# US 2006/0053196 A1 · Systems and methods for collaboration > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2006/0053196 A1 - Document ID: US20060053196A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 10/989,296 - Filed: 2004-11-15 - Published: 2006-03-09 - Earliest claimed: 2004-09-03 - Assignees: Open Text Corporation - Inventors: Jared Spataro; Cornelia West; David Glazer; Ronald Schneider - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20060053196A1 ## CPC - H04L 65/403: Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15) - G06Q 10/107: Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract In some embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods provide a client-server infrastructure capable of supporting a variety of asynchronous and synchronous collaboration activities in a so-called collaboration place. Some of these activities include chatting, viewing and/or editing one or more data files, and sharing one or more applications, data files, and/or displays. The client-server infrastructure supports seamless navigation between the supported asynchronous and synchronous activities in the collaboration place. Additionally, the client-server architecture supports data persistence, so that data files associated with the collaboration place can be stored for subsequent access. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for collaboration, the method comprising: providing a database for storing data associated with two or more independent collaboration places, administering collaboration activities among participating clients in each of the two or more independent collaboration places, based on administering the collaboration activities, generating activity data for each of the two or more independent collaboration places, receiving a request from a requesting client for the activity data for one or more of the two or more independent collaboration places, and based on the request, providing the activity data to the requesting client for presentation in a collaboration place interface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein providing the activity data includes: determining whether the client has permission to view the activity data, and based on determining that the client has permission to view the activity data, providing the activity data to the client for presentation in a collaboration place interface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein determining includes: determining whether the client is a member of the one or more of the two or more collaboration places, and based on determining that the client is a member, determining that the client has permission to view the activity data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the participating clients do not include the requesting client. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the activity data includes data based on the clients participating in the collaboration place. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the activity data includes the number of clients currently participating in the collaboration place. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the-activity data includes identifiers of the clients currently participating in the collaboration place. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the activity data includes data based on the activity of one or more of the clients participating in the collaboration place. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the activity data includes one or more miniature screen shots of one or more portions of an interface of one or more of the clients participating in the place. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the activity data includes data based on group activities in the place. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the activity data includes data identifying the type of group activities occurring in the place. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the activity data includes data identifying the numbers of clients participating in each of the group activities. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the activity data includes identifiers of the clients participating in each of the group activities. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the activity data includes data based on changes to the place. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the changes include at least one of: a number of client leaving the place, a number of clients entering the place, identities of one or more clients leaving the place, and identities of one or more clients entering the place. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the request is automatically generated by the client based on a list of the places of which the client is a member. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the request is automatically generated by the client based on a subset of the places of which the client is a member. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the subset is selected by the client. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the subset is selected automatically based on criteria established by the client. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the subset is selected automatically based on system-wide criteria. ### Claim 21 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein the identifiers of the clients are provided based on a selection of a display of the number of clients. ### Claim 22 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the interface includes a collaboration place interface. ### Claim 23 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the activity data relates to the existence of a currently-running meeting object. ### Claim 24 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the activity data relates to an instance of screen sharing. ### Claim 25 A computer readable medium having instructions thereon for performing steps for collaboration, the steps comprising: providing a database for storing data associated with two or more independent collaboration places, administering collaboration activities among participating clients in each of the two or more independent collaboration places, based on administering the collaboration activities, generating activity data for each of the two or more independent collaboration places, receiving a request from a requesting client for the activity data for one or more of the two or more independent collaboration places, and based on the request, providing the activity data to the requesting client for presentation in a collaboration place interface. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein providing the activity data includes: determining whether the client has permission to view the activity data, and based on determining that the client has permission to view the activity data, providing the activity data to the client for presentation in a collaboration place interface. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein determining includes: determining whether the client is a member of the one or more of the two or more collaboration places, and based on determining that the client is a member, determining that the client has permission to view the activity data. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the participating clients do not include the requesting client. ### Claim 29 (depends on 25) The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the activity data includes data based on the clients participating in the collaboration place. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the activity data includes the number of clients currently participating in the collaboration place. