Phuong Minh Le

8117551, Feb 14, 2012

Dec 18, 2007

11/959119

Li-Te Cheng - Malden MA, US
Steven L. Rohall - Winchester MA, US
John F. Patterson - Carlisle MA, US
Masato Ikura - Holmdel NJ, US
Phuong B. Le - Bloomington IL, US

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G06F 3/048

715757, 715706, 715764, 715848

Computer method and apparatus represent users by respective avatars in a subject virtual environment. The invention system displays the avatars in the virtual environment, and for each avatar, displays in proximity to the avatar, a respective trail of virtual contact objects. The respective trail of virtual contact objects is associated with the user represented by the avatar and serves as a visual indication of presence and activeness (level of activity) of the user in the subject virtual environment. Each virtual contact object in the respective trail stores and provides user contact data of the user and is persistable upon end-user command.

20090158171, Jun 18, 2009

Dec 18, 2007

11/958998

Li-Te Cheng - Malden MA, US
Steven L. Rohall - Winchester MA, US
John F. Patterson - Carlislc MA, US
Phuong B. Le - Bloomington IL, US
Masato Ikura - Holmdel NJ, US

G06F 3/048

715753

A computer method and system familiarizes users in a group in shared synchronous environments. As part of operation of a given shared synchronous online environment, the invention generates an icebreaking activity for a group of users. The generated ice breaking activity has content from at least one data source external to the given online environment. The content may be mined user profiles, images and other user information from other data sources that users provide information to. The invention allows free form conversation among the group of users during participation in the generated ice-breaking activity. Such participation by the users in the generated ice-breaking activity and free form conversation among the users enable users to become familiar with each other's human persona.

20090259937, Oct 15, 2009

Apr 11, 2008

12/101401

Steven L. Rohall - Winchester MA, US
Li-Te Cheng - Malden MA, US
Masato Ikura - Holmdel NJ, US
Phuong B. Le - Bloomington IL, US
John F. Patterson - Carlisle MA, US

G06F 3/14
G06F 15/16

715706, 709204, 715757

Computer-based group brainstorming system and method are disclosed. The invention system and method provide a certain area (e.g., a depicted room) as a brainstorming area in a virtual environment. A processor engine enables brainstorming sessions of multiple users in the certain area. For a given brainstorming session, the engine (i) indicates each user in the brainstorming session, and (ii) indicates communications (e.g., chat bubbles, votes, etc.) of each user in the brainstorming session. Color-coding of the users/avatars and communications may be used. Users may arrange indicia (e.g., indicators of project tasks) in the certain area in a manner that provides work flow or work assignments to users. Snapshots of the different states of a brainstorming session are enabled. User interaction with the artifacts of the brainstorming session remains active in the snapshots. Artifacts of a brainstorming session may later be reconstituted (reinstated) from a reloading of a snapshot into a subsequent session.

20090271369, Oct 29, 2009

Apr 28, 2008

12/110584

Li-Te Cheng - Malden MA, US
Steven L. Rohall - Winchester MA, US
John F. Patterson - Carlisle MA, US
Masato Ikura - Holmdel NJ, US
Phuong B. Le - Bloomington IL, US

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION - Armonk NY

G06F 17/30

707 3, 707E17014

An external source data provider provides separable lists of external data in a virtual environment. The external source data provider and method particularly represent a query for external data in the virtual environment. The query is executed against external sources resulting in a plurality of items collectively forming search results. An output module displays the search results as a stream of discrete objects emanating from the representation of the search query in the virtual environment. Each object corresponds to or otherwise represents a respective search result item and operates as an individual data element Any user may persist, manipulate, share, annotate and modify one or more of the objects corresponding to the external data (i.e., respective search result item). Displayed objects that are left untouched by users disappear from display after a predefined period of time.