US 20060053194A1
(19) United States
(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. N0.: US 2006/0053194 A1
(43) Pub. Date:
Schneider et al.
(54)
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR
COLLABORATION
Publication Classi?cation
(76) Inventors: Ronald E. Schneider, Boulder, CO
(US); David Glazer, Woodside, CA
(US); Leonard C. Karpel, Lyons, CO
(US); Michael M. Nordman, Mountain
View, CA (US)
(51) Int. Cl.
G06F 15/16
(52)
(2006.01)
US. Cl. ............................................................ ..709/204
(57)
ABSTRACT
In some embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods
Correspondence Address:
provide a client-server infrastructure capable of supporting
a variety of asynchronous and synchronous collaboration
WINSTON & STRAWN LLP
1700 K STREET, N.W.
WASHINGTON, DC 20006 (US)
(21) Appl. No.:
Mar. 9, 2006
activities in a so-called collaboration place. Some of these
activities include chatting, vieWing and/or editing one or
10/989,259
more data ?les, and sharing one or more applications, data
Nov. 15, 2004
ports seamless navigation betWeen the supported asynchro
Related US. Application Data
nous and synchronous activities in the collaboration place.
Additionally, the client-server architecture supports data
(60) Provisional application No. 60/607,388, ?led on Sep.
3, 2004.
persistence, so that data ?les associated With the collabora
tion place can be stored for subsequent access.
(22)
Filed:
?les, and/or displays. The client-server infrastructure sup
140
100
Client Digital Data Processing Device 1
Server Digital Data Processing Device 1
Memory 118
Operating System 116
So?ware Application Program 1
Network Connection Process 132
Database Interface Process 134
Administrative Process 136
-W 104
Request 138
So?ware Application Program N }_
Software Application Program 1 }
Network Connection Process 130
-
Request 138
I Processor 114
I
INetworking Subsystem I28
I
I Graphics Subsystem 122
I
I DO Subsystem 124
I
Server Digital Data Processing Device Q
I Display Device 126
I
K 1 50
\
>
Database 1
User Data 142
Place Data 144
Place Rules 148
t
m
.
108
Software Application Program P
;
Client Digital Data Processing Device M
Database R
Patent Application Publication Mar. 9, 2006 Sheet 2 0f 43
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Patent Application Publication Mar. 9, 2006 Sheet 3 0f 43
Client
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US 2006/0053194 A1
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FIG.2A
Client
Patent Application Publication Mar. 9, 2006 Sheet 4 0f 43
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Patent Application Publication Mar. 9, 2006 Sheet 10 0f 43
US 2006/0053194 A1
Patent Application Publication Mar. 9, 2006 Sheet 14 0f 43
US 2006/0053194 A1
RECEIVE REQUEST FOR A USER ACCOUNT/m 410
l
REQUEST LOGIN INFORMATION TO BE ASSOCIATED /’\/ 420
AND TO RESTRICT ACCESS TO THE USER ACCOUNT
l
sTORE RECEIVED LOGIN INFORMATION IN UsER DATA//_\/ 430
l
RECEIVE REQUEST TO ESTABLISH A NEW PLACE //\,/ 440
I
REQUEST TO PROVIDE A PLACE IDENTIFIER FOR
ASSOCIATION WITH THE NEW PLACE
/-\/ 450
’
I
REQUEST TO IDENTIFY THE AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANTS //\_/ 460
OF THE NEW PLACE
REQUEST TO ASSOCIATE ONE OR MORE DATA //—-\_/ 47o
FILES WITH THE NEW PLACE
