METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MONITORING DOCUMENTS EXCHANGED OVER EMAIL APPLICATIONS
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for monitoring and detecting changes in files attached to incoming emails. In one embodiment, if files are attached to an outgoing email, the change service uniquely tags each of the attached files and optionally stores local or remote copies of the tagged files. Additionally, in embodiments, the change service monitors and intercepts incoming emails. If files are attached to an incoming email, the change service identifies whether the files are tagged in a manner unique to the compare service. The change service then matches uniquely tagged files in the incoming email to corresponding files previously tagged by the change service. The change service then compares the two documents and generates reports that identify changes in the received document in relation to the transmitted document. Further, in embodiments, the change service provides visual indicators of the changes within the email application.
1 . A method executed by a computer system for monitoring changes in a document exchanged over email, the system comprised of a data storage module further comprised of a first document file, the method comprising:
prior to transmitting an outgoing email, identifying the presence of a first document file as an attachment to the outgoing email;
upon identifying the presence of the first document file attachment, attaching a first tag data uniquely identifying the first document file prior to the transmitting of the outgoing email;
transmitting from the computer system an outgoing email message comprised of the first document file attached to the outgoing email message and the first tag data uniquely identifying the first document file;
storing the first tag in a database record that references the first document, said database record accessible by the transmitting computer system;
receiving at the computer system an incoming email message comprised of a second document file attached to the incoming email message and a second tag data uniquely identifying the second document file;
executing a query on the database in order to select the first document file by determining using computer logic that the second tag data and the first tag data identify two versions of the same document;
extracting text data from the first document file and the second document file and using the extracted text data to compare the first document file and the second document file in order to identify at least one changes made to contents of the first document file in relation to the second document file; and
using the results of the compare step to compute a difference value between contents of the first file and the second file.
2 - 25 . (canceled)