Techniques for sharing files within a collaborative communication system

• US 8,285,788 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• 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:
  US13/239,369
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/206, 709/219
• 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 group communication system is disclosed. The group communication system integrates a number of electronic communication tools to meet various communication needs among registered users in the system. According to one embodiment, a file is shared among members in a group. Instead of having a copy of the file be sent directly to all recipients at the same time, the file is retained in a store and downloaded therefrom to a client machine when a recipient decides to access the file. Further a mechanism is provided to retain a history of the file shared between or among the members so that everyone in the group can see what has been shared in the group.

Claims

1. A method for sharing a file, comprising:

sending a user directory to a first client machine of a plurality of client machines after a first registered user logs into a collaborative communication system via the first client machine, the user directory including a plurality of registered users including a second registered user, wherein the collaborative communication system is configured to provide communications for a group including the first and second registered users, the communications comprising internal mail exchanging, file sharing and message exchanging, the communications limited to within the group, each of the plurality of registered users is associated with a respective identifier that is configured to limit the communications to within the collaborative communication system;

accepting a selection of the second registered user;

receiving from the first client machine a request to upload a file intended for the second registered user to a store remotely located with respect to the plurality of client machines, wherein the file has already been generated and stored in the first client machine;

storing the file in the store;

notifying the second registered user of an accessibility of the file using the respective identifier of the second registered user when the second registered user logs into the collaborative communication system via a second client machine, wherein the notifying includes sending a notification to the second client machine, the notification is generated by a computing device in the collaborative communication system and delivered to the second client machine using the respective identifier, the file is downloaded to the second client machine when the second registered user accesses the file in response to the notification; and

storing a history of the communications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective identifier includes a sequence of numbers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective identifier includes a sequence of alphanumeric characters.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the accepting of the selection of the second registered user comprises:

retrieving the respective identifier of the second registered user; and

the notifying the second registered user comprises;

generating the notification for the second registered user based on a file list of the second registered user; and

pushing the notification to the second client machine when the second registered user is online in the collaborative communication system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the notifying the second registered user further comprises displaying an interface configured to show the file being received on the second client machine.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the interface includes a list configured to show files the second registered user has received that have not been accessed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the interface is updated when the second registered user accesses the file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of registered users outside of the group are prohibited from communicating with members of the group.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the group is initiated by a member of the group, and other members of the group are invited into the group.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the group is expanded by a member of the group inviting another registered user of the plurality of users to join the group.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the store is configured to store the file, and a physical network path leading to the store to access the file via an interface is hidden from the plurality of registered users.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal mail exchanging is configured to author an internal mail comprising:

a recipient area; and

a message area;

wherein the recipient area is configured to select at least one recipient from the user directory to receive the internal mail; and

wherein the internal mail is delivered to the at least one recipient using the respective identifier.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the message exchanging is configured to allow messages posted by members of the group to be viewed or responded to by the members of the group.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the second registered user is offline from the collaborative communication system when the first registered user shares the file with the second registered user.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations of the program comprising:

sending a user directory to a first client machine of a plurality of client machines after a first registered user logs into a collaborative communication system via the first client machine, the user directory including a plurality of registered users including a second registered user, wherein the collaborative communication system is configured to provide communications for a group including the first and second registered users, the communications comprising internal mail exchanging, file sharing and message exchanging, the communications limited to within the group, each of the plurality of registered users is associated with a respective identifier that is configured to limit the communications to within the collaborative communication system;

accepting a selection of the second registered user;

receiving from the first client machine a request to upload a file intended for the second registered user to a store remotely located with respect to the plurality of client machines, wherein the file has already been generated and stored in the first client machine;

storing the file in the store;

notifying the second registered user of an accessibility of the file using the respective identifier of the second registered user when the second registered user logs into the collaborative communication system via a second client machine, wherein the notifying includes sending a notification to the second client machine, the notification is generated by a computing device in the collaborative communication system and delivered to the second client machine using the respective identifier, the file is downloaded to the second client machine when the second registered user accesses the file in response to the notification; and

storing a history of the communications.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the respective identifier includes a sequence of numbers.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the respective identifier includes a sequence of alphanumeric characters.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the accepting of the selection of the second registered user comprises:

retrieving the respective identifier of the second registered user; and

the notifying the second registered user comprises;

generating the notification for the second registered user based on a file list of the second registered user; and

pushing the notification to the second client machine when the second registered user is online in the collaborative communication system.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the notifying the second registered user further comprises displaying an interface configured to show the file being received on the second client machine.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the interface includes a list configured to show files the second registered user has received that have not been accessed.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the interface is updated when the second registered user accesses the file.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of registered users outside of the group are prohibited from communicating members of the group.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the group is initiated by a member of the group, and other members of the group, are invited into the group.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the group is expanded by a member of the group inviting another registered user of the plurality of users to join the group.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the store is configured to store the file, and a physical network path leading to the store to access the file via an interface is hidden from the plurality of registered users.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the internal mail exchanging is configured to author an internal mail comprising:

a recipient area and

a message area,

wherein the recipient area is configured to select at least one recipient from the user directory to receive the internal mail; and

wherein the internal mail is delivered to the at least one recipient using the respective identifier.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the message exchanging is configured to allow messages posted by members of the group to be viewed or responded to by the members of the group.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second registered user is offline from the collaborative communication system when the first registered user shares the file with the second registered user.

