System and method for facilitating collaboration and communication in a visual mapping system by tracking user presence in individual topics
View Patent ↗A visual mapping system and method facilitate communication and collaboration among users sharing visual maps or topics in visual maps. The visual mapping system tracks user presence in individual topics in the visual mapping system. User presence is tracked for users that are online. If an online user is present in a topic, the system displays an indication of such presence in the topic to other online users currently sharing the same topic. The visual mapping system also provides an interface in the visual map through which an online user can initiate communications with other online users that are present in a shared topic. Types of communications that can be initiated through the visual map include chat sessions, instant meetings, telephone calls, and email messages.
1. A method for facilitating user collaboration and communication in a visual mapping system, the method comprising:
tracking user presence in individual topics in the visual mapping system, wherein an individual topic is an individual hierarchical node within the visual mapping system that can be edited by a user and wherein user presence is only tracked for users that are online and that have selected a topic in the visual mapping system;
displaying to an online user a visual map and an indication of any other online users' presence in individual topics in the visual map, wherein an indication of another online user's presence in an individual topic means that such other user has selected the topic and wherein the indication of user presence in the topic is displayed in connection with the topic; and
providing an interface in the visual map through which the online user can initiate communications with any of such other online users.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual mapping system is based on a client-server architecture, wherein users interface with the visual mapping system through a client visual mapping application, and wherein the client visual mapping applications, when online, send topics to and retrieve topics from a server in the visual mapping system.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the server maintains a table in a database that relates each topic in the visual mapping system to the online users currently having presence in such topic.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein online client visual mapping applications poll the table to obtain updates to the table, thereby enabling the online client visual mapping applications to receive updates to user presence in topics.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein online client visual mapping applications dynamically update open visual maps to reflect changes in user presence in topics.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displaying step comprises:
for each topic in the visual map in which another online user has presence, displaying an icon that represents other online user presence in the topic.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein, in response to the user mousing over the icon in a topic, displaying the names of the other online users having presence in such topic.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein an icon is displayed for each other online user having presence in the topic.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein, in response to the user mousing over one of such icons in a topic, displaying the name of the other online user associated with such icon.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface enables the online user to initiate a phone conversation with any of such other online users having presence in a topic in the visual map.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein, in response to the online user electing to initiate a phone conversation with one of such other online users, retrieving the phone number for such other online user, and providing it to a voice over IP phone application.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface enables the online user to initiate a chat session with any of such other online users having presence in a topic in the visual map.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein, in response to the online user electing to initiate a chat session with one of such other online users, establishing a chat session between the online user and such other online user.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface enables the online user to initiate an instant meeting with any of such other online users having presence in a topic in the visual map.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein, in response to the online user electing to initiate an instant meeting with one or more of such other online users, establishing an instant meeting between the online user and such other online user or users.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface enables the online user to send an email message to any of such other online users have presence in a topic in the visual map.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein, in response to the online user electing to send an email message to one or more of such other online users, retrieving the email address of such other online user or users and providing it to an email application.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface is a dialog box with one or more communication options.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface is a menu with one or more communication options.
20. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and comprising code, that when executed by a computer, enables the computer to perform the following method:
tracking user presence in individual topics in a visual mapping system, wherein an individual topic is an individual hierarchical node within the visual mapping system that can be edited by a user and wherein user presence is only tracked for users that are online and that have selected a topic in the visual mapping system;
displaying to an online user a visual map and an indication of any other online users' presence in individual topics in the visual map, wherein an indication of another online user's presence in an individual topic means that such other user has selected the topic and wherein the indication of user presence in the topic is displayed in connection with the topic; and
providing an interface in the visual map through which the online user can initiate communications with any of such other online users.
21. The computer program of claim 20 , wherein the interface enables the online user to initiate a phone conversation with any of such other online users having presence in a topic in the visual map.
22. The computer program of claim 20 , wherein the interface enables the online user to initiate a chat session with any of such other online users having presence in a topic in the visual map.
23. The computer program of 20 , wherein the interface enables the online user to initiate an instant meeting with any of such other online users having presence in a topic in the visual map.
24. The computer program of claim 20 , wherein the interface enables the online user to send an email message to any of such other online users having presence in a topic in the visual map.