(12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT)
`
`(l9) World Intellectual Property Organization
`International Bureau
`
`
`
`(43) International Publication Date
`14 March 2002 (14.03.2002)
`
`(10) International Publication Number
`
`pCT
`
`wo 02/21413 A2
`
`(51) International Patent Classification7:
`
`G06F17/60
`
`(21) International Application Number:
`
`PCT/USOl/4204I
`
`(22) International Filing Date:
`5 September 2001 (05.09.2001)
`
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`z
`
`(26) Publication Language‘
`.
`.
`(30) Priority Data:
`60/230,037
`
`5 September 2000 (05.09.2000)
`
`US
`
`(71) Applicant: ZAPLET, INC. [US/US]; 3000 Bridge Park
`way, Redwood Shores. CA 94065 (US).
`
`(72) Inventors: AXE, Brian; 342 Liberty Street, San Fran—
`cisco, CA 94114 (US). EVANS, Steven: 13300 Lennox
`Way, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 (US). HANSON,
`
`(54) Title: METHODS AND APPARATUS PROVIDING
`AGGREGATED
`
`Michael; 973 Oak Lane, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (US).
`HOM, Wayne; 1141 Wayne Way, San Mateo, CA 94403
`(US). HYDE, Timothy; 670 Shotwell Street, San Frame
`cisco, CA 94110 (US). KRUMPELSTAEDTER, John;
`
`10893 Sweet Oak Slreel, Cupertino, CA 95014 (US).
`
`PALERMO, Christopher et al.; Hickman
`(74) Agents:
`Palermo Truoug & Becker LLP 1600 Willow Street San
`’
`’
`’
`Jose, CA 95125 (US).
`
`(81) Designated States (national): AE, AG, AL, AM, AT, AU,
`AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, BZ, CA, CH, CN, CO, CR, CU,
`cz, DE, DK, DM, DZ, EC, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH,
`GM. HR HU ID. IL IN, IS JP KE KG KP KR, KZ LC
`LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV. MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW,
`MX, M2, NO, NZ, PH, FL, [71“, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, 3L
`SK, SL, TJ, TM, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, UZ, VN, YU, ZA,
`ZW.
`
`(84) Designated States (regional): ARIPO patent (GH, GM,
`KE, LS, MW, MZ, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZW), Eurasian
`
`[Continued on next page]
`
`ELECTRONIC MESSAGES THAT ARE LINKED AND
`
`(57) Abstract: A method for associating
`related electronic messages in computer
`storage. A first transportable application
`is created and stored.
`User
`input
`requesting creation of a
`link from
`the first
`transportable application to
`another
`transportable
`application
`is
`received.
`User
`input
`that
`selects a
`second transportable application from
`among a plurality of previously created
`transportable applications
`is
`received.
`A link from the first
`transportable
`application to the second transportable
`application is created and stored. As
`a result,
`transportable application may
`be inter—related in complex message
`webs. The message webs may also be
`inter—related
`in message web rings.
`Links may
`be
`generated manually
`or
`automatically,
`based on context,
`workflow processes, or other known
`relationships
`among
`applications.
`Recipient lists and data may propagate among fields of linked transportable applications, directly or according to abstract business
`rules. Further, multiple—part electronic messages are disclosed. A graphical user interface of an electronic messaging system
`displays a message in the form of one or more header portions and one or more body portions. Each of the body portions has a
`selection region. While one body portion is visible at a given time, all the selection regions are continuously visible in the user
`interface to facilitate selection of any of the body portions at a particular time. Selecting a selection region of a non—displayed body
`portion causes a server to generate a refreshed user interface that includes the entirety of the selected body portion, and that hides
`the previously viewed body portion. As a result, a large amount of associated information may be combined in a single message in
`a way that is clearly organized and easily accessible.
`
`——Application Server
`
`
`App/footie" Server
`EJHS
`Cache
`Application Server I
`
`
`Photo Server
`
`
`Photo Server
`Photo Server
`
`
`(11,595, )
`(docs)
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`WO02/21413A2
`
`Page 1 of 240
`
`GOOGLE EXHIBIT 1019
`
`Google LLC v. BlackBerry Ltd.
`IPR2017-OO912
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`GOOGLE EXHIBIT 1019
`Google LLC v. BlackBerry Ltd.
