Collaborative editing operations

• US 8,108,779 B1
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Rein, Todd, Dulaney, Marissa, Shaver, Robert, Stroh, Eylon, Dolgov, Roman, Qualizza, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao “Kevin”
• Application Number:
  US12/336,385
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 715/774, 715/743, 715/733, 715/851, 715853-854, 715761-763
• US Class Current: 715/743
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to detect modifications made to information, the modifications received from a modifying user included in a group of users sharing the information by separately viewing presentations of the information. The presentations may have any number of views, such as a first view and at least a second view. Further actions may include transmitting first view data to enable altering the first view for the modifying user based on the modification made, whether the modification comprises a propagating change or a non-propagating change, and if the modification comprises a propagating change, transmitting second view data to enable altering at least the second view for at least some of the group of users, not including the modifying user, based on the modification. If the change is a non-propagating one, then the activity may include refraining from transmitting the second view data. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting a modification to information, the modification received from a modifying user included in a group of users sharing the information by separately viewing presentations of the information, the presentations having a first view and at least a second view;

transmitting first view data to enable altering the first view for the modifying user based on the modification whether the modification comprises a propagating change to change substance of at least one value of data included in the information, or a non-propagating change that does not change the substance;

if the modification comprises a propagating change;

transmitting second view data to enable altering the at least a second view for at least some of the group of users, not including the modifying user, based on the modification, and

transmitting refresh data to enable displaying a refresh display indicator to be activated before the at least a second view is fully updated to reflect the propagating change; and

otherwise refraining from the transmitting of the second view data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting refresh data to enable displaying a refresh indicator indicating the at least a second view is stale.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the refraining occurs when the modification comprises a non-propagating change that includes changing a specification for sorting, filtering, hiding, un-hiding, or style applied to the at least one value of the data forming part of the first view.

4. The method of claim 1, where the transmitting second view data occurs when the modification comprises a propagating change that includes one of adding, deleting, changing value, or changing field existence for the at least one value of the data forming part of the second view.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting second view data further comprises:

transmitting the second view data to enable displaying the propagating change in a visually distinctive manner.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the visually distinctive manner comprises reduced opacity.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

resolving a conflict generated by receiving a change to the modification within a selected time period after the modification is detected, by transmitting a query including a resolution choice to the modifying user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting second view data further comprises:

transmitting the second view data to enable displaying at least some of the information in a visual matrix format.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indicating identity of each one of the group of users by transmitting at least one of the first view data or the second view data to enable associating a color in the presentations with an information activity location for each one of the group of users.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indicating identity of at least some of the group of users by transmitting at least one of the first view data or the second view data to enable inclusion of at least one of images or textual information associated with the users as part of the presentations.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user selection input associated with a format of the at least a second view; and

storing the user selection input for later recall to provide the format for the at least a second view.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user selection input associated with the at least a second view to revise the at least a second view to match the first view; and

transmitting matching view data to enable reversible alteration of the at least a second view to match the first view.

13. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting a modification to information, the modification received from a modifying user included in a group of users sharing the information by separately viewing presentations of the information, the presentations having a first view and at least a second view;

modifying the first view for the modifying user whether the modification comprises a propagating change to change substance of at least one value of data included in the information, or a non-propagating change that does not change the substance;

if the modification comprises a propagating change;

transmitting view data to alter the at least a second view for at least some of the group of users, not including the modifying user, and

transmitting refresh data to enable displaying a refresh display indicator to be activated before the at least a second view is fully updated to reflect the propagating change; and

otherwise refraining from the transmitting of the view data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving identity information to enable the modifying user to identify each one of the users.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

associating at least one of a color, an image, or textual information in the first view with an information activity location for each identified one of the users.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

if the modification comprises the propagating change, transmitting refresh data to enable displaying a refresh display indicator to be activated before the at least a second view is fully updated to reflect the propagating change.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

saving a visual arrangement of the information associated with the at least a second view as a named view; and

transmitting existence notification data to indicate availability of the named view to the users.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting refresh indicator data to enable indicating that a change to the first view has not been reflected by fully updating the at least a second view.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a request to delete a named view comprising one of the first view or the second view.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing an option of sharing or not sharing a named view with the users, not including the modifying user, wherein the named view has been saved by the modifying user.

21. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to implement a method, the method comprising:

detecting a modification to information, the modification received from a modifying user included in a group of users sharing the information by separately viewing presentations of the information, the presentations having a first view and at least a second view;

transmitting first view data to enable altering the first view for the modifying user based on the modification whether the modification comprises a propagating change to change substance of at least one value of data included in the information, or a non-propagating change that does not change the substance;

if the modification comprises a propagating change, transmitting second view data to enable altering the at least a second view for at least some of the group of users, not including the modifying user, based on the modification; and

otherwise refraining from the transmitting of the second view data.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the second view data to enable changing a visible indication of the at least one value, but not a visual arrangement corresponding to the at least a second view.

23. The medium of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the second view data to enable changing the visual arrangement upon receiving a request from one of the users.

24. A computer-implemented method comprising:

executing instructions on a specific apparatus that result in the detection of a modification to digital electronic signals representing information, the modification received from a modifying user included in a group of users sharing the information by separately viewing presentations of the information, the presentations having a first view and at least a second view;

executing instructions on a specific apparatus that result in modifying the first view for the modifying user whether the modification comprises a propagating change to change substance of digital electronic signals representing at least one value of data included in the information, or a non-propagating change that does not change the substance; and

executing instructions on a specific apparatus that result in;

if the modification comprises a propagating change;

transmitting digital electronic signals representing view data to alter the at least a second view for at least some of the group of users, not including the modifying user, and

transmitting refresh data to enable displaying a refresh display indicator to be activated before the at least a second view is fully updated to reflect the propagating change; and

otherwise refraining from the transmitting of the digital electronic signals representing view data.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the executing instructions on a specific apparatus that result in the detection of the modification comprise executing the instructions on a first specific apparatus, and wherein executing instructions on a specific apparatus that result in modifying the first view comprise executing the instructions on a second specific apparatus different from the first apparatus.