Collaboration Management System

Abstract

Known computer peripheral devices are typically interchangeable and can be used with different computers systems and platforms. Most computer operating systems are able to automatically configure the coupled computer peripheral device for use with the computer operating system without the need for installation of a specific driver. However, when these peripheral devices are detected by the computer system, a generic UI control configuration is often assigned to them and whatever customised settings previously configured by the user will be lost and replaced with a new set of unfamiliar settings. Described according to an embodiment of the invention is a collaboration management system initiating a collaboration session for a plurality of computing systems having user-interfaces (UIs) coupled thereto. The collaboration management system discovers the device profiles corresponding to the UIs for extracting corresponding configuration specific to each of the UIs for configuring interactions between the UIs and an application operating during the collaboration session.

1 . A collaboration management system comprising:
 a session module for initiating a collaboration session between a plurality of computing systems and for managing interactions between the plurality of computing systems and an application, each of the plurality of computing system having a user-interface (UI) in signal communication therewith; and   a discovery module for cooperating with the plurality of computing systems to discover, for each of the plurality of computing systems, device data being descriptive of the UI and user interactions identifiable by the UI in signal communication therewith, the discovery module assigning one of a plurality of configuration data associated with at least one of the device data and identifier data providable by a user of the UI for each of the plurality of computing system;   wherein the configuration data assigned to each of the plurality of computing system defines interaction of the UI in signal communication therewith the application during the collaboration session.   
     
     
         2 . The collaboration management system as in  claim 1 , the UI in signal communication with each of the plurality of computing systems being a computing peripheral. 
     
     
         3 . The collaboration management system as in  claim 1 , the UI in signal communication with each of the plurality of computing systems being at least one device for at least one of input sensing and providing sensory output. 
     
     
         4 . The collaboration management system as in  claim 1 , the application for executing a plurality of instructions and the UI of each of the plurality of computing devices for generating a plurality of control signals, at least one of the plurality of configuration data associating at least one of the plurality of control signals generatable by the UI of one of the plurality of computing systems with one of the plurality of instructions executable by the application. 
     
     
         5 . The collaboration management system as in  claim 4 , the application being substantially concurrently operable by the plurality of computing system via the UI of each thereof for manipulating a single dataset. 
     
     
         6 . The collaboration management system as in  claim 5 , manipulating the single dataset comprises at least one of editing, deleting from and adding to the single dataset. 
     
     
         7 . The collaboration management system as in  claim 5 , the single dataset for generating at least one object being provided to the plurality of computing systems for display by the UI of each thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The collaboration management system as in  claim 7 , the configuration data assigned to each of the plurality of computing systems further determining display preference of the at least one object by the UI of the each of the plurality of computing systems. 
     
     
         9 . The collaboration management system as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a storage module for storing the plurality of configuration data, each of the plurality of configuration data having at least one of a configuration profile and a user profile associated therewith for use in identifying association between one of the plurality of configuration data with at least one of the device data and the user data of each of the plurality of computing systems.   
     
     
         10 . The collaboration management system as in  claim 1 , the one of the plurality of configuration data assigned to each of the plurality of computing system being at least one of editable and replaceable with another of the plurality of configuration data during the collaboration session. 
     
     
         11 . A collaboration management method comprising:
 initiating a collaboration session between a plurality of computing systems, the collaboration being initiated by a session module for managing interactions between the plurality of computing systems and an application, each of the plurality of computing system having a user-interface (UI) in signal communication therewith; and   discovering, by a discovery module for each of the plurality of computing systems, device data being descriptive of the UI and user interactions identifiable by the UI in signal communication therewith, the discovery module assigning one of a plurality of configuration data associated with at least one of the device data identifier data providable by a user of the UI for each of the plurality of computing system;   wherein the configuration data assigned to each of the plurality of computing system defines interaction of the UI in signal communication therewith the application during the collaborative session.   
     
     
         12 . The collaboration management method as in  claim 11 , the UI in signal communication with each of the plurality of computing systems being a computing peripheral. 
     
