METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MONITORING DOCUMENTS EXCHANGED OVER EMAIL APPLICATIONS

• US 20120136951A1
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freedom Solutions Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: Workshare Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Mulder, Samuel Peter Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 10,025,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/10 Complex mathematical operations function generation by table look-up G06F1/03; evaluation of elementary functions by calculation G06F7/544
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details of markup languages G06F40/143; Designating a block; Setting of attributes style sheets, e.g. eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation [XSLT], G06F40/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/194 Calculation of difference between files
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/418 Document matching, e.g. of document images
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for monitoring and detecting changes in files attached to incoming emails. In one embodiment, if files are attached to an outgoing email, the change service uniquely tags each of the attached files and optionally stores local or remote copies of the tagged files. Additionally, in embodiments, the change service monitors and intercepts incoming emails. If files are attached to an incoming email, the change service identifies whether the files are tagged in a manner unique to the compare service. The change service then matches uniquely tagged files in the incoming email to corresponding files previously tagged by the change service. The change service then compares the two documents and generates reports that identify changes in the received document in relation to the transmitted document. Further, in embodiments, the change service provides visual indicators of the changes within the email application.

Claims

1. A method for tracking changes in documents exchanged over email applications, the method comprising:

identifying, by a processor implementing a compare service, a first file attached to a first email received via an email application;

comparing, by the compare service, a first identifier associated with the first file to identifiers associated with one or more files previously transmitted via the email application;

identifying a second file from the one or more previously transmitted files that corresponds to the first identifier;

comparing the first file and the second file to identify one or more changes made to contents of the first file in relation to the second file;

based on the comparison, computing a difference value between contents of the first file and the second file; and

displaying the difference value in the email application in relation to an indicator of the first email.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the difference value is represented as one or more of:

a percentage of difference in contents of the first file in relation to contents of the second file;

or

a graphical icon representing difference in contents of the first file in relation to contents of the second file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the difference value is displayed as one or more of:

a hovering field when a user directs a pointer over the indicator of the first email;

an embedded field in the email application in relation to the indicator of the first email;

or

a change in background color of the indicator of the first email in the email application, where the background color is indicative of a degree of change between contents of the first file and the second file.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to transmitting a given email via the email application, identifying, by the compare service, presence of a given file attachment to the given email;

upon identifying the given file attachment, attaching, by the compare service, a given tag to the given file attachment prior to the email application transmitting the given email.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of comparing the first file and the second file includes one or more of:

comparing a change in formatting;

comparing a change in textual data;

comparing a change in image data;

or

comparing a change in presentation-related information when the first file and the second file are slide decks.

6. A method for monitoring attachments in an email application, the method comprising:

identifying, by a processor implementing a compare service, a first file attached to a first email that a user intends to transmit via an email application;

assigning, by the compare service, a first tag to the first file prior to the email application transmitting the first email;

identifying a second file attached to a second email that is received by the email application;

comparing a second tag associated with the second email and the first tag associated with the first file;

comparing the second tag with the first tag;

upon identifying that the second tag matches the first tag, comparing contents of the first file and the second file to identify one or more changes made to contents of the second file in relation to the first file;

based on the comparison of contents of the first file and the second file, computing a difference value between contents of the first file and the second file; and

displaying the difference value in the email application in relation to an indicator of the second email.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the difference value is represented as one or more of:

a percentage of difference in contents of the second file in relation to contents of the first file;

or

a graphical icon representing difference in contents of the second file in relation to contents of the first file.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the difference value is displayed as one or more of:

a hovering field when a user directs a pointer over the indicator of the second email;

an embedded field in the email application in relation to the indicator of the second email;

or

a change in background color of the indicator of the second email in the email application, where the background color is indicative of a degree of change between contents of the first file and the second file.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

maintaining, by the compare service, a compare database, wherein the compare database includes one or more tags identifying corresponding files transmitted via the email application.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

maintaining, by the compare service, a copy of the corresponding files for use in later comparison steps.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the compare database is local in relation to the email application.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the compare database is located in a remote server in relation to the email application.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of comparing the first file and the second file includes one or more of:

comparing a change in formatting;

comparing a change in textual data;

comparing a change in image data;

or

comparing a change in presentation-related information when the first file and the second file are slide decks.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

generating a report file, wherein the report file is a redline representation of the comparison of the first and second files; and

including the report file as an attachment to the first email.

15. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

generating a report file, wherein the report file is a redline representation of the comparison of the first and second files; and

embedding contents of the report file directly within a body of the first email.

16. A system for tracking changes in documents exchanged over email applications, the system comprising:

a receiving module configured to identify a first file attached to a first email received via an email application;

a matching module configured to;

compare a first identifier associated with the first file to identifiers associated with one or more files previously transmitted via the email application; and

identify a second file from the one or more previously transmitted files that corresponds to the first identifier;

a comparing module configured to compare the first file and the second file to identify one or more changes made to contents of the first file in relation to the second file; and

a reporting module configured to;

based on the comparison, compute a difference value between contents of the first file and the second file; and

display the difference value in the email application in relation to an indicator of the first email.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the difference value is represented as one or more of:

a percentage of difference in contents of the first file in relation to contents of the second file;

or

a graphical icon representing difference in contents of the first file in relation to contents of the second file.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the difference value is displayed as one or more of:

a hovering field when a user directs a pointer over the indicator of the first email;

an embedded field in the email application in relation to the indicator of the first email;

or

a change in background color of the indicator of the first email in the email application, where the background color is indicative of a degree of change between contents of the first file and the second file.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the receiving module is further configured to identify, prior to transmitting a given email via the email application, presence of a given file attachment to the given email, and wherein the system further comprises:

a tagging module configured to attach, upon identifying the given file attachment, a given tag to the given file attachment prior to the email application transmitting the given email.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the step of comparing the first file and the second file, as executed by the comparing module, includes one or more of:

comparing a change in formatting;

comparing a change in textual data;

comparing a change in image data;

or

comparing a change in presentation-related information when the first file and the second file are slide decks.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the reporting module is further configured to:

generate a report file, wherein the report file is a redline representation of the comparison of first and second files; and

include the report file as an attachment to the first email.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the reporting module is further configured to:

generate a report file, wherein the report file is a redline representation of the comparison of the first and second files; and

embed contents of the report file directly within a body of the first email.

23. A system for monitoring attachments in an email application, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory configured to store a set of instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the system to perform a method, the method including;

identifying, by a processor implementing a compare service, a first file attached to a first email that a user intends to transmit via an email application;

assigning, by the compare service, a first tag to the first file prior to the email application transmitting the first email;

identifying a second file attached to a second email that is received by the email application;

comparing a second tag associated with the second email and the first tag associated with the first file;

comparing the second tag with the first tag;

upon identifying that the second tag matches the first tag, comparing contents of the first file and the second file to identify one or more changes made to contents of the second file in relation to the first file;

based on the comparison of contents of the first file and the second file, computing a difference value between contents of the first file and the second file; and

displaying the difference value in the email application in relation to an indicator of the second email.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the difference value is represented as one or more of:

a percentage of difference in contents of the second file in relation to contents of the first file;

or

a graphical icon representing difference in contents of the second file in relation to contents of the first file.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the difference value is displayed as one or more of:

a hovering field when a user directs a pointer over the indicator of the second email;

an embedded field in the email application in relation to the indicator of the second email;

or

a change in background color of the indicator of the second email in the email application, where the background color is indicative of a degree of change between contents of the first file and the second file.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the step of comparing the first file and the second file includes one or more of:

comparing a change in formatting;

comparing a change in textual data;

comparing a change in image data;

or

comparing a change in presentation-related information when the first file and the second file are slide decks.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

generating a report file, wherein the report file is a redline representation of the comparison of the first and second files; and

including the report file as an attachment to the first email.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

generating a report file, wherein the report file is a redline representation of the comparison of the first and second files; and

embedding contents of the report file directly within a body of the first email.

29. A system for tracking changes in documents exchanged over email applications, the system comprising:

receiving means for identifying a first file attached to a first email received via an email application;

matching means for;

comparing a first identifier associated with the first file to identifiers associated with one or more files previously transmitted via the email application; and

identifying a second file from the one or more previously transmitted files that corresponds to the first identifier;

comparing means for comparing the first file and the second file to identify one or more changes made to contents of the first file in relation to the second file; and

reporting means for;

based on the comparison, computing a difference value between contents of the first file and the second file; and

displaying the difference value in the email application in relation to an indicator of the first email.