IP Library Granted Patent US 10,657,318
Granted Patent B2
US 10,657,318 · App. 16/052,064 · Granted May 19, 2020

Comment notifications for electronic content

Inventors: Sophia Isabel Vennix (Seattle, WA); Benjamin Gustav Wilde (Quincy, MA); Kathleen Anna Cachel (Cambridge, MA); Anunaya Pandey (Watertown, MA); Raphael Jose Landaverde (Boston, MA)
G06F40/169G06F3/0482G06F2203/04804
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,657,318
App. No.
16/052,064
Granted
May 19, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A comment management system and process for facilitating navigation of discrete segments of electronic content in which users can remain informed as to the comment context for the electronic content as a whole. This can provide collaborative document users the ability to more clearly distinguish comments for a currently viewed content portion from indicators for comments on previous or subsequent segments of content. The indicators can transition between a low visibility mode and a high visibility mode in response to user inputs.

Claims (64)

1. A data processing device comprising:

at least one processor; and

one or more computer readable media including instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

present, on a display, a graphical user interface including:

a first region configured to display at least a first portion of a first discrete segment of electronic content in a sequence of electronic content, the sequence of electronic content including a plurality of discrete segments, and

a second region configured to display a list comprising of one or more comment items;

identify an availability of a first comment associated with a second portion of a second discrete segment in the plurality of discrete segments, the second discrete segment being hidden from view while the first discrete segment is being displayed;

add, in response to identifying the availability of the first comment, a first actuatable comment indicator to the list of comment items;

display the first actuatable comment indicator in the second region, wherein the first actuatable comment indicator is initially in a low visibility mode; and

transition, in response to a first user input event associated with the first actuatable comment indicator, an appearance of the first actuatable comment indicator from low visibility mode to a high visibility mode during the first user input event.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to switch, in response to actuation of the first actuatable comment indicator, from a display of the first portion of the first discrete segment in the first region to a display of at least the second portion of the second discrete segment in the first region.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

identify an availability of a second comment associated with the first portion of the first discrete segment in the sequence of electronic content;

add, in response to identifying the availability of second comment, a second actuatable comment indicator to the list of comment items, the second actuatable comment indicator being configured to enable a user to return to the first portion;

display the second actuatable comment indicator in the second region, wherein the second actuatable comment indicator is initially in low visibility mode;

transition, in response to a second user input event associated with the second actuatable comment indicator, an appearance of the second actuatable comment indicator from low visibility mode to a high visibility mode during the second user input event; and

switch, in response to actuation of the second actuatable comment indicator, from a display of the second discrete segment in the first region to a display of at least the first portion of the first discrete segment in the first region.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to remove the first actuatable comment indicator from the second region display after actuation of the first actuatable comment indicator.

5. A data processing device comprising:

at least one processor; and

one or more computer readable media including instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

present, on a display, a graphical user interface including:

a first region configured to display at least a first portion of a first discrete segment of electronic content in a sequence of electronic content, the sequence of electronic content including a plurality of discrete segments, and

a second region configured to display a list comprising of one or more edit items;

identify an availability of a first edit associated with a second portion of a second discrete segment in the plurality of discrete segments, the second discrete segment being hidden from view while the first discrete segment is being displayed;

add, in response to identifying the availability of the first edit, a first edit indicator to the list of edit items; and

display the first edit indicator in the second region, wherein the first edit indicator is initially configured to conceal any text from appearing in an interior region of the first edit indicator.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the interior region of the first edit indicator includes at least one elongated strip symbolizing placeholder text.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the electronic content comprises a database and the first discrete segment and the second discrete segment each correspond to an individual worksheet in the database.

8. The device of claim 5 , wherein the electronic content comprises a slideshow and the first discrete segment and the second discrete segment each correspond to an individual slide in the slideshow.

