# US 7,072,940 B1 · System and method for managing communications and collaboration among team members

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- Number: US 7,072,940 B1
- Document ID: US7072940B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 09/707,118
- Filed: 2000-11-06
- Granted: 2006-07-04
- Earliest claimed: 2000-08-14
- Assignees: Ford Motor Company
- Inventors: Susan Day; Juan De Pena; Steve H Scheerhorn; Marleen Pizzuti; Gail Baker; Elaine Tumavitch; Michael Sobczak
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7072940B1

## CPC

- G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management
- Y10S 707/99943: Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
- 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
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A system and method is adapted to utilize the Internet as a medium for providing information and data management and sharing between diverse project team members. The project team members may be part of diverse functional organizations within one or more larger organizations, may be geographically separated, or may utilize differing information management tools to perform their work activities. Each team may have its own organization separate from the organization from which the team members are drawn. Moreover, the information and data may be financial, technical, marketing and the like.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of collaborating among team members of separate diverse organizations over a first electronic network and a second electronic network, the diverse organizations including first members of a first organization and second members of a second organization diverse from the first members, the method comprising:
providing a virtual team environment supported on a team room environment server, the team room environment server being coupled to each of the first electronic network and the second electronic network;
permitting access to the virtual team room environment to first team members via the first electronic network only if the first team members are identified in a directory associated with the first electronic network;
permitting access to the virtual team room environment to second team members via the second electronic network only if the second team members are identified in a directory associated with the virtual team room environment;
defining a team room within the virtual team room environment;
associating a plurality of the first members and a plurality of the second members with the team room;
assigning a review authority to one or more of the team members in the pluralities of first and second team members;
defining a plurality of activities associated with a project roadmap, wherein each activity includes an activity description and wherein each activity is associated with the team room;
receiving data from the first team members and the second team members via the virtual team room environment;
transmitting the data to at least one of the one or more team members having review authority for review and approval; and
receiving approval from the at least one of the one or more team members having review authority prior to associating the data with one or more of the activities.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic network comprises a local area network.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic network comprises an Intranet.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second electronic network comprises an unsecured network.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the unsecured network comprises the Internet.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes identification of at least one team leader.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes identification of a team purpose.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes identification of sub-teams associated with the virtual team room.

### Claim 9

A method of providing communication and collaboration among team members, wherein the team members include first members of a first group of members and second members of a second group of members, organizational disparate from the first members, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a teamwork tool server supporting a team room environment, the teamwork tool server being coupled to the first members via a first network structure and to the second members by a second network structure, the team room environment including one or more activities for which communication and collaboration among team members is provided;
providing a global directory coupled to the teamwork tool server including an identification for each of the first members and the second members;
providing a local directory coupled to the teamwork tool server, the local directory including a team room user profile for each of a plurality of team room members defined by the one or more activities, wherein the team room members are selected from the first members and the second members, wherein the team room user profile includes review authority for one or more of the team members in the pluralities of first and second team members;
receiving a request for access to the team room environment with respect to the one or more activities from one user of the first members and the second members;
verifying an identification for the one user in the global directory;
permitting the request for access to the team room environment according the team room user profile for the one user;
receiving data from the one user via the team room environment;
transmitting the data to at least one of the one or more team members having review authority for review and approval; and
receiving approval from the at least one of the one or more team members having review authority prior to associating the data with one or more of the activities.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, comprising accepting from the team members information and data.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the information comprises one of document information, issue information, task information, meeting information, calendar information and milestone information.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the teamwork tool server is coupled to a security server, and wherein the step of verifying an identification is completed by the security server.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of accepting information from the team members, and defining a structure of the team room environment in accordance with the information.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the information comprises identification of a team leader and a team member.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the information is retained in the local directory.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the information comprises association information, the association information defining an association between the team room environment and a project.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the first network structure and the second network structure each comprises one of an unsecured network and a secured network.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the unsecured network comprises the Internet.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the secured network comprises local area network.

### Claim 20

A method of providing communication and collaboration among team members and non-team members, wherein the team members include first members of a first group of members and the non-team members include second members of a second group of members, organizationally disparate from the first members, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a teamwork tool server supporting a team room environment, the teamwork tool server being coupled to the first members via a first network structure and to the second members by a second network structure for providing access to the team room environment by each of the team members and the non-team members;
providing within the team room environment a team room and a second collaboration environment;
permitting access by the first members to the team room and the second collaboration environment;
permitting access by the second members only to the second collaboration environment;
associating a plurality of the first members and a plurality of the second members with the team room;
assigning a review authority to one or more of the team members in the pluralities of first and second team members;
defining a plurality of activities associated with a project roadmap, wherein each activity includes an activity description and wherein each activity is associated with the team room;
receiving data from the first team members and the second team members via the virtual team room environment;
transmitting the data to at least one of the one or more team members having review authority for review and approval; and
receiving approval from the at least one of the one or more team members having review authority prior to associating the data with one or more of the activities.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the second collaboration environment comprises one of a document room and a chat room.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the first network structure and the second network structure each comprises one of an unsecured network and a secured network.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the unsecured network comprises the Internet.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the secured network comprises local area network.