Asynchronous network collaboration method and apparatus

• US 7,158,960 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apex Investment Fund V LP (Apex Venture Partners), Star Bay Associates Fund LP (Levensohn Venture Partners LLC), Star Bay Technology Ventures IV LP (Levensohn Venture Partners LLC), Star Gas Partners LP (Levensohn Venture Partners LLC), New Enterprise Associates 12, L.P., Nokia Ventures LP (NV I LLC)
• Original Assignee: Informative, Inc.
• Inventors: Ferguson, Bradley, Clemenson, Gregory D., Pinillia, Jose Miguel
• Primary Examiner(s): Starks, Jr.; Wilbert L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holmes; Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US09/952,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,937 Days
• Field of Search: 706/50
• US Class Current: 706/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method for a computer system including a memory includes storing a plurality of statements in the memory, selecting a first subset of statements from the plurality of statements, sending the first subset of statements to a first user at a computer client, receiving a first selection of statements, the first selection of statement selected from the first subset of statements by the first user, selecting a second subset of statements from the plurality of statements in response to the first selection of statements by the first user, sending the second subset of statements to a second user at a computer client, receiving a second selection of statements, the second selection of statement selected from the second subset of statements by the second user, determining a proposed selection of statements from the plurality of statements in response to the first selection of statements by the first user and to the second selection of statements by the second user, sending the proposed selection of statements to a third user.

Claims

1. A method for a computer system including a memory, comprising:

storing a plurality of proposed-response statements in response to a humam-user query in the memory;

selecting a first set of proposed-response statements from the plurality of proposed-response statements;

sending the first set of proposed-response statements for sensory output to a first human user at a first computer client;

sending the human-user query for sensory output to the first human user at the first computer client;

receiving a first selection of proposed-response statements from the first computer client, wherein the first selection of proposed-response statements is selected from the first set of proposed-response statements by the first human user in response to the human-user query;

selecting a second set of proposed-response statements from the plurality of proposed-response statements in response to the first selection of proposed-response statements by the first human user;

sending the second set of proposed-response statements for sensory output to a second human user at a second computer client;

sending the human-user query for sensory output to the second human use at the second computer client;

receiving a second selection of proposed-response statements from the second computer client, wherein the second selection of proposed-response statements is selected from the second set of proposed-response statements by the second human user in response to the human-user query;

determining a ranked set of proposed-response statements from the plurality of proposed-response statements in response to the first selection of proposed-response statements by the first human user and in response to the second selection of proposed-response statements byte second human user; and

sending the ranked set of proposed-response statements for sensory output to a third human user at a third computer client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of proposed-response statements includes the first selection of proposed-response statements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of proposed-response statements includes at least one proposed-response statement from the first selection of proposed-response statements.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of proposed-response statements includes a proposed-response statement not within the first selection of proposed-response statements.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a new proposed-response statement from the first human user in response to the human-user query; and

adding the new proposed-response statement to the plurality of proposed-response statements in the memory.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second selection of proposed-response statements includes the new proposed-response statement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the ranked set of proposed-response statements comprises:

selecting proposed-response statements from the first selection of proposed-response statements and the second selection of proposed-response statements.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the proposed selection of proposed-response statements comprises:

selecting proposed-response statements that are both within the first selection of proposed-response statements and the second selection of proposed-response statements.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a proposed-response statement from plurality of proposed-response statements comprise human-readable text.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein proposed-response statement from the plurality of proposed-response statements selected from a group consisting of:

image data, audio data, and video data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each proposed-response statement in the first selection of proposed-response statements includes a rank given by the first human user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting the second set of proposed-response statements comprises:

selecting the second set of proposed-response statements in response to the rank given by the first human user of each proposed-response statement in the first selection of proposed-response statements by the first user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein each proposed-response statement in the second selection of proposed-response statements includes a rank given by the second human user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the ranked set of proposed-response statements comprises:

determining the ranked set of proposed-response statements from the plurality of proposed-response statements in response to the rank given by the first human user of each proposed-response statement in the first selection of proposed-response statements by the first human user and in response to the rank given by the second human user of each proposed-response statement in the second selection of proposed-response statements by the second human user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a weight is associated, by the first human user, with each proposed-response statement in the first selection of proposed-response statements.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the weight is adjusted according to demographic information of the first human user.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a weight is associated, by the second human user, with each proposed-response statement in the second selection of proposed-response statements.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the weight is adjusted according to demographic information of the second human user.

19. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium and operative to control a computer system, the computer system including a memory, the computer program comprising:

a code segment storing a plurality of proposed-response statements in the memory that are responsive to a human-specified query;

a code segment selecting a first set of proposed-response statements from the plurality of proposed-response statements;

a code segment sending the first set of proposed-response statements for sensory output to a first human user at a first computer client;

a code segment sending the human-specified query for sensory output to the first human user at the first computer client;

a code segment receiving a first selection of proposed-response statements from the first computer client, the first selection of proposed-response statements selected from the first set of proposed-response statements by the first human user in response to the human-specified query;

a code segment selecting a second set of proposed-response statements from the plurality of proposed-response statements in response to the first selection of proposed-response statements by the first human user;

a code segment sending the second set of proposed-response statements for sensory output to a second human user at a second computer client;

a code segment sending the human-specified query for sensory output to the second human at the second computer client;

a code segment receiving a second selection of proposed-response statements from the second computer client, the second selection of proposed-response statements selected from the second set of proposed-response statements by the second human user in response to the human-specified query;

a code segment determining a proposed selection of proposed-response statements from the plurality of proposed-response statements in response to the first selection of proposed-response statements by the first human user and to the second selection of proposed-response statements by the second human user; and

a code segment sending the proposed selection of proposed-response statements to a third user at a third computer client.

20. The computer program of claim 19, wherein the second set of proposed-response statements includes the first selection of proposed-response statements.

21. The computer program of claim 19, wherein the second set of proposed-response statements includes at least one proposed-response statement from the first selection of proposed-response statements.

22. The computer program of claim 19, wherein the second set of proposed-response statements includes a proposed-response statement not within the first selection of proposed-response statements.

23. The computer program of claim 19, further comprising:

a code segment receiving a new proposed-response statement from the first human user; and

a code segment adding the new proposed-response statement to the plurality of proposed-response statements in the memory.

24. The computer program of claim 23, wherein the second selection of proposed-response statements includes the new proposed-response statement.

25. The computer program of claim 19, wherein the code segment determining the proposed selection of proposed-response statements comprises:

a code segment selecting proposed-response statements from the first selection of proposed-response statements and the second selection of proposed-response statements.

26. The computer program of claim 19, wherein the code segment determining the proposed selection of proposed-response statements comprises:

a code segment selecting proposed-response statements that are both within the first selection of proposed-response statements and the second selection of proposed-response statements.

27. The computer program of claim 19, wherein a proposed-response statement from the plurality of proposed-response statements comprise human-readable text.

28. The computer program of claim 19, wherein proposed-response statements from the plurality of proposed-response statements are selected from a group consisting of:

image data, audio data, and video data.

29. The computer program of claim 19, wherein a ranking is associated, by the first human user, with proposed-response statement in the first selection of proposed-response statements.

30. The computer program of claim 29, wherein the code segment selecting the second set of proposed-response statements comprises:

a code segment selecting the second set of proposed-response statements in response to the first selection of proposed-response statements by the first human user and in response to the ranking associated with each proposed-response statement in the first selection of proposed-response statements.

31. The computer program of claim 19, wherein a ranking is associated, by the second human user, with each proposed-response statement in the second selection of proposed-response statements.

32. The computer program of claim 31, wherein the code segment determining the proposed selection comprises:

a code segment determining the proposed selection of proposed-response statements from the plurality of proposed-response statements in response to the first selection of proposed-response statements by the first human user and in response to the second selection of proposed-response statements by the second human user, and based at least partially on the ranking associated with each proposed-response statement in the second selection of proposed-response statements.

33. The computer program of claim 19, wherein a weight is associated, by the first human user, with each proposed-response statement in the first selection of proposed-response statements.

34. The computer program of claim 33, wherein the weight is adjusted according to demographic information of the first human user.

35. The computer program of claim 19, wherein a weight is associated, by the second human user, with each proposed-response statement in the second selection of proposed-response statements.

36. The computer program of claim 35, wherein the weight is adjusted according to demographic information of the second human user.