Guiding a user to identified content in a document

• US 9,552,358 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maplebear Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cudak, Gary D., Do, Lydia M., Hardee, Christopher J., Roberts, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): ASPINWALL, EVAN S
• Application Number:
  US13/707,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20140164414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 707/732, 707/758
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

A method for identifying content in a document. The method includes determining that a user of a computing device has accessed one or more documents and determining a subject matter of the one or more documents. The method includes determining that the user has accessed at least one additional document. The method further includes searching the at least one additional document for the determined subject matter and responsive to finding the determined subject matter, identifying the found subject matter in the at least one additional document.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for identifying content in a document, the method comprising:

identifying within each document of a plurality of open documents, by a computing device, content corresponding to a particular subject matter category;

in response to the computing device opening an additional document, identifying within the additional document, by the computer device, additional content corresponding to the particular subject matter category;

providing, within the additional document, an indicator that visually distinguishes the identified additional content from the other content within the additional document;

in response to the computing device opening a second additional document and content of the second additional document not corresponding to the particular subject matter category, determining a new subject matter category corresponding to the content of the second additional document;

determining a majority of the plurality of open documents of the computing device relate to similar subject matter, wherein the particular subject matter category relates to the similar subject matter;

in response to determining that the majority of the plurality of open documents of the computing device relate to the similar subject matter, assigning a weight to the similar subject matter and the new subject matter category, wherein the similar subject matter is more heavily weighted than the new subject matter category; and

providing, based on the assigned weights, indicators that visually distinguish documents relating to the similar subject matter category from documents relating to the new subject matter category.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of open documents and the additional document comprise one or more of word processing documents, spreadsheets, text editing files, presentation documents or web browser pages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying within the additional document, by the computer device, additional content corresponding to the particular subject matter category includes at least one of:

marking the additional content by using colored text, arrows pointing to the additional content, geometric figures surrounding the additional content, changing font type or style, and annotating the additional document.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying within each document of a plurality of open documents, by a computing device, content corresponding to a particular subject matter category includes determining a title of content within the plurality of open documents.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying within each document of a plurality of open documents, by a computing device, content corresponding to a particular subject matter category includes searching one or both of text and graphical elements of the additional document for additional content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prioritizing the similar subject matter based as least in part on the weight; and

responsive to the prioritizing, identifying the similar subject matter in the additional document with an additional indication.

7. The method of claim 1, in response to the computing device opening an additional document, adjusting the manner in which the indicators of the subject matter categories are visually represented.

8. The method of claim 1, adjusting the manner in which the indicators of the subject matter categories are visually represented based as least in part on the weight.

9. The method of claim 1, managing the subject matter categories by adjusting a level of granularity of the determined subject matter categories or adding or removing a particular determined subject matter category from an indexed list.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the majority of the plurality of open documents of the computing device relate to the new subject matter category; and

in response to determining that the majority of the plurality of open documents of the computing device relate to the new subject matter category, assigning a heavier weight to the new subject matter category than to the similar subject matter; and

providing indicators that make the indicator associated with the new subject matter category more visually pronounced than the indicator associated with the similar subject matter.

11. A computer program product for identifying content in a document, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a signal, wherein the computer readable storage medium includes program instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to carry out the steps of;

identifying within each document of a plurality of open documents, by a computing device, content corresponding to a particular subject matter category;

in response to the computing device opening an additional document, identifying within the additional document, by the computer device, additional content corresponding to the particular subject matter category;

providing, within the additional document, an indicator that visually distinguishes the identified additional content from the other content within the additional document;

in response to the computing device opening a second additional document and content of the second additional document not corresponding to the particular subject matter category, determining a new subject matter category corresponding to the content of the second additional document;

determining a majority of the plurality of open documents of the computing device relate to similar subject matter, wherein the particular subject matter category relates to the similar subject matter;

in response to determining that the majority of the plurality of open documents of the computing device relate to the similar subject matter, assigning a weight to the similar subject matter and the new subject matter category, wherein the similar subject matter is more heavily weighted than the new subject matter category; and

providing indicators that visually distinguish documents relating to the similar subject matter category from documents relating to the new subject matter category.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the plurality of open documents and the additional document comprise one or more of word processing documents, spreadsheets, text editing files, presentation documents or web browser pages.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein identifying within the additional document, by the computer device, additional content corresponding to the particular subject matter category includes at least one of:

marking the additional content using colored text, arrows pointing to the additional content, geometric figures surrounding the additional content, changing font type or style, and annotating the additional content of the additional document.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein identifying within each document of a plurality of open documents, by a computing device, content corresponding to a particular subject matter category includes determining a title of content within the plurality of open documents.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein identifying within each document of a plurality of open documents, by a computing device, content corresponding to a particular subject matter category includes searching one or both of text and graphical elements of the additional document for the additional content.

16. A computer system for identifying content in a document, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

a computer readable storage medium that is not a signal;

the computer readable storage medium including program instructions that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the computer system to carry out the steps of;

identifying within each document of a plurality of open documents, by a computing device, content corresponding to a particular subject matter category;

in response to the computing device opening an additional document, identifying within the additional document, by the computer device, additional content corresponding to the particular subject matter category;

providing, within the additional document, an indicator that visually distinguishes the identified additional content from the other content within the additional document;

in response to the computing device opening a second additional document and content of the second additional document not corresponding to the particular subject matter category, determining a new subject matter category corresponding to the content of the second additional document;

determining a majority of the plurality of open documents of the computing device relate to similar subject matter, wherein the particular subject matter category relates to the similar subject matter;

in response to determining that the majority of the plurality of open documents of the computing device relate to the similar subject matter, assigning a weight to the similar subject matter and the new subject matter category, wherein the similar subject matter is more heavily weighted than the new subject matter category; and

providing indicators that visually distinguish documents relating to the similar subject matter category from documents relating to the new subject matter category.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of open documents and the additional document comprise one or more of word processing documents, spreadsheets, text editing files, presentation documents or web browser pages.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein identifying within the additional document, by the computer device, additional content corresponding to the particular subject matter category includes at least one of:

marking the additional content by using colored text, arrows pointing to the additional content, geometric figures surrounding the additional content, changing font type or style, and annotating the additional document.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein identifying within each document of a plurality of open documents, by a computing device, content corresponding to a particular subject matter category includes determining a title of content within the plurality of open documents.

20. The computer system of claim 16, wherein identifying within each document of a plurality of open documents, by a computing device, content corresponding to a particular subject matter category includes searching one or both of text and graphical elements of the additional document for content.