Document Collaboration Context via Intermediary Server
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current document collaboration methods, whether using in-house servers or cloud storage, lack efficient mechanisms for entities to track changes and activity on documents without having to access or open the document, leading to difficulties in maintaining updated versions and managing access permissions.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for providing collaboration context, which includes information on entities that have accessed or modified a document, allowing entities to view recent activity through a hyperlink or notification without opening the document, using a centralized storage approach that maintains an update-to-date version and reduces email clutter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If entities email document copies to each other to track changes, then entities can see what changes have been made, but multiple copies of the document are distributed making it difficult to know the most recent version and mailbox size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that hosts the master document and provides collaboration context information to entities. Instead of entities exchanging document copies directly, they query the server for change information through hyperlinks embedded in notifications. The server acts as a centralized mediator that maintains the single source of truth while providing visibility into document changes without distributing multiple copies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates lightweight copies in the form of hyperlinks that reference the master document stored on the server. These hyperlinks are embedded in collaboration context notifications and can be viewed by entities without downloading or storing actual document copies. This allows entities to access change information without proliferating document copies across mailboxes.
2Loss of information
If entities open the document to check for changes, then entities can see the current version, but entities must access the document itself which is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts collaboration context information (change notifications, entity activity, document metadata) from the master document and presents it separately through hyperlinks in collaboration context notifications. Entities can view this extracted information without accessing the full document, allowing them to determine whether changes require full document review. This separation allows quick awareness of modifications without the time cost of opening and scanning the entire document.
3Ease of operation
If traditional file directory access is used on in-house servers, then entities can access documents centrally, but entities cannot easily track what other entities are doing to the document
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the server continuously monitors document access and modification activities by entities, then generates collaboration context notifications that provide feedback to other entities about these activities. When an entity views, edits, or comments on a document, the server detects this activity and sends notifications to other authorized entities through their email clients, providing real-time feedback on what other entities are doing without requiring them to check the file directory manually.
4Adaptability or versatility
If cloud storage is used instead of in-house servers, then document accessibility improves, but the same problem of tracking document activity persists
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a collaboration context server as an intermediary layer between cloud storage and entities. This server subscribes to notifications from cloud storage about document access and modification events, then processes and redistributes this information as collaboration context notifications to entities through their email clients. This intermediary layer maintains centralized tracking capabilities and provides activity visibility even in distributed cloud storage environments where direct file system monitoring is not available.
Data Source
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AI summary
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.