Groupware management

• US 10,594,775 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2014
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Jean-Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ell, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ayad, Maria S
• Application Number:
  US14/465,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20150106747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,034 Days
• Field of Search: 715753, 715693, 705 713, 705 716, 455519
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system, method and computer program product for managing a groupware system. The groupware system includes records associated with one or more groups of members. The method includes: listening for or intercepting a change in members of a group including adding new members and/or removing old members; locating records associated with the original group members; and updating the located records by adding the new members or removing the old members.

Claims

1. A method for using a graphical user interface (GUI) to add new members to groups associated with events, said method comprising:

displaying, by one or more processors of a computer system on the GUI, a calendar record window comprising a date of a first event, a name of the first event, and a list of initial members of a first group of members invited to the first event, said list of initial members including all members of the first group initially invited to the first event;

said one or more processors receiving, from a user, an edit of the list of initial members displayed in the calendar record window, said edit being an addition of a new member of the first group of members invited to the first event;

said one or more processors displaying, on the GUI, an update of the calendar record window comprising an updated list of members of the first group, said updated list consisting of the list of initial members and the new member, said new member being displayed, on the updated list, with visual emphasis in comparison with the display of the initial members on the updated list;

said one or more processors updating a first record stored on one or more computer-readable data storage devices, wherein the first record comprises information pertaining to the first event, wherein the information pertaining to the first event comprises the list of initial members of the first group of members invited to the first event, and wherein said updating the first record comprises adding the new member to the first group which results in the first group in the first record including the new member in addition to the initial members;

in response to said updating the first record, said one or more processors displaying on the GUI, simultaneous with said displaying the updated calendar record window on the GUI, a change control window which provides the user with a capability to add the new member to a plurality of other groups of members invited to respective other events, wherein each group of the plurality of other groups comprise a respective list of members that include the initial members of the first group, wherein the members of the first group, the members of the plurality of other groups, and the new member are people, wherein the capability to add the new member includes a first option to add the new member selectively to each group of the plurality of groups for events having a same membership (Yes option), a second option to add the new member to all groups of the plurality of groups (Yes to All option), and a third option to not add the new member to any group of the plurality of groups (No option), and wherein a totality of different selectable options in the change control window displayed on the GUI consists of the first option, the second option, and the third option, said updated calendar record window and said change control window being displayed simultaneously in non-overlapping portions of the GUI, wherein the YES option, the YES to ALL option, and the NO option are individually selectable by the user in respective different areas within the change control window, and wherein the change control window displays text communicating that a membership of the first group of members has changed and displays a query as to whether the new member is to be added to other events; and

receiving from the user, by the one or more processors, a selection of the first option, a selection of the second option, or a selection of the third option.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

after said displaying the change control window, said one or more processors receiving a selection by the user of the first option and in response, said one or more processors displaying an events with same membership window which queries the user to specify whether or not to add the new member selectively to each group for events having the same membership.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the events with same membership window comprises a table, wherein the table comprises a row specific to the first event and a row specific to each event having the same membership, a first column for identifying a date of each event, a second column for identifying a name of each event, a third column for identifying the members invited to each event, and a fourth column for enabling the user to select whether or not to add the new member to the group invited to each event, wherein the cell in each row in the fourth column below a header row of the table includes text selected from the group consisting of Yes text denoting that the user selected to add the new member to the group invited to the event whose name appears in the same row in the second column, No text denoting that the user selected not to add the new member to the group invited to each event whose name appears in the same row in the second column, and Yes/No text denoting that the user has not selected whether or not to add the new member to the group invited to each event whose name appears in the same row in the second column, and wherein the cells in the fourth column comprise a first cell including said Yes text, a second cell including said No text, and a third cell including said Yes/No text.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

after said displaying the events with same membership window, said one or more processors receiving a specification by the user to add the new member to at least one group for events having the same membership; and

in response to said receiving the specification to add the new member to the at least one group, said one or more processors updating at least one record on the one or more data storage devices, wherein the at least one record comprises information respectively pertaining to at least one event having the same membership, wherein said updating the at least one record comprises adding the new member to the at least one group which results in the at least one group in the at least one record including the new member in addition to the initial members.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

after said updating the at least one record, said one or more processors notifying each member of the initial members that the new member has been added to the first group and to the at least one group.

