Apparatus and method for use in collaboration services

• US 20020143876A1
• Filed: 06/21/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia of America Corporation (Nokia Corporation), Sound View Innovations, LLC (Sound View Innovation Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Mataga, Peter Andrew, Boyer, David Gray, Grinter, Rebecca Elizabeth, Coplien, James Owen, Jagadeesan, Lalita Jategaonkar, Wills, Graham John, Herbsleb, James David, Hackbarth, Randy L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,299,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server

Abstract

A ConnectIcon View is employed to establish collaborative communications between a plurality of participants in a group. Specifically, it is a dynamic visual representation of the participants of a group being invited to communicate together with their presence information, lists of documents and URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) to be examined, and a set of mechanisms (email, chat, voice, and the like) to initiate communication, each of which can be billed to the originator or otherwise as desired. The available presence information allows a user to employ the best mode of communicating for the instant purpose, namely, either asynchronous communication or synchronous communication.

Claims

1. A method for use in a collaborative system comprising the steps of:

setting up a plurality of participants in a group to collaboratively communicate;

automatically collecting presence information of each of said participants in said group; and

dynamically displaying a visual representation having a plurality of display windows including at least said participants, said collected presence information, and a set of mechanisms for a participant to use in conjunction with said displayed presence information to initiate a prescribed mode of communicating with one or more others of said participants in said group for a particular collaborative purpose.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 further including a step of a participant of said group employing said displayed presence information and at least one of said mechanisms to initiate communication with one or more of others of said participants in said group.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said prescribed mode of communicating includes at least either an asynchronous mode or a synchronous mode.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein said step of dynamically displaying includes a step of automatically updating one or more of said plurality of display windows.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 wherein said step of automatically collecting presence information includes a step of automatically updating said presence information.

6. The method as defined in claim 5 wherein said presence information for a participant represents prescribed activities of said participant regarding one or more of predetermined instrumentalities and/or actions.

7. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein said set of mechanisms includes at least email, chat, voice call, or the like.

8. The method as defined in claim 6 further including a step of maintaining said collected and updated presence information and a step of notifying said participants of changes of status in said presence information for said participants in said group.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 wherein said step of dynamically displaying further includes display windows for displaying at least documents and uniform resource locators (URLs) to information to be discussed.

10. The method as defined in claim 9 wherein said set of mechanisms further includes persistent chat and said step of initiating communication further includes initiating a persistent chat session.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein said step of initiating communication further includes a step of setting up third party calls.

13. The invention as defined in claim 12 further including a means for allowing a participant of said group to employ said displayed presence information and at least one of said mechanisms to initiate communication with one or more of others of said participants in said group.

14. The invention as defined in claim 12 wherein said prescribed mode of communicating includes at least either an asynchronous mode or a synchronous mode.

15. The invention as defined in claim 14 wherein said means for dynamically displaying includes means for automatically updating one or more of said plurality of display windows.

16. The invention as defined in claim 15 wherein said means for automatically collecting presence information includes means for automatically updating said presence information.

17. The invention as defined in claim 16 wherein said presence information for a participant represents prescribed activities of said participant regarding one or more of predetermined instrumentalities and/or actions.

18. The invention as defined in claim 17 wherein said set of mechanisms includes at least email, chat, voice call, or the like.

20. The invention as defined in claim 19 further including a device to allow a participant of said group to employ said displayed presence information and at least one of said mechanisms to initiate communication with one or more of others of said participants in said group.

21. The invention as defined in claim 19 wherein said prescribed mode of communicating includes at least either an asynchronous mode or a synchronous mode.

22. The invention as defined in claim 21 wherein said visual display unit automatically updates one or more of said plurality of display windows.

23. The invention as defined in claim 22 wherein said user agent unit automatically updates said presence information.

24. The invention as defined in claim 23 wherein said presence information for a participant represents prescribed activities of said participant regarding one or more of predetermined instrumentalities and/or actions.

25. The invention as defined in claim 24 wherein said set of mechanisms includes at least email, chat, voice call, or the like.

26. The invention as defined in claim 24 wherein said user agent unit further maintains said collected and updated presence information and notifies said participants of changes of status in said presence information for said participants in said group.

27. The invention as defined in claim 26 wherein said visual display displaying further displays windows to display at least documents and uniform resource locators (URLs) to information to be discussed.

28. The invention as defined in claim 27 wherein said set of mechanisms further includes persistent chat and said set up unit further includes setting up a persistent chat session.

29. The invention as defined in claim 28 wherein said set up unit further sets up third party calls.

12. Apparatus for use in a collaborative system comprising:

means for setting up a plurality of participants in a group to collaboratively communicate;

means for automatically collecting presence information of each of said participants in said group; and

means for dynamically displaying a visual representation having a plurality of display windows including at least said participants, said collected presence information, and a set of mechanisms for a participant to use in conjunction with said displayed presence information to initiate a prescribed mode of communicating with one or more others of said participants in said group for a particular collaborative purpose.

19. Apparatus for use in a collaborative system comprising:

a call set up unit to set up a plurality of participants in a group to collaboratively communicate;

a user agent unit to automatically collect presence information of each of said participants in said group; and

a visual display unit to dynamically display a visual representation having a plurality of display windows including at least said participants, said collected presence information, and a set of mechanisms for a participant to use in conjunction with said displayed presence information to initiate a prescribed mode of communicating with one or more others of said participants in said group for a particular collaborative purpose.