Shared Document Edit Tracking via User-Specific Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Document editors that allow collaborative editing often overwhelm users with all edits made to a shared document, making it difficult for contributors to distinguish and visualize their own contributions that have been modified by others.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allows users to select their contributions to a shared document, determining and visually indicating the edits made by other users, including a processor-executable code to receive user selections, determine edited portions, and visually indicate these edits using various graphical indicators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If all edits made to a shared document are displayed to users, then complete edit tracking is achieved, but users are overwhelmed and cannot distinguish their own contributions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the edit history by user contributions, allowing users to view edits specifically related to their own contributed content. This is achieved through filtering mechanisms that separate edits made to different users' contributions, enabling users to focus on relevant changes without being overwhelmed by all document edits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary filtering layer between the complete edit history and the user view. This intermediary selectively displays only the edits relevant to the user's contributions, acting as a mediator that transforms the raw edit data into a personalized, manageable view that maintains completeness while improving distinguishability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If users can view all edits in a collaborative document, then full collaboration visibility is achieved, but it becomes difficult for users to track their own specific contributions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different views or filters for different user needs. Users can select to view edits specific to their own contributions with enhanced visibility markers, while maintaining the option to view all edits when needed. This creates localized optimization where the interface adapts to highlight personally relevant information without losing overall collaboration visibility.
3Reliability
If comprehensive edit tracking is implemented for all users, then full document history is maintained, but users experience information overload
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial action by allowing users to selectively view only the portion of edit history relevant to their contributions. Rather than displaying the complete document history to all users, the system provides a filtered subset that maintains reliability for tracking user-specific changes while reducing the information volume to manageable levels. Users can access comprehensive history when needed but default to personalized views.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses, methods, systems, and program products are disclosed for displaying edits for a user's portion of a shared document. An apparatus includes a processor and a memory that stores code executable by the processor. The code is executable by the processor to receive a selection of a user who has contributed to a document that is editable by a plurality of users. The code is executable by the processor to determine portions of the selected user's contributions to the document that have been edited by other users of the plurality of users. The code is executable by the processor to visually indicate the edits made to the portions of the selected user's contributions to the document.