Collaborative Editing Interface for Off-Screen Section Attention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing productivity applications lack an effective way to coordinate group collaboration when users work on different sections of shared data, leading to inefficiencies in communication and resource utilization, as users struggle to monitor and access content edited by others in separate sections.
Innovation Solution
A computationally efficient human-computer interface that allows users to request attention to specific sections of shared data through graphical user interface elements, enabling seamless switching to off-screen content without interrupting the user's workflow, reducing the need for manual searching and resource consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If users work on different sections of shared data using their own computing devices, then users can independently edit content in their own section, but other users cannot effectively monitor or access content being edited by users in sections that are off-screen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a notification system as an intermediary between users working on different sections. When a user edits content in a section off-screen from another user, the system automatically sends a notification to the other user's device. This notification serves as a mediator that bridges the gap between independent section editing and cross-user awareness, allowing users to be informed of and access off-screen content without manually searching for it.
2Ease of operation
If users manually search for sections being edited by other users, then users can find the content, but it consumes significant time and computing resources
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically detecting when a user edits content in a specific section and proactively sending notifications to other users before they need to search for the content. This preliminary notification mechanism eliminates the need for users to manually search through the shared data unit, saving time and computing resources by directing users straight to the relevant off-screen section when they receive the notification.
3Adaptability or versatility
If users use separate communication channels (chat, phone calls) to coordinate, then users can communicate about content, but it interrupts the user's workflow and increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the communication functionality directly into the collaborative editing environment by integrating notifications within the shared data unit interface. Instead of requiring separate chat applications or phone calls, the system combines content editing and communication coordination into a unified system where notifications about off-screen content appear directly in the user's workspace, eliminating the need for additional communication devices or applications.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
Technologies are disclosed that enable a computing system to provide a computationally efficient interface for collaborative viewing and/or editing of shared content. Individual users may separately edit (e.g., create, modify, etc.) content in a particular section (e.g., area, region, page, etc.) of a shared data unit such as a file. A result of this separate editing may cause sections of the shared data unit to be off-screen from a perspective of a user and/or a computing device being used by the user. The disclosed techniques provide an effective way for an individual user, of a multi-user sharing session, to request that other users view content being edited by the individual user in a section that is "off-screen" for the other users. Based on the request, a selectable user interface element can be displayed enabling efficient access to the content to be viewed by the other users.