Abstract: A ConnectIcon View is employed to establish collaborative communications between a plurality of participants in a group. Specifically, it is a dynamic visual representation of the participants of a group being invited to communicate together with their presence information, lists of documents and URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) to be examined, and a set of mechanisms (email, chat, voice, and the like) to initiate communication, each of which can be billed to the originator or otherwise as desired. The available presence information allows a user to employ the best mode of communicating for the instant purpose, namely, either asynchronous communication or synchronous communication.

Abstract: A natural language-based interface data presentation system interfaces, for example, information visualization system interfaces, is realized by employing so-called open-ended natural language inquiries to the interface that translates them into database queries and a set of information to be provided to a user. More specifically, a natural language inquiry is translated to database queries by determining if any complete database queries can be formulated based on the natural language inquiry and, if so, specifying which complete database queries are to be made. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, knowledge of the information visualization presentation is advantageously employed in the interface to guide a user in response to the user's natural language inquiries.

Abstract: Presence awareness initiatives are implemented in a collaborative system that enables a user to set presence awareness policies, and that provides a reasonably high assurance that the system will correctly implement those policies. Specifically, the collaborative presence awareness system is such as to enable users to specify complex presence awareness policies. The presence awareness system is also such as to have been verified by employing systematic state-space exploration tools to establish a high level of assurance that the presence awareness system has the capability to implement correctly, substantially all possible presence awareness policies. Further, in accordance with another aspect of the invention, the presence awareness policy specifications are modular relative to the rest of the presence awareness system, and can be modified without having to modify computational modules or user interface program code of the presence awareness system.

Abstract: Interactive services with multiple interfaces are realized by employing a modular approach to their implementation. Such an approach facilitates supporting natural language understanding interaction with users through use of interfaces that at least allow the user to provide information beyond what is currently being requested by the service, and/or different ordering of inputs, and/or incomplete information, and/or correction of information, and/or the return of control to prior points in the service. This is realized, in an embodiment of the invention, by employing an interactive service logic that uses “reactive constraint graphs”, i.e., a form of event-driven graph in which nodes contain constraints on events, in conjunction with a service monitor. The service monitor manages the communication between the service logic and the multiple user interfaces.

Abstract: Interactive services are provided by employing a modular approach to implementing interactive services with multiple interfaces. Such an approach facilitates supporting natural language understanding interaction with users through use of interfaces that allow at least different ordering of inputs, and/or incomplete information, and/or correction of information, and/or the return of control to prior points in the service. This is realized, in an embodiment of the invention, by employing a single interactive service logic that uses “reactive constraint graphs”, i.e., a form of event-driven graph, in which nodes contain a set of constraints on events. Specifically, control progresses from a node to a derivative node, i.e., “child”, only when all the constraints in the set on the node have been satisfied. A single set of constraints implicitly supports a significant number of the possible different orderings of inputs.

Abstract: A ConnectIcon View is employed to establish collaborative communications between a plurality of participants in a group. Specifically, it is a dynamic visual representation of the participants of a group being invited to communicate together with their presence information, lists of documents and URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) to be examined, and a set of mechanisms (email, chat, voice, and the like) to initiate communication, each of which can be billed to the originator or otherwise as desired. The available presence information allows a user to employ the best mode of communicating for the instant purpose, namely, either asynchronous communication or synchronous communication.

Abstract: A unique process, i.e., method, is employed to automatically close an open reactive system. This is realized by employing a unique analysis technique to automatically close the open system by eliminating its interface to its environment. This allows the open system being analyzed to be comprised of either a single sequential process or a set of concurrent processes. The effect of closing the system is to make it executable and amenable to analysis. This is because the resulting closed system simulates the behavior of the original open system in its most general environment.