Systems and methods for collaboration
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for collaboration, the method comprising:
- providing a database for storing data associated with two or more independent collaboration places;
providing a collaboration place interface to a first client that is configured to (a) connect the first client to each of the two or more independent collaboration places to locate the first client in the collaboration place to which the first client is connected, and (b) generate a portion of the data based on at least one or more events in the collaboration place, wherein the portion of the data is persistent and available for access by a second client after the first client has disconnected from the collaboration place and is no longer located in the collaboration place;
administering collaboration activities among participating clients in each of the two or more independent collaboration places;
based on administering the collaboration activities, generating activity data about events in each of the two or more independent collaboration places;
implementing peripheral vision schemes corresponding to different forms of place-based awareness for the two or more independent collaboration places, wherein the peripheral vision schemes comprise a plurality of individual collaboration objects that;
(a) define different event categories representing a state of change in the two or more collaboration places, and (b) track the state of change represented by the defined event categories at least in one or more unconnected places of the two or more collaboration places other than that which the first client is currently located;
applying the one or more peripheral vision schemes to the activity data to detect one or more events contemporaneous to their occurrence; and
in response to applying the one or more peripheral visions schemes, providing one or more indicia communicating a form of place-based awareness in a collaboration interface to inform the first client of a recent state of change in the two or more collaboration places in the different event categories including information sufficient to inform the first client of a category of at least one of the events and the related activity data about at least one of the events.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In some embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods provide a client-server infrastructure capable of supporting a variety of asynchronous and synchronous collaboration activities in a so-called collaboration place. Some of these activities include chatting, viewing and/or editing one or more data files, and sharing one or more applications, data files, and/or displays. The client-server infrastructure supports seamless navigation between the supported asynchronous and synchronous activities in the collaboration place. Additionally, the client-server architecture supports data persistence, so that data files associated with the collaboration place can be stored for subsequent access.
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Citations
80 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for collaboration, the method comprising:
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providing a database for storing data associated with two or more independent collaboration places; providing a collaboration place interface to a first client that is configured to (a) connect the first client to each of the two or more independent collaboration places to locate the first client in the collaboration place to which the first client is connected, and (b) generate a portion of the data based on at least one or more events in the collaboration place, wherein the portion of the data is persistent and available for access by a second client after the first client has disconnected from the collaboration place and is no longer located in the collaboration place; administering collaboration activities among participating clients in each of the two or more independent collaboration places; based on administering the collaboration activities, generating activity data about events in each of the two or more independent collaboration places; implementing peripheral vision schemes corresponding to different forms of place-based awareness for the two or more independent collaboration places, wherein the peripheral vision schemes comprise a plurality of individual collaboration objects that;
(a) define different event categories representing a state of change in the two or more collaboration places, and (b) track the state of change represented by the defined event categories at least in one or more unconnected places of the two or more collaboration places other than that which the first client is currently located;applying the one or more peripheral vision schemes to the activity data to detect one or more events contemporaneous to their occurrence; and in response to applying the one or more peripheral visions schemes, providing one or more indicia communicating a form of place-based awareness in a collaboration interface to inform the first client of a recent state of change in the two or more collaboration places in the different event categories including information sufficient to inform the first client of a category of at least one of the events and the related activity data about at least one of the events. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A computer readable storage medium having computer readable instructions thereon for performing steps for collaboration, the steps comprising:
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providing a database for storing data associated with two or more independent collaboration places; providing a collaboration place interface to a first client that is configured to (a) connect the first client to each of the two or more independent collaboration places to locate the first client in the collaboration place to which the first client is connected, and (b) generate a portion of the data based on at least one or more events in the collaboration place, wherein the portion of the data is persistent and available for access by a second client after the first client has disconnected from the collaboration place and is no longer located in the collaboration place; administering collaboration activities among participating clients in each of the two or more independent collaboration places; based on administering the collaboration activities, generating activity data about events in each of the two or more independent collaboration places; implementing peripheral vision schemes corresponding to different forms of place-based awareness for the two or more independent collaboration places, wherein the peripheral vision schemes comprise a plurality of individual collaboration objects that;
(a) define different event categories representing a state of change in the two or more collaboration places, and (b) track the state of change represented by the defined event categories at least in one or more unconnected places of the two or more collaboration places other than that which the first client is currently located;applying the one or more peripheral vision schemes to the activity data to detect one or more events contemporaneous to their occurrence; and in response to applying the one or more peripheral visions schemes, providing one or more indicia communicating a form of place-based awareness in a collaboration interface to inform the first client of a recent state of change in the two or more collaboration places in the different event categories including information sufficient to inform the first client of a category of at least one of the events and the related activity data about at least one of the events. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A system for collaboration comprising:
a computer that is configured to contain a database for storing data associated with two or more independent collaboration places, and is configured to provide a collaboration place interface to a first client that is configured to (a) connect the first client to each of the two or more independent collaboration places to locate the first client in the collaboration place to which the first client is connected, and (b) generate a portion of the data based on at least one or more events in the collaboration place, wherein the portion of the data is persistent and available for access by a second client after the first client has disconnected from the collaboration place and is no longer located in the collaboration place, and is configured to administer collaboration activities among participating clients in each of the two or more independent collaboration places, based on administering the collaboration activities, generate activity data about events in each of the two or more independent collaboration places, implement peripheral vision schemes corresponding to different forms of place-based awareness for the two or more independent collaboration places, wherein the peripheral vision schemes comprise a plurality of individual collaboration objects that;
(a) define different event categories representing a state of change in the two or more collaboration places, and (b) track the state of change represented by the defined event categories at least in one or more unconnected places of the two or more collaboration places other than that which the first client is currently located, apply the one or more peripheral vision schemes to the activity data to detect one or more events contemporaneous to their occurrence, and in response to applying the one or more peripheral visions schemes, provide one or more indicia communicating a form of place-based awareness in a collaboration interface to inform the first client of a recent state of change in the two or more collaboration places in the different event categories including information sufficient to inform the first client of a category of at least one of the events and the related activity data about at least one of the events.- View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A computer-implemented method for making collaboration clients aware of current activity in a plurality of collaboration places, comprising:
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providing a database for storing data associated with two or more independent collaboration places; connecting a plurality of clients to at least one of the collaboration places using collaboration places interfaces to locate the clients in the connected collaboration place to which the clients are connected; administering collaboration activities among clients in each of the two or more independent collaboration places; based on administering the collaboration, generating activity data about events in each of the two or more independent collaboration places; identifying a set of different collaboration place aspects of interest to clients; tracking certain activity types of activity data about the events in the collaboration places using a plurality of individual collaboration objects that; (a) define different event categories representing a state of change in the two or more collaboration places, and (b) track the state of change represented by the defined event categories at least in one or more unconnected places other than that which a first client is currently located; detecting one or more of the different collaboration place aspects of interest based on the tracked types of activity data; and displaying visual indicia corresponding to the detected collaboration aspect in association with a corresponding collaboration place to present to the first client not currently in that collaboration place of the existence of a certain collaboration place aspect when that corresponding collaboration aspect is detected, wherein the indicia communicate a form of place-based awareness to inform of a recent state of change in the two or more collaboration places in the different event categories including information sufficient to inform of the category of at least one of the tracked events and related activity information of the tracked events. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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Specification