Action tags

• US 20080021876A1
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: King, Simon P., Naaman, Mor, Nair, Rahul, Ahern, Shane P., Yang, Jeannie Hui-I, Jaffe, Alexander B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,132,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4494 data driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for performing actions with respect to objects. An object having an action tag, that specifies that a particular action script is to be performed with respect to the object, is provided. The action tag can be in the form of a textual label or any suitable user interface object that can be associated with the object. A search is then performed in a plurality of reference action tags, that each correspond to a different action script, for the provided action tag. When a matching reference action tag is found for the provided action tag, the corresponding, matching action script is then invoked so that the matching action script is automatically performed with respect to the object. Embodiments of the present invention also provide an action tag management architecture that is independent of the actions that are triggered by the action tags associated with particular objects and, accordingly, provides flexibility by allowing the set of actions to be expanded without requiring code changes to the tag management architecture.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for performing actions with respect to objects, comprising:

providing an object having an action tag that specifies that a particular action script is to be performed with respect to the object;

automatically searching for the provided action tag in a plurality of reference action tags that each correspond to a different action script; and

when a matching reference action tag is found for the provided action tag, automatically invoking the corresponding, matching action script so that the matching action script is automatically performed with respect to the object.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is a media object selected from a group consisting of a photograph object, a video object, and an audio object.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a registration message that includes a new action tag that corresponds to a new action script;

adding the new action tag to the plurality of searchable reference action tags.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of reference action tags are stored in a data structure embodied in a computer readable medium so that each reference action tag is associated with a location of its corresponding action script.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the matching action script is invoked by passing a reference to the object or the object, along with any parameters associated with the object if present, to the location associated with the matching reference action tag.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a result of the matching action script being automatically performed with respect to the object depends on a context.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the context is selected from a group consisting of a location of a user who provided the object, the identity of such user, current time information, the user'"'"'s social and/or physical relationship to other users, user history, a parameter associated with the provided action tag, one or more previous action(s) on the object, one or more other tag(s), and one or more other action(s) performed by one or more other user(s).

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the invocation of the matching action script is automatically triggered by presence of the provided action tag associated with the object.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the invocation requires no additional action by a user, besides the user associating the action tag with the object and providing the object.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the object was provided by a user associating the action tag with the object and then uploading the object with its associated action tag to a server.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is a photograph of digitally encoded information

12. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the matching action script is affected at least in part by the encoded information.

13. A computer implemented method for facilitating performance of actions with respect to objects, comprising:

providing an object;

presenting a plurality of action tags in a display, wherein each action tag specifies that a particular action script is to be performed with respect to the object;

receiving input from a user to associate one or more of the presented action tag(s) with the provided object; and

providing the object and its associated action tag(s) to an action tag management computer implemented process that is configured to invoke one or more action script(s) based on the associated action tag(s).

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein presenting the action tags is based on a context related to the user and/or object.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the context is selected from a group consisting of a location of a user who provided the object, the identity of such user, current time information, the user'"'"'s social and/or physical relationship to other users, user history, a parameter associated with the provided action tag, one or more previous action(s) on the object, one or more other tag(s), and one or more other action(s) performed by one or more other user(s).

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein a set of action tags are selected for presenting based on the context.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the action tags are presented in the form of a prioritized list based on the context.

18. A device comprising a processor, memory, and a display, the processor and memory being configured to:

providing an object;

presenting a plurality of action tags in the display, wherein each action tag specifies that a particular action script is to be performed with respect to the object;

receiving input from a user to associate one or more of the presented action tag(s) with the provided object; and

providing the object and its associated action tag(s) to an action tag management computer implemented process that is configured to invoke one or more action script(s) based on the associated action tag(s).

19. A device as recited in claim 18, wherein the device is in the form of a camera or camera-phone.

20. A device as recited in claim 19, wherein the object is provided from the camera or camera-phone to an action tag management server.

21. A device as recited in claim 18, wherein presenting the action tags is based on a context related to the user and/or object.

22. A device as recited in claim 21, wherein the context is selected from a group consisting of a location of a user who provided the object, the identity of such user, current time information, the user'"'"'s social and/or physical relationship to other users, user history, a parameter associated with the provided action tag, one or more previous action(s) on the object, one or more other tag(s), and one or more other action(s) performed by one or more other user(s).