Collaborative communication platforms

• US 8,176,123 B1
• Filed: 05/29/2010
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BCS Software LLC (d/b/a Bluebonnet Consulting Services & Software)
• Original Assignee: Back Micro Solutions LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Wang, Jinsheng, Wang, Lu
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Kyung H
• Application Number:
  US12/790,816
• Time in Patent Office: 710 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/215, 709/226, 707/999.01
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• 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: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2521 Translation architectures other than single NAT servers

Abstract

A collaborative communication system is disclosed. The collaborative communication system integrates a number of electronic communication tools to meet the collaborative communication needs for an enterprise, family members or friends. The collaborative communication system allows a group of users to participate in communications including chatting and accessing files among the specified users. When a users uploads a file to a file store, each of the users gets notified of the availability of the file for accessing, wherein the file is not sent to any of client machines respectively used by the users, and is downloaded to a client machine when one of the specified users associated with the client machine accesses the file in the file store, thus avoiding to distribute copies of the file to each of the users regardless they need it or not.

Claims

1. A method for collaborative communication, the method comprising:

designating a collaborative group including a plurality of specified users chosen from a directory of users to participate in communications including chatting among the plurality of specified users and accessing shared files uploaded by the plurality of specified users,

wherein each of the plurality of specified users is associated with a respective client machine;

automatically notifying the plurality of specified users of an availability of a shared file for downloading when one of the plurality of specified users uploads the shared file to a file store,

wherein the shared file is downloaded to the respective client machine of another of the plurality of specified users when the another of the plurality of specified users requests a download of the shared file in the file store; and

storing an archive of the communications,

wherein the archive is accessible by a late-joining user, and

wherein the archive of the communications includes time-stamps of the chatting and the uploaded shared files.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the file store is maintained on a server, and a directory path of the file store is hidden to the plurality of specified users.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the shared file is accessible within a predetermined time frame.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined time frame is predetermined either by the server or by the one of the plurality of specified users.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a user interface on the respective client machine, the user interface including;

a list of representations of users in the directory, and

a group domain,

wherein the group domain includes a representation of the collaborative group.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user interface further includes a private domain including two listing areas, one of the two listing areas corresponding to a list of one or more files to be shared with a user of another client machine displaying a user interface, and another of the two listing areas for the user of the another client machine displaying the user interface to transport files to be used elsewhere.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the representation of the collaborative group shows a representation of the shared file when the shared file is uploaded, and the representation of the shared file changes when the shared file has been accessed.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the list of representations of users in the directory include a plurality of identifiers and a plurality of icons, a first of the plurality of identifiers respectively identifying a user in the directory, an icon of the plurality of icons respectively associating with the user in the directory;

and the method further comprises;

displaying an image when one of the users in the directory is selected, wherein the image is an enlarged version of the icon associated with the selected user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the image allows recognition of the selected user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the archive is stored on a server and accessible by the users in the directory to review the communications in the archive.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the late-joined user is invited by one of the plurality of specified users to join the collaborative group, and the method further comprises:

updating a user interface on a client machine being used by the late-joined user to show an updated group domain that includes a representation of the collaborative group; and

allowing access to the archive by the late-joined user to update the user interface of the late-joined user and to access the communications of the collaborative group stored in the archive.

12. A system for collaborative communication, the system comprising:

a collaborative group of a plurality of specified users chosen from a directory and each associated with a respective client machine to participate in communications including chatting among the plurality of specified users and accessing shared files uploaded by the plurality of specified users;

wherein a user interface, displayed on each respective client machine, includes a list of representations of users in the directory,

wherein further the user interface is automatically updated to indicate availability of a shared file for downloading when one of the plurality of specified users uploads the shared file to a file store.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the file store is maintained on a server, and a directory path of the file store is hidden to the plurality of specified users.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the shared file is accessible within a predetermined time frame.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined time frame is determined either automatically by the server or by one of the plurality of specified users.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface further includes a group domain, wherein the group domain includes a representation of the collaborative group.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the representation of the collaborative group shows a representation of the shared file when the shared file is uploaded to the file store, and the representation of the shared file changes when the shared file has been accessed.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface further includes a private domain including two listing areas, one of the two listing areas corresponding to a list of one or more files to be shared with a user of another client machine displaying a user interface, and another of the two listing areas for the user of the another client machine displaying the user interface to transport files to be used elsewhere.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the list of representations of users in the directory includes a plurality of identifiers and a plurality of icons, the plurality of identifiers respectively identifies the users in the directory, and the plurality of icons respectively associates with the users in the directory;

and the system further comprises;

an image displayed in the user interface when one of the users in the directory is selected, wherein the image is an enlarged version of the icon associated with the selected user.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the late-joined user is invited by one of the plurality of specified users to join the collaborative group, and a user interface on a client machine being used by the late-joined user is configured to receive an update to show an updated group domain that includes a representation of the collaborative group;

and

wherein further the late-joined user is allowed access to the archive to update the user interface of the late-joined user and access the communications of the collaborative group stored in the archive.