i
ESTABLISH THE NEW PLACE BASED ON:
(I) UPLOADING THE DATA FILES;
(II) ASSOCIATING THE PLACE IDENTIFIER WITH THE USER
IDENTIFIERS FOR THE AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANTS AND THE /’\/ 480
UPLOADED DATA FILES, AND
(III) UPDATING UsER DATA AND COLLABORATION sEssION
DATA TO INCLUDE DATA FOR THE NEW PLACE
FIG. 4
Patent Application Publication Mar. 9, 2006 Sheet 15 0f 43
US 2006/0053194 A1
510
\
RECEIVE REQUEST FROM FIRST CLIENT FOR ACCESSING SYSTEM 100
I
I
REQUEST LOGIN INFORMATION FROM THE FIRST CLIENT //\/515
AUTI-IENTICATE FIRST CLIENT BASED ON LOGIN INFORMATION ’\/52D
1
QUERY DATABASES FOR PLACE IDENTIFIERS ASSOCIATED
WITH THE CORRESPONDING FIRST USER IDENTIFIER
//\/525
i
REQUEST FIRST CLIENT TO SELECT ,/x_/ 530
AMONG THE PLACE IDENTIFIERS
I
RECEIVE A SELECTION OF A PLACE
//_\_/ 535
IDENTIFIER FROM THE FIRST CLIENT
I
QUERY DATABASES TO FIND DATA ASSOCIATED //-\/ 540
WITH THE SELECTED PLACE IDENTIFIER
I
PROVIDE DATA ASSOCIATED WITH THE SELECTED PLACE
IDENTIFIER TO FIRST CLIENT FOR PRESENTATION IN
/'\/ 545
PLACE INTERFACE
TO 550 IN FIG. 5B
FIG. 5A
Patent Application Publication Mar. 9, 2006 Sheet 16 0f 43
US 2006/0053194 A1
FROM 545 IN FIG. 5A
i
ASSOCIATE IP ADDRESS OF FIRST CLIENT WITI-I FIRST USER //\/ 55o
IDENTIFIER
UPDATE USER DATA AND PLACE DATA TO INDICATE THAT
FIRST USER IS ON-LTNE IN THE PLACE CORRESPONDING TO //\/ 555
THE SELECTED PLACE IDENTIFIER
i
RECEIVE A SELECTION FROM SECOND CLIENT OF THE //—\_/ 560
PLACE IDENTIFIER SELECTED BY FIRST CLIENT
I
QUERY DATABASES TO FIND DATA ASSOCIATED //—\_/ 565
WITH THE SELECTED PLACE IDENTIFIER
i
PROVIDE DATA ASSOCIATED WITH THE SELECTED PLACE
IDENTIFIER TO THE SECOND CLIENT FOR PRESENTATION IN //\/ 570
PLACE INTERFACE
ASSOCIATE IP ADDRESS OF SECOND
l/\/ 575
CLIENT WITH SECOND USER IDENTIFIER
l
UPDATE USER DATA AND PLACE DATA
TO INDICATE THAT THE SECOND USER IS ON -LINE IN THE //'\/ 530
PLACE CORRESPONDING TO THE SELECTED PLACE
IDENTIFIER
TO 585 IN FIG. 5C
FIG. 5B
Patent Application Publication Mar. 9, 2006 Sheet 17 0f 43
US 2006/0053194 A1
FROM 580 IN FIG. 58
i
PROVIDE THE UPDATED COLLABORATION PLACE DATA
585
TO THE FIRST AND SECOND CLIENTS FOR PRESENTATION //\/
IN THE PLACE INTERFACE
i
FORM A NETWORK CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ,/'_\/ 590
FIRST AND SECOND CLIENTS
FIG. 5C
Patent Application Publication Mar. 9, 2006 Sheet 19 0f 43
US 2006/0053194 A1
RECEIVE REQUEST FROM CLIENT 120(1) ‘//'-\/ 710
FOR ESTABLISHING INSTANT MEETING
I
REQUEST CLIENT 120(1) TO PROVIDE A MEETING NAME //—\_/ 720
FOR ASSOCIATION WITH THE INSTANT MEETING
I
TR ANsMIT MEETING NAME, MEETING STATUS INDICATOR,
AND MEETING PREsENTER IDENTIFIER TO CLIENTS 120 FOR //\/ 730
PRESENTATION .IN PLACE INTERFACES
I
RECEIVE REQUEST FROM CLIENT 120(1) ’/\/ 740
TO BE MEETING PRESENTER
I
UPDATE MEETING PRESENTER IDENTIFIER AND REQUEST
//\/ 750
CLIENT 120(1) TO DETERMINE WHETHER TO SHARE CONTENT
i
BASED ON RECEIVING AN INDICATION OF CONTENT SHARING, /r\/ 760
PERFORM 830 AND 840 OF FIG. 8A AND TRANSMIT MINIATURE
SCREEN SHOT OF SHARED CONTENT TO CLIENTS 120 FOR
PRESENTATION IN PLACE INTERFACES
I
UPDATE MEETING sTATUs INDICATOR l/’_\/ 770
I
ADMINISTER INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CLIENTS I20
UNTIL RECEIVING A REQUEST TO TERMINATE MEETING
FIG. 7
//\_/ 780