Document Editor Change Highlighting and Animation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for multi-user document collaboration are often cumbersome and inefficient, involving sequential editing or merging of different document versions, which can be time-consuming and lack effective real-time change tracking and communication tools.
Innovation Solution
Implementing animations to highlight changes, selective change highlighting, and smart text in document chat sessions that convert text into hyperlinks to facilitate real-time collaboration, allowing users to quickly identify and interact with changes made by others.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sequential editing or merging of document versions is used for multi-user collaboration, then document changes can be tracked, but the collaboration process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple document versions and their change information into a single unified display. The system merges the current document version with change tracking information, allowing users to view all changes in one place rather than sequentially comparing multiple versions, thus reducing collaboration time while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates visual copies of changes through animations and highlighted displays. Change information is copied and presented as animated visual representations that show what has changed without requiring users to manually compare versions, enabling quick identification of changes while preserving accurate change tracking.
2Ease of operation
If traditional document collaboration methods are used, then document editing can be performed, but the process lacks effective real-time change tracking and communication tools
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements real-time feedback by displaying animated visual representations of changes as they occur. When users edit the document, their changes are immediately visualized through animations and highlighted displays, providing continuous feedback to all collaborators about current document state without losing any change information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent prepares change information in advance by pre-processing and visualizing change data before users need to review it. Animations and highlighted displays are prepared to show changes in an easily digestible format, so when users open the document, all change information is already organized and presented, eliminating the need for manual change tracking.
3Reliability
If users manually review document changes, then all changes can be identified, but the process is time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color changes and visual highlighting to automatically identify and categorize different types of changes. Animations use distinct visual cues to show additions, deletions, and modifications, allowing users to quickly scan and understand all changes without manually reviewing each one, thus maintaining reliable change identification while dramatically improving collaboration efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms static change information into dynamic animated displays. Changes are presented as animated sequences that visually demonstrate what has changed and where, making it easy for users to quickly comprehend all modifications without manual review, thereby maintaining complete change identification while boosting productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Various features and processes related to document collaboration are disclosed. In some implementations, animations are presented when updating a local document display to reflect changes made to the document at a remote device. In some implementations, a user can selectively highlight changes made by collaborators in a document. In some implementations, a user can select an identifier associated with another user to display a portion of a document that includes the other user's cursor location. In some implementations, text in document chat sessions can be automatically converted into hyperlinks which, when selected, cause a document editor to perform an operation.