Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to managing interrupting requests to engage in a collaborative session and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for host state sensing for message interruptions. In one embodiment of the invention, a data processing system configured for host sensing for message interruption can include a messenger disposed is a host computing platform, prioritization logic including program code enabled to assign priorities to incoming messages, and host state sensing logic coupled to the host computing platform. The host state sensing logic can include program code enabled to adjust a threshold value for permitting message interruptions for messages having assigned priorities beyond the threshold value.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to icon management in a GUI and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for extensible icons with multiple drop zones. In one embodiment of the invention, an icon data processing system configured for use in a GUI can include a contracted form of an extensible icon; an expanded form of the extensible icon including multiple drop zones; and, a drag-and-drop event handler coupled to the contracted form of the extensible icon and the expanded form of the extensible icon.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for wrapping objects for liveness in a collaborative environment. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a method for enabling liveness for a non-live object can include the step of wrapping the non-live object to emulate liveness in a collaborative environment. Preferably, the wrapping step can include selecting at least one attribute of the non-live object, repeatedly updating a status of the at least one attribute for the non-live object, and, providing the repeatedly updated status to the collaborative environment in order to emulate liveness for the non-live object.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for managing live collections in a collaborative environment. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a live collection can include a multiplicity of live objects aggregated together from which a live collection status can be obtained by reference to an application of at least one rule to a status for at least one of the aggregated live objects. The live collection can be a live activity having at least one of several live processes and live workflows. The live collection also can be a live group having multiple live names. The live collection yet further can be a live parent having multiple live objects disposed in a parent-child hierarchy. Finally, the live collection can be a live folder having multiple live documents. Notably, the rules can be logic rules, logical quantifiers, organizational quantifiers, relative quantifiers, or procedural indicators, to name a few examples.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for placeholder management in a unified activity manager in a collaborative computing environment. A method for managing placeholders in a unified activity manager in a collaborative environment can include the step of inserting a placeholder in an activity in lieu of a specified collaborator, resource, or event. The inserting step can include describing a type of resource without specifying an identity of an actual resource; and, inserting the described type in the placeholder. The inserting step also can include describing a type of event without specifying an identity of an actual event; and, inserting the described type in the placeholder. The inserting step also can include describing a type of collaborator without specifying an identity of an actual collaborator; and, inserting the described type in the placeholder.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for creating and managing an activity in a collaborative environment. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a unified activity manager for use in a collaborative environment can include an activity list including a hierarchical listing of activities. Each of the activities can include at least one task. The unified activity manager further can include an activity view including a rendering of properties associated with a selected activity in the activity view. Finally, the unified activity manager yet further can include a persons and roles view including at least a listing of collaborators available for association with the selected activity in the activity view.

Abstract: A system and method is provided which utilizes a threading service to offer enhanced features for a document management system including an email system. Various enhanced email features may be provided through one or more of the following components: a delete module, a reply module, a profile module, and a search module. The delete module enables a user to delete a selected message, a set of related messages, or the whole set except for the selected message. The reply module enables a user to send a reply message to all addresses associated and involved with an entire set of related messages. The profile module enables a dynamic interest profile to contain all relevant information from an outgoing message and a set of messages related to the outgoing message. The search module enables search results to include documents which match the user's query as well as documents related to the documents which match the user's query.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for extracting and maintaining in a virtual address book one or more electronic mail addresses from one or more of the various address fields (e.g., “From,” “To,” “Cc,” “Bcc”) of one or more e-mail messages either transmitted from or received at a predetermined network node (e.g., a client or server). Electronic mail addresses stored in the virtual address book may be made available to “auto-complete” capabilities utilized during the addressing of electronic mail messages.

Abstract: A system allows a user to use address information from selected message to create a new message that is unrelated to the selected message. These improved reply options may include a “New Message To” command and a “New Message To All” command that do not establish a relationship between the reply message and the selected message that could be exploited by, for example, a threading service. In particular, these commands populate address fields of the new message with values from address fields of the selected message without populating any other fields that are used to identify relationships among messages.

Abstract: A system for providing a local user with the identities of users with which a remote user has been communicating. In response to selection of a remote user by the local user, a display is provided of persons with whom that remote user has been communicating. Any specific communication mode of the remote user may be monitored, including instant messing, electronic mail, IP (Internet Protocol) phone, electronic meeting (“emeetings”), etc. The users with which the remote user has been communicating may be presented in various ways, such as lists of names, rows of pictures, etc. Indication of the type of, direction of, and/or initiator of the communications between the displayed users and the selected remote user may also be presented in a variety of ways, such as through modified picture formats, and/or additional visual or textual information presented in association with each person in the list.

