Milestones in file history timeline of an electronic document

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11301437-B2
Application number	US-201815950281-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2018
Priority date	Apr 11, 2018
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

Described herein is a system and method for creating a milestone associated with a version of an electronic file. A milestone creation input associated with the particular version of the electronic file is received. Milestone content to be associated with the particular version of the electronic file is further received. The milestone content is stored, and, the stored milestone content and the particular version of the electronic file are associated. Further described herein is a system and method for using a milestone associated with a version of an electronic file. Milestone indicator(s) are displayed, each milestone indicator associated with a milestone of a version of an electronic file. A selection of a particular milestone indicator is received. Milestone content associated with the selected particular milestone indicator is presented. The milestones can be searchable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
display a version history of an electronic document, the version history including a most recent version and multiple previous versions of the electronic document shown in chronological order, the version history including a first graphical indicator displayed adjacent to a first previous version of the electronic document shown in a first position in the chronological order, the first graphical indicator conveying that a first video, audio, or image file, separate from the electronic document, has been associated with the first previous version of the electronic document;
receive a milestone creation input associated with a second previous version of the electronic document that is shown in a second position in the chronological order of the version history; and
in response to the milestone creation input:
identify a second video, audio, or image file that is separate from the electronic document;
associate the second video, audio, or image file with the second previous version of the electronic document; and
populate the version history of the electronic document with a second graphical indicator adjacent to the second previous version of the electronic document, the second graphical indicator conveying that the second video, audio, or image file, separate from the electronic document, has been associated with the second previous version of the electronic document, the version history being populated while the first previous version remains in the first position in the chronological order and the second previous version remains in the second position in the chronological order.

2. The system of claim 1 , the memory having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
display a milestone creation control with the version history, the milestone creation control providing functionality for associating separate files with individual versions of the electronic document; and
receive the milestone creation input explicitly via the milestone creation control displayed with the version history.

3. The system of claim 1 , the memory having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
infer the milestone creation input based at least upon user activity indicative of user intent to associate a separate file with the second previous version of the electronic document.

4. The system of claim 1 , the memory having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
infer the milestone creation input based at least on user activity indicative of user intent to associate a separate file with the second previous version, wherein the user activity involves sending or receiving the electronic document via email.

5. The system of claim 1 , the memory having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
display a palette of available milestone indicators comprising different graphical indications that separate files have been associated with corresponding document versions;
receive input identifying the second graphical indicator from the palette; and
associate the second graphical indicator with the second previous version of the electronic document responsive to the input identifying the second graphical indicator from the palette.

6. The system of claim 1 , the memory having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
generate the second graphical indicator for the second previous version of the electronic document based at least upon the second video, audio, or image file that is separate from the electronic document.

7. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
displaying a version history of an electronic document, the version history including a most recent version and multiple previous versions of the electronic document shown in chronological order, the version history including a first graphical indicator displayed adjacent to a first previous version of the electronic document shown in a first position in the chronological order, the first graphical indicator conveying that a first video, audio, or image file, separate from the electronic document, has been associated with the first previous version of the electronic document;
populating the version history of the electronic document with a second graphical indicator adjacent to a second previous version of the electronic document, the second graphical indicator conveying that a second video, audio, or image file, separate from the electronic document, has been associated with the second previous version of the electronic document, the version history being populated while the first previous version remains in the first position in the chronological order and the second previous version remains in a second position in the chronological order;
receiving a selection of the first graphical indicator from the displayed version history; and
responsive to selection of the first graphical indicator from the displayed version history, presenting the first video, audio, or image content item associated with the first previous version of the electronic document.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:
displaying last saved times in the version history indicating when individual versions of the electronic document were last saved.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein displaying the last saved times includes:
displaying a first last saved time when the first previous version of the electronic document was saved in response to user input; and
displaying a second last saved time when the second previous version of the electronic document was autosaved in the absence of explicit user input.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising:
displaying a third previous version of the electronic document in the version history between the first previous version and the second previous version without a corresponding graphical indicator to convey that the third previous version is not associated with separate video, audio, or image content.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:
displaying a palette of graphical indicators;
receiving a first input selecting the first graphical indicator from the palette for association with the first previous version of the electronic document; and
receiving a second input selecting the second graphical indicator from the palette for association with the second previous version of the electronic document,
the first graphical indicator and the second graphical indicator being different graphical indicators.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:
defining a plurality of graphical symbols for different file types, including at least a first graphical symbol for audio file types, a second graphical symbol for video file types, and a third graphical symbol for image file types; and
automatically selecting the first graphical indicator and the second graphical indicator from the plurality of graphical symbols based on respective file types of the first video, audio, or image file and the second video, audio, or image file.

13. A hardware computer storage media storing computer-readable instructions that, when

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Weaver Joan Catharine
• Milvaney Douglas Lane

Classifications

• G06F3/0484

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title

• G06F16/1873 Primary

  Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files · CPC title

• G06F40/197

  Version control (for software G06F8/71) · CPC title