Patent ID: 7506027
Filing Date: 2009-03-17
Classification: G06Q,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A system for working collaboratively among plurality of members belonging to a group, said system comprising: a collaboration engine; a virtual lock and queue management module; a resource name management module; and a member and community management module; wherein said system is hosted on one or more servers; wherein said collaboration engine provides an instant message service for said plurality of members defined and managed within said member and community management module; wherein a first one of said plurality of members dynamically creates an arbitrary resource name representing a resource of any type or representing a group of plurality of existing resource names via said resource name management module; wherein a second one of said plurality of members dynamically does one or more actions on said arbitrary resource name, selected from a set of actions comprising: deleting said arbitrary resource name via said resource name management module; querying whether said arbitrary resource name is locked; reserving said arbitrary resource name in real-time by locking said arbitrary resource name if said arbitrary resource name is unlocked; releasing said arbitrary resource name in real-time by unlocking said arbitrary resource name if said arbitrary resource name is locked by said second one of said plurality of members; or queuing against said arbitrary resource name via an entry in a corresponding queue identifying said second one of said plurality of members if said arbitrary resource name is locked, and causing said virtual lock and queue management module to notify a member who last reserved said arbitrary resource name that said arbitrary resource name is in demand by said second one of said plurality of members; wherein upon release of said arbitrary resource name, said virtual lock and queue management module notifies the member identified by the earliest remaining entry in said corresponding queue; wherein upon reserving of said arbitrary resource name, said virtual lock and queue management module removes any existing entry identifying the member reserving said arbitrary resource name, from said corresponding queue; wherein said virtual lock and queue management module notifies a member who last reserved said arbitrary resource name that a timeout event associated with a corresponding reservation of said arbitrary resource name has occurred, if a timeout value is associated with said reservation of said arbitrary resource name and said reservation of said arbitrary resource name has been in place longer than said timeout value; wherein said virtual lock and queue management module returns the status of said arbitrary resource name representing a group of plurality of said existing resource names as locked, unless the status of all said existing resource names are unlocked; wherein when the status of said arbitrary resource representing a group of plurality of said existing resource names becomes locked, said virtual lock and queue management module updates the status of all said existing resource names to locked; wherein when the status of said arbitrary resource name toggles between unlocked and locked, said system notifies said plurality of members, and said virtual lock and queue management module updates the status of a second arbitrary resource name representing a group to which said arbitrary resource name belongs; wherein said collaboration engine provides a discussion thread associated with said arbitrary resource name for said plurality of members; wherein said system sends a notification to said plurality of members via said instant message service; and wherein said system limits the number of a specific member's concurrent reservations.