Abstract: A system for providing a local awareness client program user with document access information describing accesses to documents by remote users. The system provides document access information describing the documents accessed by one or more remote users, the applications used to access those documents, the times the documents were accessed, and/or other information describing the documents or the access to such documents made by the remote users.

Abstract: A system for providing a local computer system user with detail information about remote computer system users, such as users of separate client computer systems from that of the local user. The detail information regarding remote users is obtained by a client software program on the local computer system, and originates in at least one program and/or system external to the client application software providing the detail information to the local user. The detail information is accessible through graphical objects associated with remote users, and presented either within a visual context of an awareness client program, or within the visual context of an application program external to the awareness client program. Users are able to control the specific detail information about them that is made available to other users.

Abstract: A system to monitor and report the use of communication software applications in a computing environment including an instant messaging system, that provides local users with information describing detected uses of communication software applications by remote users. The monitored communication applications may include, for example, electronic mail, voice over IP applications, on-line meetings, and other specific types of communication applications, as well as instant messaging activities. The system potentially stores specific information regarding each use of the monitored communication applications, and sends the communication application information to one or more server process that stores the information in association with a user identifier provided with the information.

Abstract: A system for providing a local computer user with detailed activity information regarding remote users, in order to assist the local user in determining whether to initiate a communication session with a remote user. The system provides activity information describing the number of instant messaging sessions one or more remote users are currently involved in, the identities of participants in those sessions, activity levels, time period information, and other information. The system further provides detailed activity information describing recent instant messaging sessions of one or more remote users.

Abstract: A system and method are provided such that a user has the ability to more easily scroll to documents of a particular date. In one embodiment of the invention, a processing module of an email system utilizes a calendar view to scroll email messages listed in an inbox view to a particular date. A “Scroll Inbox View to Date” command allows a user to scroll the message set of the inbox view to email messages corresponding to the particular date.

Abstract: The present invention facilitates collaboration on electronic messages. Methods are provided in which an electronic message is stored and presented to users. A user is allowed to perform an action on the electronic message and the action is recorded. Additionally, the record is associated with the electronic message. The users are notified of the action.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for setting attributes and initiating actions associated with list items. An action icon menu is displayed with options for a user to select related to each item in the list. The user may set an item from the list for a selected action by choosing from the action icon menu or by performing a gesture associated with the desired action.

Abstract: An apparatus and method identifies, handles, and/or searches for email messages that include references to dates and/or times, regardless of the syntax or context in which the dates and/or times are expressed in the document. Each incoming document is searched for date-time expressions which may be converted into a canonically formatted date and stored for subsequent comparison to other date-time expressions. In some embodiments of the invention, a mechanism is provided for creating a calendar event from the date-time expression in the document. In some embodiments of the invention, a calendar icon indicates whether a document includes a date-time expression. In some embodiments of the invention, documents that include a date-time expression corresponding to a particular date may be retrieved.

Abstract: A system and method is provided which utilizes a threading service to offer enhanced features for a document management system including an email system. Various enhanced email features may be provided through one or more of the following components: a delete module, a reply module, a profile module, and a search module. The delete module enables a user to delete a selected message, a set of related messages, or the whole set except for the selected message. The reply module enables a user to send a reply message to all addresses associated and involved with an entire set of related messages. The profile module enables a dynamic interest profile to contain all relevant information from an outgoing message and a set of messages related to the outgoing message. The search module enables search results to include documents which match the user's query as well as documents related to the documents which match the user's query.

Abstract: A system and method is provided which utilizes a threading service to offer enhanced features for a document management system including an email system. Various enhanced email features may be provided through one or more of the following components: a delete module, a reply module, a profile module, and a search module. The delete module enables a user to delete a selected message, a set of related messages, or the whole set except for the selected message. The reply module enables a user to send a reply message to all addresses associated and involved with an entire set of related messages. The profile module enables a dynamic interest profile to contain all relevant information from an outgoing message and a set of messages related to the outgoing message. The search module enables search results to include documents which match the user's query as well as documents related to the documents which match the user's query.