Collaborative work support system

• US 6,675,197 B1
• Filed: 02/29/2000
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Satoh, Chihiro, Katsurabayashi, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Application Number:
  US09/515,676
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/248, 345/751, 345/739, 345/745
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A work area detection unit detects the work area in which a user is interested and a user viewpoint calculation unit extracts viewpoint information from the work area. In a dynamic communication group generation unit, the current viewpoint information of each user is accumulated in a user viewpoint information storage unit, a group generation unit generates the group information based on the similarity to the accumulated viewpoint information every time the viewing information is accumulated. In a dynamic communication session control unit, a group information storage unit accumulates the group information, a communication session generation unit generates the environment to assure the communication for all members of each group based on the group information and a communication session deletion unit deletes the group information of the group of only one member. Thereby, each user can implement communication with the best partner fit for the work condition being executed in current as the collaborative work on the virtual space.

Claims

1. A collaborative work support system for supporting communication among plural users who are engaging in a collaborative work on a network by utilizing computer terminals, comprising:

work area detection means for detecting work areas of the users during execution of a collaborative work;

user viewpoint calculation means for extracting keywords included in the work area detected by the work area detection means to calculate viewpoint information of each user;

dynamic communication group generation means for dynamically generating a communication group by collecting users having similar viewpoints based on the user viewpoint information calculated by the user viewpoint calculation means; and

group generation means for comparing the keywords included in newly accumulated viewpoint information with the keywords having been accumulated in the user viewpoint information every time the user viewpoint information is accumulated in the user viewpoint storage means, and generating the communication group based on similarity between those keywords.

2. The collaborative work support system according to claim 1, further comprising:

dynamic communication session control means for establishing a two-way communication channel for all members of the communication group generated by the dynamic communication group generation means to generate an environment assuring communication among the members of the group and also executing control of the generated environment.

3. The collaborative work support system according to claim 2, wherein the dynamic communication session control means comprises:

communication session generation means for, based on information regarding the communication group generated by the dynamic communication group generation means, establishing a two-way communication channel for all members of the group for implementing a communication session;

group information storage means for accumulating the group information generated by the communication session generation means; and

communication session deletion means for calculating the number of members of group based on the group information accumulated by the group information storage means and, when the calculated number of members is 1, deleting the information regarding the group from the group information storage means to vanish the communication session.

4. The collaborative work support system according to claim 1, wherein the dynamic communication group generation means comprises:

grouping condition registration means for causing users to designate communication group generation conditions; and

grouping condition application means for applying, at a time of generation of the communication group, the generation conditions registered by the grouping condition registration means.

5. The collaborative work support system according to claim 1, wherein the work area detection means detects the work area based on text information, voice information, graphic information, image information and video information included in part of a common information used for the collaborative work to be displayed by the users on their own computer terminals or designated by the users on their own computer terminals.

6. The collaborative work support system according to claim 1, wherein the dynamic communication group generation means comprises:

user viewpoint information storage means for accumulating current viewpoint information of users.

7. The collaborative work support system according to claim 3, wherein the dynamic communication session control means comprises:

communication session permanent holding/canceling registration means for visualizing the group information of the communication group stored by the group information storage means and causing the users to display it, and also causing users to register permanent holding or canceling of the permanent holding of the communication session by designating a particular communication group;

communication session permanently holding means for permanently holding the communication session by forcibly causing all members of the designated communication group to continuously use the two-way communication channel when the permanent holding registration is made by the communication session permanent holding/canceling registration means; and

communication session permanent holding/canceling means for canceling, the permanent holding of the communication session by canceling the forced continuous use of the two-way communication channel for all members of the group if the designated communication group is the group being held permanently by the communication session permanently holding means, when canceling the registration of the permanent holding is made by the communication session permanent holding/canceling registration means.

8. The collaborative work support system according to claim 1, further comprising:

message information storage means for storing a history of message information exchanged among the group members in the communication group generated by the dynamic communication group generation; and

message information history providing means for providing the history of the message information stored in the message information storage means at requests from users.