IP Library Granted Patent US 8,271,420
Granted Patent B2
US 8,271,420 · App. 12/347,071 · Granted Sep 18, 2012

Systems and methods for integrating educational software systems

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,271,420
App. No.
12/347,071
Granted
Sep 18, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for integrating educational software. In one implementation, a first method includes providing on a first server an integrated learning management system adapted to exchange education data and materials via a connector interface, providing on the first server a first component which responds to requests made by the integrated system via the connector interface to exchange education data and materials with a first source learning management system, and exchanging education data and materials between the integrated system and the first system via the first component by use of the connector interface.

Claims (78)

1. A computer-implemented method for integrating learning management systems, the method comprising:

providing on a first server an integrated learning management system adapted to exchange education data and materials via a connector interface;

providing on the first server a first component which responds to requests made by the integrated system via the connector interface to exchange education data and materials with a first source learning management system;

exchanging education data or materials between the integrated system and the first system via the first component by use of the connector interface;

hosting first educational materials corresponding to a first course on the integrated system, the first educational materials having been previously hosted on the first source system; and

obtaining via the connector interface first educational data corresponding to the first educational materials from the first source system, in response to accessing the first educational materials hosted on the integrated system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing on the first server a second component which responds to requests made by the integrated system via the connector interface to exchange education data and materials with a second source learning management system; and

exchanging education data or materials between the integrated system and the second system via the second component by use of the connector interface.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

exchanging education data or materials with a second source learning management system via the first component by use of the connector interface.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing on the first server a second component which responds to requests made by the integrated system via the connector interface to exchange education data and materials with a database, said database storing education data and materials being used by a second source learning management system for storing education data and materials; and

receiving education data or materials from the database via a request made by the integrated system to the connector interface.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a user interface, via the integrated system, by which educational materials are displayed to a user; and

selecting visual elements provided by the user interface in response to a detected role of the user with respect to the educational materials.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the first educational data comprises course availability or course enrollment data.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a user interface, via the integrated system, by which educational materials hosted on the first source system are displayed to a user enrolled in a course; and

selecting visual elements provided by the user interface for displaying the educational materials, based on an indication that visual elements used to the display the educational materials are to correspond to visual elements used to display educational materials hosted by the integrated system.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a user interface, via the integrated system, by which educational materials hosted on the integrated system are displayed to a user enrolled in a course; and

selecting visual elements provided by the user interface for displaying the educational materials, based on an indication that visual elements used to the display the educational materials are to correspond to visual elements used to display educational materials hosted by a different learning management system.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining capabilities of the first component for exchanging education data and materials by a query performed via the connector interface; and

adjusting operations performed by the integrated system in response to a result of the query.

10. An integrated system for integrating learning management systems, the system comprising:

a connector interface adapted to exchange education data and materials in response to a first request by the integrated system; and

a first component that exchanges education data and materials with a first source learning management system, in response to the first request made to the connector interface,

wherein the integrated system is adapted to host first educational materials corresponding to a first course transferred from the source system, and the integrated system is adapted to issue an educational data request to the connector interface in response to access of the first educational materials hosted on the integrated system.

11. The integrated system of claim 10 , further comprising:

a second component that exchanges education data and materials with a second source learning management system, in response to a second request made to the connector interface.

12. The integrated system of claim 10 , wherein

the first component exchanges education data and materials with a second source learning management system, in response to a second request made to the connector interface.

13. The integrated system of claim 10 , further comprising:

a second component that retrieves education data and materials from a database, said database being used by a second source learning management system for storing education data and materials.

14. The integrated system of claim 10 , further comprising:

a user interface that provides educational materials for display to a user, and selects visual elements provided to the user in response to a detected role of the user with respect to the educational materials.

15. The integrated system of claim 10 , wherein

the connector interface provides course availability or course enrollment data to the integrated system in response to the educational data request.

16. The integrated system of claim 10 , further comprising:

a user interface that provides educational materials for display to a user, and selects visual elements provided to the user based on an indication that visual elements used to display the educational materials correspond to visual elements used to display educational materials hosted by the integrated system.

17. The integrated system of claim 10 , further comprising:

a user interface that provides educational materials for display to a user, and selects visual elements provided to the user based on an indication that visual elements used to display the educational materials correspond to visual elements used to display educational materials hosted by a different learning management system.

18. The integrated system of claim 10 , wherein

the connector interface is responsive to a capability request from the integrated system;

the first component is adapted to indicate its capabilities for exchanging education data and materials in response to the capability request; and

operations performed by the integrated system are responsive to a result of the capability request.

19. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method comprising:

providing on a first server an integrated learning management system adapted to exchange education data and materials via a connector interface;

providing on the first server a first component which responds to requests made by the integrated system via the connector interface to exchange education data and materials with a first source learning management system;

exchanging education data or materials between the integrated system and the first system via the first component by use of the connector interface;

hosting first educational materials corresponding to a first course on the integrated system, the first educational materials having been previously hosted on the first source system; and

obtaining via the connector interface first educational data corresponding to the first educational materials from the first source system, in response to accessing the first educational materials hosted on the integrated system.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , the method further comprising:

providing on the first server a second component which responds to requests made by the integrated system via the connector interface to exchange education data and materials with a second source learning management system; and

exchanging education data or materials between the integrated system and the second system via the second component by use of the connector interface.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , the method further comprising:

exchanging education data or materials with a second source learning management system via the first component by use of the connector interface.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , the method further comprising:

providing on the first server a second component which responds to requests made by the integrated system via the connector interface to exchange education data and materials with a database, said database storing education data and materials being used by a second source learning management system for storing education data and materials; and

receiving education data or materials from the database via a request made by the integrated system to the connector interface.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , the method further comprising:

providing a user interface, via the integrated system, by which educational materials are displayed to a user; and

selecting visual elements provided by the user interface in response to a detected role of the user with respect to the educational materials.

24. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19 , wherein

the first educational data comprises course availability or course enrollment data.

25. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19 , the method further comprising:

providing a user interface, via the integrated system, by which educational materials hosted on the first source system are displayed to a user enrolled in a course; and

selecting visual elements provided by the user interface for displaying the educational materials, based on an indication that visual elements used to the display the educational materials are to correspond to visual elements used to display educational materials hosted by the integrated system.

26. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19 , the method further comprising:

providing a user interface, via the integrated system, by which educational materials hosted on the integrated system are displayed to a user enrolled in a course; and

selecting visual elements provided by the user interface for displaying the educational materials, based on an indication that visual elements used to the display the educational materials are to correspond to visual elements used to display educational materials hosted by a different learning management system.

27. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19 , the method further comprising:

determining capabilities of the first component for exchanging education data and materials by a query performed via the connector interface; and

adjusting operations performed by the integrated system in response to a result of the query.

Assignments (19)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 2, 2026
From: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
To: BLACKBOARD LLC
Reel/Frame 073942/0611 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2026
From: ANKURA TRUST COMPANY, LLC
To: BLACKBOARD LLC (F/K/A BLACKBOARD INC.); BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 073932/0199 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: BLACKBOARD LLC
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 072440/0589 →
ENTITY CONVERSION Recorded Jul 13, 2025
From: BLACKBOARD INC.
To: BLACKBOARD LLC
Reel/Frame 071930/0172 →
SUCCESSION OF AGENCY (REEL 058081 / FRAME 0073) Recorded Jul 11, 2025
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
To: ANKURA TRUST COMPANY, LLC, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 071890/0005 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 19, 2024
From: BLACKBOARD LLC (F/K/A BLACKBOARD INC.)
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 067172/0148 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL Recorded Oct 27, 2021
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; EDLINE LLC; TEACHERWEB, INC.
Reel/Frame 057941/0752 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL Recorded Oct 26, 2021
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGY, INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.
Reel/Frame 058298/0577 →
FIRST LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 26, 2021
From: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 058081/0025 →
SECOND LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 26, 2021
From: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
Reel/Frame 058081/0073 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 7, 2019
From: BLACKBOARD, INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGY, INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 050965/0354 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Nov 7, 2019
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE, INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGY, INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.
Reel/Frame 050953/0361 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 20, 2016
From: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGY, INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040435/0932 →
RELEASE OF LIEN ON PATENTS Recorded Nov 19, 2013
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BLACKBOARD INC.; EDLINE LLC; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC
Reel/Frame 031689/0871 →
SECOND PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 6, 2011
From: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; EDLINE LLC; TEACHERWEB, INC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 027027/0497 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 6, 2011
From: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC; EDLINE LLC; TEACHERWEB, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N. A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 027027/0328 →
RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 4, 2011
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: BLACKBOARD INC.
Reel/Frame 027015/0787 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 5, 2010
From: BLACKBOARD INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 024794/0340 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 20, 2009
From: ALCORN, ROBERT L.; EVERHART, DEBORAH
To: BLACKBOARD INC.
Reel/Frame 022444/0426 →