`IPR2017-00912
`
`Page 1 of 240
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`

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`WO 02/21413 A2
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`||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
`
`patent (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), European 7 entirely in electronic form (except for this front page) and
`patent (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FT, FR, GB, GR, IE,
`available upon requestfrom the International Bureau
`IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE, TR), OAPI patent (BF, BJ, CF,
`CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD,
`TG)
`
`For two-letter codes and other abbreviations, refer to the ”Guid-
`ance Notes on Codes andAbbreviations ” appearing at the begin-
`
`Published'
`7 without international search report and to be republished
`upon receipt of that report
`
`ning ofeach regular issue ofthe PCT Gazette.
`
`Page 2 of 240
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`METHODS AND APPARATUS PROVIDING ELECTRONIC MESSAGES
`
`THAT ARE LINKED AND AGGREGATED
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
`
`Domestic priority is claimed under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) from prior Provisional
`
`’ application Ser. No. 60/230,037, filed September 05, 2000, the entire contents of which
`
`are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
`
`FIELD OF INVENTION
`
`The present invention generally relates to data processing in the fields of
`
`electronic messaging and collaborative communications. The invention relates more
`
`specifically to a collaborative communications system providing transportable
`
`applications, multiple-page electronic messages and electronic messages that are linked
`
`and aggregated.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`Despite more than fifty years of development, computer systems and computer
`
`programs remain difficult to use. In particular, individuals who are not well-versed in
`
`technology or computer programming encounter numerous problems in carrying out
`
`simple data processing tasks, such as collaborating on the form or content of a document,
`polling others to arrive at a decision, scheduling a meeting or activity, and other tasks.
`
`Several main approaches have been used in the past to facilitate these activities.
`
`In a first approach, a pre-configured computer program or application is provided
`
`to all individuals who will participate in the data processing tasks. The individuals
`
`interact with the application to carry out the tasks. This approach requires little technical
`
`knowledge, but the approach is often too rigid and limits the individuals to using the
`particular forms, features and functions selected by the developers ofthe application. A
`
`related approach involves use of electronic mail (“e-mail”) for distribution of information
`
`or for collaborative communications. E—mail is inefficient and often requires sending
`
`multiple messages before a task can be completed. Further, since the content of the
`
`messages is static, the content tends to become old and stale. The number and content of
`
`the messages are not easily organized.
`
`In another prior approach, users construct their own custom computer program to
`
`perform exactly the desired task. This approach requires extensive technical knowledge
`
`that is beyond the capability of a typical user.
`
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`In a third approach, certain collaborative computing applications and
`
`environments have been provided. Applications such as Microsoft NetMeeting enable
`
`users to participate in online meetings, but have a significant limitation in that they are
`
`synchronous; a meeting participant must be online and present to participate. Applications
`
`such as Lotus Notes have enabled users to share documents, but creation and deployment
`
`of applications to carry out more sophisticated business tasks, such as automating
`
`personnel recruiting processes, is complicated and requires programming knowledge.
`
`Further, the collaborative processes that are supported by these applications “off the
`
`shelf’ are limited and do not encompass many multi-step business processes.
`
`A common disadvantage of all these approaches is that it is very hard for
`
`individual, non—technical users to create computer-based applications or systems that
`
`automate specific desired tasks and provide the applications or systems to others. Further,
`
`the approaches generally enable users to see only a static View of content that is under
`
`discussion or modification. Another disadvantage is that the approaches are typically
`
`synchronous; a user must be present during the collaboration and has no way to view
`
`actions or communications that have occurred before the user arrived or after the user
`
`leaves.
`
`Another common disadvantage is that integrating the past approaches with
`
`existing or “legacy” databases and applications is extremely complicated, and requires
`
`programming knowledge. There is no easy way to enable such legacy systems to
`
`automatically interact with collaborative applications, without human intervention, to
`
`exchange data and carry out business processes. There is no simple means to enable the
`
`collaborative applications to receive signals from the external applications, take action
`
`based on the signals, or initiate new processes based on the signals.
`
`Based on the foregoing, there is a clear need for an improved way to facilitate
`
`collaborative communication among individuals. In particular, there is a need for an
`
`approach that can enable new kinds of collaborative productivity applications, created by
`
`anyone and delivered using familiar communication mechanisms.
`
`There is a related need for‘an approach that can facilitate distribution of secure,
`
`collaborative applications among separate but networked enterprises, so that users or
`
`applications of different enterprises can collaborate.
`
`Computers have been used in messaging services since the 1960s, when suppliers
`
`of telex and telegraph services began deploying automated switching functions and
`
`providing complete computer-based messaging systems. An example of such a system is
`
`a teletypewriter system. Many of these systems used computers as data switches that
`
`-2-
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`relayed messages without providing message composition capabilities or the ability to
`
`search through previously sent messages.
`
`Development of interactive time—sharing computer systems resulted in creation of
`
`linking tools that enabled two users to interlock their terminals in order to see what the
`
`other was typing. Mailbox tools were developed to allow users to send short messages to
`
`other users on—line on the same system. For example, the interactive time-sharing system
`
`at MIT’s Project MAC had both linking and mailbox facilities that supported text
`
`messages.
`
`Construction of thquvanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) in
`
`1969—1975 initiated extensive research in store—and—forward communication techniques.
`
`An outgrth of this research was the development of electronic messaging facilities,
`
`including electronic mail. Such facilities supported transport of simple text messages.
`
`In the early 1980s, international standards bodies began work on electronic
`
`messaging with the goal of ensuring interoperability among different systems. In 1984,
`
`CCITT adopted a standard for store-and-forward messaging services called X.4OO
`
`Message Handling Services (MHS). The International Standards Organization (ISO)
`
`created a competing standard called Message Oriented Text Interchange Standard
`
`(MOTIS). Differences among the versions were largely overcome by 198 8.
`
`The period 1973 to 1989 saw development of several computer systems that
`
`featured graphical user interfaces rather than character displays, such as the Xerox Alto,
`
`the Apple Lisa and Macintosh, and personal computers using Microsoft Windows. During
`
`this period, users developed interest in the ability to send messages having elements other
`
`than text. Examples of such multimedia e-mail systems include Slate, from BBN
`
`Software Products, and the first release of Lotus Notes, fiom Lotus Development
`
`Corporation.
`
`To support transmission of formatted images, sound, files, folders, and video
`
`attachments, in 1992 the Intemet Engineering Task Force (IETF) created a multi-media
`
`messaging standard known as Multipurpose Intemet Mail Extensions (MIME). Using
`
`MlME, users of different kinds of computers can exchange e-mail messages that include
`
`formatted images, sound, files, folders, and video attachments. Further, a single MJME e-
`
`mail can contain alternative representations of the same data. For example, there can be
`
`an attachment in text form followed by one containing bitmap page images of the same
`
`information.
`
`Implementations of MIME generally displayed messages in a graphical user
`
`interface window that presented different attachments as icons embedded within a text
`
`-3-
`
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`message. Other implementations, such as NeXTMail, from NeXT Computer, Inc, could
`
`display text, graphical elements, and attachment icons within the same message. A
`
`drawback of this implementation, however, was that to view different parts of a long
`
`message, a user was required to scroll down through a single contiguous message display
`
`in order to reach the desired part of the message.
`
`Further, such systems provide no way to organize related elements of a message,
`
`other than manual cutting of one part of the message and pasting it into another upper or
`
`lower part of the same contiguous message. This procedure could quickly become
`
`unwieldy when such messages were exchanged among members of a group. As each
`
`member of the group added comments, graphics, or other attachments to the message, the
`
`message would become longer and longer, requiring extensive scrolling and searching to
`
`locate a desired part, or to correlate one comment of one user with a related comment of
`
`another user.
`
`Other systems display multimedia attachments in a separate pane of a graphical
`
`user interface window that is displaying the message. For example, in Microsoft Outlook,
`
`when multimedia attachments are present, they are displayed at the bottom of the message
`
`window, divided from the message body by a separator bar. A disadvantage of this
`
`approach is that it is hard to correlate the attachment with a particular part of the message
`
`body.
`
`In a more recent development, e—mail programs such as Microsoft Outlook have
`
`been linked to browser programs such as Microsoft Internet Explorer. Through such
`
`linkage, the e-mail program can receive an e-mail message formatted in Hypertext
`
`Markup Language (HTML) and display a rendered version of the HTML within an e-mail
`
`message display window. Using this approach, e-mail messages may contain text,
`
`graphics, and embedded hyperlinks to other content, multimedia resources, or
`
`applications. However, this approach has not cured the deficiency ofprior approaches
`
`with respect to content organization and scrolling. It is still necessary to scroll through a
`
`long HTML e—mail to find desired content, and there is no simple way to correlate related
`
`content. Further, authoring HTML e—mail requires familiarity with complex HTML
`
`authoring software such as Microsoft FrontPage.
`
`Based on the foregoing, there is a clear need in this field for a way to improve
`
`organization of content of e-mail messages.
`
`There is a specific need for a way to organize related content portions of e—mail
`
`messages within the messages in a way that makes related content easy to find and
`
`display.
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`There is also a need for a way to create, deliver, receive, and display e-mail
`
`messages in which related content is correlated and accessed without scrolling or similar
`
`cumbersome operations.
`
`E-mail, the World Wide Web, and instant messaging each have contributed to a
`
`revolution in the way people communicate. Each of these platforms offers a variety of
`
`benefits. For example, e-mail is available at the user’s convenience; messages remain in
`
`an inbox until the user deletes them. Because e-mail arrives in the inbox, the user does not
`
`have to “go” anywhere to retrieve it. E-mail is useful for sending a note to a friend or
`
`addressing a large group. Because e-mail is individually addressable, a user can adapt the
`
`recipient list to the subject. Experts have estimated that users spend more time in e—mail
`
`than any other Internet application.
`
`The World Wide Web (“Web”) contains an abundance of information that is
`
`dynamically changing and ever growing. It is graphical and interactive, and offers the
`
`ability to conduct transactions. With relatively simple user interface operations, such as
`
`button clicks, the user can receive valuable information, purchase an item, or review work
`
`materials that have been placed on an internal website. Instant messaging offers the
`
`advantage of timeliness; the recipient knows that a newly received message is current,
`
`because the recipient is in a one-on—one communication session with the sender. This .
`
`form of messaging has grown rapidly because people want information that is current.
`
`However, e—mail, the web, and instant messaging have inherent limitations that
`
`restrict what users can do with them and how they communicate information to users. For
`
`example, e-mail today consists of static text that is neither dynamic nor interactive. E—
`
`mail messages are considered to be “dead on arrival” because they are current when sent,
`{ but are not current when read. For example, a user may not read an e-mail until hours
`
`after it was originally sent and there can be subsequent e-mails that supersede the original
`
`message, but the original outdated message remains in the inbox. There is no logical order
`
`to messages that are received in the inbox other than the time of arrival. Occasionally, the
`
`user can even receive an answer to a question before the question arrives, because of
`
`delays in server responses. The user is required to either scan all messages or sort them
`
`into some order to verify that the user has all needed information before taking action.
`Unthreaded responses are another problem with e—mail. If a user sends a message
`
`to six people, and they all respond, the user receives six new messages in the inbox
`
`referring to one subject. The user is left to organize it all. Perhaps the most significant
`
`limitation of e-mail is the volume of messages that can flood a mailbox. When a user
`
`receives hundreds of e-mail messages a day, the sheer volume of e—mail is daunting.
`
`-5-
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`Using the Web requires the user to proactively visit a location for information
`
`updates, and the user may need to visit multiple locations and pages before the user finds
`
`desired information. The Web is not personal or targeted, so it is not as effective as e-mail
`
`for communications. There are meeting sites on the Web, but users must seek out the
`
`destination, which requires them to remember URLs and passwords. There are also sites
`
`that offer group discussion and collaboration, but their groups are generally rigid and are
`
`based around a common interest.
`
`Instant messaging allows for dynamic communication, but only if both
`
`participants are actively signed on and are available to receive messages. If one user is
`
`not able to respond, the link is dead and the user has lost the ability to instantly
`
`communicate. In addition, it’s difficult to document “conversations” that occur through
`
`instant messaging; users lose the ability to have an audit trail or history.
`
`Based on the foregoing, there is a need for a communication system that provides
`
`ways to share messages and information, ideally by providing the best features of e—mail,
`the Web, and instant messaging, while overcoming the limitations that each of these
`
`carries.
`
`There is a particular need for methods and mechanisms for linking multiple
`
`messages together so that multiple message threads and sub-topics may be related and
`
`associated with a particular topic.
`
`Users and applications may desire to link one message to another related message.
`
`However, past approaches to communication systems do not allow information, such as
`
`applications and electronic messages, to be related, threaded, managed and stored in an
`
`efficient, flexible, and simple way. Such approaches also do not provide a way to obtain a
`
`View of complex webs of messages.
`
`There is also a need for methods and mechanisms that can aggregate related
`
`topical information within the context of a single message or web of messages.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`The foregoing needs, and other needs that will become apparent from the
`‘ following description, are achieved in the present invention, which comprises, in one
`
`aspect, a method and system for communicating and collaborating using transportable
`
`applications. Embodiments provide a breakthrough communication approach that
`
`improves collaboration among groups of individuals, within corporations, among
`customers, partners, and suppliers, and among distributed computer systems. In one
`
`approach, computer processes enable such users to create or host a new kind of
`
`-5-
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`collaborative productivity application called a transportable application. Transportable
`
`applications as disclosed herein may be used, for example, to bring together people,
`
`systems and information needed to contribute, make decisions, and take action on
`
`collaborative business processes or projects. In one embodiment, when a transportable
`
`application is opened, it reveals a live, shared, structured workspace that is specific to a
`
`project or process. Unlike past approaches, the workspace is continually updated to reflect
`
`the latest input of any recipient or user.
`
`The transportable applications can be created by anyone, including individuals,
`
`non-technical users within an enterprise, or automatically by other computer programs, .
`
`applications, or programmatic mechanisms. Each transportable application may comprise
`
`one or more pages each having one or more building blocks that encapsulate processing
`
`functions and data. Each building block may comprise one or more static content regions,
`
`one or more dynamic content regions, and other information. Content for the dynamic
`
`content regions may be stored in a database of a server.
`
`The transportable applications can be distributed to others using existing transport
`
`mechanisms. For example, in one specific approach, transportable applications can be
`
`deployed in a manner analogous to sending an electronic mail message. Recipients may
`
`be individual users, groups, or other programs or applications.
`The transportable applications can be accessed programmatically, or by an e—mail
`
`in—box, or using a web browser. When a transportable application is accessed by a
`
`recipient, data for its dynamic content regions is automatically retrieved. Input created by
`
`a recipient is accepted by the server and updates the dynamic content region of the
`
`transportable application. If a recipient modifies data in the transportable application, the
`
`modifications or updates are stored asynchronously and dynamically with respect to the
`
`sending and receiving of the modifications or updates by the recipients. Thus, the
`
`dynamic content is always current, and whenever any recipient opens and views the
`
`transportable application, the content of the transportable application is retrieved and
`
`displayed in then-current form.
`
`Unlike past approaches, which rely on distribution of static information,
`
`transportable applications as defined herein enable full interaction and navigation of
`
`dynamic content without the user leaving the transportable application. A shared
`
`workspace is created in which multiple persons or systems can interact within the same
`
`transportable application, and all responses are aggregated in one place. The content of
`
`the transportable application is current when read; the transportable application is
`
`constantly updated so users can always see the most current information and responses of
`
`-7-
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`other group members. Transportable applications may be supported by related services,
`
`such as a secure mode that enables only authorized members to View and interact with the
`
`content, notifications that inform a user when an update to a transportable application has
`
`occurred, etc. Transportable applications may generate events that are acted upon by other
`
`transportable applications, and may act upon events that are received from external
`
`systems.
`
`In a business enterprise environment, transportable applications and the systems
`
`and methods disclosed herein enable the enterprise to save time, reduce costs, and
`
`accomplish more. Companies can use transportable applications for simple shared
`
`projects to the complex and collaborative business processes required for global, multi-
`
`company projects, depending upon the need. Collaborative business processes may be
`
`rapidly automated and streamlined. Collaboration may be extended outside the corporate
`
`firewall by sending the transportable applications to others. The relevance and speed of
`
`collaborative application development may be improved. Costs of distributed team
`
`interaction may be reduced.
`
`In one approach, the system features an integration framework comprising
`
`connectors that provide connectivity to and integrating with existing or “legacy”
`
`databases and applications. An author can create transportable applications that can
`
`retrieve data values fiom and set data values in such external applications and systems
`
`without programming knowledge, or even automatically from another program. As a
`
`result, legacy systems can automatically interact with collaborative applications, without
`
`human intervention, to exchange data and carry out business processes. A simple and
`
`efficient means is provided to enable the collaborative applications to receive signals
`
`from the external applications, take action based on the signals, or initiate new processes
`
`based on the signals.
`
`According to another aspect, a method for associating related electronic messages
`
`in computer storage is disclosed. A first transportable application is created and stored.
`
`User input requesting creation of a link from the first transportable application to another
`
`transportable application is received. User input that selects a second transportable
`
`application from among a plurality of previously created transportable applications is
`
`received. A link from the first transportable application to the second transportable
`
`application is created and stored.
`
`As a result, transportable application may be inter-related in complex message
`
`webs. The message webs may also be inter—related in message web rings. Links may be
`
`generated manually or automatically, based on context, workflow processes, or other
`
`_3_
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`known relationships among applications. Recipient lists and data may prop agate among
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`fields of linked transportable applications, directly or according to abstract business rules.
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`According to another aspect, a method for processing a request to display an
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`electronic message is disclosed. First message data is generated. The first message data
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`defines at least a first message portion and one or more navigation regions for one or
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`more other message portions of a multiple—part electronic message having a plurality of
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`message portions. The first message data is provided to a client. A request is received
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`from the client for a second portion of the electronic message selected from among the
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`other message portions. Second message data is generated which, when processed at a
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`user interface of the client, causes the client to display the second portion of the electronic
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`message. The second message data is provided to the client.
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`Multiple-part electronic messages are disclosed. A graphical user interface of an
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`electronic messaging system displays a message in the form of one or more header
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`portions and one or more body portions. Each of the body portions has a selection region.
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`While one body portion is Visible at a given time, all the selection regions are
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`continuously visible in the user interface to facilitate selection of any of the body portions
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`at a particular time. Selecting a selection region of a non-displayed body portion causes a
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`server to generate a refreshed user interface that includes the entirety of the selected body
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`portion, and that hides the previously viewed body portion. As a result, a large amount of
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`associated information may be combined in a single message in a way that is clearly
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`organized and easily accessible.
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`Transportable applications are disclosed. The transportable applications may be
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`linked into webs of associated messages. For example, multiple related discussions or
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`applications may be associated and organized. The webs of messages may be linked into
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`rings of related message webs. As a result, workflow processes and complex associated
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`information may be accessed and analyzed in an ordered way.
`In other aspects, the invention encompasses computer readable media, and
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`systems configured to carry out the foregoing steps. Other features and advantages of the
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`invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and
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`from the claims.
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`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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`The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of
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`limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference
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`numerals refer to similar elements and in which:
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`FIG. 1A is a block diagram providing a structural overview of a system context in
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`which an embodiment may be used.
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`FIG. 1B is a block diagram that illustrates software elements of one embodiment
`of a service unit.
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`FIG. 1C is a block diagram of the system of FIG. 1A illustrating additional
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`elements.
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`FIG. 1D is a block diagram illustrating an example of interaction of a container
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`and its building blocks with system services.
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`FIG. 1E is a block diagram illustrating a high—level View of a process of creating
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`and interacting with a transportable application.
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`FIG. 2A is a block diagram of system architecture that may be used to host the
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`foregoing services and provide such services to clients.
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`FIG. 2B is a block diagram of an example software architecture of elements of the
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`system of FIG. 2A.
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`FIG. 2C is a diagram of an example graphical appearance of a transportable
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`application, according to one embodiment.
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`FIG. 2D is a block diagram of an alternate embodiment of a system architecture
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`that features use of certain Microsoft® servers and systems.
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`FIG. 2B is a block diagram of an alternate embodiment of a system architecture
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`that features use of certain Microsoft® servers and systems.
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`FIG. 2F is a block diagram of an alternate embodiment of a system architecture
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`that features use of certain Microsoft® servers and systems.
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`FIG. 3 is a diagram of dependency relationships among interfaces that may be
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`used, in one embodiment.
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`FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example of a membership hierarchy.
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`FIG. 5 is a block diagram of objects and data communications paths involved in
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`presentation of content associated with a building block.
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`FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating interaction of programmatic objects in one
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`embodiment of a presentation model.
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`I
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`FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a process of carrying out
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`response-based notifications.
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`FIG. 8A is a diagram of an example graphical user interface screen display of the
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`Escalation Exception Manager template.
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`FIG. 8B is a diagram of a screen display of an Addressing page that may be
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`displayed, in one example embodiment.
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`FIG. 8C is a diagram of an example of the Message Security Options Window that
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`may be displayed, in one example embodiment.
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`FIG. 8D is a diagram of an example of the Page Security Options window that
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`may be displayed, in one example embodiment.
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`FIG. 9A is a diagram of the Join Group screen that is displayed when the selected
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`group is private.
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`FIG. 9B is a diagram of a My Groups screen that is generated and displayed when
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`a user selects the My Groups link of the portal home page.
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`FIG. 9C is a diagram of a portion of the screen display of FIG. 9B.
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`FIG. 9D is a diagram of an Application Builder screen display that is displayed in
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`response to selecting the Application Builder.
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`FIG. 9B is a diagram of a page na