SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROJECT-RELATED COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20080140782A1
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Naick, Indran, Bagwell, Derek P., Vasudevan, Cheranellore, Jambunathan, Sivakumar
• Granted Patent: US 8,601,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/33 Querying

Abstract

Systems, methods and media for processing project related communications between users of computers and to provide listening functionality for the users. In one embodiment, a system allows a third party project member to optionally listen in on an electronic conversation between two or more project members. The system further allows the third party project member to conduct a keyword search of messages relating to the project.

Claims

1. A method for selective listening of electronic communications, comprising:

receiving a message from a first member of a project to which the communication relates, the message addressed to a second member of the project and a subject of the message signifying a new conversation between the first and second member of the project;

transmitting the message to the second member;

broadcasting to other project members that the new conversation has started;

receiving a listen request from a third party; and

sending to the third party a copy of the message and any subsequent messages on the subject of the conversation in response to the listen request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a keyword search request from the third party and conducting a keyword search of the subject and text of messages on the subject of the conversation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing messages on the subject of the conversation in a searchable database.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising searching the database in response to a keyword search request from a project member.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a project member register comprising a list of project members to exclude listen requests from non-project-members.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an option selected by the third party to join the conversation.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising denying the selected option to a non-project-member.

8. A system for selective listening of electronic communications, comprising:

a message transceiver to receive messages and transmit messages on a subject relating to a project from and to a first and second project participant, thereby enabling a conversation between them, and to transmit messages between the first and second participants to a third party in response to a listen request from the third party;

a listen processor to broadcast to project participants when a new conversation concerning a subject is initiated by the first project participant, and to receive listen requests from the third party;

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a search engine to process keyword search requests from the third party to return messages to the third party that contain the keywords specified by the third party.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a message archive to retrievably store the messages between the first and second project participants.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the message archive is a searchable database.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the database is organized by project and by message subject.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising a project participant register comprising a list of project participants to exclude listen requests and search requests from non-project-participants.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the listen processor further receives and authorizes an option by the third party to join the conversation.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

receive a message from a first member of a project to which the communication relates, the message addressed to a second member of the project and a subject of the message signifying a new conversation between the first and second member of the project;

transmit the message to the second member;

broadcast to other project members that the new conversation has started;

receive a listen request from a third party; and

send to the third party a copy of the message and any subsequent messages on the subject of the conversation in response to the listen request.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising receiving a keyword search request from the third party and conducting a keyword search of the subject and text of messages on the subject of the conversation.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising storing messages on the subject of the conversation in a searchable database.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising searching the database in response to a keyword search request from a project member.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising providing a project member register comprising a list of project members to exclude listen requests from non-project-members.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising receiving an option selected by the third party to join the conversation.