AUTOMATED SET-UP OF A COLLABORATIVE WORKSPACE

• US 20090307605A1
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Raman, Suri, Ryan, Patricia A., Anders, Ulrike A., Giles, Jason D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,341,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An approach to setting up a collabortive workspace involves receiving a user'"'"'s instructions to convert an object to a collaborative workspace. In response to this instruction, the approach creates the collaborative workspace in a substantially automated manner. The approach may thereby facilitate the provisioning of a collaborative workspace, eliminating or at least reducing the manual effort involved in setting up a collaborative workspace.

Claims

1. A method for setting up a collaborative workspace, the method being performed on electronic data processing equipment, the method comprising:

receiving a user'"'"'s instruction to convert an object into a collaborative workspace;

in response to the instruction, creating at least aspects of the collaborative workspace in an automated manner; and

providing the collaborative workspace thus created to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating of the collaborative workspace comprises:

identifying members to be associated with the collaborative workspace, to establish identified members;

identifying permission levels of the identified members, to establish identified permission levels; and

associating the identified members and the identified permission levels with the collaborative workspace.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating of the collaborative workspace comprises:

identifying items to be associated with the collaborative workspace, to establish identified items; and

associating the identified items with the collaborative workspace.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identified items comprise document items.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the identified items comprise data items.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the identified items comprise discussion items.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating of the collaborative workspace comprises:

identifying at least one notification to be associated with the collaborative workspace, to establish at least one identified notification; and

associating said at least one identified notifications with the collaborative workspace.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a communication object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the communication object is an Email object.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the collaborative workspace that has been created to the user;

receiving a modification by the user of the collaborative workspace; and

saving the collaborative workspace as modified by the user.

11. A set-up management module, comprising:

a set-up initiation module configured to receive a user'"'"'s instruction to convert an object to a collaborative workspace,

wherein, in response to the instruction, the set-up module is configured to create at least aspects of the collaborative workspace in an automated manner.

12. The set-up management module of claim 11, wherein the set-up initiation module receives the user'"'"'s instruction via a user interface presentation associated with the object.

13. The set-up management module of claim 12, wherein the object is an Email object and the user interface presentation is an Email user interface presentation through which the user is viewing the Email object, wherein the set-up initiation module receives the user'"'"'s instruction in response to the user activating a set-up command provided by the Email user interface presentation.

14. The set-up management module of claim 11, further comprising a permissions set-up module configured to identify members to be associated with the collaborative workspace, to establish identified members, to identify permission levels of the established members, to establish identified permission levels, and to associate the identified members and the identified permission levels with the collaborative workspace.

15. The set-up management module of claim 11, further comprising an items set-up module configured to identify items to be associated with the collaborative workspace, to establish identified items, and to associate the identified items with the collaborative workspace.

16. The set-up management module of claim 15, wherein the items set-up module interacts with a plurality of sources to identify the items to be associated with the collaborative workspace.

17. The set-up management module of claim 11, further comprising an activity set-up module configured to identify at least one notification to be associated with the collaborative workspace, to establish at least one identified notifications, and to associate said at least one identified notifications with the collaborative workspace.

18. The set-up management module of claim 11, further comprising an editing module configured to allow the user to modify the collaborative workspace that is created by the set-up management module.

19. A computer-readable medium for storing computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions providing a set-up management module when executed by one or more processing devices, the computer-readable instructions comprising:

set-up initiation logic configured to receive a user'"'"'s instruction to convert an object to a collaborative workspace, wherein, in response to the instruction, the set-up module is configured to create at least aspects of the collaborative workspace in an automated manner;

permissions set-up logic configured to identify members to be associated with the collaborative workspace, to establish identified members, to identify permission levels of the identified members, to establish identified permission levels, and to associate the identified members and the identified permission levels with the collaborative workspace;

items set-up logic configured to identify items to be associated with the collaborative workspace, to establish identified items, and to associate the identified items with the collaborative workspace, the items set-up module interacting with a plurality of sources to identify the items to be associated with the collaborative workspace;

activity set-up logic configured to identify at least one notification to be associated with the collaborative workspace, to establish at least one identified notification, and to associate said at least one identified notifications with the collaborative workspace; and

editing logic configured to allow the user to modify the collaborative workspace that is created by the set-up management module.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the object is an Email object.