Method and software for supporting improved awareness of and collaboration among users involved in a task

• US 6,507,845 B1
• Filed: 09/14/1999
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Foley, Steve, Cohen, Andrew L., Stachel, Bob
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Sanjiv
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, CAM Y T
• Application Number:
  US09/395,642
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 707/513, 707/503-505, 707/102, 707/100, 707/104, 707/1, 707/3, 707/10, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 707/608
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/947 Human resources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The present invention discloses methods for improving awareness of the status of a task, and for improving collaboration among users involved in a task. Methods are provided in which activity data is displayed simultaneously in two separate regions of a screen display. A first region can contain a list of users in association with an activity most recently performed by each user. A second region can contain a list of data objects in association with an activity most recently performed on each of the data objects. Collaboration tools can be accessible through the list of users or the list of data objects.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a computer for improving awareness of a status of a task, the method comprising:

storing a first set of data representing a plurality of users involved in the task and a second set of data representing a plurality of data objects involved in the task;

receiving task-related data representing activities performed by each of the plurality of users involved in the task on the plurality of data objects involved in the task;

at a first time displaying in a first region of a screen display of the at least one of the users involved in the task a list of the plurality of users in association with an activity performed by each of the users at or most recently to the first time; and

allowing each user to initiate through the list of users one or more first collaboration tools with one or more users selected by such user, the first collaboration tools being selected from a group consisting of a synchronous communication tool, an asynchronous communication tool, and a tool for simultaneous use of a data object;

at the first time displaying in a second region of the screen display of the at least one of the users a list of the plurality of data objects in association with an activity performed upon each of the plurality of data objects at or most recently to the first time; and

allowing each user to initiate through the list of data objects one or more second collaboration tools relating to a data object selected by such user, the second collaboration tools being selected from the group consisting of a tool for viewing a history of activities relating to the selected data object, a tool for generating a work flow relating to the selected data object, and a tool for simultaneous use of a data object with one or more other users selected by such user.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising allowing the at least one user to select a first of the data objects from the lists of users or data objects and to manipulate the selected data object in an application program while displaying the lists of users and data objects.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising allowing at least one of the users to select the plurality of users involved in the task from among a larger group of users.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising allowing at least one of the users to select the plurality of data objects involved in the task from among a larger group of data objects.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving task-related data comprises receiving general activity data representing activities performed by a larger group of users upon a larger group of data objects, and selecting the task-related data from the general activity data using the first and second sets of data.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising allowing a first of the users to create an electronic note in relation to a first of the data objects, associating the electronic note to the first data object, and displaying a visual indicator of the electronic note associated with the first data object in the lists of users or data objects.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising allowing a second of the users to select the electronic note from the lists of users or data objects, and displaying the electronic note in response to the second user'"'"'s selection thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the list of users comprises displaying a visual indicator for each of the users performing activities upon one of the data objects at the first time.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising storing a plurality of activities performed upon a first of the data objects in association with identifiers of the user or users who performed each of such activities, and displaying a list of the stored activities and associated user identifiers at the request of a first of the users.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising allowing the users to input data representing activities performed on the first data object, storing the input data, and displaying the input data in the list of stored activities.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising allowing the first user to select one of the activities in the list and displaying the data object as it existed following the selected activity.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising storing a plurality of activities performed by a first of the users in association with identifiers of the data object or objects upon which such activities were performed, and displaying a list of the stored activities and associated data object identifiers at the request of a first of the users.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising allowing a first user to select a second user from the displayed list of users and establishing communication between the first and second users.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising allowing a first user to select a second user from the displayed list of users, and allowing the first and second user to share a data object associated with the second user.

15. The method of claim 1, comprising allowing a first of the users to designate a work flow for a first of the data objects, the work flow comprising a set of the users ordered in a defined sequence to perform activities upon the data object.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the list of users comprises displaying the list of users in a first window on the screen display and the step of displaying the list of data objects comprises displaying the list of data objects in a second window on the screen display.

