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 computer-implemented method comprising:
 transmitting a set of one or more search results for a query by a user of a collaboration place to a device for presentation to the user, each search result referring to a respective content in the collaboration place;   receiving from the device an index to the content in the place configured to be stored in a guide for the content; and   transmitting the guide about data in the collaboration place, in response to the query.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the guide includes one or more links to data files in the collaboration place. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the links in the guide are supplemented with annotations or comments provided from other users of the collaboration space. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 forming connections between the collaboration place that is persistent and addressable on a server and each of a first and second clients;   associating the collaboration place with first and second collaboration place interfaces executing on the respective first and second clients; and   establishing communications via a plurality of network connections between the collaboration place interfaces and the server that supports collaboration among the clients, wherein the guide and search results are transmitted over at least one of the communications.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 administering user profiles of the collaboration place, the user profiles including relationships of friends for users.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of collaboration place interfaces comprise a website. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 tracking an update of the respective content that is shared by a user; and   advising at least one of the client of the update to the shared content based on a type of change to the shared content.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 managing friends information for users of the collaboration place, wherein at least one of the friends supplement information in the guide.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 escalating the collaboration place interfaces between a chat interface, voice interface, or video interface.   
     
     
         10 . A system for collaboration, comprising:
 a server that provides collaboration place interface that is persistent and addressable to each of a first and second clients by, the server further configured to perform actions that comprise:   transmitting a set of one or more search results for a query by a user of a collaboration place to a device for presentation to the user, each search result referring to a respective content in the collaboration place;   receiving from the device an index to the content in the place configured to be stored in a guide for the content; and   transmitting the guide about data in the collaboration place, in response to the query.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the guide includes one or more links to data files in the collaboration place. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the links in the guide are supplemented with annotations or comments provided from other users of the collaboration space. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the actions further comprise:
 forming connections between the collaboration place that is persistent and addressable on a server and each of a first and second clients;   associating the collaboration place with first and second collaboration place interfaces executing on the respective first and second clients; and   establishing communications via a plurality of network connections between the collaboration place interfaces and the server that supports collaboration among the clients, wherein the guide and search results are transmitted over at least one of the communications.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the actions further comprise:
 administering user profiles of the collaboration place, the user profiles including relationships of friends for users.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the actions further comprise:
 tracking an update of the respective content that is shared by a user; and   advising at least one of the client of the update to the shared content based on a type of change to the shared content.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the actions further comprise:
 managing friends information for users of the collaboration place, wherein at least one of the friends supplement information in the guide.   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory processor readable medium for collaboration, the medium comprising instructions that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform actions that comprise:
 transmitting a set of one or more search results for a query by a user of a collaboration place to a device for presentation to the user, each search result referring to a respective content in the collaboration place;   receiving from the device an index to the content in the place configured to be stored in a guide for the content; and   transmitting the guide about data in the collaboration place, in response to the query.   
     
     
         18 . The medium of  claim 18 , wherein the guide includes one or more links to data files in the collaboration place. 
     
     
         19 . The medium of  claim 18 , wherein the links in the guide are supplemented with annotations or comments provided from other users of the collaboration space. 
     
     
         20 . The medium of  claim 18 , wherein the actions further comprise:
 forming connections between the collaboration place that is persistent and addressable on a server and each of a first and second clients;   associating the collaboration place with first and second collaboration place interfaces executing on the respective first and second clients; and   establishing communications via a plurality of network connections between the collaboration place interfaces and the server that supports collaboration among the clients, wherein the guide and search results are transmitted over at least one of the communications.