STREAMLINED COLLABORATION ON DOCUMENT

• US 20110276897A1
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shen, Jennifer I., Bockelman, Jonathan A., Howell, Gareth A., Moore, Jason F., Citron, David, Crevier, Daniel W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,418,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging

Abstract

Collaborating on documents by e-mail may be streamlined into a unified process. In one example, a user creates a document in an online document service, and sends the document to collaborators by mailing a link to the document. The document may have permissions set so that the creator of the document, and any user on the e-mail distribution list, can read and edit the document. When a user receives the e-mail, that user may open and edit the document. Upon closing the editing application, the user may be presented with an appropriate interface to create a reply e-mail.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating collaboration on a document, the method comprising:

using a processor to perform acts comprising;

receiving a first e-mail containing a document, wherein said first e-mail comprises a distribution list that comprises a sender of said first e-mail and one or more recipients of said first e-mail;

sending said first e-mail to said recipients;

receiving, from a first one of said recipients, a first request to open said document;

receiving edits to said document;

receiving, from said first one of said recipients, a second request to close said document;

displaying, to said first one of said recipients, a user interface to generate a second e-mail to one or more people on said distribution list, wherein said second e-mail is distinct from said first e-mail and contains said document, wherein said user interface is displayed as part of a process of closing said document in response to said second request, and is not displayed in response to an explicit request to create an e-mail; and

sending said second e-mail to said one or more people.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first e-mail contains said document by including, within said first e-mail, a link to said document in a document repository.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first e-mail contains said document as an attachment, and wherein said acts further comprise:

upon receipt of said first e-mail by said first one of said recipients, importing a copy of said document into a document repository, wherein said edits to said document are made to said copy, and wherein said second e-mail contains a link to said copy in said document repository.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said document repository limits access to documents stored in said document repository to those users who have permission to access the documents, and wherein said acts performed by said processor further comprise:

identifying people on said distribution list; and

setting permissions on said document so that those people identified from said distribution list can read and edit said document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said document is stored in a document repository, wherein said edits are received through a web-based editor that executes in a browser on a device of said first one of said recipients, wherein said device is remotely connected to said document repository through a network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said document is stored in a document repository, wherein said edits are received through a standalone editor that executes on a device of said first one of said recipients, wherein said device is remotely connected to said document repository through a network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying of said user interface as part of a process of closing said document in response to said second request comprises asking said first one of said recipients whether said first one of said recipients wants to reply to said first e-mail with said edits.

8. One or more computer-readable media that store executable instructions to facilitate collaboration on a document, wherein said instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform acts comprising:

receiving the document in a document repository;

receiving a distribution list of a first e-mail, wherein said first e-mail contains said document, and wherein said distribution list comprises a sender of said first e-mail and one or more recipients of said first e-mail;

setting permissions on said document to allow reading and editing of said document by all users on said distribution list, wherein said setting of said permissions occurs by said computer giving permission to all users on said distribution list and not by a user specifying which users are to receive permission; and

sending said first e-mail to said recipients.

9. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein said first e-mail contains said document by including, within said first e-mail, a link to said document in said document repository.

10. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein said acts further comprise:

receiving, from a first one of said recipients, a first request to open said document and an edit to said document, wherein said first request comprises clicking on said document in said first e-mail;

receiving, from said first one of said recipients, a second request to close said document; and

presenting, to said first one of said recipients, a user interface to generate a second e-mail to users on said distribution list, wherein said second e-mail contains a link to said document in said document repository, wherein said user interface is displayed as part of a process of closing said document in response to said second request, and is not displayed in response to an explicit request by said user to create an e-mail.

11. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein displaying of said user interface as part of a process of closing said document in response to said second request comprises asking said first one of said recipients whether said first one of said recipients wants to reply to said first e-mail with said edit.

12. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein said first e-mail contains said document as an attachment, wherein said receiving of said document into said document repository and said setting of said permissions both occur in response to, and after, receipt of said first e-mail by a first one of said recipients.

13. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein said first e-mail contains said document by including, within said first e-mail, a link to said document in said document repository, and wherein said acts further comprise:

including, in said link, a token that allows users who are not on said distribution list to access said document.

14. A system to facilitate collaboration on a document, the system comprising:

a document system that comprises a document repository, wherein said document system stores documents in said document repository, and wherein said document system limits access to said documents to users who have permission to access said documents;

an e-mail system that allows users of said system to send and receive e-mails that contain documents stored in said document repository or that contain documents as attachments; and

a document collaboration component that sets permissions on a document stored in said document repository to allow users on a distribution list of an e-mail that contains said document to read and edit said document, wherein said distribution list comprises a sender of said e-mail and one or more recipients of said e-mail,

wherein said e-mail system, upon closing of a document that is contained in said e-mail and that has been opened, presents a user interface to create an e-mail containing an edited version of said document to people on said distribution list, wherein said e-mail system presents said user interface without a user who opened said document having requested to create an e-mail.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said e-mail contains said document as an attachment and wherein, upon receipt of said e-mail by said user, said document collaboration component imports said document into said document repository and sets said permissions on said document.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said document system provides a web-based editor that allows said user to edit said document in a browser on a device of said user.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said user opens said document on a device of said user by using a standalone editor that runs on said device.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said user interface that is presented to said user upon closing of said document comprises a request that said user indicate whether said user wants to reply to said distribution list with changes to said document.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein said e-mail contains said document by including, within said first e-mail, a link to said document in said document repository, and wherein said document collaboration component includes, in said link, a token that allows users who are not on said distribution list to access said document.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said token allows only read access to said document, and wherein said document is not discoverable through a search by users who do not have said link containing said token.