Controllable display of a collaboration framework system

Abstract

A structure of an interactive collaboration session is generated. The structure is typically based on an activity defined by a leader of the interactive collaboration session. The structure of the interactive collaboration session comprises different levels. For example, the structure of the interactive collaboration session may contain hierarchical levels that include top level items to discuss, a secondary level for responses to top level items, and a tertiary level for responses to the secondary level items. The structure of the interactive collaboration session is displayed to the leader. The leader controls the participants' display of the structure of the interactive collaboration as the interactive collaboration session progresses. For example, the leader may click on a button that disables the participants' ability to make comments during one part of the interactive collaboration session. Later, the leader can click on a button to enable the participants to make comments.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for collaboration comprising:
 generating a structure of an interactive collaboration session, wherein the structure of the interactive collaboration session comprises a level;   displaying the structure of the interactive collaboration session to a leader of the interactive collaboration session;   receiving an input from the leader to control the display of the level of the structure of the interactive collaboration session; and   in response to receiving the input to control the display of the level of the structure of the interactive collaboration session, controlling a display of the level to a set of participants of the interactive collaboration session.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a view that is displayed to the set of participants comprises not showing the level to the set of participants, and wherein the structure of the interactive collaboration session that is displayed to the leader does show the level. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a view that is displayed to an individual one of the set of participants comprises only showing input from the individual one of the set of participants. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein controlling the display of the level to the set of participants further comprises controlling a display of the content associated with the level. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving an input from the leader of the interactive collaboration session to control information that can be entered by the set of participants in the level. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 dividing a structure of an interactive collaboration activity into a plurality of structures of the interactive collaboration session;   providing a mechanism for displaying individual ones of the plurality of structures of the interactive collaboration session to the leader of the interactive collaboration session.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the set of participants are divided among the plurality of the structures of the interactive collaboration session into a plurality of sets of participants and wherein one the plurality of sets of participants is unable to view an interactive collaboration session of another set of the plurality participants. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a leader of the interactive collaboration session can search the structure of the interactive collaboration session to create a new category or a new idea based on results of the search. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising reading in a predefined template to generate the structure of the interactive collaboration session, and wherein the structure of the interactive collaboration session is at least one of:
 a hierarchical structure;   a tabbed structure;   a grid structure; and   a menu structure.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a predefined template that is used to generate one or more steps of the interactive collaboration session that can be selected by the leader of the interactive collaboration session to step through the interactive collaboration session. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein selection of one of the one or more steps of the interactive collaboration session cause the display of the level to the set of participants to change. 
     
     
         12 . A system for collaboration comprising:
 a collaboration module comprising a processor and memory configured to generate a structure of an interactive collaboration session, wherein the structure of the interactive collaboration session comprises a level, and receive an input to control a display of level of the structure of the interactive collaboration session; and   a display module configured to generate information to display the structure of the interactive collaboration session to a leader of the interactive collaboration session and control a display of the level to a set of participants of the interactive collaboration session in response to receiving the input to control the display of the level of the structure of the interactive collaboration session.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein a view that is displayed to the set if participants comprises not showing the level to the set of participants and wherein the structure of the interactive collaboration session that is displayed to the leader does show the level. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein controlling the display of the level to the set of participants further comprises controlling a display of the content associated with the level. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the collaboration module is configured to receive an input from the leader of the interactive collaboration session to control information that can be entered by the set of participants in the level. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the collaboration module is further configured to: divide a structure of an interactive collaboration activity into a plurality of structures of the interactive collaboration session and wherein the display module is further configured to provide a mechanism for displaying individual ones of the plurality of structures of the interactive collaboration session to the leader of the interactive collaboration session. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the set of participants are divided among the plurality of the structures of the interactive collaboration session into a plurality of sets of participants and wherein one the plurality of sets of participants is unable to view an interactive collaboration session of another set of the plurality participants. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a predefined template that is used to generate one or more steps of the interactive collaboration session that can be selected by the leader of the interactive collaboration session to step through the interactive collaboration session. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein selection of one of the one or more steps of the interactive collaboration session cause the display of the level to the set of participants to change. 
     
     
         20 . A method of collaboration comprising:
 generating a structure of an interactive collaboration session, wherein the structure of the interactive collaboration session comprises a level;   displaying the structure of the interactive collaboration session to a leader of the interactive collaboration session;   receiving an input to control the display of the level of the structure of the interactive collaboration session;   in response to receiving the input to control the display of the level of the structure of the interactive collaboration session, controlling a display of the level to a set of participants of the interactive collaboration session;   generating one or more steps of the interactive collaboration session;   inserting the one or more steps into the interactive collaboration session; and   selecting by the leader of the interactive collaboration session the one or more steps of the interactive collaboration to step the leader through the interactive collaboration session.