Patent ID: 7526729

Claim:
A computing system, comprising: a display device configured to display images to a user; an input device, including a mouse, configured to allow the user to interact with the displayed images; a memory configured to store code to render a real-time updateable user interface (UI) which reflects collaborative exchanges of the user on the display device, the code comprising code segments configured to render on the display device; a temporal display background having a user defined granularity including a central area which represents a present time, and markings which are arranged in steadily increasing radial distances from the central area and which correspondingly represent times of steadily increasing temporal distances from the present time, a relationship between the radial distances and the temporal distances being based on the user defined granularity, a plurality of dots, which each represent a collaborative exchange between the user and an entity and which are each arranged on the temporal display background at respective radial locations which correspond to a time the collaborative exchange occurred, a line between any two or more dots which each represent collaborative exchanges between the user and a similar entity, a first graphic, which is enabled by a right-click of the mouse on any one of the plurality of dots and which includes first level information relating to the entity, the first level information including a virtual business card of the entity and details of a particular collaborative exchange therewith, and a second graphic, which is enabled by a left-click of the mouse on a particular portion of the virtual business card or the details within the first graphic and which includes second level information relating to the details of the collaborative exchange, the second level information including a navigable collaborative exchange history with the entity, wherein: for any set of one or more dots which each represent collaborative exchanges between the user and a similar entity, the one dot closest to or within the central area includes a graphical identifier that indicates whether the entity is currently available for a new collaborative exchange, the graphical identifier including a modification of a color of the dot closest to or within the central area, and a left-click of the mouse with the one dot initiates an Internet Messaging (IM) session between the user and the entity; and a central processing unit, operationally coupled to the display device, the input unit and the memory, configured to control respective operations of the display device, the input unit and the memory.