Identifying changes for online documents

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9330191-B2
Application number	US-48460709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2009
Priority date	Jun 15, 2009
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

Techniques and systems are disclosed for providing changed content identification for an online document that is accessed by a user or user agent. A reference point for an online document that a user or user agent is interested in accessing is identified, comprising a stored prior version of the document. The prior version of the document is retrieved, when the user or user agent accesses the online document, such as by using the reference point. Elements of the prior version are compared with elements of a current version of the document, to determine whether there are differences between the versions. If changes are identified between the prior version and the current version, the current version is automatically updated with visual or auditory representations that identify those changes of content.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for identifying changed content for a document, comprising:
generating a parallel cache configured to store multiple versions of a document;
receiving an access request to access a current version of the document; and
responsive to receiving the access request:
identifying a reference point associated with the document, the reference point referencing a prior version of the document stored in the parallel cache, the prior version of the document comprising one or more elements;
comparing at least some of the one or more elements associated with the prior version of the document with one or more elements associated with the current version of the document;
updating the current version of the document to generate an updated current version of the document, the updating comprising updating the current version of the document with at least one of a visual representation or an auditory representation based upon differences between the one or more elements associated with the prior version of the document and the one or more elements associated with the current version of the document; and
presenting the updated current version of the document for display, at least some of the method implemented at least in part via a processing unit;
wherein the one or more elements associated with the prior version of the document is stored as a first document object model (DOM) element tree and the one or more elements associated with the current version of the document stored as a second DOM element tree.

2. The method of claim 1 , the reference point comprising a timestamp indicating when a user previously accessed the document.

3. The method of claim 2 , the prior version of the document corresponding to a version of the document available for access at a time corresponding to the timestamp.

4. The method of claim 1 , the comparing comprising identifying a set of differences between the one or more elements associated with the prior version of the document and the one or more elements associated with the current version of the document.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the prior version of the document based at least in part on a document object model.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether a new element has been added to the document between the prior version of the document and the current version of the document.

7. The method of claim 1 , the comparing comprising determining whether an element has been changed within the document between the prior version of the document and the current version of the document.

8. The method of claim 1 , the comparing comprising determining whether an element has been removed from the document between the prior version of the document and the current version of the document.

9. The method of claim 1 , the comparing comprising determining whether an element has been moved within the document between the prior version of the document and the current version of the document.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising inferring differences to emphasize based upon tracking data associated with a user to which the updated current version of the document is presented.

11. A system for identifying changed content for a document, comprising:
one or more processing units; and
memory comprising instructions that when executed by at least one of the one or more processing units perform operations, the operations comprising:
generating a parallel cache configured to store multiple versions of a document;
receiving an access request to access a current version of the document; and
responsive to receiving the access request:
identifying a reference point associated with the document, the reference point referencing a prior version of the document stored in the parallel cache, the prior version of the document comprising one or more elements;
comparing at least some of the one or more elements associated with the prior version of the document with one or more elements associated with the current version of the document;
updating the current version of the document to generate an updated current version of the document, the updating comprising updating the current version of the document with at least one of a visual representation or an auditory representation based upon differences between the one or more elements associated with the prior version of the document and the one or more elements associated with the current version of the document; and
presenting the updated current version of the document for display;

wherein the one or more elements associated with the prior version of the document is stored as a first document object model (DOM) element tree and the one or more elements associated with the current version of the document stored as a second DOM element tree.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the comparing further comprises:
performing a first hash function on the first DOM element tree to generate a first hash function output;
performing a second hash function on the second DOM element tree to generate a second hash function output; and
comparing the first hash function output to the second hash function output.

13. The system of claim 12 , the comparing the first hash function output to the second hash function output comprising:
identifying a mismatch between the first hash function output and the second hash function output; and
responsive to the identifying a mismatch, traversing a branch of the first DOM element tree and a corresponding branch of the second DOM element tree to detect a difference between an element associated with the first DOM element tree and a corresponding element associated with the second DOM element tree.

14. The system of claim 11 , comprising storing the prior version of the document within a cache of a client machine.

15. The system of claim 11 , the reference point comprising a timestamp indicating when a user previously accessed the document.

16. The system of claim 15 , the prior version of the document corresponding to a version of the document available for access at a time corresponding to the timestamp.

17. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that when executed via a processing performs acts, comprising:
generating a parallel cache configured to store multiple versions of a document;
receiving an access request to access a current version of the document; and
responsive to receiving the access request:
identifying a reference point associated with the document, the reference point referencing a prior version of the document stored in the parallel cache, the prior version of the document comprising one or more elements;
comparing at least some of the one or more elements associated with the prior version of the document with one or more elements associated with the current version of the document;
updating the current version of the document to generate an updated current version of the document, the updating comprising updating the current version of the document with at least one of a visual representation or an auditory representation based upon differences between the one or more elements associated with the prior version of the document and the one or more elements associated with the current version of the document; and
presenting the updated current version of the document for display;
wherein the one or more elements associated with the prior version of the document is stored as a first document object model (DOM) element tree and the one or more elements associated with the cu

Assignees

• Teevan Jaime
• Dumais Susan
• Liebling Daniel
• Hughes Richard
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Teevan Jaime
• Dumais Susan
• Liebling Daniel
• Hughes Richard

Classifications

• G06F16/958

  Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking · CPC title

• G06F40/123

  Storage facilities · CPC title

• G06F17/3089 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F40/197

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

• G06F40/14 Primary

  Tree-structured documents (parsing G06F40/205; validation G06F40/226) · CPC title