Context server for associating information with a media object based on context

• US 20080126960A1
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, Marc E., Naaman, Mor
• Application Number:
  US11/593,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20080126960A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium are provided for associating information (including information and services) based upon context. In one example, an apparatus includes logic for associating information with a media object based upon context. The apparatus including interface logic for receiving, during a session (e.g., associated with the media object capture, an upload session, data transfer session, or the like), a media object from a user device, context information from the user device (wherein the context information is not user-generated) and user-generated information from the user device (wherein the user-generated information is related to the media object). The apparatus further comprising association logic for associating information, different from the user-generated information, with the media object based on the context information and the user-generated information.

Claims

1. An apparatus for associating information with a media object, the apparatus comprising:

interface logic for receiving, during a session;

a media object from a user device,

context information from the user device, wherein the context information is not user-generated, and

user-generated information from the user device, wherein the user-generated information is related to the media object; and

association logic for associating information, different from the user-generated information, with the media object based on the context information and the user-generated information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the associated information is of a type different than related device-generated metadata.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising logic for storing the context information, the media object, and the user-generated information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the context information does not include only formatting data for the media object.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information is of a different type than the received media object.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising service logic for providing the associated information to at least one user based on the association of information with the media object.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one user comprises a second user other than a first user who created the user-generated information.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising permissions logic for enabling the first user to grant the second user access to the associated information.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the associated information is based on a plurality of inputs from multiple user devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the inputs comprise context information.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the inputs comprise user-generated information.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the associated information relates to a scavenger hunt.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the associated information relates to a scavenger hunt, the apparatus further comprising logic for providing a user device with an image and requesting that the user find a location associated with the image.

14. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the associated information relates to a travel log, the travel log comprising a map overlaid with at least one media object associated with the user.

15. The apparatus of claim 6, the associated information comprises a travel guide.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the apparatus further comprising logic for providing a user device with a suggestion in response to user input and the context information.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, the apparatus further comprising logic for providing a user device with a tour.

18. The apparatus of claim 6, the apparatus further comprising logic for initiating transfer of a context based message to a user device in response to the context information.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the logic for initiating transfer is operable to transfer the context-based message in response to the location of the user.

20. The apparatus of claim 6, the associated information relating to an advertisement, the advertisement based on the context information.

21. The apparatus of claim 6, the associated information relating to a sponsored search, the apparatus further comprising logic for initiating transfer to a user device of an advertisement based on the context information.

22. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising logic for generating an away message based on the context information.

23. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising logic for providing information to a user based on context information and user profile information.

24. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising logic for providing to a user device at least one user-generated characterization based on the context information.

25. An method for associating information based upon context, the method comprising:

receiving, during a session;

a media object from a user device,

context information from the user device, wherein the context information is not user-generated, and

user-generated information from the user device, wherein the user-generated information is related to the media object; and

associating information, different from the user-generated information, with the media object based on the context information and the user generated information.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the associated information is of a type different than related device-generated metadata.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising storing the context information, the media object, and the user-generated information.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the context information does not include only formatting data for the media object.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the information is of a different type than the received media object.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising providing the associated information to at least one user based on the association of information with the media object.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the at least one user comprises a second user other than a first user who created the user-generated information.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising enabling the first user to grant the second user access to the associated information.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the associated information is based on a plurality of inputs from multiple user devices.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the inputs comprise context information.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the inputs comprise user-generated information.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the associated information relates to a scavenger hunt.

37. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the associated information relates to a scavenger hunt, the method further providing a user device with an image and requesting that the user find a location associated with the image.

38. The method of claim 30, wherein the associated information relates to a travel log, the travel log comprising a map overlaid with at least one media object associated with the user.

39. The method of claim 30, the associated information comprises a travel guide.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising providing a user device with a suggestion in response to user input and the context information.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising providing a user device with a tour.

42. The method of claim 30, further comprising initiating a transfer of a context based message to a user device in response to the context information.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the context-based message is transferred in response to the location of the user.

44. The method of claim 30, wherein the associated information relates to an advertisement, the advertisement based on the context information.

45. The method of claim 30, wherein the associated information relates to a sponsored search, the method further comprising initiating a transfer to a user device of an advertisement based on the context information.

46. The method of claim 30, further generating an away message based on the context information.

47. The method of claim 30, further comprising providing information to a user based on context information and user profile information.

48. The method of claim 30, further comprising providing to a user device at least one user-generated characterization based on the context information.

49. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer program instructions for performing a process, the process comprising:

receiving, during a session;

a media object from a user device,

context information from the user device, wherein the context information is not user-generated, and

user-generated information from the user device, wherein the user-generated information is related to the media object; and

associating information, different from the user-generated information, with the media object based on the context information and the user generated information.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, wherein the associated information is of a type different than related device-generated metadata.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, the process further comprising storing the context information, the media object, and the user-generated information.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, wherein the context information does not include only formatting data for the media object.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, wherein the information is of a different type than the received media object.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, the process further comprising providing the associated information to at least one user based on the association of information with the media object.

55. The computer-readable medium of claim 54, wherein the at least one user comprises a second user other than a first user who created the user-generated information.

56. The computer-readable medium of claim 55, the process further comprising enabling the first user to grant the second user access to the associated information.

57. The computer-readable medium of claim 54, wherein the associated information is based on a plurality of inputs from multiple user devices.

58. The computer-readable medium of claim 57, wherein the inputs comprise context information.

59. The computer-readable medium of claim 57, wherein the inputs comprise user-generated information.

60. The computer-readable medium of claim 54, wherein the associated information relates to a scavenger hunt.

61. The computer-readable medium of claim 54, wherein the associated information relates to a scavenger hunt, the process further providing a user device with an image and requesting that the user find a location associated with the image.

62. The computer-readable medium of claim 54, wherein the associated information relates to a travel log, the travel log comprising a map overlaid with at least one media object associated with the user.

63. The computer-readable medium of claim 54, the associated information comprises a travel guide.

64. The computer-readable medium of claim 63, the process further comprising providing a user device with a suggestion in response to user input and the context information.

65. The computer-readable medium of claim 64, the process further comprising providing a user device with a tour.

66. The computer-readable medium of claim 54, the process further comprising initiating a transfer of a context based message to a user device in response to the context information.

67. The computer-readable medium of claim 66, wherein the context-based message is transferred in response to the location of the user.

68. The computer-readable medium of claim 54, wherein the associated information relates to an advertisement, the advertisement based on the context information.

69. The computer-readable medium of claim 54, wherein the associated information relates to a sponsored search, the process further comprising initiating a transfer to a user device of an advertisement based on the context information.

70. The computer-readable medium of claim 54, the process further comprising generating an away message based on the context information.

71. The computer-readable medium of claim 54, the process further comprising providing information to a user based on context information and user profile information.

72. The computer-readable medium of claim 54, the process further comprising providing to a user device at least one user-generated characterization based on the context information.