Centrifugal communication and collaboration method

A method of communicating information among participants in a distributed application having peripheral devices capable of transmitting and receiving information, comprising:

• providing a central device capable of receiving information from the peripheral devices and transmitting information to the peripheral devices,
• linking the central device to the peripheral devices,
• responsive to a first information input transmitted from the peripheral device of a first participant directed to at least one other participant,
• centrally receiving and storing the first information input,
• associating the first information input with the at least one other participant,
• preparing a notice of the first information input for the at least one other participant, the notice comprising a channel to a memory location of the first information input, and
• sending the notice to the peripheral device of the at least one other participant only if the at least one other participant is one to whom the associated information input is directed,
• responsive to a second information input by the at least one other participant, in response to said notice,
• centrally receiving, storing, and associating the second information input with the first information input, while retaining the first information input or modifying or deleting the first information input in accordance with the second information input,
• preparing a second notice of the second information input directed to at least one other participant, which may or may not include said first participant, the second notice comprising a channel to a memory location of the second information input, and
• sending the notice to the peripheral device of the at least one other participant only if the at least one other participant is one to whom the associated information input is directed, and
• responsive to a third information input by the at least one other participant to whom said second notice was directed and in response to said second notice,
• centrally receiving, storing, and associating the third information input with the first and second information inputs, while retaining the first and second information inputs or modifying or deleting one or both of the first and second information inputs in accordance with the third information input,
• preparing a third notice of the third information input directed to at least one other participant, the third notice comprising a channel to a memory location of the third information input, and
• sending the third notice to the peripheral device of the at least one other participant only if the at least one other participant is one to whom the associated information input is directed.

A system for communicating information among participants in a distributed application having peripheral devices capable of transmitting and receiving information, comprising:

• means for centrally receiving a first information input transmitted from the peripheral device of a participant directed to at least one other participant;
• means for generating a notice of the first information input, the notice comprising a channel linking the at least one other participant to the first information input;
• means for sending the notice to the peripheral device of the at least one other participant selectively if the participant is one to whom the associated information input was directed, and
• means for centrally storing the first information input such that when the at least one other participant receives the notice, the at least one other participant can retrieve the first information input at the respective peripheral device via the channel, and can transmit to the central receiving means at least one response to the first information input, the central receiving means comprising means for associating the first information input with the at least one response, said means for associating being capable of modifying or deleting the first information input if indicated by the at least one response,
• said means for generating a notice generating, responsive to said at least one response, at least one second notice directed to at least one participant other than the participant sending the particular response, said notice containing at least one channel linking the at least one other participant to said at least one response, and said means for sending sending the at least one second notice to the peripheral device of the at least one participant to whom it is directed,
• said means for centrally storing providing the at least one other participant the capability of retrieving the at least one response at the respective peripheral device via the at least one channel, and further associating with said first information input and said at least one response any further responses from said at least one other participant to said at least one response or modifying or deleting one or both of said first information input and said at least one response if indicated in a further response.

A system for communicating information among members of a distributed application comprising:

• for each participant, a peripheral device capable of transmitting and receiving information;
• and
• a central agent comprising:
• two-way links to the peripheral devices capable of receiving and transmitting information,
• a notice generator,
• a notice sender, and
• a central storage medium able to store information inputs from participants,
• the central storage medium storing a first information input from a first participant directed to at least one other participant;
• the notice generator, responsive to said first information input, being able to generate a notice selectively for the at least one other participant and to push the notice to the notice sender, the notice comprising a channel leading to a memory location of said first information input in the central storage medium, said channel containing all information necessary to automatically access said first information input, including authentication information containing a password;
• and the notice sender, responsive to the notice pushed from the notice generator, being able to send the notice selectively to the peripheral devices of the at least one other participant;
• whereby the at least one other participant can access said first information input directly and automatically using the channel in the pushed notice;
• the central storage medium being further able to store a second information input from a participant in response to said first information input and associate it with said first information input while subsequently retaining said first information input or modifying or deleting said first information input in accordance with said second information input.

A method of communicating information among participants in a distributed application, said participants having peripheral devices capable of transmitting and receiving information, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a central device capable of receiving information from the peripheral devices and transmitting information to the peripheral devices,
• linking the central device to the peripheral devices,
• responsive to a first information input transmitted from the peripheral device of a first participant in the application directed to at least one other participant in the application:
• centrally receiving and storing the first information input,
• associating the first information input with the at least one other participant,
• preparing a notice of the first information input for the at least one other participant, the notice comprising a channel to a memory location of the first information input, said channel permitting automatic, direct access to said first information input by the at least one other participant and including such information as is needed to facilitate such automatic, direct access, including authentication information containing a password, and
• sending the notice to the peripheral device of the at least one other participant only if the at least one other participant is one to whom the associated information input is directed, and
• responsive to a second information input by the at least one other participant, in response to said notice, centrally receiving, storing, and associating the second information input with the first information input, while retaining the first information input or modifying or deleting said first information input in accordance with said second information input.

A system for communicating information among participants in a distributed application, said participants having peripheral devices capable of transmitting and receiving information, the system comprising:

• means for centrally receiving a first information input transmitted from the peripheral device of a participant in the application directed to at least one other participant in the application;
• means for generating a notice of the first information input, the notice comprising a channel automatically and directly linking the at least one other participant to the first information input, said channel including all information necessary to provide such automatic and direct linking, including authentication information containing a password;
• means for sending the notice to the peripheral device of the at least one other participant selectively if the at least one other participant is one to whom the associated information input was directed;
• and
• means for centrally storing the first information input such that when the at least one other participant receives the notice, the at least one other participant can automatically and directly retrieve the first information input at the respective peripheral device via the channel, and can transmit to the central receiving means at least one response to the first information input, the central receiving means comprising means for associating the first information input with the at least one response or modifying or deleting said first information input in accordance with the at least one response.