# US 11,308,037 B2 · Automatic collaboration

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- Number: US 11,308,037 B2
- Document ID: US11308037B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/149,458
- Filed: 2018-10-02
- Published: 2019-01-31
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2012-10-30
- Assignees: Google Inc.
- Applicants: Google LLC
- Inventors: Priya Nayak; James Watts
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11308037B2

## CPC

- G06F 16/176: Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
- G06F 40/166: Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
- G06F 40/194: Calculation of difference between files
- G06F 40/197: Version control (for software G06F8/71)
- G06Q 10/101: Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
- H04L 12/1818: {Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing automated collaboration is provided. Automated collaboration may include identifying a first document generated by a first user using a networked application, identifying a collaborative similarity between the first document and a second document generated by a second user, generating a collaboration suggestion based on the collaborative similarity, transmitting the collaboration suggestion to the first user via the networked application, and initiating a collaboration session between the first user and the second user. The collaborative similarity may be identified based on a similarity between content of the first document and content of the second document, based on a similarity between information associated with the first document and information associated with the second document, or based on a combination of content and associated information similarities.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for automated collaboration within a networked productivity application, the method comprising:
determining, by a processing device, that a user action is performed with respect to a first document accessed by a first user of the networked productivity application;
responsive to determining that the user action is performed with respect to the first document, identifying, by the processing device, a collaborative similarity between the first document and a second document accessed by a second user of the networked productivity application, the collaborative similarity being identified based on one or more of similar word sequences or similar phrases in content of the first document and the second document, and additional information associated with the first document and the second document;
responsive to identifying the collaborative similarity between the first document and the second document, generating, by the processing device, a collaboration suggestion for collaboration between the first user and the second user on the content of the first document and the second document, wherein the collaboration on the content of the first document and the second document comprises at least one of concurrent viewing or concurrent editing of the content of the first document and the second document by the first user and the second user;
transmitting, by the processing device, the collaboration suggestion to collaborate on the content of the first document and the second document to at least one of the first user or the second user;
receiving, by the processing device, an acceptance of the collaboration suggestion to collaborate on the content of the first document and the second document from the at least one of the first user or the second user; and
responsive to receiving the acceptance of the collaboration suggestion from the at least one of the first user and the second user, creating, by the processing device and based on the first document and the second document, a third document available to each of the first user and the second user to collaborate on the content of the first document and the second document.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the collaborative similarity between the first document and the second document accessed by the second user of the networked productivity application comprises:
verifying one or more first permissions associated with one or both of the first document or the first user; and
verifying one or more second permissions associated with one or both of the second document or the second user.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the collaborative similarity between the first document and the second document accessed by the second user of the networked productivity application comprises:
determining whether a collaboration metric for measuring a similarity between the first document and the second document meets a threshold value.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the similarity is one or more of the similarity of the content, an information similarity, a temporal similarity, a location similarity, a document similarity, or a user similarity.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising:
applying a weight to the threshold value based on the collaboration metric.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising:
adjusting one or more of the collaboration metric, the threshold value, or the weight.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
initiating, by the networked productivity application, a collaboration session for the third document with the first user and the second user.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the networked productivity application is a networked word processing application, wherein the first document, the second document, and the third document are word processing documents.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the networked productivity application is a networked spreadsheet application, wherein the first document, the second document, and the third document are spreadsheet documents.

### Claim 10

A method for automated collaboration within a networked productivity application, the method comprising:
determining, by a processing device, that a user action is performed with respect to a first document accessed by a first user of the networked productivity application;
concurrent with determining that the user action is performed with respect to the first document, identifying, by the processing device, a collaborative similarity between the first document and a second document accessed by a second user of the networked productivity application, the collaborative similarity being identified based on one or more of similar word sequences or similar phrases in content of the first document and the second document, and additional information associated with the first document and the second document; and
creating, by the processing device and based on the collaborative similarity, a third document available to each of the first user and the second user to collaborate on the content of the first document and the second document, wherein collaborating on the content of the first document and the second document comprises at least one of concurrent viewing or concurrent editing of the content of the first document and the second document by the first user and the second user.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
responsive to identifying the collaborative similarity between the first document and the second document, generating a collaboration suggestion indicating a potential for collaboration between the first user and the second user based on the collaborative similarity;
transmitting the collaboration suggestion to at least one of the first user or the second user; and
receiving an acceptance of the collaboration suggestion from the at least one of the first user or the second user, wherein the third document is created responsive to receiving the acceptance of the collaboration suggestion from the at least one of the first user and the second user.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein identifying the collaborative similarity between the first document and the second document accessed by the second user of the networked productivity application comprises:
determining whether a collaboration metric for measuring a similarity between the first document and the second document meets a threshold value.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the similarity is one or more of the similarity of the content, an information similarity, a temporal similarity, a location similarity, a document similarity, or a user similarity, an information similarity, a temporal similarity, a location similarity, a document similarity, or a user similarity.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising:
adjusting one or more of the collaboration metric, the threshold value, or a weight applied to the threshold value based on the collaboration metric.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein, when the networked productivity application is a networked word processing application, the first document, the second document, and the third document are word processing documents, and when the networked productivity application is a networked spreadsheet application, the first document, the second document, and the third document are spreadsheet documents.

### Claim 16

A system comprising:
a memory; and
a processing device, coupled to the memory, to perform operations comprising:
determining that a user action is performed with respect to a first document accessed by a first user of a networked productivity application;
responsive to determining that the user action is performed with respect to the first document, identifying a collaborative similarity between the first document and a second document accessed by a second user of the networked productivity application, the collaborative similarity being identified based on one or more of similar word sequences or similar phrases in content of the first document and the second document, and additional information associated with the first document and the second document;
responsive to identifying the collaborative similarity between the first document and the second document, generating a collaboration suggestion for collaboration between the first user and the second user on the content of the first document and the second document, wherein the collaboration on the content of the first document and the second document comprises at least one of concurrent viewing or concurrent editing of the content of the first document and the second document by the first user and the second user;
transmitting the collaboration suggestion to collaborate on the similar content of the first document and the second document to at least one of the first user or the second user;
receiving an acceptance of the collaboration suggestion to collaborate on similar content of the first document and the second document from the at least one of the first user or the second user; and
responsive to receiving the acceptance of the collaboration suggestion from the at least one of the first user and the second user, creating, based on the first document and the second document, a third document available to each of the first user and the second user to collaborate on the content of the first document and the second document.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein identifying the collaborative similarity between the first document and the second document accessed by the second user of the networked productivity application comprises:
verifying one or more first permissions associated with one or both of the first document or the first user; and
verifying one or more second permissions associated with one or both of the second document or the second user.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein identifying the collaborative similarity between the first document and the second document accessed by the second user of the networked productivity application comprises:
determining whether a collaboration metric for measuring a similarity between the first document and the second document meets a threshold value.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, wherein the similarity is one or more of the similarity of the content, an information similarity, a temporal similarity, a location similarity, a document similarity, or a user similarity.

### Claim 20

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:
determining that a user action is performed with respect to a first document accessed by a first user of a networked productivity application;
concurrent with determining that the user action is performed with respect to the first document, identifying a collaborative similarity between the first document and a second document accessed by a second user of the networked productivity application, the collaborative similarity being identified based on one or more of similar word sequences or similar phrases in content of the first document and the second document, and additional information associated with the first document and the second document; and
creating, based on the collaborative similarity, a third document available to each of the first user and the second user to collaborate on the content of the first document and the second document, wherein collaborating on the content of the first document and the second document comprises at least one of concurrent viewing or concurrent editing of the content of the first document and the second document by the first user and the second user.