COMMUNICATION WORKSPACE

• US 20090254390A1
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dumais, Susan T., Harris, Jensen M., Ehrenberg, Michael V., Goodman, Joshua T., Gates, William H. III, Megiddo, Eran, Shoroff, Srikanth
• Granted Patent: US 8,782,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Multiple pieces of information can be arranged into a single construct that allows the employee to ascertain information quickly while at her workstation. Selection of information for placement into the construct can employ various statistical models and the like. Selective pieces of information can be masked for a user'"'"'s construct based upon access rights of the user. Constructs can be configured by a user based on personal preferences as well as by an administrator. Population of metadata upon the construct can be performed automatically through an instruction of the administrator or be overridden by a user request. In addition, various types of synchronization can be implemented between constructs, such that identical or near-identical information is populated upon multiple constructs.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a search component that gathers data from a network that relates to an individual; and

an analysis component that evaluates the gathered data and employs a subset of the gathered data in connection with generating a workstation business profile, the workstation business profile organizes at least two pieces of information into a construct where the organized pieces of information are contextually related.

2. The system of claim 1, the workstation business profile is segmented into topical or source-specific areas.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a personnel component that identifies from the gathered data at least one individual from a plurality of individuals having particular characteristics of interest.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a build component that creates a team of individuals respectively possessing desired characteristics, and the analysis component generates a workstation business profile of the team, the workstation business profile of the team organizes different pieces of information into a single construct where the pieces of information are contextually related.

5. The system of claim 4, the build component creates the team as a function of team member availability to work on a project.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a decision component that selects the gathered data for association into the workstation business profile.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a security component that enforces security policies in connection with data access, or dissemination.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial intelligence component that makes at least one inference or at least one determination in relation to gathered data, evaluated data, generation of workstation business profile, or a combination thereof.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an update component that modifies the workstation business profile in accordance with a contextual change.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an alteration component that modifies format of at least part of the gathered data or evaluated data.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising an input component that receives parameters used in workstation business profile generation.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a breakdown component that collapses at least part of the gathered data into a conversation unit.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising an error component that processes at least one fault related to the workstation business profile.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a situation component that determines at least one presentation construct associated with the workstation business profile.

15. A method for enriching business communication, comprising:

receiving a request in connection with generation of a personal workstation business profile;

conducting a search across a network in connection with the request;

analyzing results of the search; and

generating the personal workstation business profile based on a subset of the search results, the personal workstation business profile organizes at least two pieces of information into a construct where the organized pieces of information relate to an individual.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising using artificial intelligence techniques to infer or determine desired characteristics associated with the personal workstation business profile.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising limiting the search to a subset of data sources as a function of security policies, or user preferences.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising selectively masking, or exposing portions of the workstation business profile as a function of respective entity access.

19. A system, comprising:

means for receiving a request for access to a workstation business profile relating to an individual;

means for identifying at least two relationships of different types included in the workstation business profile; and

means for selectively masking, or exposing portions of the workstation business profile as a function of requester needs and data access rights, wherein selective masking, or exposing occurs upon the identified relationships, the workstation business profile organizes at least two pieces of information into a construct where the organized pieces of information are contextually related.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising means for authenticating the requester access rights.