered version.

11. A system of claim 10, wherein the output device is one of a display device and a printer.

12. A system for highlighting changes in an information object, comprising:

a) means for identifying a user;

b) means for obtaining a selected version of an information object requested by the user;

c) means for obtaining a previous version of the information object based on a result of identifying the user;

d) means for determining a difference between the selected version of the information object and the previous version of the information object; and

e) means for outputting a rendered version of the information object showing the difference.

13. The processor of claim 12, wherein c) comprises means for automatically obtaining a version of the information object that was most recently accessed by the identified user.

14. The processor of claim 12, wherein e) comprises means for outputting the rendered version to a display device.

15. The processor of claim 12, wherein e) comprises means for outputting the rendered version to a printing device.

16. The processor of claim 12, wherein the selected version of the information object is a current version of the information object and is automatically selected.