17. A computer readable medium storing program code for, when executed on a computer, causing the computer to perform a method for improving awareness of a status of a task, the method comprising:

storing a first set of data representing a plurality of users involved in the task and a second set of data representing a plurality of data objects involved in the task;

receiving task-related data representing activities performed by each of the plurality of users involved in the task on the plurality of data objects involved in the task;

at a first time displaying in a first region of a screen display of at least one of the users involved in the task a list of the plurality of users in association with an activity performed by each of the users at or most recently to the first time;

allowing each user to initiate through the list of users one or more first collaboration tools with one or more users selected by such user, the first collaboration tools being selected from a group consisting of a synchronous communication tool, an asynchronous communication tool, and a tool for simultaneous use of a data object;

at the first time displaying in a second region of the screen display of the at least one of the users a list of the plurality of data objects in association with an activity performed upon each of the plurality of data objects at or most recently to the first time; and

allowing each user to initiate through the list of data objects one or more second collaboration tools relating to a data object selected by such user, the second collaboration tools being selected from the group consisting of a tool for viewing a history of activities relating to the selected data object, a tool for generating a work flow relating to the selected data object, and a tool for simultaneous use of a data object with one or more other users selected by such user.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method comprises allowing the at least one user to select a first of the data objects from the lists of users or data objects and to manipulate the selected data object in an application program while displaying the lists of users and data objects.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method comprises allowing at least one of the users to select the plurality of users involved in the task from among a larger group of users.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method comprises allowing at least one of the users to select the plurality of data objects involved in the task from among a larger group of data objects.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the step of receiving task-related data comprises receiving general activity data representing activities performed by a larger group of users upon a larger group of data objects, and selecting the task-related data from the general activity data using the first and second sets of data.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method comprises allowing a first of the users to create an electronic note in relation to a first of the data objects, associating the electronic note to the first data object, and displaying a visual indicator of the electronic note associated with the first data object in the lists of users or data objects.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the method comprises allowing a second of the users to select the electronic note from the lists of users or data objects, and displaying the electronic note in response to the second user'"'"'s selection thereof.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the step of displaying the list of users comprises displaying a visual indicator for each of the users performing activities upon one of the data objects at the first time.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method comprises storing a plurality of activities performed upon a first of the data objects in association with identifiers of the user or users who performed each of such activities, and displaying a list of the stored activities and associated user identifiers at the request of a first of the users.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, comprising allowing the users to input data representing activities performed on the first data object, storing the input data, and displaying the input data in the list of stored activities.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the method comprises allowing the first user to select one of the activities in the list and displaying the data object as it existed following the selected activity.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method comprises storing a plurality of activities performed by a first of the users in association with identifiers of the data object or objects upon which such activities were performed, and displaying a list of the stored activities and associated data object identifiers at the request of a first of the users.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method comprises allowing a first user to select a second user from the displayed list of users and establishing communication between the first and second users.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method comprises allowing a first user to select a second user from the displayed list of users, and allowing the first and second user to share a data object associated with the second user.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method comprises allowing a first of the users to designate a work flow for a first of the data objects, the work flow comprising a set of the users ordered in a defined sequence to perform activities upon the data object.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the step of displaying the list of users comprises displaying the list of users in a first window on the screen display and the step of displaying the list of data objects comprises displaying the list of data objects in a second window on the screen display.

33. A computer readable medium storing program code for, when executed on a computer, causing the computer to improve awareness and collaboration among a selected set of users involved in a project, the project involving a selected set of documents, the method comprising:

receiving data representing activities performed by the users on the plurality of documents;

at a first time displaying in a first region of a screen display of the computer a list of the users in association with an activity performed by each of the users at or most recently to the first time;

allowing each user to initiate through the list of users one or more first collaboration tools with one or more users selected by such user, the first collaboration tools being selected from a group consisting of a synchronous communication tool, an asynchronous communication tool, and a tool for simultaneously use of a document;

at the first time displaying in a second region of the screen display a list of the documents in association with an activity performed upon each of the plurality documents at or most recently to the first time; and

allowing each user to initiate through the list of documents one or more second collaboration tools relating to a document selected by such user, the second collaboration tools being selected from a group consisting of a tool for viewing a history of activities relating to the selected document, a tool for generating a work flow relating to the selected document, and a tool for simultaneously use of a document with one or more other users selected by such user.