17932675. UNPLANNED REMOTE COLLABORATION simplified abstract (International Business Machines Corporation)

UNPLANNED REMOTE COLLABORATION

Organization Name

International Business Machines Corporation

Inventor(s)

Anamitra Bhattacharyya of Chelmsford MA (US)

Krishnamohan Dantam of Chelmsford MA (US)

Manjunath Makonahalli of Acton MA (US)

UNPLANNED REMOTE COLLABORATION - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 17932675 titled 'UNPLANNED REMOTE COLLABORATION

Simplified Explanation

The computer-implemented method described in the abstract aims to facilitate unplanned interactions for remote workers by leveraging the physical locations of communication devices associated with user accounts. By generating collaboration scores based on the proximity of these devices, the method can identify potential collaborators and initiate communication channels between them when their scores exceed a certain threshold.

• Identifying user accounts associated with communication devices and physical locations
• Determining the location of each communication device within each physical location
• Generating collaboration scores for each user account based on device locations
• Initiating communication channels between users with collaboration scores above a threshold

Potential Applications

This technology could be applied in remote work settings to foster spontaneous collaboration among team members who may not have planned interactions otherwise.

Problems Solved

This method addresses the challenge of facilitating unplanned interactions and collaboration among remote workers who are physically separated.

Benefits

- Encourages spontaneous collaboration - Enhances communication among remote workers - Increases opportunities for teamwork and idea sharing

Potential Commercial Applications

"Enhancing Remote Collaboration through Proximity-Based Interaction Initiation"

Possible Prior Art

There may be prior art related to proximity-based communication systems or collaboration tools in remote work environments.

How does this method ensure user privacy and data security when sharing location information for collaboration purposes?

The abstract does not provide details on how user privacy and data security are maintained while utilizing location information for collaboration.

What measures are in place to prevent misuse of the collaboration scores or unauthorized access to communication channels?

The abstract does not mention any specific safeguards or protocols to prevent misuse of collaboration scores or unauthorized access to communication channels.

Original Abstract Submitted

A computer-implemented method to initiate unplanned interactions for remote workers. The method includes identifying a plurality of user accounts, where each user account is associated with a communication device and a physical location. The method further includes determining a location of each communication device within each physical location. The method also includes generating, for each user account, a collaboration score, where the collaboration scores are based on the location of each communication device. The method includes determining a first collaboration score of a first user account and a second collaboration score of a second user account are above a collaboration threshold. The method also includes initiating, based on the first collaboration score and the second collaboration score being above the threshold, a communication channel between a first communication device and a second communication device.