Systems, methods and tools for facilitating group collaborations

• US 9,836,490 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2014
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Greenberg, Mark, Gryc, Wojciech, Picard, Nicolas, Sekhar, Vivek
• Primary Examiner(s): Jalil, Neveen Abel
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONYERS, DAWAUNE A
• Application Number:
  US14/187,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20140172787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2246 Trees, e.g. B+trees
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

There are disclosed systems, method and tools for facilitating group collaborations. In an embodiment, collaborative ideas are represented in a modified tree data structure in which ideas are stored in nodes of the tree (an “idea tree”). Each node may be associated with data storage means, such as a table of records, in which different kinds of data can be stored. Data stored in the idea tree, or a part thereof, may be created, modified, deleted or organized by using various types of collaboration tools. A participant'"'"'s interaction with the idea tree, or a part thereof, using a particular collaboration tool may be mapped as a transformation of the idea tree from one state to another. Other participants may simultaneously or successively interact with the idea tree, or a part thereof, using the same or a different collaboration tool. A coherent representation of collaborative ideas can be developed and organized without excessive manual effort.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating group collaboration by a plurality of collaborators, at least one of said collaborators being a moderator, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of different collaboration tools, the plurality of different collaboration tools configured to collect data items from the plurality of collaborators, wherein the data items can be provided anonymously from one or more of the plurality of collaborators, and wherein the collaboration tools comprise at least a categorizer tool, a data item ranking tool, a solution matrix tool, and a moderator tool;

providing a tree data structure, the tree data structure initially having only a root node;

receiving input from at least one of the plurality of collaborators regarding one or more categories for said data items, wherein the categorizer tool is configured to categorize said data items according to said categories,

receiving said data items from said plurality of collaborators;

creating, using said received data items, a first level sub-node branching from said root node for each of said plurality of different collaboration tools;

receiving, simultaneously or sequentially, additional data items from said plurality of collaborators via one or more of the plurality of different collaboration tools;

analyzing the received additional data items;

categorizing said data items using the categorization tool;

associating, based on the analysis, each of the received additional data items with one or more of the first level sub-nodes;

modifying the one or more of the first level sub-nodes with the received additional data items, wherein the modification comprises an addition of one or more additional sub-nodes, wherein said one or more additional sub-nodes is either an additional first level sub-node or a second level sub-node, wherein said second level sub-node branches from the first level sub-node, wherein each of said plurality of sub-nodes is associated with a non-transitory storage medium configured to store said received data items, and wherein said tree data structure is configured to allow said plurality of collaborators to provide data items simultaneously or sequentially, and further wherein each sub-node represents one or more of the received data items;

presenting, by said ranking tool, at least some of said first level sub-nodes or second-level sub-nodes to the plurality of collaborators with a request to providing a ranking input for one or more of the sub-nodes;

receiving ranking input from at least one of the plurality of collaborators comprising a rank for at least one of the sub-nodes, wherein the ranking tool is configured to aggregate the received ranking input and create a collective ranking for each sub-node receiving a ranking;

presenting, by said solution matrix tool, a matrix comprising a set of criteria and, for each of said criteria, one or more proposed solutions that may meet that respective criterion, wherein at least some of the criteria and/or the proposed solutions comprise data items from the plurality of collaborators;

receiving input from the plurality of collaborators comprising a selection of one or more criterion for at least one of the set of criteria;

deleting, by a moderator using said moderator tool and based at least in part on the selections from the plurality of collaborators, one or more proposed solutions that do not meet a respective criterion; and

presenting, by the solution matrix tool, a preferred proposed solution to each of the set of criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of saving, in the non-transitory storage medium, the state of the tree data structure after each modification of the tree data structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said received data items are heterogeneous data items comprising at least two different types of data.

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

providing a retrieval collaboration tool, the retrieval collaboration tool configured to collect a plurality of stored data items from said tree data structure; and

retrieving a plurality of stored data items from said tree data structure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of said received data items are text-based, and the method further comprises the step of forming a document from said text-based data items, wherein said document is associated with one of said creates sub-nodes.

6. A system configured for facilitating group collaboration by a plurality of collaborators, at least one of said collaborators being a moderator, the system comprising:

a plurality of different collaboration tools, the plurality of different collaboration tools configured to collect data items from the plurality of collaborators, wherein the data items can be provided anonymously from one or more of the plurality of collaborators, and wherein the collaboration tools comprise at least a categorizer tool, a data item ranking tool, a solution matrix tool, and a moderator tool;

a tree data structure initially having only a root node;

a non-transitory storage medium configured to store said data items; and

a processor programmed to perform the steps of;

receiving input from at least one of the plurality of collaborators regarding one or more categories for said data items, wherein the categorizer tool is configured to categorize said data items according to said categories,

receiving said data items from said plurality of collaborators;

creating, using said received data items, a first level sub-node branching from said root node for each of said plurality of different collaboration tools;

