Collaborative information spaces

• US 7,219,107 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Beringer, Joerg
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/663,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/104.1, 707/1, 707/3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• 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 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method includes defining collaborative information spaces (CISs) on a corporate intranet using semantic definitions that reflect how people work together. A classification scheme allows network spaces (e.g., intranet spaces) to be defined, e.g., defining resources and/or information associated with tasks and people. The classification scheme may also be used to define standard collaborative entities that should be supported within an enterprise. The CIS(s) and/or collaborative entities may have associated privacy levels to control access to information and resources of the CIS. The classification scheme allows a user, or group of users, to define public and private information spaces. For example, a user may define public information on a web-page that defines the users skills and assigned tasks. The user may have another set of private information that is accessible only to other members of others having a common task.

Claims

1. A method for publishing information associated with a collaborative entity within an enterprise, the method comprising:

identifying at least one purpose for publishing information within the enterprise;

classifying information associated with the collaborative entity according to the identified purpose;

creating web-page templates for each combination of purpose and associated collaborative entity based on the classified information;

deploying the web-page templates as collaborative information source templates, whereby the collaborative entity can publish information using the collaborative information source templates;

analyzing the published information to generate profiles for the collaborative entity or persons associated with the enterprise; and

enabling searching for an expert using the generated profiles.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the collaborative entity corresponds to at least one of a person, a team, a project, an initiative, and a community.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying hyperlink information on the web-page templates, the hyperlink information representing a link to additional information associated with the collaborative entity.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a privacy level to the published information, wherein the privacy level comprises one of a public privacy level open generally to users in the enterprise and a private privacy level closed to users not associated with the collaborative entity.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling navigation between the expert and the published information associated with the expert.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling pushing of information to target users based on the generated profiles.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated profiles include a skill set related to the associated collaborative entity or persons.

8. A system for publishing information associated with a collaborative entity within an enterprise, the system comprising:

a memory including a program that

identifies at least one purpose for publishing information within the enterprise;

classifies information associated with the collaborative entity according to the identified purpose;

creates web-page templates for each combination of purpose and associated collaborative entity based on the classified information;

deploys the web-page templates as collaborative information source templates, whereby the collaborative entity can publish information using the collaborative information source templates;

analyzes the published information to generate profiles for the collaborative entity or persons associated with the enterprise; and

enables searching for an expert using the generated profiles; and

a processor that runs the program.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the collaborative entity corresponds to at least one of a person, a team, a project, an initiative, and a community.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the program further comprises:

displaying hyperlink information on the web-page templates, the hyperlink information representing a link to additional information associated with the collaborative entity.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the program further comprises:

assigning a privacy level to the published information, wherein the privacy level comprises one of a public privacy level open generally to users in the enterprise and a private privacy level closed to users not associated with the collaborative entity.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the program further comprises:

enabling navigation between the expert and the published information associated with the expert.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the program further comprises:

enabling pushing of information to target users based on the generated profiles.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the generated profiles include a skill set related to the associated collaborative entity or persons.

15. A computer program product including instructions for execution by a processor to perform a method for publishing information associated with a collaborative entity within an enterprise, the method comprising:

identifying at least one purpose for publishing information within the enterprise;

classifying information associated with the collaborative entity according to the identified purpose;

creating web-page templates for each combination of purpose and associated collaborative entity based on the classified information;

deploying the web-page templates as collaborative information source templates, whereby the collaborative entity can publish information using the collaborative information source templates;

analyzing the published information to generate profiles for the collaborative entity or persons associated with the enterprise; and

enabling searching for an expert using the generated profiles.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

enabling pushing of information to target users based on the generated profiles.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the generated profiles include a skill set related to the associated collaborative entity or persons.