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the activity data includes identifiers of the clients currently participating in the collaboration place. ### Claim 32 (depends on 25) The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the activity data includes data based on the activity of one or more of the clients participating in the collaboration place. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the activity data includes one or more miniature screen shots of one or more portions of an interface of one or more of the clients participating in the place. ### Claim 34 (depends on 25) The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the activity data includes data based on group activities in the place. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein the activity data includes data identifying the type of group activities occurring in the place. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein the activity data includes data identifying the numbers of clients participating in each of the group activities. ### Claim 37 (depends on 35) The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein the activity data includes identifiers of the clients participating in each of the group activities ### Claim 38 (depends on 25) The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein the activity data includes data based on changes to the place. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The computer readable medium of claim 38 wherein the changes include at least one of: a number of client leaving the place, a number of clients entering the place, identities of one or more clients leaving the place, and identities of one or more clients entering the place. ### Claim 40 (depends on 25) The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein the request is automatically generated by the client based on a list of the places of which the client is a member. ### Claim 41 (depends on 25) The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein the request is automatically generated by the client based on a subset of the places of which the client is a member. ### Claim 42 (depends on 41) The computer readable medium of claim 41 wherein the subset is selected by the client. ### Claim 43 (depends on 41) The computer readable medium of claim 41 wherein the subset is selected automatically based on criteria established by the client. ### Claim 44 (depends on 41) The computer readable medium of claim 41 wherein the subset is selected automatically based on system-wide criteria. ### Claim 45 (depends on 31) The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein the identifiers of the clients are provided based on a selection of a display of the number of clients. ### Claim 46 (depends on 33) The computer readable medium of claim 33 wherein the interface includes a collaboration place interface. ### Claim 47 (depends on 34) The computer readable medium of claim 34 wherein the activity data relates to the existence of a currently-running meeting object. ### Claim 48 (depends on 34) The computer readable medium of claim 34 wherein the activity data relates to an instance of screen sharing. ### Claim 49 A system for collaboration, the method comprising: a computer that is configured to contain a database for storing data associated with two or more independent collaboration places, and is configured to administer collaboration activities among participating clients in each of the two or more independent collaboration places, based on administering the collaboration activities, generate activity data for each of the two or more independent collaboration places, receive a request from a requesting client for the activity data for one or more of the two or more independent collaboration places, and based on the request, provide the activity data to the requesting client for presentation in a collaboration place interface. ### Claim 50 (depends on 49) The system of claim 49, wherein providing the activity data includes: determining whether the client has permission to view the activity data, and based on determining that the client has permission to view the activity data, providing the activity data to the client for presentation in a collaboration place interface. ### Claim 51 (depends on 50) The system of claim 50, wherein the computer is further configured to determine whether the client is a member of the one or more of the two or more collaboration places, and based on determining that the client is a member, determine that the client has permission to view the activity data. ### Claim 52 (depends on 49) The system of claim 49, wherein the participating clients do not include the requesting client. ### Claim 53 (depends on 49) The system of claim 49, wherein the activity data includes data based on the clients participating in the collaboration place. ### Claim 54 (depends on 53) The system of claim 53, wherein the activity data includes the number of clients currently participating in the collaboration place. ### Claim 55 (depends on 53) The system of claim 53, wherein the activity data includes identifiers of the clients currently participating in the collaboration place. ### Claim 56 (depends on 49) The system of claim 49, wherein the activity data includes data based on the activity of one or more of the clients participating in the collaboration place. ### Claim 57 (depends on 56) The system of claim 56, wherein the activity data includes one or more miniature screen shots of one or more portions of an interface of one or more of the clients participating in the place. ### Claim 58 (depends on 49) The system of claim 49, wherein the activity data includes data based on group activities in the place. ### Claim 59 (depends on 58) The system of claim 58, wherein the activity data includes data identifying the type of group activities occurring in the place. ### Claim 60 (depends on 59) The system of claim 59, wherein the activity data includes data identifying the numbers of clients participating in each of the group activities. ### Claim 61 (depends on 59) The system of claim 59, wherein the activity data includes identifiers of the clients participating in each of the group activities. ### Claim 62 (depends on 49) The system of claim 49 wherein the activity data includes data based on changes to the place. ### Claim 63 (depends on 62) The system of claim 62 wherein the changes include at least one of: a number of client leaving the place, a number of clients entering the place, identities of one or more clients leaving the place, and identities of one or more clients entering the place. ### Claim 64 (depends on 49) The system of claim 49 wherein the request is automatically generated by the client based on a list of the places of which the client is a member. ### Claim 65 (depends on 49) The system of claim 49 wherein the request is automatically generated by the client based on a subset of the places of which the client is a member. ### Claim 66 (depends on 65) The system of claim 65 wherein the subset is selected by the client. ### Claim 67 (depends on 65) The system of claim 65 wherein the subset is selected automatically based on criteria established by the client. ### Claim 68 (depends on 65) The system of claim 65 wherein the subset is selected automatically based on system-wide criteria. ### Claim 69 (depends on 55) The system of claim 55 wherein the identifiers of the clients are provided based on a selection of a display of the number of clients. ### Claim 70 (depends on 57) The system of claim 57 wherein the interface includes a collaboration place interface. ### Claim 71 (depends on 58) The system of claim 58 wherein the activity data relates to the existence of a currently-running meeting object. ### Claim 72 (depends on 58) The system of claim 58 wherein the activity data relates to an instance of screen sharing.