Collaborative hierarchical document development and review system

Abstract

A computer software product for allowing simultaneous multi-level collaboration, including in real time between an author and a group of reviewers invited by the author to comment on a document stored in a computer file. The computer software enables each reviewer to view the document and make changes thereto which are stored in a secondary data file without modifying the contents of the original document. The author receives and views the secondary data files from the reviewers and selectively incorporates the changes into the document. Each reviewer may invite an unlimited number of sub-reviewers to review the document, the comments of each sub-reviewer similarly being stored in a secondary data file wherein only the author may edit the document directly.

1 .- 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A computer-implemented document collaboration system for managing the input of reviewers connected over a network of computers, the document collaboration system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 store a master data file including a document having content created by an owner; 
 create a hierarchical distribution file for tracking access to the document, the hierarchical distribution file including:
 first data identifying the owner of the document, 
 second data identifying a first level reviewer designated by the owner, and 
 third data identifying a second level reviewer designated the first level reviewer; 
 
 create a first data file associated with the first level reviewer comprising:
 first edit data reflecting a first edit made to the content of the document by the first level reviewer, and 
 first index data reflecting a first index to a location of the first edit in the document; 
 
 create a second data file associated with the second level reviewer comprising:
 second edit data reflecting a second edit made to the content of the document by the second level reviewer, and 
 second index data reflecting a second index to a location of the second edit in the document; 
 
 generate information to display the document in a first region; 
 generate information to display a control in the first region that is associated with a portion of the document displayed in the first region; and 
 generate information to display in a second region the first edit indexed to the portion of the document associated with the control. 
   
     
     
         21 .- 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A computer-implemented document collaboration method for managing the input of reviewers connected over a network of computers, the document collaboration method comprising:
 storing a master data file including a document having content created by an owner;   creating, by a processor, a hierarchical distribution file for tracking access to the document, the hierarchical distribution file including:
 first data identifying the owner of the document, 
 second data identifying a first level reviewer designated by the owner, and 
 third data identifying a second level reviewer designated the first level reviewer; 
   creating, by the processor, a first data file associated with the first level reviewer comprising:
 first edit data reflecting a first edit made to the content of the document by the first level reviewer, and 
 first index data reflecting a first index to a location of the first edit in the document; 
   creating, by the processor, a second data file associated with the second level reviewer comprising:
 second edit data reflecting a second edit made to the content of the document by the second level reviewer, and 
 second index data reflecting a second index to a location of the second edit in the document; 
   generating, by the processor, information that is used to display the document adjacent to at least one of the first edit and the second edit;   generating, by the processor, information to display the document in a first region;   generating, by the processor, information to display a control in the first region that is associated with a portion of the document displayed in the first region; and   in response to activation of the control, generating information to display in a second region the first edit indexed to the portion of the document associated with the control.   
     
     
         36 .- 48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . A computer-based document editing system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 receive a document having content, and store the document in a document file, 
 receive first edits in a first data file, the first data file comprising the first edits reflecting a change to the content of the document indexed to a portion of the document associated with the change, 
 generate display data that is used to simultaneously display:
 a first region reflecting portions of the document, and 
 a second region reflecting the first edits in the first data file that are indexed to the portions of the document displayed in the first region, 
 
 receive a second edit reflecting a change to the content of one of the portions of the document displayed in the first region, and 
 store the second edit in the first data file, wherein the second edit does not modify the content of the document stored in the document file. 
   
     
     
         50 . The computer-based document editing system of  claim 49 , wherein the first data file also comprises a comment indexed to a portion of the content of document. 
     
     
         51 . The computer-based document editing system of  claim 50 , wherein the processor generates information to display in the second region the comment indexed to the portions of the document reflected in the first region. 
     
     
         52 . The computer-based document editing system of  claim 49 , wherein the processor creates a second data file comprising third edits reflecting a second change to the content of the document indexed to a portion of the document associated with the second change. 
     
     
         53 . The computer-based document editing system of  claim 52 , wherein the second region reflects the first edits and the third edits that are indexed to the portions of the document reflected in the first region. 
     
     
         54 . A computer-implemented document editing method comprising:
 receiving, by a processor, a document having content, and storing the document in an electronic document file;   receiving, by the processor, first edits in a first data file, the first data file comprising the first edits reflecting a change to the content of the document indexed to a portion of the document associated with the change;   generating, by the processor, display data that is used to simultaneously display:
 a first region reflecting portions of the document, and 
 a second region reflecting the first edits in the first data file that are indexed to the portions of the document displayed in the first region; 
   receiving, by the processor, a second edit reflecting a change to the content of one of the portions of the document displayed in the first region; and   storing the second edit in the first data file, wherein the second edit does not modify the content of the document stored in the document file.   
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the first data file also comprises a comment indexed to a portion of the content of document. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , further comprising generating information to display in the second region the comment indexed to the portions of the document reflected in the first region. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 54 , further comprising creating a second data file comprising third edits reflecting a second change to the content of the document indexed to a portion of the document associated with the second change. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the second region reflects the first edits and the third edits that are indexed to the portions of the document reflected in the first region. 
     
     
         59 . A document collaboration system, comprising:
 a storage device; and   a computer system configured to:
 receive a document from an owner; 
 store the document in a first file in the storage device; 
 receive first edits for a first portion of the document from a first level reviewer, wherein the first level reviewer is designated by the owner, 
 store the first edits for the first portion of the document in a second file in the storage device, 
 provide, based on the first file and the second file, information that is used to display the document in a first region of a display and the first edits in a second region of the display. 
   
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 59 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:
 receive second edits for a second portion of the document from a second level reviewer, wherein the second level reviewer is designated by the first level reviewer;   store the second edits for the second portion of the document in a third file in the storage device; and   provide, based on the first file, the second file, and the third file, information that is used to display the document in the first region of the display, the first edits in the second region of the display, and the second edits in a third region of the display.   
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 60 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:
 receive a designation from the first level reviewer identifying the second level reviewer and providing authorization for the second level reviewer to provide edits to the second portion of the document.   
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 59 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:
 receive a designation from the owner identifying the first level reviewer and providing authorization for the first level reviewer to provide edits to the first portion of the document.   
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 59 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:
 generate a first index that references the first portion of the document; and   use the first index to generate the information that is used to display the first edits in the second region of the display.   
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 59 , wherein the computer system is further configured to: receive data reflecting a sub-owner of the document. 
     
     
         65 . The system of  claim 64 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:
 receive, from the sub-owner, a designation of a second first level reviewer that is authorized to edit a third portion of the document,   receive third edits to the third portion of the document from the second first level reviewer,   store the third edits in a fourth file in the storage device, and   provide, based on the first file and fourth file, information that is used to display the document in the first region of a second display and the third edits in the second region of the second display.   
     
     
         66 .- 70 . (canceled)