Multiple graphical annotations of documents using overlays

Abstract

Systems and methods for sharing document annotations. A document is displayed on a graphical user interface and first annotation information for the document is created by a first user, the annotation information including first annotations and positioning information for positioning a first overlay window relative to the document. The first overlay window with the first annotations is displayed over the document wherein the document is visible through the first overlay window. The annotation information is sharable with other users, whereby a different user is able to display the overlay with annotations made by the first user over the document on a different system, and the annotations do not modify the underlying document.

1 . A computer-implemented method of sharing document annotations, the method comprising:
 displaying a document on a first graphical user interface;   displaying a document overlay window over the document, wherein the document is visible through the overlay window,   receiving annotations from a first user via a user-input device; and   displaying the annotations in the overlay window;   storing annotation information, said annotation information including the annotations and positioning information for the overlay window relative to the document;   allowing access to the document and the annotation information to a second user, and   displaying the document and the overlay window with said annotations on a second graphical user interface, whereby the second user is able to see the annotations overlaying the document when the overlay window is displayed on the second graphical user interface.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further including:
 receiving second annotation information from a third user, said second annotation information including second annotations and positioning information for positioning a second overlay window relative to the document; and   allowing access to the second annotation information by a second user.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further including displaying the second overlay window with the second annotations over the first overlay window, whereby the second user is able to see both annotations overlaying the document on the second graphical user interface. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first annotations are displayed in a first color, wherein the second annotations are displayed in a second color different than the first color. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further including:
 displaying a selectable indicator for the second overlay window; and   upon selection of the selectable indicator by the second user:
 removing the first overlay window from the display; and 
   displaying the second overlay window with the second annotations over the document, whereby the second user is able to see the second annotations overlaying the document on the second graphical user interface.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein allowing access includes sending to the second user the annotation information and the document. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein allowing access includes enabling the second user to retrieve the annotation information and the document from a server system. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first graphical user interface has a first resolution and the second graphical user interface has a second resolution different than the first resolution, and wherein displaying the document and the overlay window with said annotations on the second graphical user interface includes scaling the size of the displayed overlay window and annotations to match the second resolution based on the annotation information. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further including:
 receiving second annotation information from the first user, said second annotation information including second annotations and positioning information for positioning a second overlay window relative to the document;   allowing access to the second annotation information by a second user; and   displaying one or both of the first and second overlay windows over the document responsive to input from the second user.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further including integrating the annotations into the document responsive to user input. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the document includes one of a text-based document, an image-based document or a video-based document. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the positioning information includes document size information, document zoom information and document position information. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further including temporarily removing the annotations from the displayed overlay window on the second graphical user interface responsive to input from the second user. 
     
     
         14 . A computer-implemented method of sharing document annotations, the method comprising:
 displaying a document on a graphical user interface;   receiving first annotation information for the document created by a first user, said annotation information including first annotations and positioning information for positioning a first overlay window relative to the document; and   displaying the first overlay window with the first annotations over the document wherein the document is visible through the first overlay window.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further including receiving second annotation information for the document created by a second user, said second annotation information including second annotations and positioning information for positioning a second overlay window relative to the document. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further including receiving a selection from a user identifying one of the first overlay window or the second overlay window; and responsive thereto displaying one of the first or the second overlay window with the first or second annotations, respectively, over the document wherein the document is visible through the displayed overlay window. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further including displaying the second overlay window with the second annotations over the first overlay window, wherein the document is visible through the displayed overlay windows. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first annotations are displayed in a first color, and wherein the second annotations are displayed in a second color different than the first color. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further including receiving second annotation information for the document created by the first user, said second annotation information including second annotations and positioning information for positioning a second overlay window relative to the document. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further including receiving a selection from a user identifying one of the first overlay window or the second overlay window; and responsive thereto displaying one of the first or the second overlay window with the first or second annotations, respectively, over the document wherein the document is visible through the displayed overlay window. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , further including displaying the second overlay window with the second annotations over the first overlay window, wherein the document is visible through the displayed overlay windows. 
     
     
         22 . A tangible computer-readable medium that stores code that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the processor(s) to:
 display a document on a graphical user interface;   receive first annotation information for the document created by a first user, said annotation information including first annotations and positioning information for positioning a first overlay window relative to the document; and   display the first overlay window with the first annotations over the document wherein the document is visible through the first overlay window.   
     
     
         23 . A tangible computer-readable medium that stores code for enabling sharing of document annotations, wherein the code includes instructions that when executed by one or more processor cause the processor(s) to:
 display a document on a first graphical user interface;   display a document overlay window over the document, wherein the document is visible through the overlay window,   receive annotations from a first user via a user-input device; and   display the annotations in the overlay window;   store annotation information, said annotation information including the annotations and positioning information for the overlay window relative to the document;   allow access to the document and the annotation information to a second user, and   display the document and the overlay window with said annotations on a second graphical user interface, whereby the second user is able to see the annotations overlaying the document when the overlay window is displayed on the second graphical user interface.   
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the code to allow access includes either: a) code to send to the second user the annotation information and the document, or b) code to enable the second user to retrieve the annotation information and the document from a server system. 
     
     
         25 . A document sharing system, comprising:
 a display device for displaying a graphical user interface; and   a processor configured to:   display a document on the graphical user interface;   receive first annotation information for the document created by a first user, said annotation information including first annotations and positioning information for positioning a first overlay window relative to the document; and   display the first overlay window with the first annotations over the document wherein the document is visible through the first overlay window.   
     
     
         26 . A document sharing system, comprising:
 a first computer system having a display device for displaying a first graphical user interface, and a first processor configured to:
 display a document on the graphical user interface; 
 display a document overlay window over the document, wherein the document is visible through the overlay window, 
 receive annotations from a first user via a user-input device; 
 display the annotations in the overlay window; 
 store annotation information, said annotation information including the annotations and positioning information for the overlay window relative to the document; and 
 allow access to the document and the annotation information to a second user, and 
   a second computer system, communicably coupled with the first computer system over a network, the second computer system having a display device for displaying a second graphical user interface, and a second processor configured to:
 display the document and the overlay window with said annotations on the second graphical user interface, whereby the second user is able to see the annotations overlaying the document when the overlay window is displayed on the second graphical user interface. 
   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the first processor allows access to the document and the annotation information by a) sending to the second computer system the annotation information and the document, or b) storing the annotation information and the document to a server system, whereby the second computer system retrieves the stored annotation information and the document from the server system.