Viewing changes to a shared document in one object

• US 20030001891A1
• Filed: 06/27/2001
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Keohane, Susann M., Shieh, Johnny M. H.
• Granted Patent: US 6,910,188 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/754
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system, computer program product and method for viewing changes to a shared document in a single object. Upon executing a particular shared document to be opened by a particular user, the particular user may view at least a section of the original version of the document with one or more on-screen symbols, e.g., icons, in a single object. The one or more on-screen symbols may be associated with one or more users who made changes to the original version of the document. By selecting one of the one or more on-screen symbols, a menu may appear with one or more versions of the original document written by the user associated with the on-screen symbol. Upon selecting a particular version, at least a section of the original version of the document may appear with highlighted changes that indicate the changes made to the original version of the document in the selected version.

Claims

1. A method for viewing changes to a shared document in one object comprising the steps of:

opening said shared document by a first particular user;

viewing an original version of said shared document with one or more onscreen symbols indicating one or more users who have saved changes to said original version of said shared document;

selecting a particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and a second particular user; and

viewing at least a section of said original version of said shared document with highlighted changes in one object, wherein said highlighted changes indicate changes made by one of said first and said second particular user with respect to said original version of said shared document.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

entering a user identification associated with said first particular user; and

determining whether said first particular user has permission to open said shared document based on said user identification associated with said first particular user.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein upon selecting said particular onscreen symbol associated with one of said first and said second particular user a menu is displayed with a list of one or more versions of said shared document authored by said first or said second particular user.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 further comprising the step of:

selecting one of said one or more versions of said shared document.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

editing said original version of said shared document.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising the step of:

determining whether said first particular user has an on-screen symbol associated with said first particular user indicating that said first particular user has edited said shared document.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein if there is no on-screen symbol associated with said first particular user then the method further comprises the step of:

creating an on-screen symbol associated with said first particular user.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising the step of:

saving changes made to said original version of said shared document in a particular file associated with said first particular user.

9. The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising the step of:

saving changes made to said original version of said shared document in a particular file associated with said first particular user.

10. The method as recited in claim 4 further comprising the step of:

editing said selected version of said shared document.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising the step of:

determining whether said first particular user has an on-screen symbol associated with said first particular user indicating that said first particular user has edited said shared document.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein if there is no on-screen symbol associated with said first particular user then the method further comprises the step of:

creating an on-screen symbol association with said first particular user.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 further comprising the step of:

saving changes made to said original version of said shared document based on changes made to said selected version in a particular file associated with said first particular user.

14. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising the step of:

saving changes made to said original version of said shared document based on changes made to said selected version in a particular file associated with said first particular user.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising the step of:

selecting said highlighted words to view changes made to said highlighted words in said selected version of said shared document.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein upon selecting said particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and said second particular user a menu appears with a list of one or more versions of said shared document authored by said first or said second particular user.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 19 further comprises:

programming operable for selecting one of said one or more versions of said shared document.

21. The computer program product as recited in claim 20 further comprises:

programming operable for editing said selected version of said shared document.

22. The computer program product as recited in claim 21 further comprises:

programming operable for saving changes made to said original version of said shared document based on changes made to said selected version in a particular file associated with said first particular user.

25. The computer program product as recited in claim 24 further comprises:

programming operable for selecting said highlighted words to view changes made to said highlighted words in said selected version of said shared document.

27. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein upon selecting said particular onscreen symbol associated with one of said first and said second particular user a menu appears with a list of one or more versions of said shared document authored by said first or said second particular user.

28. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the computer program is further operable for performing the following programming step:

selecting one of said one or more versions of said shared document.

29. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein the computer program is further operable for performing the following programming step:

editing said selected version of said shared document.

30. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the computer program is further operable for performing the following programming step:

saving changes made to said original version of said shared document based on changes made to said selected version in a particular file associated with said first particular user.

15. A method for viewing changes to a shared document in one object comprising the steps of:

opening said shared document by a first particular user;

viewing an original version of said shared document with one or more onscreen symbols indicating one or more users who have saved changes to said original version of said shared document;

selecting a particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and a second particular user, wherein upon selecting said particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and said second particular user a menu appears with a list of one or more versions of said shared document authored by said first or said second particular user;

selecting one of said one or more versions of said shared document; and

viewing at least a section of said original version of said shared document with a corresponding section of said selected version in one object, wherein said original version of said shared document comprises highlighted changes, wherein said highlighted changes indicate changes made by one of said first and said second particular user with respect to said original version of said shared document in said selected version of said shared document.

16. A method for viewing changes to a shared document in one object comprising the steps of:

opening said shared document by a first particular user;

viewing an original version of said shared document with one or more on-screen symbols indicating one or more users who have saved changes to said original version of said shared document;

selecting a particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and a second particular user, wherein upon selecting said particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and said second particular user a menu appears with a list of one or more versions of said shared document authored by said first or said second particular user;

selecting one of said one or more versions of said shared document; and

viewing at least a section of said original version of said shared document with highlighted words in said original version indicating words that were changed in said original version of said shared document in one object.

