Co-presence data retrieval system which indicates observers of data

• US 6,651,050 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2001
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shapiro, Ehud, Shafrir, Avner
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US09/825,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20020019816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/102, 709/201
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A data retrieval system has a data server, a co-presence server and at least one awareness co-presence client. The data server retrieves at least one data object from among a plurality of data objects stored in a data repository. The co-presence server opens communication and observation channels associated with at least one of the data objects. The awareness co-presence clients communicate with the co-presence server and define an awareness state of the client. The co-presence server opens a communication channel or an observation channel with each client depending on the awareness state of each client per retrieved data object. For observation channels, the co-presence server indicates to each client which other clients have retrieved the same data object. The co-presence server opens a communication channel associated with a retrieved data object to those clients which retrieved the data object and which are in a communication type of awareness state.

Claims

1. A co-presence server comprising:

means for generating one virtual place per data object retrieved from a data server and for associating each virtual place with its data object once its data object is accessed;

means for providing each virtual place associated with each retrieved data object with communication and observation channels for at least two users that access said data object and for associating said at least two users with one or the other of said channels in accordance with a user-defined awareness state.

2. A server according to claim 1 and wherein said user-defined awareness state is one of:

public observation, private observation and communication.

3. A server according to claim 1 and wherein said means for providing comprises means for generating communication and observation channels to awareness co-presence clients associated with said users in response to said user-defined awareness state of each said associated user.

4. A server according to claim 1 and wherein said means for providing comprises means for indicating to one user which other users have retrieved the same data object.

5. A co-presence data-retrieval client comprising:

data retrieval means for requesting a data server to retrieve a data object;

object association means for associating a virtual place with an accessed data object; and

means for enabling communication and observation between at least two data-retrieval clients that are associated with said at least one virtual place and for associating said at least two data-retrieval clients with one or the other of said channels in accordance with a user-defined awareness state.

6. A client according to claim 5 and wherein said user-defined awareness state is one of:

public observation, private observation and communication.

7. A computer product readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for co-presence at a data object, said method steps comprising:

generating one virtual place per data object retrieved from a data server;

associating each virtual place with its data object once its data object is accessed;

providing each virtual place associated with each retrieved data object with communication and observation channels for at least two users that access said data object; and

associating said at least two users with one or the other of said channels in accordance with a user-defined awareness state.

8. A product according to claim 7 and wherein said user-defined awareness state is one of:

public observation, private observation and communication.

9. A product according to claim 7 and wherein said providing comprises generating communication and observation channels to awareness co-presence clients associated with said users in response to said user-defined awareness state of each said associated user.

10. A product according to claim 7 and wherein said providing comprises indicating to one user which other users have retrieved the same data object.

11. A computer product readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for co-presence at a data object for a client, said method steps comprising:

requesting a data server to retrieve a data object;

associating a virtual place with an accessed data object;

enabling communication or observation between at least two data-retrieval clients that are associated with said at least one virtual place; and

associating said at least two data-retrieval clients with one or the other of said channels in accordance with a user-defined awareness state.

12. A product according to claim 11 and wherein said user-defined awareness state is one of:

public observation, private observation and communication.