US-12627721-B2 - Distributed messaging communication system integrated with a cross-entity collaboration platform

US12627721B2US 12627721 B2US12627721 B2US 12627721B2US-12627721-B2

Abstract

A communication/collaboration system enables a first user at a first entity to define a collaboration object, and to invite a second entity to collaborate on the collaboration object in accordance with a hierarchy with corresponding permissions. A second user at a second entity is enabled to collaborate on the collaboration object. A communications log regarding the collaboration between the first user and the second user is maintained. A communications log between the first user and other users at the first entity is maintained. A communication interface is displayed on the first user computer system that displays the log of communications between the first user and the second user on the collaboration object, together with the log of communications regarding the collaboration object between the first user and other users at the first entity, and excluding communications regarding the collaboration object between the second user and other users at the second entity.

Inventors

Luojia Wang
Douglas R. Heckmann

Assignees

Sure Market, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240710

Claims (20)

1 . A communication and collaboration system, comprising: one or more processing devices; a network interface; non-transitory memory that stores instructions that when executed by the one or more processing devices are configured to cause the communication and collaboration system to perform operations comprising: provide a user interface for display on a first user device that enables a first user at a first entity having a first permission to define a first collaboration object comprising a hierarchical definition, the first user device associated with a first user of a first entity; receive a hierarchical definition of the first collaboration object from the first user device, the hierarchical definition identifying at least a second collaboration object and a third collaboration object; receive, via the network interface, a first image of the first collaboration object, receive a second image of the second collaboration object, and receive a third image of the third collaboration object; receive, via the network interface, a first attribute of the first collaboration object, receive a second attribute of the second collaboration object, and receive a third attribute of the third collaboration object; generate a hierarchical representation of the first collaboration object; cause the hierarchical representation of the first collaboration object to be rendered on the first user device, the hierarchical representation of the first collaboration object comprising the first image of the first collaboration object positioned at a first level of the hierarchical representation, the second image of the second collaboration object at a second level of the hierarchical representation, and the third image of the third collaboration object at a third level of the hierarchical representation; cause the second attribute to be rendered on the first user device in association with the second image and cause the third attribute to be rendered on the first user device in association with the third image; cause a value calculated using the second attribute and the third attribute to be rendered on the first user device in association with the first image; enable an authorized second user of a second entity to access the first collaboration object, including the first image of the first collaboration object via a second user device; cause the first image of the first collaboration object to be rendered via the second user device in association with an annotation tool; receive a first graphical annotation to the first image of the first collaboration object from the second user device; automatically assign an identifier to the first graphical annotation to the first image; and cause the identifier assigned to the first graphical annotation to the first image to be rendered in association with the first graphical annotation to the first image.
2 . The communication and collaboration system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising: establish a virtual private network to communicate with a first computer system of the first entity; use a secure transfer tunnel to encrypt communications to the first computer system of the first entity; and store communications from the first computer system using file encryption in a cloud-based data store.
3 . The communication and collaboration system as defined in claim 1 , wherein the hierarchical representation of the first collaboration object comprises a tree structure.
4 . The communication and collaboration system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising: cause the hierarchical representation of the first collaboration object to be rendered in a list, wherein the second collaboration object is indented in a first direction relative to the first collaboration object, and the third collaboration object is indented in the first direction relative to the second collaboration object.
5 . The communication and collaboration system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising: receive a ratio definition indicating how many of the third collaboration objects are associated with the second collaboration object; and wherein the value calculated using the second attribute and the third attribute is calculated using the ratio definition.
6 . The communication and collaboration system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising: receive from the second user device a first text associated with the first graphical annotation to the first image of the first collaboration object; store the first text received from the second user device in association with the first graphical annotation and in association with an identifier of the second user; and cause the first image of the first collaboration object to be rendered together with the first graphical annotation and the first text, wherein the first text is rendered in association with the identifier of the second user.
7 . The communication and collaboration system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising: maintain a library of collaboration objects in a data store, the library of collaboration objects comprising the second collaboration object; and enable the second collaboration object to be used as part of a fourth collaboration object.
8 . The communication and collaboration system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising: provide a second user interface for display on the first user device, the second user interface comprising: a first menu that enables a user to specify a page orientation for a first document; a second menu that enables a user to specify a number of product images that are to be displayed by the first document; a dynamic menu that includes field number quantities, where the field number quantities are based at least in part on a specified number of product images that are to be displayed by the first document; a field menu providing a set of selectable fields that enables a user to specify what data fields are to be displayed in association with respective product images; receive via the first menu, a first page orientation specification for the first document, receive via the second menu a first specification of a number of product images that are to be displayed by the first document, receive, via the dynamic menu a specified field quantity, receive via the field menu a specification of fields that are to be displayed in association with respective product images; and cause the first document to be rendered in real time in accordance with the first page specification, the first specification of the number of product images that are to be displayed by the first document, the specified field quantity, and the specified fields.