     
         13 . The collaboration management method as in  claim 11 , the UI in signal communication with each of the plurality of computing systems being at least one device for at least one of input sensing and providing sensory output. 
     
     
         14 . The collaboration management method as in  claim 11 , the application for executing a plurality of instructions and the UI of each of the plurality of computing systems for generating a plurality of control signals, at least one of the plurality of configuration data associating at least one of the plurality of control signals generatable by the UI of one of the plurality of computing systems with one of the plurality of instructions executable by the application. 
     
     
         15 . The collaboration management method as in  claim 14 , the application being substantially concurrently operable by the plurality of computing system via the UI of each thereof for manipulating a single dataset. 
     
     
         16 . The collaboration management method as in  claim 15 , manipulating the single dataset comprises at least one of editing, deleting from and adding to the single dataset. 
     
     
         17 . The collaboration management method as in  claim 15 , the single dataset for generating at least one object being provided to the plurality of computing systems for display by the UI of each thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The collaboration management method as in  claim 17 , the configuration data assigned to each of the plurality of computing systems further determining display preference of the at least one object by the UI of the each of the plurality of computing systems. 
     
     
         19 . The collaboration management method as in  claim 11 , the plurality of configuration data being stored on a storage module, each of the plurality of configuration data having at least one of a configuration profile and a user profile associated therewith for use in identifying association between one of the plurality of configuration data with at least one of the device data and the user data of each of the plurality of computing system. 
     
     
         20 . The collaboration management method as in  claim 11 , the one of the plurality of configuration data assigned to each of the plurality of computing system being at least one of editable and replaceable with another of the plurality of configuration data during the collaboration session. 
     
     
         21 . A machine readable medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, cause the machine to:
 initiate a collaboration session between a plurality of computing systems, the collaboration being initiated by a session module for managing interactions between the plurality of computing systems and an application, each of the plurality of computing system having a user-interface (UI) in signal communication therewith; and   discover, by a discovery module for each of the plurality of computing systems, device data being descriptive of the UI and user interactions identifiable by the UI in signal communication therewith, the discovery module assigning one of a plurality of configuration data associated with at least one of the device data and identifier data providable by a user of the UI for each of the plurality of computing system;   wherein the configuration data assigned to each of the plurality of computing system defines interaction of the UI in signal communication therewith the application during the collaborative session.   
     
     
         22 . The machine readable medium as in  claim 21 , the UI in signal communication with each of the plurality of computing systems being a computing peripheral. 
     
     
         23 . The machine readable medium as in  claim 21 , the UI in signal communication with each of the plurality of computing systems being at least one device for at least one of input sensing and providing sensory output. 
     
     
         24 . The machine readable medium as in  claim 21 , the application for executing a plurality of instructions and the UI of each of the plurality of computing systems for generating a plurality of control signals, at least one of the plurality of configuration data associating at least one of the plurality of control signals generatable by the UI of one of the plurality of computing systems with one of the plurality of instructions executable by the application. 
     
     
         25 . The machine readable medium as in  claim 24 , the application being substantially concurrently operable by the plurality of computing system via the UI of each thereof for manipulating a single dataset. 
     
     
         26 . The machine readable medium as in  claim 25 , manipulating the single dataset comprises at least one of editing, deleting from and adding to the single dataset. 
     
     
         27 . The machine readable medium as in  claim 25 , the single dataset for generating at least one object being provided to the plurality of computing systems for display by the UI of each thereof. 
     
     
         28 . The machine readable medium as in  claim 27 , the configuration data assigned to each of the plurality of computing systems further determining display preference of the at least one object by the UI of the each of the plurality of computing systems. 
     
     
         29 . The machine readable medium as in  claim 21 , the plurality of configuration data being stored on a storage module, each of the plurality of configuration data having at least one of a configuration profile and a user profile associated therewith for use in identifying association between one of the plurality of configuration data with at least one of the device data and the user data of each of the plurality of computing system. 
     
     
         30 . The machine readable medium as in  claim 21 , the one of the plurality of configuration data assigned to each of the plurality of computing system being at least one of editable and replaceable with another of the plurality of configuration data during the collaboration session.