Method and system for document collaboration

• US 7,496,841 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2001
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GATX European Technology Ventures
• Original Assignee: Workshare Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Hadfield, Barrie Alan, Hopkins, Steve, Glover, Robin Wallace, Coates, Stephen John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Maikhanh
• Application Number:
  US10/023,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20040205653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,626 Days
• Field of Search: 715/530, 715/531, 715/200, 715/205, 715/210, 715/229, 715/234, 715/255, 715/256, 715/272, 715/273, 715/751, 715/760, 707/1, 707/3, 707/6, 707/7, 707/10, 707/100, 707/101, 707/200, 707/201, 707/203, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/205, 709/214, 709/215, 709/217
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present invention provides techniques, including a system and method, for document collaboration between a managing author using a document management system (DMS), and one or more contributing authors. In one embodiment the managing author selects an original document from the DMS. Next, a replica of the original document is made and securely sent by the managing author to the one or more contributing authors. A contributing author may make proposed changes and comments to the replica. The edited replica with the proposed changes is converted into a response that is sent back to the managing author. The proposed changes for the contributing author are determined using the response and displayed on a graphical user interface (GUI) for viewing by the managing author. The managing author accepts or rejects the proposed changes to the original document from the contributing author.

Claims

1. A method, using a computer system, for generating a response to an unedited replica of an original document sent by a managing author to a contributing author for review, comprising:

receiving said unedited replica at a client associated with said contributing author;

forming a first revised replica by editing said unedited replica;

partitioning said unedited replica into a first plurality of segments, wherein a segment of said first plurality of segments is delimited by a delimiter;

sorting segments of said first plurality of segments into a binary tree based on a comparison operator;

partitioning said first revised replica into a second plurality of segments;

finding a best match for a segment of said second plurality of segments in said binary tree to form a block of at least one matching byte;

creating a difference file, said difference file comprising;

a plurality of copy packets and a plurality of difference packets, wherein said copy packets indicating position and length of said matched block, and said difference packets consisting of stream of bytes flanked by said copy packets;

storing said difference file in memory at said client to be transmitted to the managing author;

transmitting said difference file to a server associated with said managing author;

reconstructing the first revised replica by finding in the original document said matched block using the memory position and length as indicated in the copy packets; and

forming a second revised replica identical to the first revised replica by copying said matched block into the second revised replica and inserting the difference packets into the second revised replica.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising extending said block by matching bytes on both sides of said block.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said best match comprises an exact match.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said best match comprises a partial match.

5. A system for generating a response to an unedited replica of an original document sent by a managing author to a contributing author for review, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

means for receiving said unedited replica at a client associated with said contributing author;

means for forming a first revised replica by editing said unedited replica;

means for partitioning said unedited replica into a first plurality of segments, wherein a segment of said first plurality of segments is delimited by a delimiter;

means for sorting segments of said first plurality of segments into a binary tree based on a comparison operator;

means for partitioning said first revised replica into a second plurality of segments;

finding a best match for a segment of said second plurality of segments in said binary tree to form a block of at least one matching byte;

means for creating a difference file, said difference file comprising;

a plurality of copy packets and a plurality of difference packets, wherein said copy packets indicating position and length of said matched block, and said difference packets consisting of stream of bytes flanked by said copy packets;

means for storing said difference file in memory at said client to be transmitted to the managing author;

means for transmitting said difference file to a server associated with said managing author;

means for reconstructing the first revised replica by finding in the original document said matched block using the memory position and length as indicated in the copy packets; and

means for forming a second revised replica identical to the first revised replica by copying said matched block into the second revised replica and inserting the difference packets into the second revised replica.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising a means for extending said block by matching bytes on both sides of said block.