Collaborative workflow through messaging conversations

• US 9,684,637 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lemonik, Micah, Khosrowshahi, Farzad, Danaher, John Stephen, Rochelle, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US14/658,881
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments

Abstract

A networked application and email application were described herein that provide for an intuitive system by which users can participate in collaborative workflow relating to a network document. In one implementation, a system includes a messaging server component to provide messaging services and an application server component to provide a networked application. The application server component interacts with the messaging server component in response to a user command to initiate collaboration on the network document. The interaction with the messaging server component includes providing a link that refers to a version of the network document as created or edited by the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, by a processor, a message associated with a first application, the message including an embedded version of a document associated with a second application, wherein the document is accessible to a plurality of users, and wherein when the message is opened in the first application, the second application executes within the first application and outputs for display the embedded version of the document inline in the message, the embedded version of the document being included without user interaction;

receiving, by the processor, a modification of the document from a first user of the plurality of users, the modification being received via the embedded version of the document inline in the message; and

transmitting, by the processor, the modification of the document to a second user of the plurality of users, the second user being different than the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, where the message includes a link to another version of the document.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the link; and

transmitting at least some of a network application to one or more client devices based on receiving the selection, the at least some of the network application allowing the network application to be executed at the one or more client devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user is associated with a first set of privileges, and wherein the second user is associated with a second set of privileges, the first set of privileges being different than the second set of privileges.

5. The method of claim 1, where the message is an email message.

6. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to;

generate a message, the message including an embedded version of a document, wherein the message is associated with a first application, wherein the document is associated with a second application, the document being accessible to a plurality of users, and wherein when the message is opened in the first application, the second application executes within the first application and outputs for display the embedded version of the document inline in the message, the embedded version of the document being included in the message without user interaction;

receive a modification of the document from a first user of the plurality of users, the modification being received via the embedded version of the document inline in the message; and

transmit the modification of the document to a second user of the plurality of users, the second user being different than the first user.

7. The device of claim 6, where the message includes a link to another version of the document.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the one or more instructions stored by the non-transitory computer-readable medium further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a selection of the link; and

transmit at least some of a network application to one or more client devices based on receiving the selection, the at least some of the network application allowing the network application to be executed at the one or more client devices.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the first user is associated with a first set of privileges, and wherein the second user is associated with a second set of privileges, the first set of privileges being different than the second set of privileges.

10. The device of claim 6, where the message is an email message.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

generate a message associated with a first application, the message including an embedded version of a document associated with a second application, wherein the document is accessible to a plurality of users, and wherein when the message is opened in the first application, the second application executes within the first application and outputs for display the embedded version of the document inline in the message, the embedded version of the document being included in the message without user interaction;

receive a modification of the document from a first user of the plurality of users, the modification being received via the embedded version of the document inline in the message; and

transmit the modification of the document to a second user of the plurality of users, the second user being different than the first user.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, where the message includes a link to another version of the document.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

receive a selection of the link; and

transmit at least some of a network application to one or more client devices based on receiving the selection, the at least some of the network application allowing the network application to be executed at the one or more client devices.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first user is associated with a first set of privileges, and wherein the second user is associated with a second set of privileges, the first set of privileges being different than the second set of privileges.