Digital processing systems and methods for dual mode editing in collaborative documents enabling private changes in collaborative work systems

1 . A system for enabling dual mode editing in an electronic collaborative document to enable private changes, the system comprising:

at least one processor configured to:

communicate with a remote server configured to store the electronic collaborative document and to communicate with a first user device and a second user device;

access the electronic collaborative document, via the remote server, in which a first editor associated with the first user device and a second editor associated with the second user device are enabled to permit simultaneous editing and simultaneous viewing of edits made to the electronic collaborative document via each of the first editor and the second editor;

output first display signals for presenting an interface via the first editor, the interface including a toggle enabling switching of the first editor between a collaborative mode and a private mode;

receive from the first editor operating in the collaborative mode, first edits to the electronic collaborative document;

output second display signals to the first editor and the second editor, the second display signals reflecting the first edits made via the first editor;

receive from the first editor interacting with the interface, a private mode change signal reflecting a request to change a designated first portion of the electronic collaborative document from the collaborative mode to the private mode;

in response to the private mode change signal, initiate the private mode for the designated first portion of the electronic collaborative document for the first editor;

receive at the remote server from the first editor, second edits for the designated first portion of the electronic collaborative document; and

in response to the second edits, output third display signals to the first editor while withholding the third display signals from the second editor by enabling the second edits to appear via the first editor and preventing the second edits from appearing via the second editor;

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive from the first editor interacting with the interface, a collaborative mode change signal reflecting a request to change the designated first portion of the electronic collaborative document from the private mode to the collaborative mode, and in response to the receipt of the collaborative mode change signal, enable subsequent edits to the designated first portion of the electronic collaborative document made via the first editor to be viewed via the second editor, while preventing subsequent edits made via the first editor to a second portion of the electronic collaborative document from being viewed via the second editor,

wherein the first designated portion is associated with one or more blocks of information within the electronic collaborative document and the second portion is associated with one or more other blocks of information within the electronic collaborative document, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to recognize an active work location of the second editor within the electronic collaborative document and to lock a display associated with the active work location of the second editor to suppress a pagination change caused by the first edits.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to segregate the second edits made in private mode by withholding, upon return to the collaborative mode, viewing of the second edits via the second editor.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive via the first editor a release signal, and in response thereto, enabling the second editor to present the second edits.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein enabling second editor to present the second edits includes displaying to via the second editor, in association with the second edits, an identity of a user associated with the first editor.

5 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, in response to receiving the release signal, compare the second edits made in private mode to original text in the electronic collaborative document, identify differences based on the comparison, and present the differences in connection with text of the electronic collaborative document to thereby indicate changes originally made during private mode.

6 . The system, of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive via the first editor, in association with a text block, a retroactive privatization signal, and upon receipt of the retroactive privatization signal, withhold the text block from display via the second editor.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive via the first editor operating in private mode an exemption signal for at least one particular editor to enable the at least one particular editor to view the second edits.

8 . A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions that when executed by at least one processor cause the at least one processor to perform operations for enabling dual mode editing in an electronic collaborative document to enable private changes, the operations comprising:

communicating with a remote server configured to store the electronic collaborative document and to communicate with a first user device and a second user device;

accessing the electronic collaborative document, via the remote server, in which a first editor associated with the first user device and a second editor associated with the second user device are enabled to permit simultaneous editing and simultaneous viewing of edits made to the electronic collaborative document via each of the first editor and the second editor;

outputting first display signals for presenting an interface via the first editor, the interface including a toggle enabling switching of the first editor between a collaborative mode and a private mode;

receiving from the first editor operating in the collaborative mode, first edits to the electronic collaborative document;

outputting second display signals to the first editor and the second editor, the second display signals reflecting the first edits made via the first editor;

receiving from the first editor interacting with the interface, a private mode change signal reflecting a request to change a designated first portion of the electronic collaborative document from the collaborative mode to the private mode;

in response to the private mode change signal, initiating the private mode for the designated first portion of the electronic collaborative document for the first editor;

receiving at the remote server from the first editor, second edits for the designated first portion of the electronic collaborative document; and

in response to the second edits, output third display signals to the first editor while withholding the third display signals from the second editor by enabling the second edits to appear via the first editor and preventing the second edits from appearing via the second editor;

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive from the first editor interacting with the interface, a collaborative mode change signal reflecting a request to change the designated first portion of the electronic collaborative document from the private mode to the collaborative mode, and in response to the receipt of the collaborative mode change signal, enable subsequent edits to the designated first portion of the electronic collaborative document made via the first editor to be viewed via the second editor, while preventing subsequent edits made via the first editor to a second portion of the electronic collaborative document from being viewed via the second editor,

wherein the first designated portion is associated with one or more blocks of information within the electronic collaborative document and the second portion is associated with one or more other blocks of information within the electronic collaborative document, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to recognize an active work location of the second editor within the electronic collaborative document and to lock a display associated with the active work location of the second editor to suppress a pagination change caused by the first edits.

9 . The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to identify the first editor and the second editor by a user identification indicator.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine that the first editor has an authorization to make the first edit to the electronic collaboration document.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to output the third display signals via the second editor in response to an automatic release signal, the automatic release signal being based on a predetermined action performed via the first editor.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to suppress a pagination change caused by the first edits made by the first editor in the second display signals output to the second editor.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the private mode change signal from a unique hyperlink associated with the first editor.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote server is configured to store the received second edits.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the remote server is collocated with neither the first user device or the second user device.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein in the private mode, the at least one processor is configured to allow a user to designate edits to a portion of an electronic collaborative document to be visible to a subset of all users who have access to the collaborative document.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to make less than all of a user's edits not visible to other users with access to an electronic collaborative document until the user signals that the edits should be visible to other users.

18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the electronic collaborative document is a worksheet, and

the first designated portion and the second portion include at least one of: one or more columns or one or more cells.

19 . The system of claim of 1 , wherein a block of information includes at least one of: a single text character, a word, a sentence, a paragraph, a page, or a graphic.

20 . The system of claim 1 , wherein recognizing the active work location of the second editor within the electronic collaborative document is based on at least one of: a cursor location in the electronic collaborative document, a scrolling location in the electronic collaborative document, or a block location in the electronic collaborative document.

21 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the operations further include receiving from the first editor interacting with the interface, a collaborative mode change signal reflecting a request to change from the private mode to the collaborative mode, and in response to receipt of the collaborative mode change signal, enable subsequent edits made via the first editor to be viewed via the second editor.

22 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the operations further include segregating the second edits made in private mode by withholding, upon return to the collaborative mode, viewing of the second edits via the second editor.

23 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving via the first editor a release signal, and in response thereto, enabling the second editor to present the second edits.

24 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the operations further include receiving via the first editor, in association with a text block, a retroactive privatization signal, and upon receipt of the retroactive privatization signal, withhold the text block from display via the second editor.

25 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the operations further include receiving via the first editor operating in private mode an exemption signal for at least one particular editor, to thereby enable the at least one particular editor to view the second edits.

26 . A method for enabling dual mode editing in an electronic collaborative document to enable private changes, the method comprising:

communicating with a remote server configured to store the electronic collaborative document and to communicate with a first user device and a second user device;

accessing the electronic collaborative document, via the remote server, in which a first editor associated with the first user device and a second editor associated with the second user device are enabled to permit simultaneous editing and simultaneous viewing of edits made to the electronic collaborative document via each of the first editor and the second editor;

outputting first display signals for presenting an interface via the first editor, the interface including a toggle enabling switching of the first editor between a collaborative mode and a private mode;

receiving from the first editor operating in the collaborative mode, first edits to the electronic collaborative document;

outputting second display signals to the first editor and the second editor, the second display signals reflecting the first edits made via the first editor;

receiving from the first editor interacting with the interface, a private mode change signal reflecting a request to change a designated first portion of the electronic collaborative document from the collaborative mode to the private mode;

in response to the private mode change signal, initiating the private mode for the designated first portion of the electronic collaborative document for the first editor;

receiving at the remote server from the first editor, second edits for the designated first portion of the electronic collaborative document;

in response to the second edits, output third display signals to the first editor while withholding the third display signals from the second editor by enabling the second edits to appear via the first editor and preventing the second edits from appearing via the second editor; and

receiving from the first editor interacting with the interface, a collaborative mode change signal reflecting a request to change the designated first portion of the electronic collaborative document from the private mode to the collaborative mode, and in response to the receipt of the collaborative mode change signal, enable subsequent edits to the designated first portion of the electronic collaborative document made via the first editor to be viewed via the second editor, while preventing subsequent edits made via the first editor to a second portion of the electronic collaborative document from being viewed via the second editor,

wherein the first designated portion is associated with one or more blocks of information within the electronic collaborative document and the second portion is associated with one or more other blocks of information within the electronic collaborative document, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to recognize an active work location of the second editor within the electronic collaborative document and to lock a display associated with the active work location of the second editor to suppress a pagination change caused by the first edits.

27 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising receiving from, the first editor interacting with the interface, a collaborative mode change signal reflecting a request to change from the private mode to the collaborative mode, and in response to receipt of the collaborative mode change signal, enable subsequent edits made via the first editor to be viewed via the second editor.

28 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising segregating the second edits made in private mode by withholding, upon return to the collaborative mode, viewing of the second edits via the second editor.

29 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising receiving via the first editor a release signal, and in response thereto, enabling the second editor to present the second edits.

30 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising receiving via the first editor, in association with a text block, a retroactive privatization signal, and upon receipt of the retroactive privatization signal, withhold the text block from display via the second editor.

31 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising receiving via the first editor operating in private mode an exemption signal for at least one particular editor, to thereby enable the at least one particular editor to view the second edits.