US007421660B2 (12) Unlted States Patent (10) Patent N0.2 US 7,421,660 B2 Charnock et a]. (45) Date of Patent: Sep. 2, 2008 (54) METHOD AND APPARATUS TO VISUALLY 6,209,100 B1 3/2001 Robertson et a1. PRESENT DISCUSSIONS FOR DATA MINING 6,275,811 B1 8/2001 Ginn PURPOSES 6,311,194 B1 10/2001 Sheth et a1. 6,381,579 B1 4/2002 Gervais et al. (75) Inventorsi Elizabeth Qlarllock, Foster City, CA 6,396,509 B1 * 5/2002 Cheng ......... .. 715/706 (Us); Cums ThOIIIPSOII, Berkeley, CA 6,476,830 B1 * 11/2002 Farmer et al. .. 715/769 (Us); Steven L Roberts’ Foster C113” CA 6,484,196 B1 * 11/2002 Maurille ................... .. 709/206 (Us) 6,539,421 B1 * 3/2003 Appelman et al. ........ .. 709/206 (73) Assignee: Cataphora, Inc., Redwood City, CA 6’598’046 Bl 7/2003 Goldberg et 31' (Us) 6,631,375 B2 10/2003 Jecha et al. ( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 (Continued) U.S.C. 154(b) by 741 days. FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS (21) App1.No.: 10/358,786 W0 WO 00/67159 11/2000 (22) Filed: Feb. 4, 2003 (65) Prior Publication Data Us 2004/0153456 A1 Aug. 5, 2004 (Commued) OTHER PUBLICATIONS (51) Int. Cl. G06F 3/00 (200601) Wellman, Barry, “For a Social Network Analysis of Computer Net G06F 9/00 (200601) Works: A Sociological Perspective on Collaborative Work andVirtual (52) US. Cl. ..................... .. 715/751; 715/758; 715/839; (Continual) 715/853; 715/706; 715/963; 715/968; 715/838; 715/759; 715/753; 715/757; 705/7; 705/8; Primary ExamineriTadesse Hailu 707/3 Assistant ExamineriSabrina Greene (58) Field of Classi?cation Search ............... .. 715/751, (74) Allow/ex Age/11, 0r FirmiAlan H- MacPherson; 715/839, 963, 968, 853, 838, 758, 759, 753, MaCPherSOn KWOk Chen & Held LLP 715/755, 757, 706; 705/7, 8 See application ?le for complete search history. (57) ABSTRACT (56) References Cited A method of organizing information is disclosed. The method U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS comprises providing a visualization of actor communications 5,689,550 A 11/1997 Garsonet al. in the context of one or more discussion, a discussion includ 5,754,939 A 5/1998 HerZ et a1. ing at least one actor and at least one documented communi cation. 5,796,395 A * 8/1998 de Hond ................... .. 715/751 5,880,731 A * 3/1999 Liles etal. 715/758 6,188,405 B1* 2/2001 Czerwinski et a1. ....... .. 715/764 11 Claims, 42 Drawing Sheets 1205 545 1210 1215 1220 1215 1225 US 7,421,660 B2 Page 2 US. PATENT DOCUMENTS cations, 2001 International Symposium on Jul. 16-18, 2001, Piscataway, NJ, USA, IEEE, pp. 34-44, XP010554365. 6,654,726 B1 11/2003 HanZek Dunkel B. et al, “Customized metadata for Internet Information” 6,654,749 B1 11/2003 Nashed Knowledge-Based Intelligent Electronic Systems, 1997. KES ’97. 6,728,752 B1 4/2004 Chen et al. 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FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS Smith M A Et Al Association For Computing Machinery: “Visual iZation Components For Persistent Conversations” Chi 2001 Confer W0 WO 01/53995 A1 7/2001 ence Proceedings. Conference On Human Factors In Computing W0 WO 01/57633 A1 8/2001 Systems. Seattle, Wa, Mar. 31- Apr. 5, 2001, Chi Conference Pro W0 WO 01/69428 A1 9/2001 ceedings. Human Factors In Computing Systems, New York, Ny: Ieee,US, Mar. 31, 2001 (Mar. 3, 2001), pp. 136-143, Isbn: 1-28113 OTHER PUBLICATIONS 327-8 Abstract; Figures 3-6 p.141-p. 143. ISR from PCT/US03/03309 date of mailing May 1, 2003 (4 pages). Warren Sack: “Conversation Map: A Content-Based Newsgroup International Search Report from PCT (corresponding case No. PCT/ Brower” Proceedings Of The 5th International Conference On Intel US03/03504) dated Apr. 21, 2003. ligent User Interfaces, [Onl lne] 2000. pp. 233-240, New Orleans, Song, W.W. et al., “A Semantic Similarity Approach to electronic Usa Isbn: 1-58113-134-8 Retrieved From The Internet: Url: Http:// document modeling