Method and apparatus for multi-user awareness and collaboration

• US 6,430,567 B2
• Filed: 06/30/1998
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Burridge, Richard N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEUNG, MARY DA ZHI WANG
• Application Number:
  US09/108,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20020016788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/100, 707/102, 707/200, 707/101, 707/104, 707/201, 707/10, 395/200, 395/334, 395/329, 395/335, 709/244
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention incorporate a facility to make a user, or client, aware of other users that are currently viewing the same Web, or display page. Functionality is provided in a browser to allow a user to initiate a collaboration operation with other users on the same Web page. A user provides user information to a registry via a registration process. The registry is further updated to include an entry identifying the page that is currently being viewed by a user. The user can access a collaboration interface to view a list of users that are currently viewing the same page as the user. The collaboration interface further allows the user to select a collaboration operation to collaborate with one or more users that are currently viewing the same page. In embodiments of the invention, the collaboration interface is generated by a Java applet and is contained within a portion of any general-purpose or special-purpose browser. The collaboration interface accepts input entered within an input field of the interface and processes it accordingly. A request to change Web pages updates the registry to reflect the new page. If the input is a request to initiate a collaborative operation, the collaboration interface initiates the operation.

Claims

1. A method for multi-user awareness and collaboration in a computer network environment, comprising:

obtaining registration information from a network user, said registration information comprising said network user'"'"'s identification, name, and electronic mail address;

retaining said registration information in a repository of user information;

capturing an address specification for a network resource requested by said network user, wherein said network resource does not provide a direct access to a chat room;

storing said address specification in said repository of user information, said repository of user information having identification information of all network users currently viewing said network resource;

generating from said repository of user information a list comprising said all network users currently viewing said network resource;

transmitting said network resource, said list, and a collaboration menu to said network user, said collaboration menu comprising at least one user collaboration option.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said address specification is a web page address.

3. A method for multi-user awareness and collaboration in a computer network environment, comprising:

obtaining registration information from a network user, said registration information comprising said network user'"'"'s identification;

retaining said registration information in a repository of user information;

generating a graphical user interface (GUI) in a display area of a browser program, said GUI having an input field configured to accept an address specification by said network user for a network resource, wherein said network resource does not provide a direct access to a chat room;

executing said browser program to capture said address specification entered by said network user into said input field;

transmitting said address specification to a server upon capturing of said address specification from said input field;

storing said address specification in said repository of user information in an entry associated with said network user, said repository identifying all network users currently viewing said network resource;

generating from said repository a list comprising said all network users currently viewing said network resourse;

transmitting said network resource, said list, and a collaboration menu to said network user, said collaboration menu comprising at least one user collaboration option.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said registration information further comprises:

said user'"'"'s name;

said user'"'"'s electronic mail address.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said address specification is a web page address.

6. A method for multi-user awareness and collaboration in a computer network environment, comprising:

obtaining registration information from a network user, said registration information comprising said network user'"'"'s identification;

retaining said registration information in a repository of user information;

capturing a web page address for a network resource specified by said network user, wherein said network resource does not provide a direct access to a chat room;

storing said web page address in said repository of user information, said repository of user information identifying all network users currently viewing said network resource;

generating from said repository a list comprising said all network users currently viewing said network resource;

transmitting said network resource, said list, and a collaboration menu to said network user, said collaboration menu comprising at least one user collaboration option.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said registration information further comprises:

said user'"'"'s name;

said user'"'"'s electronic mail address.

8. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for multi-user awareness and collaboration in a computer network environment comprising;

computer readable program code configured to cause a server computer to obtain registration information from a network user, said registration information comprising said network user'"'"'s identification, name, and electronic mail address;

computer readable program code configured to cause a server computer to retain said registration information in a repository of user information;

computer readable program code configured to cause a client computer to capture an address specification for a network resource requested by said network user, wherein said network resource does not provide a direct access to a chat room;

computer readable program code configured to cause said server computer to store said address specification in said repository of user information, said repository of user information having identification information of all network users currently viewing said network resource;

computer readable program code configured to cause said server computer to generate from said repository of user information a list comprising said all network users currently viewing said network resource;

computer readable program code configured to cause said server computer to transmit said network resource, said list, and a collaboration menu to said network user, said collaboration menu comprising at least one user collaboration option.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein said address specification is a web page address.

10. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for multi-user awareness and collaboration in a computer network environment comprising;

computer readable program code configured to cause a server computer to obtain registration information from a network user, said registration information comprising said network user'"'"'s identification;

computer readable program code configured to cause a server computer to retain said registration information in a repository of user information;

computer readable program code configured to cause a client computer to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) in a display area of a browser program, said GUI having an input field configured to accept an address specification by said network user for a network resource, wherein said network resource does not provide a direct access to a chat room;

computer readable program code configured to cause said client computer to execute said browser program to capture said address specification entered by said network user into said input field;

computer readable program code configured to cause said client computer to transmit said address specification to said server upon capturing of said address specification from said input field;

computer readable program code configured to cause said server computer to store said address specification in said repository of user information in an entry associated with said network user, said repository identifying all network users currently viewing said network resource;

computer readable program code configured to cause said server computer to generate from said repository a list comprising said all network users currently viewing said network resource;

computer readable program code configured to cause said server computer to transmit said network resource, said list, and a collaboration menu to said network user, said collaboration menu comprising at least one user collaboration option.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said registration information further comprises:

said user'"'"'s name;

said user'"'"'s electronic mail address.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said address specification is a web page address.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for multi-user awareness and collaboration in a computer network environment comprising;

computer readable program code configured to cause a server computer to obtain registration information from a network user, said registration information comprising said network user'"'"'s identification;

computer readable program code configured to cause a server computer to retain said registration information in a repository of user information;

computer readable program code configured to cause a client computer to capture a web page address for a network resource specified by said user, wherein said network resource does not provide a direct access to a chat room;

computer readable program code configured to cause said server computer to store said web page address in said repository of user information, said repository of user information identifying all network users currently viewing said network resource;

computer readable program code configured to cause said server computer to generate from said repository a list comprising said all network users currently viewing said network resource;

computer readable program code configured to cause said server computer to transmit said network resource, said list, and a collaboration menu to said network user, said collaboration menu comprising at least one user collaboration option.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein said registration information further comprises:

said user'"'"'s name;

said user'"'"'s electronic mail address.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein said address specification is a web page address.

15. An system for providing multi-user awareness and collaboration in a computer network environment, comprising:

one or more servers in a network environment, said one or more servers obtaining registration information from a network user and retaining said registration information in a repository of user information, said registration information comprising said network user'"'"'s identification, name, and electronic mail address;

a client computer in said network environment being used by said network user, said client computer capturing an address specification for a network resource requested by said network user, wherein said network resource does not provide a direct access to a chat room, transmitting said address specification to said one or more servers, said one or more servers storing said address specification in said repository of user information, said repository of user information identifying all network users currently viewing said network resource, said one or more servers generating from said repository of user information a list comprising said all network users currently viewing said network resource, said one or more servers transmitting said network resource, said list, and a collaboration menu to said network user, said collaboration menu comprising at least one user collaboration option.

17. A system for providing multi-user awareness and collaboration in a computer network environment, comprising:

one or more servers in a network environment, said one or more servers obtaining registration information from a network user and retaining said registration information in a repository of user information, said registration information comprising said network user'"'"'s identification;

a client computer in said network environment being used by said network user, said client computer generating a graphical user interface (GUI) in a display area of a browser program, said GUI having an input field configured to accept an address specification by said network user for a network resource, wherein said network resource does not provide a direct access to a chat room, said client computer executing said browser program to capture said address specification entered by said network user into said input field and transmitting said address specification to said one or more servers upon capturing of said address specification from said input field, said one or more servers storing said address specification in said repository of user information in an entry associated with said network user, said repository identifying all network users currently viewing said network resource, said one or more servers generating from said repository a list comprising said all network users currently viewing said network resource, said one or more servers transmitting said network resource, said list, and a collaboration menu to said network user, said collaboration menu comprising at least one user collaboration option.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said registration information further comprises:

said user'"'"'s name;

said user'"'"'s electronic mail address.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein said address specification is a web page address.

20. A system for providing multi-user awareness and collaboration in a computer network environment, comprising:

one or more servers in a network environment, said one or more servers obtaining registration information from a network user and retaining said registration information in a repository of user information, said registration information comprising said network user'"'"'s identification;

a client computer in said network environment being used by said network user, said client computer capturing a web page address for a network resource specified by said network user, wherein said network resource does not provide a direct access to a chat room, transmitting said web page address to said one or more servers, said one or more servers storing said web page address in said repository of user information, said repository of user information identifying all network users currently viewing said network resource, said one or more servers generating from said repository a list comprising said all network users currently viewing said network resource, said one or more servers transmitting said network resource, said list, and a collaboration menu to said network user, said collaboration menu comprising at least one user collaboration option.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said registration information further comprises:

said user'"'"'s name;

said user'"'"'s electronic mail address.