9. A method comprising:

presenting, on a display of a user device, a graphical user interface including:

a first region configured to display at least a first portion of a first discrete segment in a sequence of electronic content, the sequence of electronic content including a plurality of discrete segments, and

a second region configured to display a list comprising of one or more comment items;

identifying an availability of a first comment associated with a second portion of a second discrete segment in the sequence of electronic content, the second discrete segment being hidden from view while the first discrete segment is being displayed;

adding, in response to identifying the availability of the first comment, a first actuatable comment indicator to the list of comment items, the first actuatable comment indicator being configured to enable a user to navigate to the second portion;

displaying the first actuatable comment indicator in the second region, wherein the first actuatable comment indicator is initially in a low visibility mode; and

transitioning, in response to a first user input event associated with the first actuatable comment indicator, an appearance of the first actuatable comment indicator from low visibility mode to a high visibility mode during the first user input event.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising switching, in response to actuation of the first actuatable comment indicator, from a display of the first portion of the first discrete segment in the first region to a display of at least the second portion of the second discrete segment in the first region.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising displaying the first comment in the second region.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

identifying an availability of a second comment associated with a third portion of a third discrete segment in the sequence of electronic content, the third discrete segment being hidden from view while the second discrete segment is being displayed;

adding, in response to identifying the availability of second comment, a second actuatable comment indicator to the list of comment items, the second actuatable comment indicator being configured to enable a user to navigate to the third portion;

displaying the second actuatable comment indicator in the second region, wherein the second actuatable comment indicator is initially in low visibility mode;

transitioning, in response to a second user input event associated with the second actuatable comment indicator, an appearance of the second actuatable comment indicator from low visibility mode to high visibility mode during the second user input event; and

switching, in response to actuation of the second actuatable comment indicator, from a display of the second discrete segment in the first region to a display of at least the third portion of the third discrete segment in the first region.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

identifying an availability of a second comment associated with the first portion of the first discrete segment in the sequence of electronic content;

adding, in response to identifying the availability of second comment, a second actuatable comment indicator to the list of comment items, the second actuatable comment indicator being configured to enable a user to return to the first portion;

displaying the second actuatable comment indicator in the second region, wherein the second actuatable comment indicator is initially in low visibility mode;

transitioning, in response to second user input event associated with the second actuatable comment indicator, an appearance of the second actuatable comment indicator from low visibility mode to high visibility mode during the second user input event; and

switching, in response to actuation of the second actuatable comment indicator, from a display of the second discrete segment in the first region to a display of at least the first portion of the first discrete segment in the first region.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electronic content comprises a database and the first discrete segment and the second discrete segment each correspond to an individual worksheet in the database.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electronic content comprises a slideshow and the first discrete segment and the second discrete segment each correspond to an individual slide in the slideshow.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second region includes a first end and a second end, and the method further comprises:

presenting the first actuatable comment indicator in the second region proximate to:

the second end of the second region when the second discrete segment is subsequent to the first discrete segment in the sequence, and

the first end of the second region when the second discrete segment is prior to the first discrete segment in the sequence.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the list of comment items includes a plurality of comments that are associated with the first discrete segment, and the method further comprises:

concealing the first actuatable comment indicator when the plurality of comments being displayed in the second region extends between the first end and the second end.

18. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first actuatable comment indicator includes an outline that is initially translucent while in low visibility mode, and the method further comprises:

solidifying, in response to the first user input event associated with the first actuatable comment indicator, the outline of the first actuatable comment indicator when the first actuatable comment indicator is in high visibility mode.

19. The method of claim 9 , wherein an interior of the first actuatable comment indicator is blank.

20. The method of claim 9 , wherein an interior of the first actuatable comment indicator includes at least one elongated strip symbolizing placeholder text.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE FIRST NAME OF INVENTOR FROM SOPHIE ISABEL VENNIX TO SOPHIA ISABEL VENNIX PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 046527 FRAME 0950. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Recorded Sep 4, 2018
From: VENNIX, SOPHIA ISABEL
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 047012/0994 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2018
From: LANDAVERDE, RAPHAEL JOSE; PANDEY, ANUNAYA; VENNIX, SOPHIE ISABEL; WILDE, BENJAMIN GUSTAV; CACHEL, KATHLEEN ANNA
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 046527/0950 →
Continuity (1)
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