Making document changes by replying to electronic messages

• US 8,682,989 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2011
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Meisels, Joshua Adam, Swett, Daniel, Morrill, Jason Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): HIGA, BRENDAN Y
• Application Number:
  US13/096,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20120278401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 715751-753
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

Document changes are sent within a body of an electronic message to reviewers that are collaborating on the document. The document may be any type of document to which changes/comments are made, such as word processing documents, spreadsheets, slides, and the like. A reviewer receiving the electronic message may accept/reject changes and/or make comments/modifications to the document changes that are contained within the electronic message. For example, a reviewer may edit the document changes that are included within the body of the electronic message to add a comment and/or make changes to the change. A reviewer may also have the option to accept/reject changes directly from within the electronic message. After making any changes, the reviewer replies to the electronic message and the changes that are included within the electronic message are applied to the document.

Claims

1. A method for making document changes using electronic messages, comprising:

creating an electronic message that includes a change made to a document that is viewable within a body of the electronic message, wherein the document is collaborated on by reviewers;

sending the electronic message to at least a portion of the reviewers that includes the change made to the document within the body of the electronic message;

receiving a reply to the electronic message that includes a received change made directly from within the electronic message without editing the document that is to be incorporated into the document; and

after receiving the reply, automatically incorporating the received change into the document.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the reviewers that are to receive the document based on whether the change is within a section of the document that is assigned to each of the reviewers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the document from a shared data location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the electronic message comprises including a first selectable option to accept the change and a second selectable option to reject the change.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the electronic message comprises including a comment area that is used to enter a comment for the change made to the document.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the electronic message comprises including a predetermined amount of content of the document before each change and after each change.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein creating the electronic message comprises including a link within the electronic message that is used to open the document from the shared data store.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the reply to the electronic message that includes the received change that is to be incorporated into the document comprises determining when the received change is at least one of:

a comment to the change and a revised change to the change included within the electronic message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the electronic message comprises including a section link that when selected opens the document at a location of a section that corresponds to the section link.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the reply is sent to a document service that hosts the document.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, excluding a signal, storing computer-executable instructions for making document changes using electronic messages, comprising:

creating an electronic message that includes;

a change made to a shared document and a comment area that is used to enter a comment that is to be included within the document for the change made to the document within a body of the electronic message, wherein the document is collaborated on by reviewers;

sending the electronic message to at least a portion of the reviewers that includes the change made to the document within the body of the electronic message;

receiving a reply to the electronic message that includes a received change that is to be incorporated into the document that is made without editing the document; and

automatically incorporating the received change into the document.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising determining the reviewers that are to receive the document based on whether the change is within a section of the document that is assigned to each of the reviewers.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein creating the electronic message comprises including a first selectable option to accept the change and a second selectable option to reject the change and a selectable option to open the document.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein creating the electronic message comprises including a predetermined amount of content of the document before each change and after each change and an indicator that specifies a section of the document where the change was made.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the reply to the electronic message that includes the received change that is to be incorporated into the document comprises determining when the received change is at least one of:

a comment to the change and a revised change to the change included within the electronic message.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the reply is sent to a document service that hosts the document.

17. A system for making document changes using electronic messages, comprising:

a network connection that is configured to connect to a network;

a processor, memory, and a computer-readable storage medium;

an operating environment stored on the computer-readable storage medium and executing on the processor;

a document; and

a change manager operating in conjunction with the operating environment that is configured to perform actions comprising;

creating an electronic message that includes;

a change made to a shared document and a comment area that is used to enter a comment that is to be included within the document for the change made to the document within a body of the electronic message, wherein the document is collaborated on by reviewers;

sending the electronic message to at least a portion of the reviewers that includes the change made to the document within the body of the electronic message;

receiving a reply to the electronic message that includes a received change that is to be incorporated into the document that is made without editing the document; and

incorporating the received change into the document.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein creating the electronic message comprises including a first selectable option to accept the change and a second selectable option to reject the change and a selectable option to open the document.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein creating the electronic message comprises including a predetermined amount of content of the document before each change and after each change and an indicator that specifies a section of the document where the change was made.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein receiving the reply to the electronic message that includes the received change that is to be incorporated into the document comprises determining when the received change is at least one of:

a comment to the change and a revised change to the change included within the electronic message.