Collaboration and innovation system

• US 20030093478A1
• Filed: 11/13/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Hughes, Larry James
• Application Number:
  US10/293,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20030093478A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A collaboration and innovation system that creates a virtual entrepreneurial work space and facilitates individual and group innovation efforts to solve problems and/or create intellectual property and/or create business opportunities is described. The system facilitates innovation efforts being done in response to stated problems and/or opportunities identified in the system and/or business ideas coming from members of the system network.

Claims

1. A collaboration system comprising:

i) a problem posting forum;

ii) optionally a solution bidding forum; and

iii) a general collaboration forum

iv) an ad-hoc solution team forum, wherein said ad-hoc solution team forum optionally comprises a secure data, information and knowledge exchange forum

wherein said problem posting forum, said optional solution bidding forum if present, and said general collaboration forum are operatively interconnected.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said system is an integrated system and said problem posting forum, said optional solution bidding forum, and said general collaboration forum are separate modules within said integrated system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said system is a non-integrated system and said problem posting forum, said optional solution bidding forum, and said general collaboration forum are accessed through a common interface.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said problem posting forum comprises a database, said database comprising information related to one or more posted problems.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said system additionally comprises a problem updating means for adding, deleting, and/or modifying said information related to said one or more posted problems.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said problem posting forum and said general collaboration forum are linked such that a system user reviewing a posted problem can communicate with at least one other system user.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said problem posting forum and said general collaboration forum are linked such that a system user reviewing a posted problem can exchange data with at least one other system user.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said general collaboration forum comprises a database wherein said database comprises information selected from the group consisting of registered users, user profile information, member organizations, organization profile information, patent information, publication information, and mixtures thereof.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein a system user is alerted when a problem is posted that a predetermined selection criteria established by said system user.

5. The system of claim 5 wherein said posted problem is a problem selected from the group consisting of technology inoperability problems, appropriate technology identification problems, business problems, and mixtures thereof.