US5890177A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for consolidating edits made by multiple editors working on multiple document copies
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1996-04-24
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Granted: 1999-03-30
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Expires: 2016-04-24
Abstract
Abstract A document can be collaboratively edited by multiple editors by providing each editor with a separate copy of the document. Each editor then edits his own document copy using an editing application program, such as a word processor, to produce an edited copy. The edited copies are then retrieved and compared and a single marked-up document is created in which sections (for example, paragraphs) of the original document and corresponding sections of each of the edited documents (with changes from the original document indicated) are displayed in physically adjacent locations of the display screen. The displayed sections contain both edited and duplicated, unedited text. A set of "consolidation" tools are provided to quickly transfer edits between the physically adjacent areas of the screen and to make, or accept, edits made by any of the editors. A final document copy is made by eliminating the duplicate text in the sections. A unique, automated comparison routine may be used to compare the multiple edited document copies with the original document. The comparison routine can detect corresponding portions of the original and edited documents even if substantial edits have been made to the original document in the edited copies.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul B. Moody
- 👤 David A. Shrum
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 17:11
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10; G06F; G06F40/00; G06F40/10; G06F40/166
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
163 words
An apparatus for producing a formal document from a first document and a second document in response to user commands, the apparatus comprising: means responsive to a user command for comparing the first document with the second document in order to identify a first section of the first document which contains unedited portions identical to portions of a second section of the second document; means responsive to the comparison of the first and second documents for creating a consolidated document which displays both edited and unedited portions of each of the first and the second sections; means responsive to the creation of the consolidated document for determining changes between the first section and the second section; editing means controlled by user commands for selecting desired changes to be made in the first section from the determined changes; and means responsive to a user command for forming a final document which includes the unedited portions of the first section and the selected desired changes.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
163 words
An apparatus for producing a formal document from a first document and a second document in response to user commands, the apparatus comprising: means responsive to a user command for comparing the first document with the second document in order to identify a first section of the first document which contains unedited portions identical to portions of a second section of the second document; means responsive to the comparison of the first and second documents for creating a consolidated document which displays both edited and unedited portions of each of the first and the second sections; means responsive to the creation of the consolidated document for determining changes between the first section and the second section; editing means controlled by user commands for selecting desired changes to be made in the first section from the determined changes; and means responsive to a user command for forming a final document which includes the unedited portions of the first section and the selected desired changes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the editing means comprises: means for displaying the first section on a display screen; means for displaying the second section on the display screen in a location physically adjacent to the display location of the first section; and means for visually displaying the determined changes in the second section display.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the comparing means comprises means for dividing the second document into a plurality of edited sections and second means for comparing each of the plurality of edited sections to the first section.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
167 words
An apparatus for producing a final document from an original document and an edited copy of the original document in response to user commands, the apparatus comprising: means responsive to a user command for comparing a first section of the original document with the edited document copy in order to identify a second section of the edited document copy which was a copy of the first section before editing; means responsive to the identification of the second section for creating a consolidated document which simultaneously displays both edited and unedited portions of each of the first and the second sections; means responsive to the creation of the consolidated document for determining changes between the first section and the second section; editing means controlled by user commands for selecting desired changes to be made in the first section from the determined changes; and means responsive to a user command for forming the final document which includes the unedited portions of the first section and the selected desired changes.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
167 words
An apparatus for producing a final document from an original document and an edited copy of the original document in response to user commands, the apparatus comprising: means responsive to a user command for comparing a first section of the original document with the edited document copy in order to identify a second section of the edited document copy which was a copy of the first section before editing; means responsive to the identification of the second section for creating a consolidated document which simultaneously displays both edited and unedited portions of each of the first and the second sections; means responsive to the creation of the consolidated document for determining changes between the first section and the second section; editing means controlled by user commands for selecting desired changes to be made in the first section from the determined changes; and means responsive to a user command for forming the final document which includes the unedited portions of the first section and the selected desired changes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the editing means comprises: means for displaying the first section on a display screen; and means for displaying the second section on the display screen in a location physically adjacent to the display location of the first section; and means for visually displaying the determined changes in the second section display.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the comparing means comprises means for dividing the edited document copy into a plurality of edited sections and second means for comparing each of the plurality of edited sections to the first section.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the first section and each of the plurality of edited sections is comprised of subsections and wherein the second comparing means compares the subsections in the first section with the subsections in each of the plurality of edited sections.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the comparing means is responsive to a match of a predetermined number of adjacent subsections for determining that one of the plurality of edited sections was a copy of the first section before editing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the creating means creates a consolidated document by inserting the second section into the consolidated document immediately after the first section.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the first and second section are marked as a pair of sections.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the editing means comprises means responsive to a user command for changing the first section to incorporate at least one of the changes in the second section.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
139 words
A method for producing a final document from a first document and a second document in response to user commands, the method comprising the steps of: (A) comparing the first document with the second document in response to a user command in order to identify a first section of the first document which contains unedited portions identical to portions of a second section of the second document; (B) creating a consolidated document which displays both edited and unedited portions of each of the first and the second sections; (C) determining changes between the first section and the second section; (D) selecting desired changes to be made in the first section from the determined changes, in response to user commands; and (E) forming a final document which includes the unedited portions of the first section and the selected desired changes.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
139 words
