Document Revision Timeline Playback in Web Browsing Applications
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current document collaboration systems lack a convenient and efficient way to present the evolution of a document as a continuum, rather than discrete revisions, making it difficult for users to visualize the logical progression of changes made by multiple users.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilizes a Document Object Model (DOM) and Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) calls to display a timeline of document revisions, allowing users to select and playback revisions in a superimposed sequence, creating a visual history playback of the document's evolution with controls for speed, direction, zoom, and pan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If document revisions are displayed as discrete snapshots in chronological order, then the revision history can be listed and compared, but the logical evolution and continuity of changes cannot be visually perceived
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies continuity by transitioning from discrete revision snapshots to a continuous temporal visualization. The timeline interface displays revisions as points along a continuous axis, and the document evolution playback continuously animates transitions between revisions, making the logical progression of changes visible and intuitive for users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to the traditional linear document view. By representing revisions as points in time along a timeline axis and using animation to show transitions, the system creates a two-dimensional visualization (time vs. document state) that reveals the logical evolution of changes that would be invisible in a simple chronological list.
2Loss of information
If all revisions are displayed simultaneously, then complete history is available, but the complexity and difficulty of tracking changes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complete revision history into manageable units by allowing users to select specific time ranges or particular revisions of interest. The timeline interface can be divided into segments, and users can focus on specific portions of the evolution, reducing cognitive load while maintaining access to the complete history when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the level of detail and scope based on user interaction. Users can play back evolution from the beginning, from specific points, or at different speeds. The interface adapts to user needs by allowing flexible selection of time ranges and revision ranges, making the complex history manageable and customizable.
3Measurement precision
If document changes are shown as static comparisons, then differences between revisions are visible, but the dynamic evolution and cause-effect relationships cannot be observed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms static change comparisons into dynamic visual evolution through animation. The system continuously animates the transition from one revision to the next, showing changes unfolding over time. This allows users to observe not just what changed, but how and when, revealing cause-effect relationships and logical progression that static comparisons cannot show.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses color coding to highlight changes between revisions during the animated evolution playback. Different colors indicate different types of changes or contributions from different users, making the dynamic evolution easy to follow and understand while maintaining precise change detection.
Data Source
AI summary
In a collaborative computing environment, a method and system for displaying revisions associated with a hosted electronic document are disclosed. In accordance with the disclosed method and system, select revisions of an electronic document may be displayed to a user, recreating a visual history play-back of the evolution of the electronic document. The electronic document may be displayed in a web-browsing application, utilizing a Document Object Model (“DOM”) retrieving the select revisions via Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (“AJAX”) calls to a remote device/server.