System and method for editing a conversation in a hosted conversation system

• US 8,700,776 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2010
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rasmussen, Jens Eilstrup, Rasmussen, Lars Eilstrup, Ma, Stephen, Mah, Alexandre T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Lynn
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/729,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20100241749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/207, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• 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 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services

Abstract

A server system hosts a plurality of conversations. For a respective conversation the server system receives units of content from respective participants in the conversation. The server system receives a sequence of edits to a respective content unit of the conversation from at least one participant other than an initial author of the content unit to produce a revised content unit. The server system stores a respective timestamp for each distinct edit in the sequence of edits to the content unit, including distinct timestamps for at least first and second edits to the content unit. The server system updates the conversation with the revised content unit and automatically provides the updated conversation to the one or more server systems hosting conversations for the participants in the conversation.

Claims

1. A method of hosting electronic messages, comprising:

at a computer system, hosting a plurality of conversations having one or more processors and memory storing programs for execution by the one or more processors, the hosting including, for a respective conversation in the plurality of conversations;

obtaining a plurality of content units associated with the respective conversation from a plurality of participants in the respective conversation;

obtaining a sequence of edits to a content unit in the plurality of content units associated with the respective conversation from a first participant in the plurality of participants to produce a revised content unit; and

while a second participant of the plurality of participant is providing or editing a portion of the content unit;

(A) in accordance with a determination that the first participant is not in a draft mode;

updating the respective conversation, for the second participant, with the revised content unit by;

automatically providing the revised content unit to the second participant; and

(B) in accordance with a determination that the first participant is in a draft mode;

(i) when the second participant is a team member;

updating the respective conversation for the second participant with the revised content unit by automatically providing the revised content unit to the second participant; and

(ii) when the second participant is a non-team member;

delaying updating the respective conversation for the second participant with the revised content unit; and

updating the respective conversation for the second participant, after the draft mode ends by automatically providing the revised content unit to the second participant.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preparing for concurrent display at clients used by the plurality of participants, cursor positions of two or more participants in the respective conversation who are both editing the content unit.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

storing a creation timestamp and a last edit timestamp for the content unit.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

identifying a sequence of log records, each containing data representing one or more edits to the content unit;

wherein a respective log record in the sequence of log records includes;

(i) edits to the content unit made by two or more participants in the respective conversation, and

(ii) a list identifying the two or more participants;

transmitting the sequence of log records to a participant in the plurality of participants; and

enabling the participant to view a sequence of changes to the content unit using the sequence of log records.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a sequence of log records, each containing data representing one or more edits in the sequence of edits to the content unit by two or more participants in the plurality of participants;

transmitting the sequence of log records to a participant, in the plurality of participants, other than the two or more participants; and

enabling the participant to view a sequence of changes to the respective conversation using the sequence of log records.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein enabling the participant to view the sequence of changes to the respective conversation using the sequence of log records includes:

enabling the participant to view changes within a user-specified portion of the respective conversation.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a respective log record in the sequence of log records comprises:

(i) data representing edits to the content unit made by the two or more participants; and

(ii) a list identifying the two or more participants.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein enabling the participant to view the sequence of changes to the respective conversation using the sequence of log records includes:

enabling the participant to view changes to the respective conversation by a specific participant in the two or more participants using the sequence of log records.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of distinct edits in the sequence of edits includes distinct keystrokes or words.

10. A computer system, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs stored in the memory, the one or more programs comprising instructions for hosting a plurality of conversations, the instructions for hosting including instructions for;

obtaining a plurality of content units associated with the respective conversation from a plurality of participants in the respective conversation;

obtaining a sequence of edits to a content unit in the plurality of content units associated with the respective conversation from a first participant in the plurality of participants to produce a revised content unit; and

while a second participant of the plurality of participant is providing or editing a portion of the content unit;

(A) in accordance with a determination that the first participant is not in a draft mode;

updating the respective conversation, for the second participant, with the revised content unit by;

automatically providing the revised content unit to the second participant; and

(B) in accordance with a determination that the first participant is in a draft mode;

(i) when the second participant is a team member;

updating the respective conversation for the second participant with the revised content unit by automatically providing the revised content unit to the second participant; and

(ii) when the second participant is a non-team member;

delaying updating the respective conversation for the second participant, with the revised content unit; and

updating the respective conversation for the second participant after the draft mode ends by automatically providing the revised content unit to the second participant.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more programs further comprises comprise instructions for:

preparing for concurrent display at clients used by the plurality of participants, cursor positions of two or more participants in the respective conversation who are both editing the content unit.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more programs further comprises comprise instructions for:

storing a creation timestamp and a last edit timestamp for the identified content unit.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more programs further comprises comprise instructions for:

identifying a sequence of log records, each containing data representing one or more edits to the content unit;

wherein a respective log record in the sequence of log records includes;

(i) edits to the content unit made by two or more participants in the respective conversation, and

(ii) a list identifying the two or more participants;

transmitting the sequence of log records to a participant in the plurality of participants; and

enabling the participant to view a sequence of changes to the content unit using the sequence of log records.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more programs further comprises comprise instructions for:

identifying a sequence of log records, each containing data representing one or more edits in the sequence of edits to the content unit by two or more participants in the plurality of participants;

transmitting the sequence of log records to a third participant, in the plurality of participants, the third participant being other than the first participant or the second participant; and

enabling the third participant to view a sequence of changes to the respective conversation using the sequence of log records.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein a respective log record in the sequence of log records includes:

(i) data representing edits to the content unit made by the two or more participants; and

(ii) a list identifying the two or more participants.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein a plurality of distinct edits in the sequence of edits includes distinct keystrokes or words.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by one or more processors of a computer system, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed cause the computer system to:

store data representing a plurality of conversations, including, a respective conversation;

obtain a plurality of content units associated with the respective conversation from a plurality of participants in the respective conversation;

obtain a sequence of edits to a content unit in the plurality of content units associated with the respective conversation from a first participant in the plurality of participants to produce a revised content unit; and

while a second participant of the plurality of participant is providing or editing a portion of the content unit;

(A) in accordance with a determination that the first participant is not in a draft mode;

update the respective conversation, for the second participant, with the revised content unit by;

automatically providing the revised content unit to the second participant; and

(B) in accordance with a determination that the first participant is in a draft mode;

(i) when the second participant is a team member;

update the respective conversation for the second participant, with the revised content unit, by;

automatically providing the revised content unit to the second participant; and

(ii) when the second participant is a non-team member;

delay updating the respective conversation for the second participant, with the revised content unit; and

update the respective conversation for the second participant after the draft mode ends by automatically providing the revised content unit to the second participant.