| Systems, methods and tools for facilitating group collaborations -> Monitor Keywords |
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Systems, methods and tools for facilitating group collaborationsRelated Patent Categories: Data Processing: Presentation Processing Of Document, Operator Interface Processing, And Screen Saver Display Processing, Operator Interface (e.g., Graphical User Interface), Help Presentation, Context Sensitive, Topic Roadmap Or Index, HierarchicalSystems, methods and tools for facilitating group collaborations description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070094601, Systems, methods and tools for facilitating group collaborations. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
PRIORITY CLAIM [0001] The present application claims priority to Canadian Patent Application Serial Number 2,524,527, filed Oct. 26, 2005. COPYRIGHT NOTICE [0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. BACKGROUND [0003] The present invention relates to systems, methods and tools for facilitating group collaborations. [0004] Technology-assisted group collaborations are now commonplace: many types of tools have been created to support and to expand upon the scope of what can be accomplished between geographically dispersed participants. Some of these tools include, for example, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), message boards, online polls, and collaborative document creation and review. While these tools may represent advances over what existed before, they may nevertheless exhibit certain limitations when used in collaborative efforts involving a large number of people. Improved systems, methods and tools for facilitating group collaborations are needed. SUMMARY [0005] The present invention relates to systems, method and tools for facilitating group collaborations. [0006] Collaborative ideas collected from a group are organized into an extendable hierarchical data structure. In a preferred embodiment, collaborative ideas are represented in a modified tree data structure in which ideas are stored in nodes of the tree (an "idea tree"). Each node may be associated with data storage means, such as a table of records, in which different kinds of data can be stored. Data stored in the idea tree, or a part thereof, may be created, modified, deleted or organized by using various types of collaboration tools. A participant's interaction with the idea tree, or a part thereof, using a particular collaboration tool may be mapped as a transformation of the idea tree from one state to another. Other participants may simultaneously or successively interact with the idea tree, or a part thereof, using the same or a different collaboration tool. A coherent representation of collaborative ideas can be developed and organized without excessive manual effort. [0007] In an aspect of the invention, there is provided a data processing system implemented method of facilitating group collaborations on a project by a plurality of participants, comprising: providing an extendable hierarchical data structure, the hierarchical data structure including data storage means for storing a plurality of data items submitted by the participants; providing a collaboration tool for use by the participants to work with the hierarchical data structure, the collaboration tool being configured to logically link to a defined workspace on the hierarchical data structure in which the tool is to be used, the collaboration tool being further configured to work with data items in the workspace associated with the collaboration tool. [0008] In an embodiment, the method further comprises: providing a tree data structure as the hierarchical data structure, the tree data structure having a root node and one or more sub-nodes branching from the root node, each node being associated with a data storage means configured to store a plurality of heterogeneous data items; and logically linking a collaboration tool to a link node in the tree data structure, the link node and any sub-nodes defining the workspace on the tree data structure for the collaboration tool. [0009] In another embodiment, the method further comprises logically linking multiple collaboration tools to different link nodes of the tree data structure to define multiple workspaces, whereby participants may work on different parts of the tree data structure simultaneously. [0010] In another embodiment, the method further comprises successively logically linking different collaboration tools to link nodes of the tree data structure, whereby the resulting workflow simulates a group collaboration process involving a sequential progression. [0011] In yet another embodiment, the method further comprises saving the state of the tree data structure after each transformation of the tree data structure applied by a collaboration tool, whereby a previous state of the tree data structure may be recovered. [0012] In still another embodiment, the method further comprises configuring a collaboration tool to utilize the output of another collaboration tool, the output of each collaboration tool being reflected as a transformation of the tree data structure. [0013] In another embodiment, the method further comprises providing a collaboration tool for linking to a link node of the tree data structure, and collecting a plurality of homogeneous data items from the defined workspace. [0014] In another embodiment, the plurality of homogeneous data items comprise text associated with the workspace and submitted by the participants, and the method further comprises forming a document from the collected text. [0015] In another embodiment, the method further comprises modifying the document formed from the collected text, and amending the corresponding data items in the tree data structure to correspond to the modified document. [0016] In still another embodiment, the plurality of homogeneous data items comprise images associated with the workspace and submitted by the participants, and the method further comprises forming a slideshow of the collected images. [0017] In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a data processing system for facilitating group collaborations on a project by a plurality of participants, comprising: means for providing an extendable hierarchical data structure, the hierarchical data structure including data storage means for storing a plurality of data items submitted by the participants; and means for providing a collaboration tool for use by the participants to work with the hierarchical data structure, the collaboration tool being configured to logically link to a defined workspace on the hierarchical data structure in which the tool is to be used, the collaboration tool being further configured to work with data items in the workspace associated with the collaboration tool. [0018] In an embodiment, the hierarchical data structure is a tree data structure, the tree data structure having a root node and one or more sub-nodes branching from the root node, each node being associated with a data storage means configured to store a plurality of heterogeneous data items; and the data processing system further includes means for logically linking a collaboration tool to a link node in the tree data structure, the link node and any sub-nodes defining the workspace on the tree data structure for the collaboration tool. [0019] In another embodiment, the system further comprises means for logically linking multiple collaboration tools to different link nodes of the tree data structure to define multiple workspaces, whereby participants may work on different parts of the tree data structure simultaneously. [0020] In another embodiment, the system further comprises means for successively logically linking different collaboration tools to link nodes of the tree data structure, whereby the resulting workflow simulates a group collaboration process involving a sequential progression. Continue reading about Systems, methods and tools for facilitating group collaborations... Full patent description for Systems, methods and tools for facilitating group collaborations Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Systems, methods and tools for facilitating group collaborations patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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