INTERGRATED EXPERIENCE OF VOGUE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHARED INTERGRATED ONLINE SOCIAL INTERACTION

• US 20060190829A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ferguson, Heather, Glatzer, Asta, Ranganath, Rama, Mesgar, Eugene, Saretto, Cesare John, Zarahovsky, Eugene, Sanders, Erica, Murarka, Neel Ishwar, Vert, John, Zaner, Melora, Stone, Linda, Mulcahy, Kathleen, Savage, Tammy
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

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.

Claims

1. A system for enabling group interaction, comprising:

a display component that generates an interface that facilitates interaction between a first user and at least one other user, the interface comprises a customizable group space; and

a communication component that facilitates a communication session between the first user and the at least one other user.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a group bar within the interface.

3. The system of claim 2, the group bar further comprises a first section that displays a character or graphic and name associated with the first user.

4. The system of claim 2, the group bar further comprises a second section that displays a character or graphic and name pair of at least one other user belonging to a group of which the first user is a member.

5. The system of claim 2, the group bar further comprises a third section that displays a character or graphic and name pair associated with at least one other user.

6. The system of claim 2, the group bar further comprises an availability component that allows the first user to define his/her current mode or status.

7. The system of claim 2, the group bar further comprises a control component that displays window controls within the interface.

8. The system of claim 7, the window controls further comprise at least one of a minimize control and a close control.

9. The system of claim 1, the display component further comprises a user status component that determines and displays the current status of the at least one other user.

10. A system for enabling group interaction, comprising:

means for generating a user interface that allows a first user and at least one other user to interact, the user interface comprises a customizable group space; and

means for facilitating communications between the first user and the at least one other user.

11. A method for enabling a group interaction, comprising:

displaying to a 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 the 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.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising presenting a group space to the first user in response to receipt of the selection of the group icon, the group space is uniquely associated with the first group.

13. The method of claim 11, the group bar has thereon a second selectable group icon associated with a second group comprising the first user and at least one other user who is not a member of the first group.

14. The method of claim 11, the communication session further comprises displaying messages sent between members of a group.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising identifying the sender of a message by displaying at least one of a name of the sender and a character associated with the sender.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying a group space containing a list of users.

17. The method of claim 16, the list of users comprising at least one of user names and characters associated with users.

18. The method of claim 17, the list of users further comprises displaying users that are currently available, currently unavailable, or some combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying a group space for displaying multimedia content selected by a user of the group.

20. The method of claim 19, the multimedia content comprising at least one of audio, video, and graphical content.