29. A method for sharing a file, comprising:

receiving a user directory in a first client machine of a plurality of client machines after a first registered user logs into a collaborative communication system via the first client machine, the user directory including a plurality of registered users including a second registered user, wherein the collaborative communication system is configured to provide communications for a group including the first and second registered users, the communications comprising internal mail exchanging, file sharing and message exchanging, the communications limited to within the group, each of the plurality of registered users is associated with a respective identifier that is configured to limit the communications to within the collaborative communication system;

accepting a selection of the second registered user;

uploading a file intended for the second registered user to a store remotely located with respect to the plurality of client machines,

wherein the file has already been generated and stored in the first client machine, the file is stored in the store, and

wherein a server module in the collaborative communication system is configured to notify the second registered user of an accessibility of the file using the respective identifier of the second registered user when the second registered user logs into the collaborative communication system via a second client machine, wherein a notification is generated by a computing device in the collaborative communication system and delivered to the second client machine using the respective identifier, the file is downloaded to the second client machine when the second registered user accesses the file in response to the notification.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the respective identifier includes a sequence of numbers.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the respective identifier includes a sequence of alphanumeric characters.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising displaying an interface configured to show a list of files the first registered user has received that have not been accessed.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the interface is updated when the files in the list has been accessed by the first registered user.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the plurality of registered users outside of the group are prohibited from communicating with members of the group.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the group is initiated by a member of the group, and other members of the group are invited into the group.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the group is expanded by a member of the group inviting another registered user of the plurality of users to join the group.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the store acts is configured to store the file, and a physical network path leading to the store to access the file via an interface is hidden from the plurality of users.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the internal mail exchanging is configured to author an internal mail comprising:

a recipient area; and

a message area;

wherein the recipient area is configured to select at least one recipient from the user directory to receive the internal mail; and

wherein the internal mail is delivered to the at least one recipient using the respective identifier.

39. The method of claim 29, wherein the message exchanging is configured to allow messages posted by members of the group to be viewed or responded to by the members of the group.

40. The method of claim 29, wherein the second registered user is offline from the collaborative communication system when the first registered user shares the file with the second registered user.

41. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations of the program comprising:

receiving a user directory in the first client machine of a plurality of client machines after a first registered user logs into a collaborative communication system via the first client machine, the user directory including a plurality of registered users including a second registered user, wherein the collaborative communication system is configured to provide communications for a group including the first and second registered users, the communications comprising internal mail exchanging, file sharing and message exchanging, the communications limited to within the group, each of the plurality of registered users is associated with a respective identifier that is configured to limit the communications to within the collaborative communication system;

accepting a selection of the second registered user;

uploading a file intended for the second registered user to a store remotely located with respect to the plurality of client machines,

wherein the file has already been generated and stored in the first client machine, the file is stored in the store, and

wherein a server module in the collaborative communication system is configured to notify the second registered user of an accessibility of the file using the respective identifier of the second registered user when the second registered user logs into the collaborative communication system via a second client machine, wherein a notification is generated by a computing device in the collaborative communication system and delivered to the second client machine using the respective identifier, the file is downloaded to the second client machine when the second registered user accesses the file in response to the notification.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the respective identifier includes a sequence of numbers.

43. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the respective identifier includes a sequence of alphanumeric characters.

44. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, further comprising displaying an interface configured to show a list of files the first registered user has received that have not been accessed.

45. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 44, wherein the interface is updated when the files in the list has been accessed by the first registered user.

46. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the plurality of registered users outside of the group are prohibited from communicating with members of the group.

47. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 46, wherein the group is initiated by a member of the group, and other members of the group are invited into the group.

48. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the group is expanded by a member of the group inviting another registered user of the plurality of users to join the group.

49. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the store acts is configured to store the file and a physical network path leading to the store to access the file via an interface is hidden from the plurality of users.

50. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the internal mail exchanging is configured to author an internal mail comprising:

a recipient area; and

a message area;

wherein the recipient area is configured to select at least one recipient from the user directory to receive the internal mail; and

wherein the internal mail is delivered to the at least one recipient using the respective identifier.

51. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the message is configured to allow messages posted by members of the group to be viewed or responded to by the members of the group.

52. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the second registered user is offline from the collaborative communication system when the first registered user shares the file with the second registered user.