Method and apparatus for providing group interaction via communications networks

A virtual office system, comprising:

• a server computer having a nonvolatile storage medium;
• a plurality of client computers connected to said server computer via a communications medium;
• a graphical interface for displaying data to said client computers;
• a virtual floor-plan stored on said nonvolatile storage medium and defining a plurality of virtual offices, said virtual floor-plan being displayed by said graphical interface;
• a scheduler storing scheduling information on said nonvolatile storage medium for scheduling said plurality of virtual offices, said scheduling information including a directory identifying a time, meeting identification information, and virtual office information uniquely identifying a given virtual office, said scheduling information being displayed by said graphical interface;
• a communications interface module which allows for the simultaneous transmission of audiovisual, text and graphic information between an originating client computer user to at least one destination client computer user connected to the given virtual office;
• a graphical communication flow module graphically depicting to each client computer a representation of each participant in a meeting, said graphical communication flow module graphically depicting communication flows to all of the client computers showing the originating and destination client of content transmitted by the communications interface, and having means to graphically depict the intended target of a communication flow in a manner visible to all client computer users connected to a virtual meeting group, having means to graphically depict that a communications flow is intended to target all computer users connected to the virtual meeting group, and having means to graphically depict the originators and targets of more than one communications flow occurring simultaneously between client computer users connected to the virtual meeting group;
• and
• a virtual meeting room module providing a simultaneous access window for displaying text or video transmissions to be viewed by all client computer users connected to said virtual meeting group at the same time that communications occurring between client computer users connected to the virtual meeting group can be transmitted, received and viewed via the communication and graphical communication flow modules, such text or video transmissions via the simultaneous access window having the capacity to be manipulated by a selected one of the client computer users connected to the virtual meeting group, such manipulation being possible during the ongoing operation of the communication and graphical communication flow modules.

A method for conducting on-line training using a server computer connected to a plurality of client computers, comprising:

• providing a virtual meeting room on the server computer which is accessible to the client computer users participating in a specific training group;
• graphically depicting a representation the virtual meeting room and each of the client computer users accessing and participating in the specific training group taking place in the virtual meeting room;
• communicating content from an originating client computer user to at least one target client computer user connected to the specific training group using a messaging interface;
• graphically depicting to each of the client computers a communications flow showing the originating and target client computer users of content transmitted by said messaging interface, and having means to graphically depict the intended target of a communication flow in a manner visible to users of all the computers connected to the training group, having means to graphically depict that a communications flow is intended to target all of the computer users connected to the training group, and having means to graphically depict the originators and targets of more than one communications flow occurring simultaneously between client computer users connected to the training group;
• providing a simultaneous access window for displaying presentation materials to each of the client computers accessing the virtual room;
• and
• facilitating a structured discussion using the messaging system and the presentation materials displayed in the simultaneous access window.

An internet web site residing on a host and providing a structured communications environment for a plurality of client computers, said internet web site comprising:

• a graphical interface displaying a plurality of virtual meeting rooms, a given virtual meeting room being simultaneously accessible to selected ones of the client computers;
• a communications interface receiving content from an originating client computer and displaying said content to at least one destination client computer;
• said graphical interface displaying within each virtual meeting room a representation of the client computers accessing said corresponding virtual meeting room;
• said graphical interface graphically depicting communication flows showing the originating and destination client computer users corresponding to each content transmission by said communications interface, and having means to graphically depict the intended target of a communication flow in a manner visible to users of all the computers users in the virtual meeting room.

A method for providing on-line counseling using a server computer connected to a plurality of client computers, comprising the steps of:

• storing a roster of authorized participants on the server said roster including identification information specifying authorized client computers;
• providing a virtual meeting room on the server computer which is accessible to the authorized client computers;
• graphically depicting a representation of the virtual meeting room including a graphical representation of each of the authorized participants accessing the virtual meeting room;
• communicating content from an originating client to at least one target client in a counseling group in the virtual meeting room using a messaging interface;
• graphically depicting to each of the clients a communications flow showing the originating and target client(s) of content transmitted by said messaging interface, said messaging interface having means to graphically depict the intended target of a communication flow in a manner visible on all the computers of the participants in a virtual meeting room;
• storing presentation material on the server;
• providing a simultaneous access window for displaying the presentation materials to each of the authorized client computers accessing the virtual meeting room;
• and
• facilitating a structured discussion using the messaging interface and the presentation materials displayed in the simultaneous access window;
• wherein the messaging interface has means to graphically depict that a communications flow is intended by an originator to target all the participants in the virtual meeting room;
• wherein the messaging interface has means to graphically depict the originators and targets of more than one simultaneous communications flow;
• wherein the messaging interface has means to enable the originating users to graphically distinguish between communications flows that they intend to be primary and communications flows that they intend to be secondary;
• and
• wherein the messaging interface has means to enable an originator to transmit a hidden communications flow to only one target, while indicating the originator and target of the hidden communications flow in a manner perceptible to all users in the virtual meeting room.

A memory medium storing software for a communications system, comprising:

• a graphical interface for displaying a plurality of virtual meeting rooms, a given virtual meeting room being simultaneously accessible to selected ones of the client computers;
• a communications interface for receiving content from an originating client computer and displaying said content to at least one destination client computer;
• said graphical interface displaying within each virtual meeting room a representation of the client computers accessing said corresponding virtual meeting room;
• said graphical interface graphically depicting communication flows showing the originating and destination client computer users corresponding to each content transmission by said communications interface, and having means to graphically depict the intended target of a communication flow in a manner visible to all computer users in the virtual meeting room;
• wherein the graphical interface has means to graphically depict that a communications flow is intended by an originator to target all computer users in the virtual meeting room;
• wherein the graphical interface has means to graphically depict the originators and targets of more than one communications flow occurring simultaneously between client computer users in the virtual meeting room;
• wherein the graphical interface has means to enable the originating users to graphically distinguish between communications flows that they intend to be primary and communications flows that they intend to be secondary;
• and
• wherein the graphical interface has means to enable an originator to transmit a hidden communications flow to only one target, while identities of the originator and the target of the hidden communications flow are transmitted via the graphical interface in a manner perceptible to all users in the virtual meeting room.