6. A computer program product, comprising a one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices having computer-readable program code stored therein, said one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices being one or more data carriers and not including a signal for the transmission of data, said program code containing instructions which, upon being executed by one or more processors of a computer system, implement a method for using a graphical user interface (GUI) to add new members to groups associated with events, said method comprising:

said one or more processors displaying, on the GUI, a calendar record window comprising a date of a first event, a name of the first event, and a list of initial members of a first group of members invited to the first event, said list of initial members including all members of the first group initially invited to the first event;

said one or more processors receiving, from a user, an edit of the list of initial members displayed in the calendar record window, said edit being an addition of a new member of the first group of members invited to the first event;

said one or more processors displaying, on the GUI, an update of the calendar record window comprising an updated list of members of the first group, said updated list consisting of the list of initial members and the new member, said new member being displayed, on the updated list, with visual emphasis in comparison with the display of the initial members on the updated list;

said one or more processors updating a first record stored on one or more computer-readable data storage devices, wherein the first record comprises information pertaining to the first event, wherein the information pertaining to the first event comprises the list of initial members of the first group of members invited to the first event, and wherein said updating the first record comprises adding the new member to the first group which results in the first group in the first record including the new member in addition to the initial members;

in response to said updating the first record, said one or more processors displaying on the GUI, simultaneous with said displaying the updated calendar record window on the GUI, a change control window which provides the user with a capability to add the new member to a plurality of other groups of members invited to respective other events, wherein each group of the plurality of other groups comprise a respective list of members that include the initial members of the first group, wherein the members of the first group, the members of the plurality of other groups, and the new member are people, wherein the capability to add the new member includes a first option to add the new member selectively to each group of the plurality of groups for events having a same membership (Yes option), a second option to add the new member to all groups of the plurality of groups (Yes to All option), and a third option to not add the new member to any group of the plurality of groups (No option), and wherein a totality of different selectable options in the change control window displayed on the GUI consists of the first option, the second option, and the third option, said updated calendar record window and said change control window being displayed simultaneously in non-overlapping portions of the GUI, wherein the YES option, the YES to ALL option, and the NO option are individually selectable by the user in respective different areas within the change control window, and wherein the change control window displays text communicating that a membership of the first group of members has changed and displays a query as to whether the new member is to be added to other events; and

receiving from the user, by the one or more processors, a selection of the first option, a selection of the second option, or a selection of the third option.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

after said displaying the change control window, said one or more processors receiving a selection by the user of the first option and in response, said one or more processors displaying an events with same membership window which queries the user to specify whether or not to add the new member selectively to each group for events having the same membership.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the events with same membership window comprises a table, wherein the table comprises a row specific to the first event and a row specific to each event having the same membership, a first column for identifying a date of each event, a second column for identifying a name of each event, a third column for identifying the members invited to each event, and a fourth column for enabling the user to select whether or not to add the new member to the group invited to each event, wherein the cell in each row in the fourth column below a header row of the table includes text selected from the group consisting of Yes text denoting that the user selected to add the new member to the group invited to the event whose name appears in the same row in the second column, No text denoting that the user selected not to add the new member to the group invited to each event whose name appears in the same row in the second column, and Yes/No text denoting that the user has not selected whether or not to add the new member to the group invited to each event whose name appears in the same row in the second column, and wherein the cells in the fourth column comprise a first cell including said Yes text, a second cell including said No text, and a third cell including said Yes/No text.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

after said displaying the events with same membership window, said one or more processors receiving a specification by the user to add the new member to at least one group for events having the same membership; and

in response to said receiving the specification to add the new member to the at least one group, said one or more processors updating at least one record on the one or more data storage devices, wherein the at least one record comprises information respectively pertaining to at least one event having the same membership, wherein said updating the at least one record comprises adding the new member to the at least one group which results in the at least one group in the at least one record including the new member in addition to the initial members.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

after said updating the at least one record, said one or more processors notifying each member of the initial members that the new member has been added to the first group and to the at least one group.

