Document collaboration with collaboration context data

• US 9,606,972 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Filman, Sarah M., Kantor, Arcadiy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Murray, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US13/292,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20130117376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,966 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205, 709/206, 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems provide for an entity to receive collaboration context data regarding activities that have taken place with respect to a document when the entity views a reference to the document comprised within a communication directed to the entity. For example, a hyperlink related to a document may be emailed to an entity when the document is shared with the entity. Subsequently, when the entity views the email comprising the hyperlink, the entity may be provided with contextual information regarding the document (e.g., entities that have viewed the document, edits other entities have made to the document, etc.). In one embodiment, such information may be presented to the entity in the same application (e.g., email client and/or email service) as the email. In this way, the entity may be provided with information that may help the entity assess whether to access a shared document, for example.

Claims

1. A method for document collaboration, comprising:

generating, using at least one processing device, collaboration context data for a document stored in a central database and electronically accessible by a plurality of entities via one or more networks, the collaboration context data including one or more entries associated with at least one of a previous edit or a previous access of the document;

providing the collaboration context data for the document via the one or more networks, without concurrently providing the document, upon receiving an indication of an email containing a reference to the document being at least one of viewed or previewed in an email application at a first time by an entity of the plurality of entities;

automatically updating the collaboration context data for the document stored in the central database, using the at least one processing device, to create updated collaboration context data that includes information regarding one or more activities associated with the document stored in the central database occurring between the first time and a second time by one or more entities of the plurality of entities; and

automatically providing the updated collaboration context data for the document via the one or more networks, without concurrently providing the document, upon receiving another indication of the email containing the reference to the document being at least one of viewed or previewed in the email application at the second time by the entity of the plurality of entities for display concurrently with the reference presented within the email, such that the email comprising the reference, the reference comprised within the email, and the updated collaboration context data are displayable concurrently.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an indication comprises receiving a request from the email application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the email application comprises at least one of an email service or an email client.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the collaboration context data comprises information regarding at least one of one or more edits or one or more accesses of a second document stored in the central database, the second document being associated with the first document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the collaboration context data comprises information regarding a first entity that made the at least one of the previous edit or the previous access of the document.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the document in the central database based upon a request to store the document from a first entity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference comprises a hyperlink corresponding to a location where the document is stored in the central database.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the document stored in the central database based upon one or more edits made to the document.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the email comprising the reference and the reference comprised within the email are displayable within a first portion of a user interface of the email application, and the updated collaboration context data is displayable in a second portion of the user interface.

10. A system for document collaboration, comprising:

at least one processing device;

memory operatively coupled to the at least one processing device;

an email application operatively stored on the memory and operable by the at least one processing device to perform operations including at least;

receive a message including a reference to a document stored in a central database and electronically accessible by a plurality of entities via one or more networks;

upon at least one of viewing or previewing the message at a first time, receive collaboration context data for the document stored in the central database, without concurrently receiving the document, the collaboration context data including one or more entries associated with at least one of a previous edit or a previous access of the document; and

upon at least one of viewing or previewing the message at a second time, receive updated collaboration context data for the document stored in the central database, the updated collaboration context data information regarding one or more activities associated with the document stored in the central database occurring between the first time and a second time, wherein at least one of

the collaboration context data or the updated collaboration context data are displayable in a user interface of the email application concurrently with the message including the reference to the document stored in the central database, such that the message including the reference, the reference included within the message, and the at least one of the collaboration context data or the updated collaboration context data are concurrently displayable within the user interface of the email application.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further include send one or more entity preference defining a desired scope of the collaboration context data.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further include concurrently display the message including the reference and the reference included within the message in a first portion of the user interface, and concurrently display the collaboration context data in a second portion of the user interface.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the collaboration context data include information regarding at least one of one or more edits or one or more accesses of a second document stored in the central database, the second document being associated with the first document.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the collaboration context data comprises less than all of at least one of previous edits or previous accesses made to the document.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the reference comprises a hyperlink corresponding to a location where the document is stored in the central database.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the collaboration context data comprises information regarding an entity that made at least one of the previous edit or the previous access of the document.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the email application comprises at least one of an email service or an email client.

18. A system, comprising:

circuitry configured for generating collaboration context data for a document stored in a central database and electronically accessible by a plurality of entities via one or more networks, the collaboration context data including one or more entries associated with at least one of a previous edit or previous access of the document;

circuitry configured for providing the collaboration context data for the document via the one or more networks, without concurrently providing the document, upon receiving an indication of an email containing a reference to the document being at least one of viewed or previewed in an email application at a first time by an entity of the plurality of entities;

circuitry configured for automatically updating the collaboration context data for the document stored in the central database to create updated collaboration context data that includes information regarding one or more activities associated with the document stored in the central database occurring between the first time and a second time by one or more entities of the plurality of entities; and

circuitry configured for automatically providing the updated collaboration context data for the document via the one or more networks, without concurrently providing the document, upon receiving another indication of the email containing the reference to the document being at least one of viewed or previewed in the email application at the second time by the entity of the plurality of entities for display concurrently with the reference presented within the email, such that the email comprising the reference, the reference comprised within the email, and the updated collaboration context data are displayable concurrently.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the email comprising the reference and the reference comprised within the email are displayable within a first portion of a user interface of the email application, and the updated collaboration context data is displayable in a second portion of the user interface.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one of the collaboration context data or the updated collaboration context data include information regarding one or more activities associated with a second document stored in the central database, the second document being associated with the document.