Systems and methods for collaboration

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.

1 . A method for displaying a plurality of notifications in a collaboration place, the method comprising:
 monitoring a plurality of activities in the collaboration place;   storing the plurality of activities in a database;   generating a plurality of notification items regarding one or more of the activities, wherein one or more of the notification items is for presentation to one or more viewing users and relates to an activity that was performed by a user in a linked collaboration place;   attaching a link associated with at least one of the activities of the user to at least one of the plurality of notification items wherein the link enables a viewing user to have access to at least a portion of the linked collaboration place;   limiting access to the plurality of notification items to a set of viewing users; and   displaying the plurality of notifications comprising two or more of the plurality of notification items to at least one viewing user of the predetermined set of viewing users.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprises:
 providing a collaboration application configured to provide and integrate a plurality of collaboration tools;   implementing the collaboration application for a plurality of users;   establishing communications via a plurality of network connections between the software resident applications and a server that supports collaboration among the viewing users and the user;   providing the linked collaboration place as a private place configured for private use by the user when the user is in one of the collaboration tools; and   managing an object stored in the private place while collaborating with the plurality of viewing users and the user.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the private object is privately displayed for the user when the user is interacting with different collaboration tools of the collaboration application. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the private object is displayed for the user in conjunction with a collaboration place in which the user is a collaborator. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the user authorizes another user to have temporary access to a portion of the private place. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising displayed visual cues in association with items in the list. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the visual cues include information on an upcoming meeting. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising:
 storing content in the private place based on the user's past interaction in the private place; and 
 selecting a private object and dragging and dropping the object on a collaboration place or an icon representing any of the viewing users or the user. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the private place includes links to one or more collaboration places, wherein the links are configured to provide the user of the private place access to a collaboration place corresponding to the link. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the collaboration application is a software resident application. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the links are configured to allow the user of the private place drag and drop them into a portion of a collaboration place to provide collaborating users of the collaboration place corresponding to that collaboration place access to the collaboration place corresponding to the link. 
     
     
         12 . A computer readable medium having instructions thereon for performing steps for collaboration, the steps comprising:
 monitoring a plurality of activities in the collaboration place;   storing the plurality of activities in a database;   generating a plurality of notification items regarding one or more of the activities, wherein one or more of the notification items is for presentation to one or more viewing users and relates to an activity that was performed by a user in a linked collaboration place;   attaching a link associated with at least one of the activities of the user to at least one of the plurality of notification items wherein the link enables a viewing user to have access to at least a portion of the linked collaboration place;   limiting access to the plurality of notification items to a set of viewing users; and   displaying the plurality of notifications comprising two or more of the plurality of notification items to at least one viewing user of the predetermined set of viewing users.   
     
     
         13 . The media of  claim 12 , wherein the steps further comprise:
 providing a collaboration application configured to provide and integrate a plurality of collaboration tools;   implementing the collaboration application for a plurality of users;   establishing communications via a plurality of network connections between the software resident applications and a server that supports collaboration among the plurality of users;   providing the linked collaboration place as a private place configured for private use by the user when the user is in one of the collaboration tools; and   managing an object stored in the private place while collaborating with the plurality of connected users.   
     
     
         14 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13  wherein the private object is privately displayed for the user when the user is interacting with different collaboration tools of the collaboration application,
 wherein the private object is displayed for the other users in conjunction with a collaboration place in which the user is a collaborator, wherein the user authorizes at least one of the viewing users to have temporary access to a portion of the private place. 
 
     
     
         15 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13  further comprising
 displaying visual cues in association with items in the list, wherein the visual cues include information on an upcoming meeting; 
 storing content in the private place based on the user's past interaction with the collaborative application; and 
 selecting a private object and dragging and dropping the object on a collaboration place or an icon representing a particular user. 
 
     
     
         16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13  wherein the private place includes links to one or more collaboration places, and the links are configured to provide the user of the private place access to a collaboration place corresponding to the link, wherein the links are configured to allow the user of the private place drag and drop them into a portion of a collaboration place to provide the users of the collaboration place corresponding to that collaboration place access to the collaboration place corresponding to the link. 
     
     
         17 . A system for collaboration comprising:
 a server that is configured to establish communications via a plurality of network connections between the collaboration applications and the server and support collaboration among the users, wherein the server is configured to perform actions comprising:   monitoring a plurality of activities in the collaboration place;   storing the plurality of activities in a database;   generating a plurality of notification items regarding one or more of the activities, wherein one or more of the notification items is for presentation to one or more viewing users and relates to an activity that was performed by a user in a linked collaboration place;   attaching a link associated with at least one of the activities of the user to at least one of the plurality of notification items wherein the link enables a viewing user to have access to at least a portion of the linked collaboration place;   limiting access to the plurality of notification items to a set of viewing users; and   displaying the plurality of notifications comprising two or more of the plurality of notification items to at least one viewing user of the predetermined set of viewing users.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a plurality of user platforms on which a collaboration application that is configured to provide and integrate a plurality of collaboration tools is implemented,   wherein the server is further configured to provide a private place configured for private use by the user when the user is in one of the collaboration tools, and manage an object stored in the private place while collaborating with the plurality of connected users,   wherein the private object is privately displayed for the user when the user is interacting with different collaboration tools of the collaboration application,   wherein the private object is displayed for the users in conjunction with a collaboration place in which the user is a collaborator, and   wherein the user authorizes another user to have temporary access to a portion of the private place.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the server is configured to store content in the private place based on the user's past interaction with the collaborative application,
 wherein the system is configured to permit users to select a private object and dragging and dropping the object on a collaboration place or an icon representing user.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the private place includes links to one or more collaboration places,
 wherein the links are configured to provide the user of the private place access to a collaboration place corresponding to the link,   wherein the links are configured to allow the user of the private place drag and drop them into a portion of a collaboration place to provide the users of the collaboration place corresponding to that collaboration place access to the collaboration place corresponding to the link.