System and method to create a collaborative web-based multimedia contextual dialogue

• US 8,464,164 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2009
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Simulat, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Simulat, Inc.
• Inventors: Hon, Henry, Hon, Timothy Henry, Rorex, David Paul, Bantista, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/319,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20120260195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 715735-737, 715750-753, 715758-759, 715/767
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing

Abstract

The present invention relates a method and system for collaborating in a shared network space comprising logging in from the one or more user machines to the shared space in a network from a user application to a host, wherein the shared space is created by interaction of executable codes in the host and the user application and the shared space is described by a session attribute list; loading a media application with tools into a one or more user machines; inputting graphical content; and displaying the content by other user machines in the shared space synchronously or asynchronously including anchoring a sidebar panel to a region of a browser; creating one or more user messages in the sidebar panel; displaying graphical content on a whiteboard; highlighting points of interest within the graphical content; and associating said user messages to the points of interest by one or more lines.

Claims

1. A method to collaborate, interact with and perform multimedia tasks in a shared space within a network comprising the steps of:

A. logging in from one or more user machines to a shared space in a network from a user application to a host, wherein the shared space is created by interaction of executable codes in the host and the user application and the shared space is described by a session attribute list;

a. said logging in step further including;

registering the user in a shared virtual environment based on user'"'"'s credentials and other supplied parameters;

b. administrating the shared space by selecting the subset of tools available to an administrator and to one or more guests;

c. maintaining a log of the actions and the resulting status of media-layers and their media for all users who are logged into the same session;

d. allowing users see who is logged in, send email invitations, set user permissions, lock and unlock the room for the shared session;

B. loading a media application with a plurality of tools into one or more user machines;

inputting graphical content; and

C. displaying the graphical content by other user machines in the shared space in one of a synchronous or asynchronous mode including anchoring a sidebar panel to a region of a web browser;

D. creating one or more user messages in the sidebar panel;

E. displaying graphical content in the form of one of a document, waveform, or multidimensional graphic on a whiteboard within the browser;

F. highlighting points of interest within the graphical content; and

G. associating said user messages to the points of interest by one or more persistent lines;

H. said highlighting in step further including;

a. placing an icon on the point of interest that links to the user message, wherein said icon designates said point of interest within the graphical content that opens the message and related messages that form a thread;

b. clicking on message icon that associates the point of interest on the media by the icon to lock down the point of interest;

I. replying optionally by a user to the point of interest by adding a new comment that is posted to the sidebar panel forming a message thread.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

filtering one or more messages according to one of author of message, message content, date, time, media-layers, user comments, notes, and drawings.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

filtering to temporarily hide all media-layer content except for one of the selected user or selected date range.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

producing one of a write up on a log or a page illustrating a summary of all inputs into the space.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

tracking all user inputs for the purpose of producing the log of all logins, inputs and interactions by users within the shared space.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

moving highlighted points of interest within the graphical content in accordance with the intentions of a user.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of the host communicating to a database to retrieve a user'"'"'s session attribute list.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a stage manager tool manages the viewing or hiding of one or more media-layers in the user application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the media application is a plug-in for text, voice, video or graphic application.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the stage manager tool allows a user to sort information by content, spatial, temporal and inter relationships between media-layers.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the stage manager tool further comprising the step of filtering designated media-layers to restrict viewing by a user.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the stage manager tool further comprises the step of grouping collections of media-layers into a book metaphor.

13. A system to collaborate, interact with and perform multimedia tasks in a shared space within a network comprising:

a host server for communicating with a database and a file storage through a network;

one or more user machines with associated user applications for logging onto the host server to join a shared space session with other user machines running user applications, wherein the shared space session is generated by interaction of executable codes in the host and the user applications and the shared space session is described by a session attribute list;

a media application with a plurality of tools loaded into the user machines;

at least one user provided graphical content installed into the media-layers; and

a stage manager to facilitate the display of media-layer updates to other users in the shared space in one of a synchronous or asynchronous mode that includes one or more user messages contained in a sidebar panel anchored to a region of a web browser of a user machine, whereby at least a portion of the message relates to graphical content displayed on a whiteboard within the browser, and whereby points of interest within the graphical content are highlighted and associated to said message by one or more persistent lines;

said highlighting further including;

placing an icon on the point of interest that links to the user message, wherein said icon designates said point of interest within the graphical content that opens the message and related messages that form a thread;

clicking on message icon that associates the point of interest on the media by the icon to lock down the point of interest; and

replying optionally by a user to the point of interest by adding a new comment that is posted to the sidebar panel forming a message thread.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the graphic depicts a form of digital content presented in the form of one of a document, waveform, or multidimensional graphic.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the one of the synchronous or asynchronous message exchange occurs in a chat room.

16. The system of claim 13 further comprising a web server with a file storage communicating a tool list to the web browser through the network.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein a stage manager tool manages the viewing or hiding of the media-layers in the web browser.

18. The system of claim 13 further comprising a filtering tool to restrict viewing of designated media-layers by other users.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium, for collaborating, interacting with and performing multimedia tasks in a shared space within a network to be executed on one or more remote computers, comprising code for:

logging in from one or more user machines to a shared space in a network from a user application to a host, wherein the shared space is created by interaction of executable codes in the host and the user application and the shared space is described by a session attribute list;

a. said logging in step further including;

registering the user in a shared virtual environment based on user'"'"'s credentials and other supplied parameters;

b. administrating the shared space by selecting the subset of tools available to an administrator and to one or more guests;

c. maintaining a log of the actions and the resulting status of media-layers and their media for all users who are logged into the same session;

d. allowing users see who is logged in, send email invitations, set user permissions, lock and unlock the room for the shared session;

B. loading a media application with a plurality of tools into one or more user machines;

inputting graphical content; and

C. displaying the graphical content by other user machines in the shared space in one of a synchronous or asynchronous mode including anchoring a sidebar panel to a region of a web browser;

D. creating one or more user messages in the sidebar panel;

E. displaying graphical content in the form of one of a document, waveform, or multidimensional graphic on a whiteboard within the browser;

F. highlighting points of interest within the graphical content; and

G. associating said user messages to the points of interest by one or more persistent lines;

H. said highlighting in step further including;

a. placing an icon on the point of interest that links to the user message, wherein said icon designates said point of interest within the graphical content that opens the message and related messages that form a thread;

b. clicking on message icon that associates the point of interest on the media by the icon to lock down the point of interest;

I. replying optionally by a user to the point of interest by adding a new comment that is posted to the sidebar panel forming a message thread.