Method and System for Aggregating and Displaying an Event Stream

• US 20080134035A1
• Filed: 12/01/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Clark, Bryan, Fischer, Donald, Pennington, Havoc, Walters, Colin, Zhurakhinskaya, Marina, Langlie, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/713
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an aggregated event stream that indicates activities to a user across a range of online services. Embodiments may include a web site, a client application, or mobile device. In particular, a display is provided to a user that indicates various events in a “stacked” format. Each block of the stacked format represents one or more events originating from the user'"'"'s own activities or activities of the user'"'"'s contacts in their social network. Activities may originate from accounts on other online services that the user linked to their account or profile. The stacked format is updated in substantially real time to provide the user a sense of the activities of their social network around them.

Claims

1. A method of indicating activities of individuals and groups organized in a social network, said method comprising:

determining activities of individuals and groups relevant to a user in the social network; and

providing a real-time display that indicates the activities of the individuals and groups, wherein the display is configured in a stacked format for users of the social network and wherein each block of the stacked format represents one or more events originating from the user'"'"'s own activities or activities of the relevant individuals and groups in the social network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display originates from an Internet web feed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display provides an icon that allows the user to indicate a preference for information in that block.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display provides an icon that allows the user to indicate an opinion about information in that block.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display provides information that indicates when recent activity related to events in that block last occurred.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display provides information that indicates when the event indicated in the block started.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively expanding or contracting blocks in the real-time display based on user input.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising highlighting at least one of the blocks in the real-time display based on user input.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a history about at least one of the blocks in the real-time display based on user input.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display comprises a link to play music on an Internet site.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display comprises an icon for joining a chat associated with the event in that block.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display comprises information identifying a source of the event.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display comprises an icon that identifies a source of the event

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating or reordering blocks based on a popularity of the event in that block.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display comprises an icon that allows the user to stop further display of that block.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering blocks from appearing in the real-time display based on the user'"'"'s peers in the social network.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering blocks from appearing in the real-time display based on the user'"'"'s group membership.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display indicates music played by users.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display indicates videos played by users.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display indicates Internet content ranked or bookmarked by users.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display indicates explicit shares of content between users.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display indicates users joining or leaving groups.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks in the real-time display indicates activity across a plurality of Internet sites and services.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a real-time display that indicates the activities of the individuals and groups comprises providing a real-time display through an installed client.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a real-time display that indicates the activities of the individuals and groups comprises providing a web page that is updated in real-time display through a browser running on a client.