Communication workspace

• US 8,782,179 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Megiddo, Eran, Goodman, Joshua T., Harris, Jensen M., Dumais, Susan T., Ehrenberg, Michael V., Shoroff, Srikanth, Gates, William H. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chacko, Joe
• Application Number:
  US12/098,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20090254390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,293 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 705/7.14, 705/7.23
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Multiple pieces of information can be arranged into a single construct that allows the employee to ascertain information quickly while at her workstation. Selection of information for placement into the construct can employ various statistical models and the like. Selective pieces of information can be masked for a user'"'"'s construct based upon access rights of the user. Constructs can be configured by a user based on personal preferences as well as by an administrator. Population of metadata upon the construct can be performed automatically through an instruction of the administrator or be overridden by a user request. In addition, various types of synchronization can be implemented between constructs, such that identical or near-identical information is populated upon multiple constructs.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

memory having stored therein computer executable components; and

a processor that executes the computer executable components that comprise;

a search component that gathers data regarding a plurality of individuals that have capability of working on a team protect;

a personnel component that identifies from the gathered data at least two individuals from the plurality of individuals having particular characteristics of interest;

a build component that creates a team of individuals respectively possessing desired characteristics as a function of member availability to work on the team project, the team of individuals including the two individuals;

an analysis component that analyzes the gathered data and employs a subset of the gathered data in connection with generating a workstation business profile of the team for an individual, the workstation business profile improving an operation of an employment or business relationship by allowing multiple members of the team that work on the team project to share information relating to the team project, the workstation business profile organizing at least two pieces of information into a construct where the organized pieces of information relate to the individual and the team;

a decision component that determines at least part of a communication between the two individuals of the team is beneficial to the individual, the communication including an instant message conversation between the two individuals of the team, the two individuals being distinct from the individual;

a security unit that evaluates sensitivity of the gathered data at least partly based on confidentiality of contents of the gathered data and an access right of the individual to access the gathered data, and selectively masks or exposes a portion or all of the communication at least based on the access right of the individual; and

an update component that presents at least the portion of the communication at the workstation business profile.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the workstation business profile is segmented into topical or source-specific areas.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the build component creates the team based on a time availability to work on the project.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the decision component selects the gathered data for association into the workstation business profile.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the security unit enforces one or more security policies in connection with data access or dissemination.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial intelligence component that makes at least one inference or at least one determination in relation to the gathered data, the generation of workstation business profile, or a combination thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the update component modifies the workstation business profile in accordance with a contextual change.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an alteration component that modifies format of at least part of the gathered data.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an input component that receives parameters used in the generation of the workstation business profile.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a breakdown component that collapses at least part of the gathered data into a conversation unit.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising an error component that processes at least one fault related to the workstation business profile.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a situation component that determines at least one presentation construct associated with the workstation business profile.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the search component searches across one or more sources to gather information relating to the individual in a business context, the one or more sources including an internet, an intranet, or a local storage, the information including an instant message, an email, an entry log, or a document.

13. A method for enriching business communication performed by a processor executing computer-executable instructions stored on memory, the method comprising:

gathering data regarding a plurality of individuals that have capability of working on a team project;

identifying from the gathered data at least two individuals from the plurality of individuals having particular characteristics of interest;

creating a team of individuals respectively possessing desired characteristics as a function of member availability to work on the team project, the team of individuals including the two individuals;

analyzing the gathered data and employing a subset of the gathered data in connection with generating a workstation business profile of the team for an individual, the workstation business profile improving an operation of an employment or business relationship by allowing multiple members of the team that work on the team project to share information relating to the team project, the workstation business profile organizing at least two pieces of information into a construct where the organized pieces of information relate to the individual and the team;

determining at least part of a communication between the two individuals of the team is beneficial to the individual, the communication including an instant message conversation between the two individuals of the team, the two individuals being distinct from the individual;

evaluating sensitivity of the gathered data at least partly based on confidentiality of contents of the gathered data and an access right of the individual to access the gathered data;

selectively masking or exposing a portion or all of the communication at least based on the access right of the individual; and

presenting at least the portion of the communication at the workstation business profile.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the gathering data comprises conducting a search across one or more sources to gather information relating to the individual in a business context, the one or more sources including an internet, an intranet, or a local storage.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the information includes an instant message, an email, an entry log, or a document.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising limiting the search to a subset of the one or more data sources as a function of a security policy or a user preference.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising identifying at least two relationships of different types between the individual and one or more other individuals, the at least two relationships being included in the workstation business profile.

18. Memory having computer-executable instructions encoded thereon that upon execution configure a computer to perform operations comprising:

gathering data regarding a plurality of individuals that have capability of working on a team project;

identifying from the gathered data at least two individuals from the plurality of individuals having particular characteristics of interest;

creating a team of individuals respectively possessing desired characteristics as a function of member availability to work on the team project, the team of individuals including the two individuals;

analyzing the gathered data and employing a subset of the gathered data in connection with generating a workstation business profile of the team for an individual, the workstation business profile improving an operation of an employment or business relationship by allowing multiple members of the team that work on the team project to share information relating to the team project, the workstation business profile organizing at least two pieces of information into a construct where the organized pieces of information relate to the individual and the team;

determining at least part of a communication between the two individuals of the team is beneficial to the individual, the communication including an instant message conversation between the two individuals of the team, the two individuals being distinct from the individual;

evaluating sensitivity of the gathered data at least partly based on confidentiality of contents of the gathered data and an access right of the individual to access the gathered data;

selectively masking or exposing a portion or all of the communication at least based on the access right of the individual; and

presenting at least the portion of the communication at the workstation business profile.

19. The memory of claim 18, wherein the gathering data comprises conducting a search across one or more sources to gather information relating to the individual in a business context, the one or more sources including an internet, an intranet, or a local storage, the information including an instant message, an email, an entry log, or a document.