IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,702,730

Granted Patent B2

US 7,702,730 · App. 10/989,294 · Granted Apr 20, 2010

Systems and methods for collaboration

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 7,702,730
App. No.: 10/989,294
Granted: Apr 20, 2010
Kind: B2

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Abstract

In some embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods provide a client-server infrastructure capable of supporting a variety of asynchronous and synchronous collaboration activities in a so-called collaboration place. Some of these activities include chatting, viewing and/or editing one or more data files, and sharing one or more applications, data files, and/or displays. The client-server infrastructure supports seamless navigation between the supported asynchronous and synchronous activities in the collaboration place. Additionally, the client-server architecture supports data persistence, so that data files associated with the collaboration place can be stored for subsequent access.

Claims (89)

1. A computer implemented method for collaboration, comprising:

receiving requests from first and second clients to establish a plurality of collaboration places;

based on the requests:

establishing at least one collaboration place, wherein the collaboration place persists independent of user presence in the collaboration place, and

forming network connections between the collaboration place and each of the first and second clients; and

associating the collaboration place with first and second collaboration place interfaces executing on the respective first and second clients, each of the first and second collaboration place interfaces including a primary display for presenting a primary type of data, each of the first and second collaboration place interfaces configured for being escalated by modifying a complexity of the interfaces in synchronization with one or more user activity in the collaboration place;

providing from a database, escalation triggers indicating collaboration involving a plurality of different secondary data types, to each of the collaboration place interfaces;

using escalation triggers that comprise rules implemented in software logic in the collaboration place interfaces to:

(a) detect a collaboration aspect of an action taken by a user,

(b) identify one of the different plurality of secondary types of data based on the collaboration aspect,

(c) match an appropriate secondary display to the identified secondary type of data, the secondary display for presenting the secondary type of data to enable a new form of client collaboration activity,

(d) send a request in response to identifying at least one of the different secondary types of data, and

(e) perform, based on sending the request, seamless escalation to the secondary display in each of the collaboration place interfaces.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the primary type of data includes data related to at least one of a chat application and an instant messenger application.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the secondary type of data includes data related to at least one of an application for processing audio data, an application for processing graphic data, an application for processing multimedia data, an application for processing text data, and an application for processing video data.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising escalating, based on receiving another request from the first client, the first collaboration place interface to include another secondary display for presenting data related to at least one of an application for processing audio data, an application for processing graphic data, an application for processing multimedia data, an application for processing text data, and an application for processing video data.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising escalating, based on receiving another request from the first client, the first collaboration place interface to include another secondary display for presenting data related to the clients connected to the collaboration place.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising escalating, based on receiving another request from the first client, the first collaboration place interface to include another secondary display for presenting data related to data files associated with the collaboration place.

7. The method of claim 1 farther comprising associating the database with a collaboration of the clients.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising storing objects from the collaboration place interfaces in the database for a later resumption of another collaboration.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rules of the escalation triggers comprise a template, and wherein a sequence of templates are configured to be combined into the template to provide escalation to the secondary display associated with a final template in the sequence without escalating through intermediate displays associated with an intermediate template in the sequence.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the template is associated with a type of task or a type of industry.

11. The method of claim 1 farther comprising escalating the second collaboration place interface to include another secondary display based on a request from the first client.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising escalating the first and second collaboration interface when one of the first or second clients takes an action of pulling an object into their collaboration place interface.

13. The method of claim 1 farther comprising displaying additional displays in the collaboration place interfaces that each implement a different collaboration tool.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the secondary display is for a collaboration tool that is a portion of a resident application implemented for each client to provide the collaboration place interfaces.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a things window, a content window, and a chat window in the collaboration place interfaces.

16. The method of claim 1 farther comprising displaying a private interface for the first client as part of the first collaboration place interface.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing a record of activity between the clients.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more collaboration interfaces includes unifying data.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secondary data types include a combination of at least two of a type of the user activity, a type of collaboration participants, a type of a document currently being shared, a link within the document, or a task assignment.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing from the database, the escalation triggers further comprises providing the escalation triggers over a network.

21. A system for collaboration, comprising:

a computer that is configured for:

receiving requests from first and second clients to establish a plurality of collaboration places;

based on the requests:

establishing at least one collaboration place, wherein the collaboration place persists independent of user presence in the collaboration place, and

forming network connections between the collaboration place and each of the first and second clients; and

providing from a database, escalation triggers indicating collaboration involving a plurality of different secondary data types, to each of the collaboration place interfaces;

using escalation triggers that comprise rules implemented software logic in the collaboration place interfaces to:

(a) detect a collaboration aspect of an action taken by a user,

(b) identify one of the different plurality of secondary types of data based on the collaboration aspect,

(d) send a request in response to identifying at least one of the different secondary types of data, and

(e) perform, based on sending the request, seamless escalation to the secondary display in each of the collaboration place interfaces.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the primary type of data includes data related to at least one of a chat application and an instant messenger application.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the secondary type of data includes data related to at least one of an application for processing audio data, an application for processing graphic data, an application for processing multimedia data, an application for processing text data, and an application for processing video data.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the computer is further configured for escalating, based on receiving another request from the first client, the first collaboration place interface to include another secondary display for presenting data related to at least one of an application for processing audio data, an application for processing graphic data, an application for processing multimedia data, an application for processing text data, and an application for processing video data.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the computer is further configured for escalating, based on receiving another request from the first client, the first collaboration place interface to include another secondary display for presenting data related to the clients connected to the collaboration place.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the computer is further configured for escalating, based on receiving another request from the first client, the first collaboration place interface to include another secondary display for presenting data related to data files associated with the collaboration place.

27. The system of claim 21 wherein the computer is further configured for associating the database with a collaboration of the clients.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the computer is further configured for storing objects from the collaboration place interfaces in the database for a later resumption of another collaboration.

29. The system of claim 21 wherein the computer is further configured for escalating the second collaboration place interface to include another secondary display based on a request from the first client.

30. The system of claim 21 wherein the computer is further configured for escalating the first and second collaboration interface when one of the first or second clients takes an action of pulling an object into their collaboration place interface.

31. The system of claim 21 wherein the computer is further configured for displaying additional displays in the collaboration place interfaces that each implement a different collaboration tool.

32. The system of claim 21 wherein the secondary display is for a collaboration tool that is a portion of a resident application implemented for each client to provide the collaboration place interfaces.

33. The system of claim 21 wherein the computer is further configured for displaying a things window, a content window, and chat window in the collaboration place interfaces.

34. The system of claim 21 wherein the computer is further configured for displaying a private interface for the first client as part of the first collaboration place interface.

35. The system of claim 21 wherein the computer is further configured for storing a record of activity between the clients.

36. The system of claim 21 wherein one or more collaboration interfaces includes unifying data.

37. A computer readable storage medium having machine-readable instructions thereon for performing steps for collaboration, the steps comprising: