Electronic document annotation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9760868-B2
Application number	US-201013516499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2010
Priority date	Dec 15, 2009
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Annotating a document in a data processing system, wherein the document includes a first content section and a data structure, can include receiving a request to annotate the document, wherein the request comprises an annotation, and an identification of the document to annotate, and creating a second content section comprising the annotation. The data structure can be updated with a reference to the second content section thereby making the second content section available as an annotation in association with the document.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, within a data processing system, a request to annotate a document, wherein the request comprises an annotation, and an identification of a document to annotate;
responsive to receiving the request, analysing the request to identify the annotation, and the document to which the annotation is related, wherein the document comprises a first content section and a data structure;
responsive to identifying the annotation, creating a second content section comprising the annotation; and
responsive to identifying the document using the identification, updating the data structure with a reference to the second content section thereby making the second content section available in association with the document.

2. A method performed by a computer hardware system, comprising:
sending, to first and second client computer systems, an electronic document having a first content section and a data structure;
receiving, after the sending and from the first client computer system, a request including an annotation and an identification of the electronic document;
creating, within the electronic document and based upon the identification and the annotation, a second content section;
updating the data structure of the electronic document to include a reference to the second content section; and
propagating the second content section and the updated data structure to the second client computer system without including the first content section.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein
the request does not include the first content section.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein
the request is an Ajax request.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein
the data structure includes a notelet section, and
the notelet section identifies the second content section.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein
the creating the second content section does not modify the first content section.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein
the second content section is at least one level deeper than the first content section.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein
the computer hardware system is a third client computer system.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein
the computer hardware system is an email server, and
the electronic document is initially received from a third client computer system.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein
the electronic document was sent to a fourth client computer system, and
the propagating does not forward the second content section and the updated data structure to the fourth client computer system.

11. A computer hardware system, comprising:
at least one hardware processor configured to initiate the following operations:
sending, to first and second client computer systems, an electronic document having a first content section and a data structure;
receiving, after the sending and from the first client computer system, a request including an annotation and an identification of the electronic document;
creating, within the electronic document and based upon the identification and the annotation, a second content section;
updating the data structure of the electronic document to include a reference to the second content section; and
propagating the second content section and the updated data structure to the second client computer system without including the first content section.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein
the request does not include the first content section.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein
the request is an Ajax request.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein
the data structure includes a notelet section, and
the notelet section identifies the second content section.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein
the creating the second content section does not modify the first content section.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein
the second content section is at least one level deeper than the first content section.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein
the computer hardware system is a third client computer system.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein
the computer hardware system is an email server, and
the electronic document is initially received from a third client computer system.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein
the electronic document was sent to a fourth client computer system, and
the propagating does not forward the second content section and the updated data structure to the fourth client computer system.

Assignees

• Ju Lin
• O'Sullivan Patrick J
• Raguillat Fred
• IBM

Inventors

• Ju Lin
• O'Sullivan Patrick J
• Raguillat Fred

Classifications

• G06Q10/107 Primary

  Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] · CPC title

• H04L12/58

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L51/216

  Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads · CPC title

• H04L51/08

  Annexed information, e.g. attachments · CPC title

• H04L51/56

  Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM] · CPC title