Systems and methods for collaboration

• US 20060053380A1
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ip Ot Sub Ulc
• Original Assignee: Open Text Corporation
• Inventors: Schneider, Ronald E., West, Cornelia A., Glazer, David, Spataro, Jared M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,702,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

In some embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods provide a client-server infrastructure capable of supporting a variety of asynchronous and synchronous collaboration activities in a so-called collaboration place. Some of these activities include chatting, viewing and/or editing one or more data files, and sharing one or more applications, data files, and/or displays. The client-server infrastructure supports seamless navigation between the supported asynchronous and synchronous activities in the collaboration place. Additionally, the client-server architecture supports data persistence, so that data files associated with the collaboration place can be stored for subsequent access.

Claims

1. A method for collaboration, comprising:

receiving requests from first and second clients to establish a collaboration place;

based on the requests;

establishing the collaboration place, and

forming network connections between the collaboration place and each of the first and second clients; and

associating the collaboration place with first and second collaboration place interfaces executing on the respective first and second clients, each of the first and second collaboration place interfaces including a primary display for presenting a primary type of data, each of the first and second collaboration place interfaces configured for being escalated based on a request from the respective client to include at least one secondary display for presenting a secondary type of data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the primary type of data includes data related to at least one of a chat application and an instant messenger application.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the secondary type of data includes data related to at least one of an application for processing audio data, an application for processing graphic data, an application for processing multimedia data, an application for processing text data, and an application for processing video data.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising escalating, based on receiving a request from the first client, the first collaboration place interface to include a secondary display for presenting data related to at least one of an application for processing audio data, an application for processing graphic data, an application for processing multimedia data, an application for processing text data, and an application for processing video data.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising escalating, based on receiving a request from the first client, the first collaboration place interface to include a secondary display for presenting data related to the clients connected to the collaboration place.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising escalating, based on receiving a request from the first client, the first collaboration place interface to include a secondary display for presenting data related to data files associated with the collaboration place.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising escalating the second collaboration place interface to include a secondary display based on a request from the first client.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising escalating the first and second collaboration interface when one of the first or second clients pulls an object into their collaboration place interface.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying additional displays in the collaboration place interfaces that each implement a different collaboration tool.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the secondary display is for a collaboration tool that is a portion of a resident application implemented for each client to provide the collaboration place interface.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a things window, a content window, and a chat window in the collaboration place interfaces.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a private interface for the first client as part of the first collaboration place interface.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating a database with the collaboration of the clients.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising storing objects from the collaboration place interfaces in the database for later resumption of collaboration.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing a record of activity between the clients.

16. A system for collaboration, comprising:

a computer that is configured for;

receiving requests from first and second clients to establish a collaboration place;

based on the requests;

establishing the collaboration place, and

forming network connections between the collaboration place and each of the first and second clients; and

associating the collaboration place with first and second collaboration place interfaces executing on the respective first and second clients, each of the first and second collaboration place interfaces including a primary display for presenting a primary type of data, each of the first and second collaboration place interfaces configured for being escalated based on a request from the respective client to include at least one secondary display for presenting a secondary type of data.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the primary type of data includes data related to at least one of a chat application and an instant messenger application.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the secondary type of data includes data related to at least one of an application for processing audio data, an application for processing graphic data, an application for processing multimedia data, an application for processing text data, and an application for processing video data.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the computer is further configured for escalating, based on receiving a request from the first client, the first collaboration place interface to include a secondary display for presenting data related to at least one of an application for processing audio data, an application for processing graphic data, an application for processing multimedia data, an application for processing text data, and an application for processing video data.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the computer is further configured for escalating, based on receiving a request from the first client, the first collaboration place interface to include a secondary display for presenting data related to the clients connected to the collaboration place.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the computer is further configured for escalating, based on receiving a request from the first client, the first collaboration place interface to include a secondary display for presenting data related to data files associated with the collaboration place.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the computer is further configured for escalating the second collaboration place interface to include a secondary display based on a request from the first client.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein the computer is further configured for escalating the first and second collaboration interface when one of the first or second clients pulls an object into their collaboration place interface.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein the computer is further configured for displaying additional displays in the collaboration place interfaces that each implement a different collaboration tool.

25. The system of claim 16 wherein the secondary display is for a collaboration tool that is a portion of a resident application implemented for each client to provide the collaboration place interface.

26. The system of claim 16 wherein the computer is further configured for displaying a things window, a content window, and chat window in the collaboration place interfaces.

27. The system of claim 16 wherein the computer is further configured for displaying a private interface for the first client as part of the first collaboration place interface.

28. The system of claim 16 wherein the computer is further configured for associating a database with the collaboration of the clients.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the computer is further configured for storing objects from the collaboration place interfaces in the database for later resumption of collaboration.

30. The system of claim 16 wherein the computer is further configured for storing a record of activity between the clients.

31. A computer readable medium having instructions thereon for performing steps for collaboration, the steps comprising:

receiving requests from first and second clients to establish a collaboration place;

based on the requests;

establishing the collaboration place, and

forming network connections between the collaboration place and each of the first and second clients; and

associating the collaboration place with first and second collaboration place interfaces executing on the respective first and second clients, each of the first and second collaboration place interfaces including a primary display for presenting a primary type of data, each of the first and second collaboration place interfaces configured for being escalated based on a request from the respective client to include at least one secondary display for presenting a secondary type of data.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein the primary type of data includes data related to at least one of a chat application and an instant messenger application.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein the secondary type of data includes data related to at least one of an application for processing audio data, an application for processing graphic data, an application for processing multimedia data, an application for processing text data, and an application for processing video data.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 32, the steps further comprising escalating, based on receiving a request from the first client, the first collaboration place interface to include a secondary display for presenting data related to at least one of an application for processing audio data, an application for processing graphic data, an application for processing multimedia data, an application for processing text data, and an application for processing video data.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 32, the steps further comprising escalating, based on receiving a request from the first client, the first collaboration place interface to include a secondary display for presenting data related to the clients connected to the collaboration place.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 32, the steps further comprising escalating, based on receiving a request from the first client, the first collaboration place interface to include a secondary display for presenting data related to data files associated with the collaboration place.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 31, the steps further comprising escalating the second collaboration place interface to include a secondary display based on a request from the first client.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 31, the steps further comprising escalating the first and second collaboration interface when one of the first or second clients pulls an object into their collaboration place interface.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 31, the steps further comprising displaying additional displays in the collaboration place interfaces that each implement a different collaboration tool.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein the secondary display is for a collaboration tool that is a portion of a resident application implemented for each client to provide the collaboration place interface.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 31, the steps further comprising displaying a things window, a content window, and chat window in the collaboration place interfaces.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 31, the steps further comprising displaying a private interface for the first client as part of the first collaboration place interface.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 31, the steps further comprising associating a database with the collaboration of the clients.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 43, the steps further comprising storing objects from the collaboration place interfaces in the database for later resumption of collaboration.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 31, the steps further comprising storing a record of activity between the clients.