18. A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for viewing changes to a shared document in one object, comprising:

programming operable for opening said shared document by a first particular user;

programming operable for viewing an original version of said shared document with one or more on-screen symbols indicating one or more users who have saved changes to said original version of said shared document;

programming operable for selecting a particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and a second particular user; and

programming operable for viewing at least a section of said original version of said shared document with highlighted changes in one object, wherein said highlighted changes indicate changes made by one of said first and said second particular user with respect to said original version of said shared document.

23. A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for viewing changes to a shared document in one object, comprising:

programming operable for opening said shared document by a first particular user;

programming operable for viewing an original version of said shared document with one or more on-screen symbols indicating one or more users who have saved changes to said original version of said shared document;

programming operable for selecting a particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and a second particular user, wherein upon selecting said particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and said second particular user a menu appears with a list of one or more versions of said shared document authored by said first or said second particular user;

programming operable for selecting one of said one or more versions of said shared document; and

programming operable for viewing at least a section of said original version of said shared document with a corresponding section of said selected version in one object, wherein said original version of said shared document comprises highlighted changes, wherein said highlighted changes indicate changes made by one of said first and said second particular user with respect to said original version of said shared document in said selected version of said shared document.

24. A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for viewing changes to a shared document in one object, comprising:

programming operable for opening said shared document by a first particular user;

programming operable for viewing an original version of said shared document with one or more on-screen symbols indicating one or more users who have saved changes to said original version of said shared document;

programming operable for selecting a particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and a second particular user, wherein upon selecting said particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and said second particular user a menu appears with a list of one or more versions of said shared document authored by said first or said second particular user;

programming operable for selecting one of said one or more versions of said shared document; and

programming operable for viewing at least a section of said original version of said shared document with highlighted words in said original version indicating words that were changed in said original version of said shared document in one object.

26. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory unit storing a computer program operable for storing a computer program operable for viewing changes to a shared document in one object; and

a bus system coupling the processor to the memory, wherein the computer program is operable for performing the following programming steps;

opening said shared document by a first particular user;

viewing an original version of said shared document with one or more on-screen symbols indicating one or more users who have saved changes to said original version of said shared document;

selecting a particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and a second particular user; and

viewing at least a section of said original version of said shared document with highlighted changes in one object, wherein said highlighted changes indicate changes made by one of said first and said second particular user with respect to said original version of said shared document.

31. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory unit storing a computer program operable for storing a computer program operable for viewing changes to a shared document in one object; and

a bus system coupling the processor to the memory, wherein the computer program is operable for performing the following programming steps;

opening said shared document by a first particular user;

viewing an original version of said shared document with one or more on-screen symbols indicating one or more users who have saved changes to said original version of said shared document;

selecting a particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and a second particular user, wherein upon selecting said particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and said second particular user a menu appears with a list of one or more versions of said shared document authored by said first or said second particular user;

selecting one of said one or more versions of said shared document; and

viewing at least a section of said original version of said shared document with a corresponding section of said selected version in one object, wherein said original version of said shared document comprises highlighted changes, wherein said highlighted changes indicate changes made by one of said first and said second particular user with respect to said original version of said shared document in said selected version of said shared document.

32. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory unit storing a computer program operable for storing a computer program operable for viewing changes to a shared document in one object; and

a bus system coupling the processor to the memory, wherein the computer program is operable for performing the following programming steps;

opening said shared document by a first particular user;

viewing an original version of said shared document with one or more on-screen symbols indicating one or more users who have saved changes to said original version of said shared document;

selecting a particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and a second particular user, wherein upon selecting said particular on-screen symbol associated with one of said first and said second particular user a menu appears with a list of one or more versions of said shared document authored by said first or said second particular user;

selecting one of said one or more versions of said shared document; and

viewing at least a section of said original version of said shared document with highlighted words in said original version indicating words that were changed in said original version of said shared document in one object.

33. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the computer program is further operable for performing the following programming step:

selecting said highlighted words to view changes made to said highlighted words in said selected version of said shared document.

35. The method as recited in claim 34 further comprising the step of:

associating changes made by said particular user with said indicator.

36. The method as recited in claim 35 further comprising the step of:

selecting said indicator associated with said particular user, wherein upon selecting said indicator a menu is displayed with a list of one or more versions of said document authored by said particular user.

37. The method as recited in claim 36 further comprising the step of:

selecting one of said one or more versions of said document authored by said particular user.

38. The method as recited in claim 37 further comprising the step of:

viewing at least a section of an original version of said document with a corresponding section of said selected version of said document in one object, wherein said original version of said document comprises highlighted changes, wherein said highlighted changes indicate changes made by said particular user with respect to said original version of said document in said selected version of said document.

39. The method as recited in claim 37 further comprising the step of:

viewing at least a section of an original version of said document with highlighted changes in one object, wherein said highlighted changes indicate changes made by said particular user with respect to said original version of said document in said selected version of said document.

34. A method for displaying a document, wherein said document being accessed and changed by a plurality of users, said method comprising the steps of:

assigning an indicator to a particular user of said plurality of users when said particular user made changes to said document; and

displaying said document with said indicator.