System and method for revealing hidden information in electronic documents

• US 9,514,112 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thoreau Holdco, LLC
• Original Assignee: Navigant Consulting Incorporated
• Inventors: Kaulback, Gordon Russell, Datta, Guggan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hillery, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US12/939,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20120117466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,224 Days
• Field of Search: 715/210, 715/277, 715/273
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer readable medium allow a user to open an electronic document in one of various applications while revealing hidden information, without having to know or execute manual steps or procedures to reveal the hidden information. A user interface of a reveal hidden information application is displayed, the user interface displaying a list of one or more native applications each of which is associated with an electronic document type. An input is received selecting a first native application from the list, and one or more hidden information types are displayed corresponding to the selected native application. Settings for the hidden information types corresponding to the first native application are received. Using the first native application, an electronic document whose document type corresponds to the first native application is then displayed with hidden information revealed/not revealed in accordance with the settings.

Claims

1. A method of revealing hidden information in electronic documents, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface of a reveal hidden information application running on a computer, the user interface displaying a list of two or more native applications each of which is associated with a different electronic document type;

receiving a first input selecting a first native application from the list;

displaying one or more hidden information types corresponding to the selected first native application;

receiving first settings for the hidden information types corresponding to the first native application;

receiving a second input selecting a second native application from the list;

displaying one or more hidden information types corresponding to the selected second native application;

receiving second settings for the hidden information types corresponding to the second native application;

displaying, in the first native application running on a computer, a first electronic document, whose document type corresponds to the first native application, with hidden information revealed/not revealed in accordance with the first settings; and

displaying, in the second native application running on a computer, a second electronic document, whose document type corresponds to the second native application, with hidden information revealed/not revealed in accordance with the second settings.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the two or more native applications comprise two or more of a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a presentation creation application, and/or a data manipulation application.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the two or more native applications comprise two or more of Excel®

, Word®

, PowerPoint®

, and/or Acrobat®

.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first native application comprises a word processing application, and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden text, hidden revisions, hidden comments, hidden users, and/or hidden revision dates.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first native application comprises a spreadsheet application, and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden headings, hidden sheets, hidden rows, hidden columns, hidden tabs, hidden scrollbars, hidden text, filtered data, hidden comments, hidden indicators, hidden gridlines, and/or hidden formulas.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein first native application comprises a presentation application and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden slides, hidden shapes, hidden objects and/or hidden notes.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first native application comprises a data manipulation application, and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden pages panels, hidden optional content, hidden bookmarks panel, and/or hidden attachments panel.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying a reveal hidden information settings user interface icon on a user display, and activating the user interface of the reveal hidden information application upon user selection of the reveal hidden information settings user interface icon.

9. A system, comprising:

a memory for storing instructions;

a microprocessor coupled to the memory and to a display, the microprocessor being programmed to reveal hidden information in electronic documents by performing operations comprising;

displaying a user interface of a reveal hidden information application, the user interface configured to receive hidden information settings for two or more native applications each of which is associated with a different electronic document type;

receiving, via the user interface, settings for hidden information types corresponding to at least first and second native applications; and

selectively displaying, in the first and second native applications, electronic documents, whose document types respectively correspond to the first and second native applications, with hidden information revealed/not revealed in accordance with the settings.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the two or more native applications comprise two or more of a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a presentation creation application, and/or a data manipulation application.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the two or more native applications comprise two or more of Excel®

, Word®

, PowerPoint®

, and/or Acrobat®

.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first native application comprises a word processing application and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden text, hidden revisions, hidden comments, hidden users, and/or hidden revision dates.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first native application comprises a spreadsheet application and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden headings, hidden sheets, hidden rows, hidden columns, hidden tabs, hidden scrollbars, hidden text, filtered data, hidden comments, hidden indicators, hidden gridlines, and/or hidden formulas.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the first native application comprises a presentation application and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden slides, hidden shapes, hidden objects and/or hidden notes.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the first native application comprises a data manipulation application and the displayed hidden information types comprise hidden pages panels, hidden optional content, hidden bookmarks panel, and/or hidden attachments panel.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the microprocessor is further programmed to display a reveal hidden information settings user interface icon on a user display, and activate the user interface in response to receiving an input for selecting the hidden information settings user interface icon.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having encoded therein instructions for a reveal hidden information application for revealing hidden information in electronic documents, the instructions comprising instructions which, when executed, cause at least one computer to perform operations comprising:

displaying a user interface configured to receive hidden information settings for two or more native applications each of which is associated with a different electronic document type;

receiving, via the user interface, settings for hidden information types corresponding to at least first and second native applications; and

selectively displaying, in the first and second native applications, electronic documents, whose document types respectively correspond to the first and second native applications, with hidden information revealed/not revealed in accordance with the settings.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for displaying a reveal hidden information settings user interface icon on a user display, and activating the user interface in response to an input for selecting the hidden information settings user interface icon.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, comprising a semiconductor memory.

20. A method of revealing hidden information in electronic documents, comprising:

displaying a user interface of a reveal hidden information application running on a computer, the user interface displaying a list of two or more native applications each of which is associated with a different electronic document type;

receiving a first input selecting a first native application from the list;

displaying one or more hidden information types corresponding to the selected one of the applications;

receiving first settings for the hidden information types corresponding to the first native application;

receiving a second input selecting a second native application from the list;

displaying one or more hidden information types corresponding to the selected second native application;

receiving second settings for the hidden information types corresponding to the second native application;

creating, using the reveal hidden information application, a modified version of a first electronic document whose document type corresponds to the first native application, the modified version of the first electronic document with hidden information being revised to be revealed/not revealed in accordance with the first settings when the modified version of the first electronic document is displayed;

creating, using the reveal hidden information application, a modified version of a second electronic document whose document type corresponds to the second native application, the modified version of the second electronic document with hidden information being revised to be revealed/not revealed in accordance with the second settings when the modified version of the second electronic document is displayed;

providing access to the modified version of the first electronic document to the first native application running on the computer; and

providing access to the modified version of the second electronic document to the second native application running on the computer.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the two or more native applications comprise two or more of a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a presentation creation application, and/or a data manipulation application.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising displaying a reveal document icon that when selected causes displaying of the modified version of the electronic document.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium having encoded therein instructions for a reveal hidden information application for revealing hidden information in an electronic document, the instructions comprising instructions for which, when executed, cause at least one computer to perform operations comprising:

causing display of a user interface configured to receive hidden information settings for two or more native applications each of which is associated with a different electronic document type;

receiving, via the user interface, settings for hidden information types corresponding to at least first and second native applications;

creating, using the reveal hidden information application, modified versions of first and second electronic documents whose document types respectively correspond to the first and second native applications, the modified versions of the first and second electronic documents with hidden information being revised to be revealed/not revealed in accordance with the settings when the modified versions of the first and second electronic documents are displayed; and

providing access to the modified versions of the first and second electronic documents to the first and second native applications, respectively, running on a computer.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the two or more native applications comprise two or more of a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a presentation creation application, and/or a data manipulation application.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for displaying a reveal document icon that when selected causes display of the modified version of the electronic document.