Claims
- 1. A data retrieval system comprising:
a data server for retrieving at least one data object from among a plurality of data objects stored in a data repository; a co-presence server for opening communication and observation channels associated with at least one of said data objects; at least one awareness co-presence client for communicating with said co-presence server and for defining an awareness state of said client for each retrieved data object, wherein the type and number of channels opened by said co-presence server with each said client depends on said awareness state of each said client for each retrieved data object.
- 2. A system according to claim 1 and wherein said co-presence server includes:
means for generating one virtual place per data object retrieved from said data server, means for associating each virtual place with its data object once its data object is accessed; and means for generating communication and observation channels to awareness co-presence clients in response to the awareness state of each said client.
- 3. A system according to claim 2 and wherein said awareness co-presence client includes object association means for associating a data object received from said data server with one of said at least one virtual places in said co-presence server.
- 4. A system according to claim 1 and wherein said awareness state is one of: public observation, private observation and communication.
- 5. A data retrieval system comprising:
a data server for retrieving at least one data object from among a plurality of data objects stored in a data repository; a co-presence server; at least one awareness co-presence client for communicating with said co-presence server and for defining an awareness state of said client with respect to each retrieved data object, wherein, for a data object retrieved by said data server for one of said awareness co-presence clients, said co-presence server indicates to said one client which other clients have retrieved the same data object and provides a communication channel associated with said retrieved data object to those clients which retrieved the data object and which are in a communication type of awareness state.
- 6. A system according to claim 5 and wherein said co-presence server includes:
means for generating one virtual place per data object retrieved from said data server; means for associating each virtual place with its data object once its data object is accessed; and means for generating communication and observation channels to awareness co-presence clients in response to the awareness state of each said client.
- 7. A system according to claim 6 and wherein said awareness co-presence client includes object association means for associating a data object received from said data server with one of said at least one virtual places in said co-presence server.
- 8. A system according to claim 5 and wherein said awareness state is one of: public observation, private observation and communication.
- 9. A method of data retrieval comprising the steps of:
retrieving by a client at least one data object from among a plurality of data objects stored in a data repository; defining an awareness state of said client per retrieved data object; opening communication and observation channels associated with at least one of said data objects wherein the type and number of channels opened with each said client depends on said awareness state of each said client per retrieved data object.
- 10. A method according to claim 9 and said step of opening comprises the steps of,
generating one virtual place per retrieved data object; associating each virtual place with its data object once its data object is accessed; and generating communication and observation channels to said clients in response to the awareness state of each said client.
- 11. A method according to claim 9 and wherein said awareness state is one oft public observation, private observation and communication.
- 12. A method for data retrieval comprising the steps of:
retrieving by at least two clients at least one data object from among a plurality of data objects stored in a data repository; defining an awareness state of each said client per retrieved data object; for a retrieved data object for one of said clients, indicating to said one client which other clients have retrieved the same data object; and providing a communication channel associated with said retrieved data object to those clients which retrieved the data object and which are in a communication type of awareness state.
- 13. A method according to claim 12 and said step of opening comprises the steps of:
generating one virtual place per retrieved data object; associating each virtual place with its data object once its data object is accessed; and generating communication and observation channels to said clients in response to the awareness state of each said client.
- 14. A method according to claim 12 and wherein said awareness state is one of: public observation, private observation and communication.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08/827,845, filed Apr. 11 1997, now allowed
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09074527 |
May 1998 |
US |
Child |
09825077 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08827845 |
Apr 1997 |
US |
Child |
09074527 |
May 1998 |
US |