9 . A computer system: one or more processing devices; a network interface; non-transitory memory that stores instructions that when executed by the one or more processing devices are configured to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising: provide a user interface for display on a first user device that enables a first user at a first entity having a first permission to define a first collaboration object comprising a hierarchical definition, the first user device associated with a first user of a first entity; receive a hierarchical definition of the first collaboration object from the first user device, the hierarchical definition identifying at least a second collaboration object at a lower hierarchical level than the first collaboration object; receive, via the network interface, a first image of the first collaboration object and receive a second image of the second collaboration object; receive, via the network interface, a first attribute of the first collaboration object and receive a second attribute of the second collaboration object; generate a hierarchical representation of the first collaboration object; cause the hierarchical representation of the first collaboration object to be rendered on the first user device, the hierarchical representation of the first collaboration object comprising the first image of the first collaboration object positioned at a first level of the hierarchical representation and the second image of the second collaboration object at a second level of the hierarchical representation; cause the second attribute to be rendered on the first user device in association with the second image; enable an authorized second user of a second entity to access the first collaboration object, including the first image of the first collaboration object via a second user device; cause the first image of the first collaboration object to be rendered via the second user device in association with an annotation tool; receive a first graphical annotation to the first image of the first collaboration object from the second user device; automatically assign an identifier to the first graphical annotation to the first image; and cause the identifier assigned to the first graphical annotation to the first image to be rendered in association with the first graphical annotation to the first image.
10 . The computer system as defined in claim 9 , the operations further comprising: establish a virtual private network to communicate with a first computer system of the first entity; use a secure transfer tunnel to encrypt communications to the first computer system of the first entity; and store communications from the first computer system using file encryption in a cloud-based data store.
11 . The computer system as defined in claim 9 , wherein the hierarchical representation of the first collaboration object comprises a tree structure.
12 . The computer system as defined in claim 9 , the operations further comprising: cause the hierarchical representation of the first collaboration object to be rendered in a list, wherein the second collaboration object is indented in a first direction relative to the first collaboration object.
13 . The computer system as defined in claim 9 , the operations further comprising: receive a ratio definition indicating how many of the second collaboration objects are associated with the first collaboration object; and cause a value calculated using the second attribute and the ratio definition to be rendered on the first user device in association with the first image.
14 . The computer system as defined in claim 9 , the operations further comprising: receive from the second user device a first text associated with the first graphical annotation to the first image of the first collaboration object; store the first text received from the second user device in association with the first graphical annotation and in association with an identifier of the second user; cause the first image of the first collaboration object to be rendered together with the first graphical annotation and the first text, wherein the first text is rendered in association with the identifier of the second user.
15 . The computer system as defined in claim 9 , the operations further comprising: maintain a library of collaboration objects in a data store, the library of collaboration objects comprising the second collaboration object; and enable the second collaboration object to be used as part of a fourth collaboration object.
16 . The computer system as defined in claim 9 , the operations further comprising: provide a second user interface for display on the first user device, the second user interface comprising: a first menu that enables a user to specify a page orientation for a first document; a second menu that enables a user to specify a number of product images that are to be displayed by the first document; a dynamic menu that includes field number quantities, where the field number quantities are based at least in part on a specified number of product images that are to be displayed by the first document; a field menu that enables a user to specify what data fields are to be displayed in association with respective product images; receive via the first menu, a first page orientation specification for the first document, receive via the second menu a first specification of a number of product images that are to be displayed by the first document, receive, via the dynamic menu a specified field quantity, receive via the field menu a specification of fields that are to be displayed in association with respective product images; and cause the first document to be rendered in real time in accordance with the first page specification, the first specification of the number of product images that are to be displayed by the first document, the specified field quantity, and the specified fields.
17 . A computer implemented method, the method comprising: providing, by a computer system, a user interface for display on a first user device that enables a first user at a first entity having a first permission to define a first collaboration object comprising a hierarchical definition, the first user device associated with a first user of a first entity; receiving a hierarchical definition of the first collaboration object from the first user device, the hierarchical definition identifying at least a second collaboration object at a lower hierarchical level than the first collaboration object; receiving a first image of the first collaboration object and receive a second image of the second collaboration object; receiving a first attribute of the first collaboration object and receive a second attribute of the second collaboration object; generating a hierarchical representation of the first collaboration object; causing the hierarchical representation of the first collaboration object to be rendered on the first user device, the hierarchical representation of the first collaboration object comprising the first image of the first collaboration object positioned at a first level of the hierarchical representation and the second image of the second collaboration object at a second level of the hierarchical representation; causing the second attribute to be rendered on the first user device in association with the second image; enabling an authorized second user to access the first collaboration object, including the first image of the first collaboration object via a second user device; causing the first image of the first collaboration object to be rendered via the second user device in association with an annotation tool; receiving a first graphical annotation to the first image of the first collaboration object from the second user device; and causing the graphical annotation to the first image to be rendered on the second user device.
18 . The computer implemented as defined in claim 17 , the method further comprising: establishing a virtual private network to communicate with a first computer system of the first entity; using a secure transfer tunnel to encrypt communications to the first computer system of the first entity; and storing communications from the first computer system using file encryption in a cloud-based data store.
19 . The computer implemented as defined in claim 17 , wherein the hierarchical representation of the first collaboration object comprises a tree structure.
20 . The computer implemented as defined in claim 17 , the method further comprising: causing the hierarchical representation of the first collaboration object to be rendered in a list, wherein the second collaboration object is indented in a first direction relative to the first collaboration object.