receiving, simultaneously or sequentially, additional data items from said plurality of collaborators via one or more of the plurality of different collaboration tools;

analyzing the received additional data items;

categorizing said data items using the categorization tool;

associating, based on the analysis, each of the received additional data items with one or more of the first level sub-nodes; and

modifying the one or more of the first level sub-nodes with the received additional data items, wherein the modification comprises an addition of one or more additional sub-nodes, wherein said one or more additional sub-nodes is either an additional first level sub-node or a second level sub-node, wherein said second level sub-node branches from the first level sub-node, and further wherein said tree data structure is configured to allow said plurality of collaborators to provide data items simultaneously or sequentially;

presenting, by said ranking tool, at least some of said first level sub-nodes or second-level sub-nodes to the plurality of collaborators with a request to providing a ranking input for one or more of the sub-nodes;

receiving ranking input from at least one of the plurality of collaborators comprising a rank for at least one of the sub-nodes, wherein the ranking tool is configured to aggregate the received ranking input and create a collective ranking for each sub-node receiving a ranking;

presenting, by said solution matrix tool, a matrix comprising a set of criteria and, for each of said criteria, one or more proposed solutions that may meet that respective criterion, wherein at least some of the criteria and/or the proposed solutions comprise data items from the plurality of collaborators;

receiving input from the plurality of collaborators comprising a selection of one or more criterion for at least one of the set of criteria;

deleting, by a moderator using said moderator tool and based at least in part on the selections from the plurality of collaborators, one or more proposed solutions that do not meet a respective criterion; and

presenting, by the solution matrix tool, a preferred proposed solution to each of the set of criteria.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said processor is further programmed to perform the step of saving, in the non-transitory storage medium, the state of the tree data structure after each modification of the tree data structure.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said received data items are heterogeneous data items comprising at least two different types of data.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a retrieval collaboration tool, the retrieval collaboration tool configured to collect a plurality of stored data items from said tree data structure, and wherein said processor is further programmed to perform the step of retrieving a plurality of stored data items from said tree data structure.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein at least some of said received data items are text-based, and the processor is further programmed to perform the step of forming a document from said text-based data items, wherein said document is associated with one of said creates sub-nodes.

11. A non-transitory data processor readable medium storing data processor code that, when loaded into a data processing device, adapts the device to facilitate group collaboration by a plurality of collaborators, at least one of said collaborators being a moderator, the non-transitory data processor readable medium including:

code for providing a tree data structure, the tree data structure initially having only a root node;

code for receiving input from at least one of a plurality of collaborators regarding one or more categories for said data items, wherein a categorizer tool is configured to categorize data items according to said categories;

code for receiving a plurality of data items from the plurality of collaborators using the plurality of different collaboration tools, wherein the data items can be provided anonymously from one or more of the plurality of collaborators;

code for creating, using said received data items, a first level sub-node branching from said root node for each of said plurality of different collaboration tools;

code for receiving, simultaneously or sequentially, additional data items from said plurality of collaborators via one or more of the plurality of different collaboration tools;

code for analyzing the received additional data items;

code for categorizing said data items using the categorization tool;

code for associating, based on the analysis, each of the received additional data items with one or more of the first level sub-nodes;

code for modifying the one or more of the first level sub-nodes with the received additional data items, wherein the modification comprises an addition of one or more additional sub-nodes, wherein said one or more additional sub-nodes is either an additional first level sub-node or a second level sub-node, wherein said second level sub-node branches from the first level sub-node, wherein each of said plurality of sub-nodes is associated with a non-transitory storage medium configured to store said received data items, further wherein each sub-node represents one or more of the received data items, and further wherein said tree data structure is configured to allow said plurality of collaborators to provide data items simultaneously or sequentially;

code for presenting, by a ranking tool, at least some of said first level sub-nodes or second-level sub-nodes to the plurality of collaborators with a request to providing a ranking input for one or more of the sub-nodes;

code for receiving ranking input from at least one of the plurality of collaborators comprising a rank for at least one of the sub-nodes, wherein the ranking tool is configured to aggregate the received ranking input and create a collective ranking for each sub-node receiving a ranking;

code for presenting, by a solution matrix tool, a matrix comprising a set of criteria and, for each of said criteria, one or more proposed solutions that may meet that respective criterion, wherein at least some of the criteria and/or the proposed solutions comprise data items from the plurality of collaborators;

code for receiving input from the plurality of collaborators comprising a selection of one or more criterion for at least one of the set of criteria;

code for deleting, by a moderator using a moderator tool and based at least in part on the selections from the plurality of collaborators, one or more proposed solutions that do not meet a respective criterion; and

code for presenting, by the solution matrix tool, a preferred proposed solution to each of the set of criteria.

12. The non-transitory data processor readable medium of claim 11, further comprising code for saving, in the non-transitory storage medium, the state of the tree data structure after each modification of the tree data structure.

13. The non-transitory data processor readable medium of claim 11, wherein said received data items are heterogeneous data items comprising at least two different types of data.