Method and system for document collaboration

A system for sending a replica of an original document from a managing author to a contributing author for review, said system comprising:

• a first software module on a first computer system, for creating said replica from said original document stored in a document management system;
• a user interface module for selecting editing privileges of said contributing author;
• a second software module on said first computer system, for creating an EDF file, wherein said EDF file comprises said replica and selected editing privileges of said contributing author;
• an encryption module for encrypting said EDF file;
• and
• an e-mail module for e-mailing said EDF file, after said encrypting, to said contributing author.

A method, using a computer system, for generating a response to an unedited replica of an original document sent by a managing author to a contributing author for review, comprising:

• forming a revised replica by editing said unedited replica;
• partitioning said unedited replica into a first plurality of segments;
• sorting segments of said first plurality of segments into a binary tree based on a comparison operator;
• partitioning said revised replica into a second plurality of segments;
• for a segment of said second plurality of segments, finding a best match in said binary tree to form a block of at least one matching byte;
• and
• creating a difference file comprising said block.

A method in a computer system for processing a proposed change to a replica of an original document by a contributing author, wherein said replica is sent by a managing author, comprising:

• said contributing author inputting said proposed change into said computer system;
• in response to said inputting, displaying said proposed change without mark-up on a display;
• and
• sending said proposed change to said managing author.

A system for distributing processing of a plurality of comparisons between a replica sent by a managing author and a plurality of edited replicas at a plurality of contributing authors, comprising:

• a first computer system for creating said replica from said original document;
• a plurality of second computer systems for receiving said replica, wherein each second computer system of said plurality of second computer systems comprises:
• a word processing module for editing said replica by a contributing author of said plurality of contributing authors to form an edited replica of said plurality of edited replicas;
• and
• a difference module for producing a difference file from said edited replica and said replica.

A method, using a computer system, for processing a response from a contributing author, said contributing author editing a replica of an original document sent by a managing author, said method comprising:

• receiving said response from said contributing author, said response comprising a difference file;
• generating a comparison file from said difference file and said original document;
• displaying said comparison file comprising a proposed change by said contributing author;
• and
• modifying said original document with said proposed change accepted by said managing author.

A method, using a computer system, for a managing author producing a final document from a plurality of responses received from a plurality of contributing authors, wherein said plurality of responses is based on a replica of an original document, said method comprising:

• displaying a comparison window comprising a proposed change from a response of said plurality of responses;
• modifying said original document when said proposed change is accepted by said managing author;
• and
• displaying said original document after said modifying in an evolving document window.

A system for document collaboration from a managing author controlling an original document at a first computer system to a contributing author editing a replica of said original document at a second computer system, comprising:

• a document management system under control of said first computer system for maintaining the original document;
• a replica module for creating a replica of said original document and sending said replica with accompanying editing instructions to said second computer system;
• a contributor module at said second computer system for receiving and editing said replica according to said editing instructions, and for creating a difference file based on said replica;
• a receive module for receiving a response from said second computer system, said response comprising said difference file;
• and
• a controller module for extracting proposed changes from said difference file and for deciding which of said proposed changes are accepted.

A method using a computer system for producing an evolving document from an original document and an edited copy of said original document, said edited copy produced by a contributing author and sent in a response to a managing author, said method comprising:

• obtaining a plurality of areas of a reconstructed edited copy, said reconstructed edited copy partly based on said response, wherein a first area of said plurality of areas comprises a difference between a first part of said original document and a second part of said reconstructed edited copy;
• displaying said first area and a second area of said plurality of areas;
• when said difference is selected, incorporating said difference into said evolving document;
• and
• after said difference is selected, concurrently displaying said evolving document and said second area.

A method for version control in a computerized document collaboration system, comprising:

• creating a first replica of an original document by a managing author's computer system;
• receiving a first response comprising first changes to said first replica;
• reconstructing an edited replica using said first response;
• forming a modified original document by incorporating selected changes, from said edited replica into said original document;
• receiving a second response comprising second changes to said modified original document;
• and
• said managing author's computer system associating said second changes with said modified original document.

A data structure stored in a computer readable medium for version control of a document collaboration system by a managing author, said data structure comprising:

• a collaboration object comprising an original document selected by said managing author;
• a document object derived from said collaboration object and comprising a revision object associated with said original document;
• and
• a response object derived from said revision object, said response object associated with a response from a collaborating author to said managing author.

A method for document collaboration between a managing author at a first computer system and a contributing author at a second computer system, comprising:

• said managing author using said first computer system, selecting an original document from a document management system;
• creating an electronic replica of said original document without accompanying metadata;
• selecting word processing editing rights for said electronic replica;
• securely sending to said second computer system a first message comprising said word processing editing rights and said electronic replica;
• said contributing author using said second computer system, editing said electronic replica in accordance with said word processing editing rights to produce response data, said response data comprising a difference file;
• sending to said first computer system a second message comprising said response data;
• extracting a proposed change to said original document using said difference file and said electronic replica;
• displaying said proposed change for viewing by said managing author;
• said managing author, selecting said proposed change for modifying said original document;
• in response to said selecting, incorporating said proposed change into said original document;
• and
• displaying a part of an evolving document, comprising said proposed change after selection, concurrently with displaying said proposed change.

A method for document collaboration between a managing author operating a first computer system and a contributing author operating a second computer system, comprising:

• creating a replica of a document stored in a first memory accessible to said first computer system;
• sending to a second memory location, accessible by said second computer system, a message comprising said replica;
• and
• receiving a response from said second computer system, comprising a difference file, said difference file created using said replica.