Collaborative information spaces

• US 20040122696A1
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Beringer, Joerg
• Granted Patent: US 7,219,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method includes defining collaborative information spaces (CISs) on a corporate intranet using semantic definitions that reflect how people work together. A classification scheme allows network spaces (e.g., intranet spaces) to be defined, e.g., defining resources and/or information associated with tasks and people. The classification scheme may also be used to define standard collaborative entities that should be supported within an enterprise. The CIS(s) and/or collaborative entities may have associated privacy levels to control access to information and resources of the CIS. The classification scheme allows a user, or group of users, to define public and private information spaces. For example, a user may define public information on a web-page that defines the users skills and assigned tasks. The user may have another set of private information that is accessible only to other members of others having a common task.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying generic collaborative entities within an enterprise;

classifying a set of information associated with each collaborative entity;

creating page templates and pre-defined navigational links for each page template;

deploying said page templates as collaborative information spaces within the enterprise; and

publishing information submitted by a collaborative entity in a corresponding deployed page template.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

incorporating collaborative information spaces into search tools.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

finding an expert with at least one of said search tools.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

finding corporate information with at least one of said search tools.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said classifying a set of information comprises identifying a purpose of publishing a set of page documents.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying hyperlink information on the page template, the hyperlink representing a link t additional information included in the set of information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the collaborative entities include a person.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the collaborative entities include a team.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the collaborative entities include a department.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the collaborative entities include a project.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the collaborative entities include an initiative.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the collaborative entities include a community.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a privacy level to a collaborative information space.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the privacy level comprises one of a public privacy level open generally to users in the enterprise and a private privacy level closed to users not associated with the collaborative entity.

15. An article comprising a machine-readable medium including machine-executable instructions operative to cause a machine to:

identify generic collaborative entities within an enterprise;

classify a set of information associated with each collaborative entity;

create page templates and pre-defined navigational links for each page template;

deploy said page templates as collaborative information spaces within the enterprise; and

publish information submitted by a collaborative entity in a corresponding deployed page template.