Description

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as field with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57. COPYRIGHT NOTICE A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document and/or the patent disclosure as it appears in the United States Patent and Trademark Office patent file and/or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever. BACKGROUND Communications associated with various types of networked transactions have become essential in many industries. However, with the enormous flow of such communications, it has become increasingly challenging to manage and intelligently present such communications. The failure of conventional systems to adequately manage and present related communications has hindered users from collaborating in an efficient, error-free manner. SUMMARY The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor delineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. An aspect of the present disclosure relates to enabling a first entity to establish a hierarchy of permissions with respect to transactions with other entities and to maintaining a record of communications between such entities organized by object. The hierarchy of permissions may control which users of the first entity may communicate regarding an object with users of the second entity. The hierarchy of permissions may control what object-related data users of the first entity may access and what object-related data users of the second entity may access. An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a communication/collaboration system enables a first user at a first entity to define a collaboration object (e.g., a document, transaction, program, etc.), and to invite a second entity to collaborate on the collaboration object in accordance with a hierarchy with corresponding permissions. A second user at a second entity is enabled to collaborate on the collaboration object. A communications log regarding the collaboration between the first user and the second user is maintained. A communications log between the first user and other users at the first entity is maintained. A communication interface is displayed on the first user computer system (e.g., a desktop, laptop, smart, smart television, smart wearable, etc.) that displays the log of communications between the first user and the second user on the collaboration object, together with the log of communications regarding the collaboration object between the first user and other users at the first entity, and excluding communications regarding the collaboration object between the second user and other users at the second entity. An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a communication and collaboration system comprising: one or more processing devices; a network interface; non-transitory memory that stores instructions that when executed by the one or more processing devices are configured to cause the communication and collaboration system to perform operations comprising: enable a first entity to establish a first hierarchy of permissions comprising communication permissions with respect to users of the first entity; enable a second entity to establish a second hierarchy with corresponding permissions comprising communication permissions with respect to users of the second entity; detect a first user of the first entity accessing the communication and collaboration system, the first user at a first position in the first hierarchy; enable the first user to define a first collaboration object; access the first hierarchy with corresponding permissions; enable the first user to invite a second entity to collaborate on the first collaboration object in accordance with the first hierarchy with corresponding permissions; in response to receiving over a network via the network interface from a first computer system of the first user an invite instruction for the second entity, the invite instructions regarding collaboration on the first collaboration object, transmit the invitation to collaborate on the first collaboration object to the second entity, the second entity associated with a second user; receive from a second computer system of the second user an acceptance of the invitation to collaborate on the first collaboration object; access the second hierarchy with corresponding permissio