and integration”, Web Information Systems Portal.Acm. Abstract* p. 234 [Retrieved p. 237 On Feb. 14, 2008]. Engineering, 2000Proceedings of the First International Conferences Donath J Et Al: “Visualizing Conversation” Systems Sciences, 1999, on Hong Kong, China Jun. 19-21, 2000, Los Alamitos, CA, USA, Hicss-32. Proceedings Of The 32nd Annual Hawaii International IEEE Comput. Soc., US, vol. 1, Jun. 19, 2000, pp. 116-124, Conference On Maui, Hi, Usa Jan 5-8, 1999, Los Alamitos, Ca, Usa, XP010521844 ISBN: 0-7695-0577-5. Ieee Comput. Varlamis, I. et al. “Web document searching using enhanced ?yperlink semantics based on Xml” Database Engineering & Appli * cited by examiner US. Patent Sep. 2, 2008 Sheet 1 0f 42 US 7,421,660 B2 Figure 1: Example of a computer network Voicemail Sewer Email Server 125 Data Server 12.9 E). Visualization Mechanism Network lnd e System E 1:; r m "‘ Sociological Databases Engine E Databases @ E US. Patent Sep. 2, 2008 Sheet 2 0f 42 US 7,421,660 B2 Figure 2: Example of a digital computer 4 E Di_ splay 230 ¢ . : Proiisits. mg Memory 00 l I 2_12 210 Alphanumerlc ‘ _ _ >5 r A Input Device 255 =1 y Bus & y E : A A E Cursor Control m a I 5 Data Network I 1 Storage Interface Communications E Device Card Device24_5 ; 5 2.29 E US. Patent Sep. 2, 2008 Sheet 3 0f 42 US 7,421,660 B2 Figure 3: Navigation ?ow 305 + have zero or more . . 31 O Dlscusslons *must have at least 2 Actors have zero or more ’ =1 T returns zero—k returns zer?‘z or more “more N to N mapping Queries Topics * 320 315 US. Patent Sep. 2, 2008 Sheet 4 0f 42 US 7,421,660 B2 Figure 4: User-interface ?ow User Interface Flow 420 . . . Query using QBE Query using multi- Query using query canned query evidence query Ul language templates Query using visual - e Buildin W d means ofquerying query interface Q“ W 9 IZar 425 specifying at least one of: actors, time, topic, related events, communication type, speci?c documents, work ?ow processes, etc 435 305 310 440 315 Smgleton Discussions Actors Statistics Topics Documents displayed in form of: _ I participant graph , , activity graph activity graph tabular llSt VleW overview graph aCF'Y'ty graph actor, Venn diagram transcript view pamc'pant gfaph data set and overview graph question and answer acio?prq?'e other profile matrix View list mam)‘. ‘"e‘.” views tabular list view matrix view tabular |'St,V'eW Venn diagram cluster view duster V'ew tabular list view US. Patent Sep. 2, 2008 Sheet 5 0f 42 US 7,421,660 B2 Figure 5: Participant graph Partlclpant Graph I Ducumems I E-llail I instant II 51;. I Content I‘? Stan . TIP! ‘f Hole Info To: The Yeller . Damn-Ina Subject: Confusion Date:(10125)6:30AM _ _ -, - To: The Ysller ‘I Suhiect: Re1Timeline Date: (1012s) 6:25AM -, 4am 505 510 515 520 525 530 540 545 550 US. Patent Sep. 2, 2008 Sheet 6 6f 42 US 7,421,660 B2 Figure 6: Participant graph, daytime and nighttime View , Email " From: Vicki Ci'inn To: Vivian Thomas Date: 06:25 @11130 ‘ Subject: Cisrifnation i 505 510 515 520 525 605 610 540 615 545 US. Patent Sep. 2, 2008 Sheet 7 0f 42 US 7,421,660 B2 Figure 7: form panel for adding items - Find Find Superior (B Q iJiscussion D E Document Results ‘ Discussion TUB , End Date Primary Part ipants / ‘ £14 ‘ \ ‘ “mm” " ugiismi ' ‘Ii. Thomas Risk Assessment Superior 03109;‘01 05;‘05101 A Joe Williams / i. 705 710 715 720 720 725 730 US. Patent Sep. 2, 2008 Sheet 8 0f 42 US 7,421,660 B2 Figure 8: Participant graph, with pop-up showing basic information about the item 810 815 820 8 5 _ D x | file Edit _oois Help View \ools ‘I // iosmiiwv nzelgia Agtivity Participant Filler i Plim 5139B" gel-Ina 1 I / Final Negotiations, Tak Deal 0 Filler ?nalization v||westem Division v] I Dncumants Board Mtg. I E~Ilail I lnstanl Ilsg. @gwg. EI]. Cmnneia nl E I? (9 m 2 More lnin E (903mm: m ‘3.219 : From: Vicki Chinn To: Vivian Thomas Me: [16125 @1130 L 6 Subject: Clarification \ \ \ 830 610 510 515 520 525 605 540 545