System and method for shared integrated online social interaction
First Claim
1. A graphical user interface associated with a group interaction application for facilitating an online group interaction among a first online member of a group and at least one other online member of the group over a network, wherein the identity of the group members is saved as a group when the group is offline, comprising:
- a group space comprising a first display area for displaying material associated with a first group activity in which each of the at least one other online group members may participate; and
at least one control selectable by the first user for selecting at least one other activity and for thereby automatically causing to be displayed in the group space a second display area for displaying material associated with at least a second group activity in which each of the at least one other online group members may participate, whereby each of the at least one other online group members is automatically shown and can interact with display areas corresponding to both the first and the second display areas.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A novel application and user interface for facilitating group interactions over a network integrates messaging, file sharing, media playing, journaling, profiles, and gaming into a cohesive environment. The groups facilitated by the invention are persistent and mobile in that a user does not have to recollect and reconfigure the group each time he or she wants to interact with the group online and, while online, the group may be taken from one activity to another without having to disband and reconnect at the second activity. The application is modular so as to be extensible to include other activities and functionalities. In an embodiment, the group interaction application utilizes a peer-to-peer network environment to facilitate network communications between group members.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A graphical user interface associated with a group interaction application for facilitating an online group interaction among a first online member of a group and at least one other online member of the group over a network, wherein the identity of the group members is saved as a group when the group is offline, comprising:
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a group space comprising a first display area for displaying material associated with a first group activity in which each of the at least one other online group members may participate; and
at least one control selectable by the first user for selecting at least one other activity and for thereby automatically causing to be displayed in the group space a second display area for displaying material associated with at least a second group activity in which each of the at least one other online group members may participate, whereby each of the at least one other online group members is automatically shown and can interact with display areas corresponding to both the first and the second display areas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A computer-readable medium having thereon computer-readable instructions corresponding to an online group interaction application resource set comprising:
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a plurality of activity modules, each adapted to provide an activity function to a first user of the group interaction application program;
a module manager for managing the plurality of activity modules; and
a group framework for interfacing to the plurality of modules and the module manager, and for interfacing to networking facilities for providing networking capability to the first user of the group interaction application program, whereby the first user can engage in a first activity via the networking capability with a group of at least one other user remotely located and whereby the first user can engage in a second activity with the group upon selection of the second activity by the first user. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A graphical user interface generated by a group interaction application program for facilitating an online group interaction among a first online member of a group and at least one other online member of the group over a network comprising:
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a first field that acts as a drop target for at least one file icon, which upon dropping also becomes visible to the at least one other online member of the group, wherein the first field also displays annotations entered by the first user, entry of which causes the annotations to also be displayed to the at least one other online member of the group, and wherein a file associated with the at least one dropped file icon may be retrieved by selecting the associated icon; and
at least one visible tool icon selectable by the first user to place an annotation in the first field. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method of enabling a group interaction between a first user and at least one other user over a network comprising:
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displaying to the first user via a first user display a group bar having thereon a first selectable group icon associated with a first group comprising the first user and at least one other user;
receiving from the first user a selection of the first group icon; and
in response to receipt of the selection of the first group icon, sending a communication over the network to a computing device used by the at least one other user to initiate a communication session between the first user and the at least one other user. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A computer-readable medium having thereon computer-readable instructions for providing an online group scrap booking activity among members of a group, each associated with a respective computing device interfaced to a common network, comprising:
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presenting to a first member of the group via a display of their respective computing device a first representation of a scrapbook comprising a scrap booking work area and at least one scrap booking tool icon, wherein the scrap booking work area is adapted to display a representation of at least one photograph and the at least one scrap booking tool icon is selectable to create annotations in the scrap booking work area, wherein the first representation of a scrapbook corresponds to a second representation of the scrapbook displayed to a second member of the group via a display of their respective computing device; and
receiving a selection of the at least one scrap booking tool icon by the first user and in response causing an annotation to be displayed in the scrap booking work area, wherein the annotation displayed in the scrap booking work area corresponds to an annotation displayed in a corresponding scrap booking work area in the second representation of the scrapbook. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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Specification