ESTABLISHMENT OF MESSAGE CONTEXT IN A COLLABORATION SYSTEM

• US 20080229213A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Nebolsky, Charles, Kahn, Joshua, Hamilton, Mary, Korytkowski, Beata
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A processing device used to support communications between users of the collaboration system is provided with a graphical user interface. A graphical context activation mechanism associated with a discussion between users of the collaboration system may be displayed. Responsive to a selection input, a graphical illustration of information regarding the users participating in the discussion is displayed. The graphical illustration may comprise indicia of location of at least one of the users that may be displayed, for example, within the context of a geographical map. The graphical illustration may further comprise indicia of identity of at least one of the users. Additionally, a textual context activation mechanism may be provided and utilized in the same manner, thereby allowing text-based context regarding the message to be displayed. In this manner, team-wide context may be more readily established.

Claims

1. In a processing device having a graphical user interface including a display and at least one user input device, a method for establishing a context of a discussion between users of a collaboration system, the method comprising:

displaying, on the display, a graphical context activation mechanism associated with the discussion;

receiving, via the at least one user input device, a selection input indicating that the graphical context activation mechanism has been selected; and

displaying, in response to the selection input, a graphical illustration of information regarding the users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical illustration of the information regarding the users further comprises indicia of location of at least one of the users.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the graphical illustration comprises a geographical map.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the users further comprises indicia of identity of at least one of the users.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the indicia of identity of the users comprises visual depictions of at least one of the users.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, on the display, a textual context activation mechanism associated with the discussion;

receiving, via the at least one user input device, another selection input indicating that the textual context activation mechanism has been selected; and

displaying, on the display in response to the other selection input, a text-based context regarding the discussion.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the text-based context comprises at least a portion of the discussion.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, on the display, at least one discussion selection input mechanism.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one discussion selection input mechanism comprises indicia regarding at least one discussion, the indicia regarding the at least one discussion further comprising urgency indications associated with at least some of the at least one discussion.

10. An apparatus for use with a collaboration system, comprising:

a display;

at least one user input device;

at least one processor in communication with the display and the at least one user input device; and

a storage device, in communication with the at least one processor, having stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

display, on the display, a graphical context activation mechanism associated with a discussion between users of the collaboration system;

receive, via the at least one user input device, a selection input indicating that the graphical context activation mechanism has been selected; and

display, in response to the selection input, a graphical illustration of information regarding the users.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to display the graphical illustration are further operative to display indicia of location of at least one of the users.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to display the graphical illustration are further operative to display a geographical map.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to display the graphical illustration are further operative to display indicia of identity of at least one of the users.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to display the indicia of identity are further operative to display visual depictions of at least one of the users.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the storage device further comprises executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

display, on the display, a textual context activation mechanism associated with the discussion;

receive, via the at least one user input device, a selection input indicating that the textual context activation mechanism has been selected; and

display, on the display in response to the selection input, a text-based context regarding the discussion.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the text-based context comprises at least a portion of the conversation.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the storage device further comprises executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

display, on the display, a discussion selection input mechanism.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the discussion selection input mechanism comprises indicia regarding at least one discussion, the indicia regarding the at least one discussion further comprising urgency indications associated with at least some of the at least one discussion.

19. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon image data to be displayed on a display of a processing device, the image data representative of:

a geographical map; and

information regarding users of a collaboration system associated with a discussion between the users, wherein the information regarding the users comprises indicia of location of the user within the geographical map.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the information regarding the users further comprises indicia of identity of the users.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the indicia of identity of the users comprises visual depictions of the users.