Systems and methods for remote huddle collaboration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9846859-B1
Application number	US-201514733176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 8, 2015
Priority date	Jun 6, 2014
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods for remote huddle collaboration are disclosed. The huddle collaboration system may include a huddle management system which may include an authentication module, a data processing module, and a module manager, among other components. Huddle collaboration system may allow huddle members of a company to fully engage in remote huddle sessions through different kind of client computing devices, in a consistent way regardless of their location. The system may act as an alternative to traditional whiteboards, displaying, collecting, and storing information during an active huddle session, where this information may be available to the users in the form of one or more standard and/or custom sub-applications, according to the user's and/or project's requirements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by an authentication module of a huddle management server, a user credential of a first user transmitted from a computing device of the first user;
authenticating, by the authentication module of the huddle management server, the user credential of the first user;
determining, by the authentication module of the huddle management server, which huddle collaboration files are associated with the first user;
granting, by the authentication module of the huddle management server, access to the first user for the huddle collaboration files associated with the first user upon authentication of the user credential;
receiving, by a data processing module of the huddle management server, a selection by the user of a huddle collaboration file associated with the first user;
designating, by the data processing module of the huddle management server, the selected huddle collaboration file as an active huddle;
receiving, by the authentication module of the huddle management server, a user credential of a second user transmitted from a computing device of the second user;
authenticating, by the authentication module of the huddle management server, the user credential of the second user;
determining, by the authentication module of the huddle management server, which huddle collaboration files are associated with the second user;
granting, by the authentication module of the huddle management server, access to the second user for the huddle collaboration files associated with the second user upon authentication of the user credential;
determining, by the authentication module of the huddle management server, whether any of the huddle collaboration files associated with the second user are designated as an active huddle;
identifying, by a data processing module of the huddle management server, at least two sub-applications associated with the selected collaboration file designated as the active huddle;
instructing, by the data processing module of the huddle management server, execution of each of the at least two sub-applications associated with the selected collaboration file, wherein each of the sub-applications dynamically queries a database for data records associated with the first and second users;
presenting, by the data processing module of the huddle management server, a graphical representation of the selected huddle collaboration file on the computing device of the first user, wherein the graphical representation comprises an initial view of the at least two sub-applications having a first set of information for each of the at least two sub-applications simultaneously displayed in the graphical representation;
simultaneously presenting, by the data processing module of the huddle management server, a synchronized version of the selected huddle collaboration file on a computing device of the second user located remotely from the computing device of the first user, wherein the graphical representation comprises the initial view of the at least two sub-applications having the first set of information for each of the at least two sub-applications simultaneously displayed in the graphical representation;
upon receiving a selection of one of the at least two sub-applications from the computing device of the first user or the computing device of the second user,
presenting, by the data processing module of the huddle management server, a second graphical representation of the selected huddle collaboration file on the computing device of the first user, wherein the second graphical representation comprises a second view of the selected sub-application having a second set of information associated with the selected sub-application displayed in the second graphical representation; and
simultaneously presenting, by the data processing module of the huddle management server, the second graphical representation of the selected huddle collaboration file on the computing device of the second user, wherein the second graphical representation comprises the second view of the selected sub-application having the second set of information associated with the selected sub-application displayed in the second graphical representation; and

upon receiving input data from an input device of the computing device of the first user or the second user, presenting, by the data processing module of the huddle management server, the input data as an overlay on the first graphical representation or the second graphical representation that was being displayed when the input data was received by the huddle management server; and
associating, by the data processing module of the huddle management server, the input data with the first graphical representation or the second graphical representation that was being displayed when the input data was received by the huddle management server.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the huddle collaboration files correspond to records that store information about a huddle board, the at least two sub-applications associated with the huddle board, whether the huddle board is an active huddle board, which of the first user or the second user are associated with the huddle board, any positions or roles of the first user or the second user associated with the huddle board, and information about the look and feel of how to present the huddle board on a display.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the huddle board corresponds to a display page generated by the huddle management server displaying content collected during a huddle.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the database stores description associated with the display page of the huddle board having the at least two sub-applications.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein each of the at least sub-applications comprises pre-defined content and has a standard layout in the huddle board, and wherein the pre-defined content is selected from a group consisting of morale field, recognition field, announcements field, company news field, and calendar field.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a sub-application of the at least two sub-applications corresponds to a software tool enabling remote collaboration between users in a digital huddle environment.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a sub-application of the at least two sub-applications corresponds to an image-based sub-application, wherein the image-based sub-application comprises a library of images for selection by the first user or the second user.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a sub-application of the at least two sub-applications corresponds to a text-based sub-application, wherein the text-based sub-application comprises a text column of a pre-defined characters for writing by the first user or the second user.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a sub-application of the at least two sub-applications corresponds to a text-based sub-application, wherein the text-based sub-application comprises a text column for the first user or the second user to publish text for sharing with other user.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a sub-application of the at least two sub-applications corresponds to a text-based sub-application to provide news and alerts to the first user or the second user during the active huddle.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a sub-application of the at least two sub-applications corresponds to a fillable calendar application for the first user or the second user to share dates with one anot

Assignees

• Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co

Inventors

• Casale Robert
• O'Malley Abigail
• Teller Kedzie

Classifications

• H04L63/08

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title

• H04L51/046

  Interoperability with other network applications or services · CPC title

• G06F40/169

  Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes · CPC title

• G06F16/24578

  using ranking · CPC title

• H04L12/1822

  Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission · CPC title