Hall monitor-method and apparatus for providing contact information and communications capability for an organization

• US 20060224710A1
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Price, Dana L.
• Application Number:
  US11/084,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20060224710A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

The invention comprises a computer-implemented “hall monitor” system. The hall monitor includes a centralized database of employee presence data, and server software that allows users to update and access employee presence data over a network through a custom interface. The invention allows organizations to manage employees and members working from various locations who require updates as to their peers'"'"'current contact and location information at any given time.

Claims

1. A hall monitor system for displaying presence data in a client program over a network, the system comprising:

a database that identifies system users, a status for each system user, and at least one mode for contacting each system user;

a query program operative to query the database over a network connection and retrieve a result set from the database, the result set comprising the system users, the status of each system user, and each mode for contacting each system user;

an administrative program operative over the network to modify the system users identified in the database, modify the status of each system user identified in the database, and modify each mode for contacting each system user identified in the database;

a format program operative to mark the result set with markup language tags and to insert a command button into the result set that activates the administrative program; and

an interface program operative to transfer the marked result set and command button over the network to the client program.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the network connection uses a hypertext transfer protocol.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the markup language tags are hypertext markup language tags.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the markup language tags are extensible markup language tags.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a message module operable to send a message to one or more system users.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the message module further is operable to store the message in an archive.

7. A method of providing an graphical user interface to a computer-implemented hall monitor system having a display and a selection device, the method comprising:

querying a database over a network connection to retrieve a result set from the database, the result set comprising a set of system users, the status of each system user, and each mode for contacting each system user;

marking the result set with markup language tags;

inserting a modify command button into the result set;

drawing the result set with the modify command button on the display;

receving a modify signal indicating the activation of the modify command button and the modification of the result set; and

responsive to receiving the signal, modifying the database over the network connection so that the system users, the status of each system user, and each mode for contacting each system user conforms to the modifications of the result set.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the network connection uses a hypertext transfer protocol.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the markup language tags are hypertext markup language tags.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the markup language tags are extensible markup language tags.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

inserting a send command button into the result set;

receiving a send signal indicating the selection of one or more system users from the result set and the activation of the send command button;

responsive to receiving the send signal, sending a message to the selected system users.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising storing the message in an archive.

13. A hall monitor system for displaying presence data in a client program over a network, the system comprising:

a database means for identifying system users, a status for each system user, and at least one mode for contacting each system user;

a query means for retrieve a result set from the database over a network connection, the result set comprising the system users, the status of each system user, and each mode for contacting each system user;

an administrative means for modifying the system users, modifying the status of each system user, and modifying each mode for contacting each system user;

a format means for marking the result set with markup language tags and inserting a modify command button into the result set operable to activate the administrative means; and

an interface means for transferring the marked result set and modify command button over the network to the client program.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the network connection uses a hypertext transfer protocol.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the markup language tags are hypertext markup language tags.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the markup language tags are extensible markup language tags.

17. The system of claim 13 further comprising a message means for sending a message to one or more system users.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising means for storing the message in an archive.