SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REVEALING HIDDEN INFORMATION IN ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS

• US 20120117466A1
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thoreau Holdco, LLC
• Original Assignee: Nativereveal, LLC
• Inventors: KAULBACK, Gordon Russell, DATTA, Guggan
• Granted Patent: US 9,514,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/273
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer readable medium allow a user to open an electronic document in one of various applications while revealing hidden information, without having to know or execute manual steps or procedures to reveal the hidden information. A user interface of a reveal hidden information application is displayed, the user interface displaying a list of one or more native applications each of which is associated with an electronic document type. An input is received selecting a first native application from the list, and one or more hidden information types are displayed corresponding to the selected native application. Settings for the hidden information types corresponding to the first native application are received. Using the first native application, an electronic document whose document type corresponds to the first native application is then displayed with hidden information revealed/not revealed in accordance with the settings.

Claims

1. A method of revealing hidden information in electronic documents, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface of a reveal hidden information application, the user interface displaying a list of one or more native applications each of which is associated with an electronic document type;

receiving an input selecting a first native application from the list;

displaying one or more hidden information types corresponding to the selected the first native application;

receiving settings for the hidden information types corresponding to the first native application; and

displaying, using the first native application, an electronic document whose document type corresponds to the first native application with hidden information revealed/not revealed in accordance with the settings.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more native applications comprise a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a presentation creation application, and/or a data manipulation application.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more native applications comprise Excel®

, Word®

, PowerPoint®

, and/or Acrobat®

.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first native application comprises a word processing application, and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden text, hidden revisions, hidden comments, hidden users, and/or hidden revision dates.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first native application comprises a spreadsheet application, and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden headings, hidden sheets, hidden rows, hidden columns, hidden tabs, hidden scrollbars;

hidden text, filtered data, hidden comments, hidden indicators, hidden gridlines, and/or hidden formulas.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein first native application comprises a presentation application and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden slides, hidden shapes, hidden objects and/or hidden notes.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first native application comprises a data manipulation application, and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden pages panels, hidden optional content, hidden bookmarks panel, and/or hidden attachments panel.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying a reveal hidden information settings user interface icon on a user display, and activating the user interface of the reveal hidden information application upon user selection of the reveal hidden information settings user interface icon.

9. A system, comprising:

a memory for storing instructions;

a microprocessor coupled to the memory and to a display, the microprocessor being programmed to reveal hidden information in electronic documents by;

causing display of a user interface of a reveal hidden information application, the user interface displaying a list of one or more native applications each of which is associated with an electronic document type;

receiving an input selecting a first native application from the list;

causing display of one or more hidden information types corresponding to the selected the first native application;

receiving settings for the hidden information types corresponding to the first native application; and

causing display, using the first native application, of an electronic document whose document type corresponds to the first native application with hidden information revealed/not revealed in accordance with the settings.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more native applications comprise a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a presentation creation application, and/or a data manipulation application.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more native applications comprise Excel®

, Word®

, PowerPoint®

, and/or Acrobat®

.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first native application comprises a word processing application and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden text, hidden revisions, hidden comments, hidden users, and/or hidden revision dates.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first native application comprises a spreadsheet application and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden headings, hidden sheets, hidden rows, hidden columns, hidden tabs, hidden scrollbars, hidden text, filtered data, hidden comments, hidden indicators, hidden gridlines, and/or hidden formulas.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the first native application comprises a presentation application and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden slides, hidden shapes, hidden objects and/or hidden notes.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the first native application comprises a data manipulation application and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden pages panels, hidden optional content, hidden bookmarks panel, and/or hidden attachments panel.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the microprocessor is further programmed to reveal hidden information in an electronic document by displaying a reveal hidden information settings user interface icon on a user display, and activating the user interface upon user selection of the hidden information settings user interface icon.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having encoded therein instructions for revealing hidden information in electronic documents, the instructions comprising instructions for:

displaying a user interface of a reveal hidden information application, the user interface displaying a list of one or more native applications each of which is associated with an electronic document type;

receiving an input selecting a first native application from the list;

displaying one or more hidden information types corresponding to the selected native application;

receiving settings for the hidden information types corresponding to the first native application; and

displaying, using the first native application, an electronic document whose document type corresponds to the first native application with hidden information revealed/not revealed in accordance with the settings.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for displaying a reveal hidden information settings user interface icon on a user display, and activating the user interface upon user selection of the hidden information settings user interface icon.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, comprising a semiconductor memory.

20. A method of revealing hidden information in electronic documents, comprising:

displaying a user interface of a reveal hidden information application, the user interface displaying a list of one or more native applications each of which is associated with an electronic document type;

receiving an input selecting a first native application from the list;

displaying one or more hidden information types corresponding to the selected one of the applications;

receiving settings for the hidden information types corresponding to the first native application;

creating, using the reveal hidden information application, a modified version of an electronic document whose document type corresponds to the first native application, the modified version of the electronic document with hidden information being revised to be revealed/not revealed in accordance with the settings when the modified electronic document is displayed; and

displaying the modified version of the electronic document using the first native application.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more native applications comprise a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a presentation creation application, and/or a data manipulation application.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising displaying a reveal document icon that when selected causes displaying of the modified version of the electronic document.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium having encoded therein instructions for revealing hidden information in an electronic document, the instructions comprising instructions for:

causing display of a user interface of a reveal hidden information application, the user interface displaying a list of one or more native applications each of which is associated with an electronic document type;

receiving an input selecting a first native application from the list;

causing display of one or more hidden information types corresponding to the selected one of the applications;

receiving settings for the hidden information types corresponding to the first native application;

creating, using the reveal hidden information application, a modified version of an electronic document whose document type corresponds to the first native application, the modified version of the electronic document with hidden information being revised to be revealed/not revealed in accordance with the settings when the modified electronic document is displayed; and

causing display of the modified version of the electronic document using the first native application.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the one or more native applications comprise a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a presentation creation application, and/or a data manipulation application.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for displaying a reveal document icon that when selected causes display of the modified version of the electronic document.