A method for producing a final document from a first document and a second document in response to user commands, the method comprising the steps of: (A) comparing the first document with the second document in response to a user command in order to identify a first section of the first document which contains unedited portions identical to portions of a second section of the second document; (B) creating a consolidated document which displays both edited and unedited portions of each of the first and the second sections; (C) determining changes between the first section and the second section; (D) selecting desired changes to be made in the first section from the determined changes, in response to user commands; and (E) forming a final document which includes the unedited portions of the first section and the selected desired changes.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method according to claim 12 wherein step D comprises the steps of: (D1) displaying the first section on a display screen; (D2) displaying the second section on the display screen in a location physically adjacent to the display location of the first section; and (D3) visually displaying the determined changes in the second section display.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method according to claim 12 wherein step A comprises the steps of: (A1) dividing the second document into a plurality of edited sections; and (A2) comparing each of the plurality of edited sections to the first section.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
146 words
A method for producing a final document from an original document and an edited copy of the original document in response to user commands, the method comprising the steps of: (A) comparing a first section of the original document with the edited document copy in response to a user command in order to identify a second section of the edited document copy which was a copy of the first section before editing; (B) creating a consolidated document which simultaneously displays both the edited and unedited portions of each of the first and the second sections; (C) determining changes between the first section and the second section; (D) selecting desired changes to be made in the first section from the determined changes, in response to user commands; and (E) forming the final document which includes the unedited portions of the first section and the selected desired changes.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
146 words
A method for producing a final document from an original document and an edited copy of the original document in response to user commands, the method comprising the steps of: (A) comparing a first section of the original document with the edited document copy in response to a user command in order to identify a second section of the edited document copy which was a copy of the first section before editing; (B) creating a consolidated document which simultaneously displays both the edited and unedited portions of each of the first and the second sections; (C) determining changes between the first section and the second section; (D) selecting desired changes to be made in the first section from the determined changes, in response to user commands; and (E) forming the final document which includes the unedited portions of the first section and the selected desired changes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method according to claim 15 wherein step D comprises the steps of: (D1) displaying the first section on a display screen; (D2) displaying the second sections on the display screen in a location physically adjacent to the display location of the first section; and (D3) visually displaying the determined changes in the second section display.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method according to claim 16 wherein step A comprises the steps of: (A1) dividing the edited document copy into a plurality of edited sections; and (A2) comparing each of the plurality of edited sections to the first section.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method according to claim 17 wherein the first section and each of the plurality of edited sections is comprised of subsections and wherein step A2 comprises the step of: (A2A) comparing the subsections in the first section with the subsections in each of the plurality of edited sections.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method according to claim 18 wherein step A2A comprises the step of determining that one of the plurality of edited sections was a copy of the first section before editing when a predetermined number of adjacent subsections match.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 15 wherein step B comprises the step of: (B1) inserting the second section into the consolidated document immediately after the first section.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method according to claim 15 wherein step B comprises the step of: (B2) marking the first and second section as a pair of sections.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method according to claim 21 wherein step B further comprises the step of: (B3) changing the first section to incorporate at least one of the changes in the second section in response to a user command.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
195 words
A computer program product for producing a final document from a first document and a second document in response to user commands in a computer system having a memory, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including: means responsive to a user command for comparing the first document with the second document in order to identify a first section of the first document which contains unedited portions identical to portions of a second section of the second document; means responsive to the comparison of the first and second documents for creating a consolidated document in the memory, the consolidated document displaying both edited and unedited portions of each of the first and the second sections; means responsive to the creation of the consolidated document for determining changes between the first section and the second section; editing means controlled by user commands for selecting desired changes to be made in the first section from the determined changes; and means responsive to a user command for forming a final document which includes the unedited portions of the first section and the selected desired changes.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
195 words
A computer program product for producing a final document from a first document and a second document in response to user commands in a computer system having a memory, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including: means responsive to a user command for comparing the first document with the second document in order to identify a first section of the first document which contains unedited portions identical to portions of a second section of the second document; means responsive to the comparison of the first and second documents for creating a consolidated document in the memory, the consolidated document displaying both edited and unedited portions of each of the first and the second sections; means responsive to the creation of the consolidated document for determining changes between the first section and the second section; editing means controlled by user commands for selecting desired changes to be made in the first section from the determined changes; and means responsive to a user command for forming a final document which includes the unedited portions of the first section and the selected desired changes.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
198 words
A computer program product for producing a final document from an original document and an edited copy of the original document in response to user commands, in a computer system having a memory, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including: means responsive to a user command for comparing a first section of the original document with the edited document copy in order to identify a second section of the edited document copy which was a copy of the first section before editing; means responsive to the identification of the second section for creating a consolidated document in the memory, the consolidated document displaying both edited and unedited potions of each of the first and the second sections; means responsive to the creation of the consolidated document for determining changes between the first section and the second section; editing means controlled by user commands for selecting desired changes to be made in the first section from the determined changes; and means responsive to a user command for forming the final document which includes the unedited portions of the first section and the selected desired changes.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
198 words
A computer program product for producing a final document from an original document and an edited copy of the original document in response to user commands, in a computer system having a memory, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including: means responsive to a user command for comparing a first section of the original document with the edited document copy in order to identify a second section of the edited document copy which was a copy of the first section before editing; means responsive to the identification of the second section for creating a consolidated document in the memory, the consolidated document displaying both edited and unedited potions of each of the first and the second sections; means responsive to the creation of the consolidated document for determining changes between the first section and the second section; editing means controlled by user commands for selecting desired changes to be made in the first section from the determined changes; and means responsive to a user command for forming the final document which includes the unedited portions of the first section and the selected desired changes.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-03-29 | 2002-09-28 | 2003-03-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-03-29 | 2006-09-28 | 2007-03-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-03-29 | 2010-09-28 | 2011-03-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |