Document comment management

• US 9,418,054 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2008
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaver, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Manglesh M
• Application Number:
  US12/119,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20140033013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,018 Days
• Field of Search: 715/232, 715/234, 715/200, 715/231, 715/760, 715708-713, 715/825, 715856-860, 715862-863, 715/230
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to detect a position of an insertion point in an electronic document being presented in a graphical user interface and dynamically positioning a graphical user interface control to correspond to the position of the insertion point. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting an electronic document via an online web application;

detecting a change in a position of an insertion point in the electronic document, the electronic document being presented in a graphical user interface, the insertion point being an active point of editing of the electronic document;

in response to the detecting of the change, dynamically repositioning a graphical user interface control to correspond to the position of the insertion point, the graphical user interface control comprising one or more functions for managing one or more comments in the electronic document;

in response to the detecting of the change, altering a shape or design of the graphical user interface control and the one or more functions available via the graphical user interface control; and

automatically propagating comments to other versions of the electronic document open at the time by other reviewers or the author without requiring the reviewer to save the document.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the graphical user interface control was activated;

creating a comment object;

associating the comment object with the insertion point; and

presenting the comment object in the graphical user interface.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

applying a mask to the electronic document to mask content in the electronic document, except for a portion of the content that corresponds with the comment object.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the graphical user interface control was accessed; and

presenting a context-sensitive menu associated with the graphical user interface control.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein presenting the context-sensitive menu comprises:

determining whether the insertion point defines a selection; and

configuring the graphical user interface control depending on whether the insertion point defines a selection.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the context-sensitive menu is configured using at least one of:

the position of the insertion point, a type of object containing the insertion point, a user type, a user, or a keystroke modifier.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface control includes an icon indicative of a function accessible via the graphical user interface control.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein presenting the graphical user interface control comprises:

presenting the graphical user interface control in a margin of the electronic document.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a change of position of the insertion point in the electronic document; and

repositioning the graphical user interface control to correspond with the changed position of the insertion point.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the insertion point is

represented by a cursor.

11. A machine-readable non-transitory storage medium including instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

tracking a position of an insertion point in an electronic document, the electronic document being presented in a graphical user interface via an online application, the insertion point being an active point of editing of the electronic document; and

dynamically repositioning a graphical user interface control to correspond with the position of the insertion point, in response to detecting a change in the position of the insertion point, the graphical user interface control comprising one or more functions for managing one or more comments in the electronic document;

in response to the detecting the change, altering a shape or design of the graphical user interface control and the one or more functions available via the graphical user interface control; and

automatically propagating comments to other versions of the electronic document open at the time by other reviewers or the author without requiring the reviewer to save the document.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

creating a comment upon detecting that the graphical user interface control was activated, the comment associated with content in the electronic document currently selected by the insertion point.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

visually obscuring content in the electronic document not associated with the comment, when the comment is selected.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface control comprises a context-sensitive popup menu.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the content-sensitive popup menu is dynamically configured using at least one of:

a characteristic of the insertion point or a user-provided input.

16. A system comprising:

a processor implemented in hardware; and

a rendering module, implemented by the processor, wherein the rendering module is configured to;

present an electronic document, the electronic document being provided by an online software application;

detect a change in a position of an insertion point in the electronic document, the insertion point being an active point of editing of the electronic document; and

in response to detecting a change in the position of the insertion point,

dynamically reposition a graphical user interface control to correspond to the position of the insertion point, the graphical user interface control comprising one or more functions for managing one or more comments in the electronic document;

alter a shape or design of the graphical user interface control and the one or more functions available via the graphical user interface control; and

automatically propagate comments to other versions of the electronic document open at the time by other reviewers or the author without requiring the reviewer to save the document.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the rendering module is further configured to:

determine when the graphical user interface control is accessed; and

present a context-sensitive menu associated with the graphical user interface control.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the rendering module is further configured to:

present the context-sensitive menu dynamically, based on at least one criteria associated with a cursor location, a user type, a user, or a user input device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the criteria include whether the insertion point defines a selection;

a type of object currently selected by the insertion point;

a user type;

a user; and

whether a modifier key is depressed.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the rendering module is further configured to:

present the graphical user interface control dynamically using a form that represents the graphical user interface control'"'"'s function.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the graphical user interface control comprises a commenting tool.