Flow-directed query ownership transfer for network collaboration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for collaborative communication in globally integrated business networks face challenges such as delays due to time zones and inefficiencies in ensuring the right individuals are involved in decision-making processes, particularly in reconstructing the history of queries and providing timely responses.
Innovation Solution
A flow-directed method where ownership of queries is dynamically transferred through a network of nodes, creating a data structure that traces the query propagation, allowing for efficient information delivery and minimizing work required by any single person, while overcoming organizational boundaries and time zone barriers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If email is used for collaborative communication, then the primary stakeholder can reach a larger audience more quickly with less investment of resources, but email creates an open loop where an answer within a required time frame is not guaranteed and copying and forwarding creates divergent threads making it difficult to reconstruct the history of the original query
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a query management system that acts as an intermediary between participants in collaborative communication. This system receives queries, manages their propagation through the network, and maintains a centralized record of all queries and responses. The intermediary ensures that query history is preserved and accessible while coordinating responses across different time zones and locations, solving both the information loss and productivity issues.
2Reliability
If meetings are organized for rapid response to business needs, then immediate answers and decision making can be obtained, but it is difficult to ensure that the right people are involved and meeting effectiveness relies on organizers to provide a well-defined agenda and take detailed records
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service query management system where participants automatically receive and respond to queries without requiring manual meeting organization. The system handles agenda creation, participant notification, and record-keeping automatically. Queries are propagated to relevant participants who can respond asynchronously, eliminating the need for complex meeting coordination while ensuring the right people are involved based on the query content.
3Adaptability or versatility
If email forwarding is used to leverage collective knowledge base, then questions can be forwarded to additional individuals who are believed to have the answers, but copying and forwarding creates divergent threads making it difficult to reconstruct the history of the original query
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the query management system tracks and records all query propagations, responses, and participant interactions in a centralized data structure. This feedback loop ensures that the complete history of query propagation is maintained and accessible to all participants. The system provides visibility into which participants have been involved and what responses have been given, enabling effective knowledge base utilization while preserving complete query history.
Data Source
AI summary
Resolving a query received from a first node in a network includes accepting, by a second node in the network, ownership of the query from the first node, receiving, at the second node, an identification of a third node in the network, wherein the identification is received from a user of the second node and the user of the second node believes that a user of the third node has information necessary to resolve at least part of the query, and transferring, by the second node, ownership of the at least part of the query to the third node, wherein the accepting, the receiving, and the transferring dynamically generates a data structure that traces a propagation of the query, and the data structure is accessible to an origin of the query.