Integrated collaborative user interface for a document editor program

• US 20090006948A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Singh, Sangya, Chan, Wai, Prickril, Greg, Parker, Jared R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/255
• 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 computer-implement method for providing collaborative authoring features in a document editor program, the method comprising:

providing a document editor program that includes a line of business integration mode;

activating the line of business integration mode;

displaying a document editing pane in the document editor program, wherein the document editing pane includes a document having at least one section;

displaying a document assembly pane in the document editing program, wherein the document assembly pane includes a document details pane and a section details pane;

obtaining document details metadata, wherein the document details metadata includes metadata associated with collaboratively authoring the document;

obtaining section details metadata, wherein the section details metadata includes data associated with an author assigned to the at least one section of the document;

displaying the document details metadata in the document details pane; and

displaying the section details metadata in the section details pane.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the document details metadata includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a document description, an assigned editor, a filename, a path, and an abstract.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the section details metadata includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a section title, a section owner, a start date, a due date, a status, authoring instructions, reassignment privileges, view protection, and a notification history.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the section details pane includes a list of sections and assignments, wherein an expanded section details pane is populated with assignment metadata associated with a selected section.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the expanded section details pane includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a section title, an author, a due date, a status, and an instruction.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the selection of a section in the section details pane automatically navigates the document editor pane to the selected section in the document.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the document of the document editor pane and the document assembly pane are automatically updated with author changes during collaborative authoring.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising publishing the document, wherein publishing the document includes disabling the line of business integration mode and hiding the document assembly pane;

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising a notification pane for sending a notification to an author assigned to a section.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising a notification pane for sending a notification to an editor indicating that a status of an assigned section is changed.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for providing collaborative authoring features in a document editor program, the instructions comprising:

providing a document editor program that includes a line of business integration mode;

activating the line of business integration mode;

displaying a document editing pane in the document editor program, wherein the document editing pane includes a document having at least one section;

displaying a document assembly pane in the document editing program, wherein the document assembly pane includes a document details pane and a section details pane;

obtaining document details metadata, wherein the document details metadata includes metadata associated with collaboratively authoring the document;

obtaining section details metadata, wherein the section details metadata includes data associated with an author assigned to the at least one section of the document;

displaying the document details metadata in the document details pane;

displaying the section details metadata in the section details pane; and

publishing the document, wherein publishing the document includes disabling the line of business integration mode and hiding the document assembly pane.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the document details metadata includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a document description, an assigned editor, a filename, a path, and an abstract.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the section details metadata includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a section title, a section owner, a start date, a due date, a status, authoring instructions, reassignment privileges, view protection, and a notification history.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the section details pane includes a list of sections and assignments, wherein an expanded section details pane is populated with assignment metadata associated with a selected section.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the expanded section details pane includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a section title, an author, a due date, a status, and an instruction.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the selection of a section in the section details pane automatically navigates the document editor pane to the selected section in the document.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the document of the document editor pane and the document assembly pane are automatically updated with author changes during collaborative authoring.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising a notification pane for sending a notification to an author assigned to a section.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising a notification pane for sending a notification to an editor indicating that a status of an assigned section is changed.

20. A system for providing collaborative authoring features in a document editor program, the instructions comprising:

a processor;

a display; and

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

provide a document editor program that includes a line of business integration mode;

activate the line of business integration mode;

display, on the display, a document editing pane in the document editor program, wherein the document editing pane includes a document having at least one section;

display, on the display, a document assembly pane in the document editing program, wherein the document assembly pane includes a document details pane and a section details pane;

obtain document details metadata, wherein the document details metadata includes metadata associated with collaboratively authoring the document;

obtain section details metadata, wherein the section details metadata includes data associated with an author assigned to the at least one section of the document;

display, on the display, the document details metadata in the document details pane;

display, on the display, the section details metadata in the section details pane; and

publish the document, wherein publishing the document includes disabling the line of business integration mode and hiding the document assembly pane.