Collaborative review of distributed content

• US 7,209,948 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Srinivasa, Deepak
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit; Bunjob
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, KENNY S
• Application Number:
  US10/327,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Collaboratively reviewing a digital document in a computing environment having a visual interface involves first presenting multiple users with a copy of the digital document in a visual interface. Annotations (such as highlights, underlines, or textual annotations) are made by the users and separately recorded, independently of the client application used to view the digital document. The annotations, though, are logically linked to the digital document, and annotations made by a particular user can be recorded over multiple overlays.

Claims

1. A method for reviewing a digital document, the method comprising the steps of:

presenting the digital document synchronously to multiple users at respective computer systems, wherein the presenting is by visual interfaces of respective client applications running on the respective computer systems;

recording annotations for the digital document made by a first one of the users, wherein the annotations made by the first user are recorded independently of the first user'"'"'s client application, the first user'"'"'s annotations being associated with an overlay of the first user, wherein the annotations and the overlay are logically linked to the digital document such that respective portions of the first user'"'"'s overlay correspond to respective portions of the digital document;

presenting the overlay synchronously to the multiple users; and

delivering a new annotation of the first user synchronously to the multiple users for updating of the respective multiple users'"'"' presentations of the overlay, wherein the synchronous delivering is responsive to the first user making the new annotation, and wherein the synchronous presenting of the digital document and the overlay includes asynchronously presenting portions of the digital document and the overlay to the multiple users, such that the multiple users are independently presented respective portions of the digital document selected by the respective users and respectively corresponding portions of the overlay, wherein the first user changing the portion of the digital document and corresponding portion of the overlay presented to the first user does not change the respective portions of the digital document and corresponding portions of the first user'"'"'s overlay presented to the other ones of the multiple users.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, the method including:

recording annotations for the digital document made by additional ones of the users, the users'"'"' annotations being associated with respective overlays.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, the method including:

grouping the overlays in logical groups.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, the method including:

switching, off ones of the overlays.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein annotations made by respective ones of the users cannot be edited by other ones of the users.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording of annotations of the respective users includes:

recording annotations by respective annotation applications of the respective users.

7. An article of manufacture including computer software recorded on a tangible, computer readable medium, for reviewing a digital document, the computer software comprising:

software code for presenting the digital document synchronously to multiple users at respective computer system, wherein the presenting is by visual interfaces of respective client applications running on the respective computer systems; and

software code for recording annotations for the digital document made by a first one of the users, wherein the annotations made by the first user are recorded independently of the first user'"'"'s client application, the first user'"'"'s annotations being associated with an overlay of the first user, wherein the annotations and the overlay are logically linked to the digital document such that respective portions of the first user'"'"'s overlay correspond to respective portions of the digital document;

software code for presenting the overlay synchronously to the multiple users; and

software code for delivering a new annotation of the first user synchronously to the multiple users for updating of the respective multiple users'"'"' presentations of the overlay, wherein the synchronous delivering is responsive to the first user making the new annotation, and wherein the synchronous presenting of the digital document and the overlay includes asynchronously presenting portions of the digital document and the overlay to the multiple users, such that the multiple users are independently presented respective portions of the digital document selected by the respective users and respectively corresponding portions of the overlay, wherein the first user changing the portion of the digital document and corresponding portion of the overlay presented to the first user does not change the respective portions of the digital document and corresponding portions of the first user'"'"'s overlay presented to the other ones of the multiple users.

8. The computer software as claimed in claim 7, the software code including:

software code for recording annotations for the digital document made by additional ones of the users, the users'"'"' annotations being associated with respective overlays.

9. The computer software as claimed in claim 8, the software code including:

software code for grouping the overlays in logical groups.

10. The computer software as claimed in claim 8, the software code including:

software code for switching off ones of the overlays.

11. The computer software as claimed in claim 7, wherein annotations made by respective ones of the users cannot be edited by other ones of the users.

12. The computer software as claimed in claim 7, wherein the recording of annotations of the respective users includes:

recording annotations by respective annotation applications of the respective users.

13. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device connected to the processor, wherein the storage device has stored thereon a program for controlling the processor, and wherein the processor is operative with the program to execute the program for performing the steps of;

presenting a digital document synchronously to multiple users at respective computer systems, wherein the presenting is by visual interfaces of respective client applications running on the respective computer systems;

recording annotations for the digital document made by a first one of the users, wherein the annotations made by the first user are recorded independently of the first user'"'"'s client application, the first user'"'"'s annotations being associated with an overlay of the first user, wherein the annotations and the overlay are logically linked to the digital document such that respective portions of the first user'"'"'s overlay correspond to respective portions of the digital document;

wherein the steps further include;

presenting the overlay synchronously to the multiple users; and

delivering a new annotation of the first user synchronously to the multiple users for updating of the respective multiple users'"'"' presentations of the overlay, wherein the synchronous delivering is responsive to the first user making the new annotation, and wherein the synchronous presenting of the digital document and the overlay includes asynchronously presenting portions of the digital document and the overlay to the multiple users, such that the multiple users are independently presented respective portions of the digital document selected by the respective users and respectively corresponding portions of the overlay, wherein the first user changing the portion of the digital document and corresponding portion of the overlay presented to the first user does not change the respective portions of the digital document and corresponding portions of the first user'"'"'s overlay presented to the other ones of the multiple users.

14. The computer system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the processor is operative with the program to execute the program for performing the steps of:

recording annotations for the digital document made by additional ones of the users, the respective users'"'"' annotations being associated with respective overlays.

15. The computer system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the processor is operative with the program to execute the program for performing the steps of:

grouping the overlays in logical groups.

16. The computer system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the processor is operative with the program to execute the program for performing the steps of:

switching off ones of the overlays.

17. The computer system as claimed in claim 13, wherein annotations made by respective ones of the users cannot be edited by other ones of the users.

18. The computer system as claimed in claim 13, the recording of annotations of the respective users includes:

recording annotations by respective annotation applications of the respective users.