11. A computer system comprising one or more processors, one or more memories, and one or more computer-readable storage devices, said one or more computer-readable storage devices containing program code which, upon being executed by the one or more processors via the one or more memories, implements a method for using a graphical user interface (GUI) to add new members to groups associated with events, said method comprising:

said one or more processors displaying, on the GUI, a calendar record window comprising a date of a first event, a name of the first event, and a list of initial members of a first group of members invited to the first event, said list of initial members including all members of the first group initially invited to the first event;

said one or more processors receiving, from a user, an edit of the list of initial members displayed in the calendar record window, said edit being an addition of a new member of the first group of members invited to the first event;

said one or more processors displaying, on the GUI, an update of the calendar record window comprising an updated list of members of the first group, said updated list consisting of the list of initial members and the new member, said new member being displayed, on the updated list, with visual emphasis in comparison with the display of the initial members on the updated list;

said one or more processors updating a first record stored on one or more computer-readable data storage devices, wherein the first record comprises information pertaining to the first event, wherein the information pertaining to the first event comprises the list of initial members of the first group of members invited to the first event, and wherein said updating the first record comprises adding the new member to the first group which results in the first group in the first record including the new member in addition to the initial members;

in response to said updating the first record, said one or more processors displaying on the GUI, simultaneous with said displaying the updated calendar record window on the GUI, a change control window which provides the user with a capability to add the new member to a plurality of other groups of members invited to respective other events, wherein each group of the plurality of other groups comprise a respective list of members that include the initial members of the first group, wherein the members of the first group, the members of the plurality of other groups, and the new member are people, wherein the capability to add the new member includes a first option to add the new member selectively to each group of the plurality of groups for events having a same membership (Yes option), a second option to add the new member to all groups of the plurality of groups (Yes to All option), and a third option to not add the new member to any group of the plurality of groups (No option), and wherein a totality of different selectable options in the change control window displayed on the GUI consists of the first option, the second option, and the third option, said updated calendar record window and said change control window being displayed simultaneously in non-overlapping portions of the GUI, wherein the YES option, the YES to ALL option, and the NO option are individually selectable by the user in respective different areas within the change control window, and wherein the change control window displays text communicating that a membership of the first group of members has changed and displays a query as to whether the new member is to be added to other events; and

receiving from the user, by the one or more processors, a selection of the first option, a selection of the second option, or a selection of the third option.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

after said displaying the change control window, said one or more processors receiving a selection by the user of the first option and in response, said one or more processors displaying an events with same membership window which queries the user to specify whether or not to add the new member selectively to each group for events having the same membership.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the events with same membership window comprises a table, wherein the table comprises a row specific to the first event and a row specific to each event having the same membership, a first column for identifying a date of each event, a second column for identifying a name of each event, a third column for identifying the members invited to each event, and a fourth column for enabling the user to select whether or not to add the new member to the group invited to each event, wherein the cell in each row in the fourth column below a header row of the table includes text selected from the group consisting of Yes text denoting that the user selected to add the new member to the group invited to the event whose name appears in the same row in the second column, No text denoting that the user selected not to add the new member to the group invited to each event whose name appears in the same row in the second column, and Yes/No text denoting that the user has not selected whether or not to add the new member to the group invited to each event whose name appears in the same row in the second column, and wherein the cells in the fourth column comprise a first cell including said Yes text, a second cell including said No text, and a third cell including said Yes/No text.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

after said displaying the events with same membership window, said one or more processors receiving a specification by the user to add the new member to at least one group of for events having the same membership; and

in response to said receiving the specification to add the new member to the at least one group, said one or more processors updating at least one record on the one or more data storage devices, wherein the at least one record comprises information respectively pertaining to at least one event having the same membership, wherein said updating the at least one record comprises adding the new member to the at least one group which results in the at least one group in the at least one record including the new member in addition to the initial members.