APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COLLABORATIVE NETWORK IN AN ENTERPRISE SETTING

• US 20110122220A1
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, E-Lee, Roberts, Linda, Barrett Schultz, Natasha, Sung, Ja-Young, King, Robert Arthur
• Granted Patent: US 8,373,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/155 involving storage of or access to video conference sessions tracking arrangements for later retrieval of a computer conference content or participants activities H04L12/1831

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a system having a controller to present an overlay combined with a presentation of media content at each of a plurality of computing devices on an electronic communications network to illustrate a collection of one or more commentaries temporally associated with portions of the presented media content where the portions of the presented media content comprises portions of a teleconference workflow meeting, to collect one or more commentaries from each of the plurality of computing devices, and to present the commentaries from the plurality of computing devices. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method at one or more computing devices, comprising:

presenting an overlay combined with a presentation of media content at each of a plurality of computing devices on an Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) network to illustrate a collection of one or more user-generated comments temporally associated with portions of the presented media content, wherein the portions of the presented media content comprises portions of a teleconference workflow meeting;

collecting one or more user-generated comments from each of the plurality of computing devices; and

presenting the one or more user-generated comments from the plurality of computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the teleconference workflow meeting is one among live or pre-recorded text, timelines, charts, presentations, video conferences, audio conferences, or other presentations where contributions in the form of reminders, tasks, assignments, agreed upon terms or a task requirement for review are shared.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein portions of the teleconference workflow meeting are live or previously recorded.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein portions of the teleconference workflow meeting are tagged on a timeline with icons.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the icons represent one of a reminder, a task assignment, an agreed to term, and task requirement to review.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the tagged portions of the teleconference and the timeline is shared with one or more of the plurality of computing devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein portions of the teleconference workflow meeting is selectively tagged for review and forwarded to one or more of the plurality of computing devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more user-generated comments are combined with the teleconference workflow meeting as a presentation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user-generated comments are tagged to a timeline of the presentation.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising transmitting tagged timelines to a select group among the plurality of computing devices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-generated comments are generated by a group of employees of an enterprise participating in the teleconference workflow meeting.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a timeline for the teleconference workflow meeting is automatically tagged using a webcam.

13. A system, comprising a controller to:

present an overlay combined with a presentation of media content at each of a plurality of computing devices on an electronic communications network to illustrate a collection of one or more commentaries temporally associated with portions of the presented media content, wherein the portions of the presented media content comprises portions of a teleconference workflow meeting;

collect one or more commentaries from each of the plurality of computing devices; and

present the one or more commentaries from the plurality of computing devices.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein portions of the teleconference workflow meeting are previously recorded or live.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the computing device is one of a computer and a portable communication device, wherein the electronic communications network is one of an Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) network and an Interactive TV (iTV) network, and wherein portions of the teleconference workflow meeting are tagged on a timeline with icons.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the icons represent one of a reminder, a task assignment, an agreed to term, and a task requirement to review, and wherein the tagged portions of the teleconference and the timeline are shared with one or more of the plurality of computing devices.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein portions of the teleconference workflow meeting are selectively tagged with user customizable tags for review and forwarded to one or more of the plurality of computing devices.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more commentaries are combined with the teleconference workflow meeting as a presentation, and wherein the commentaries are tagged to a timeline of the presentation.

19. A computer-readable storage medium in a computing device, comprising computer instructions to:

present an overlay combined with a presentation of media content at each of a plurality of computing devices to illustrate a collection of one or more remarks temporally associated with portions of the presented media content, wherein the portions of the presented media content comprises portions of a project workflow presentation;

collect one or more remarks from each of the plurality of computing devices; and

present the one or more remarks from among the plurality of computing devices as part of the workflow presentation.

20. The storage medium of claim 19, wherein the workflow presentation is selectively tagged on a timeline with icons and transmitted to a select group among the plurality of computing devices and wherein the plurality of computing devices operate over an interactive TV (iTV) network.

21. The storage medium of claim 19, wherein the remarks are generated by a group of employees of an enterprise participating in the workflow presentation.

22. A system at a subscriber unit, comprising a controller to:

present an overlay combined with a presentation of media content, wherein the subscriber unit is operatively coupled to a plurality of computing devices on an electronic communications network to illustrate a collection of one or more commentaries temporally associated with portions of the presented media content presented at the subscriber unit, wherein the portions of the presented media content comprises portions of a teleconference workflow meeting presentation; and

present the one or more commentaries from the plurality of computing devices at the subscriber unit.

23. The system of claim 23, wherein the commentaries are employee-generated commentaries and wherein if an employee in the midst of the workflow meeting presentation commits to a milestone, commentary is entered in a form including a responsible party, a task description, and a commitment date where the entered commentary feeds a scheduling program.

24. A method at a portable computing device, comprises:

presenting an overlay combined with a presentation of media content, wherein the portable computing device is operatively coupled to a plurality of computing devices on an interactive TV network to illustrate a collection of one or more commentaries temporally associated with portions of the presented media content presented at the portable computing device, wherein the portions of the presented media content comprises portions of a teleconference workflow meeting presentation in an enterprise; and

present the one or more commentaries from the plurality of computing devices at the portable computing device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the portable computing device on a teleconference workflow meeting presentation selectively tags icons on a timeline and transmits the tagged presentation to a select group among the plurality of computing devices, and wherein the commentaries are employee-generated commentaries.