Collecting and Presenting Temporal-Based Action Information

• US 20090006475A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Udezue, Ojiakonobi, Thane, Anthony G., Zlateff, Carmen
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

Functionality is described for collecting and presenting action information. The action information describes actions that take place on items at specified times. Among other applications, the functionality assists a user in identifying and accessing relevant items. In one illustrative case, the functionality can display action information in a timeline presentation.

Claims

1. A method for collecting and presenting temporal-based action information, comprising:

identifying at least one action that pertains to at least one item;

storing action information associated with said at least one action, wherein the action information describes an operation corresponding to said at least one action and a time of occurrence of said at least one action; and

forming a result that is based on the action information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the action information also describes:

a type associated with said at least one item;

identification information associated with said at least one item; and

a span of time associated with said at least one action taken on said at least one item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying is performed by an application module and the storing is performed on an operation system level module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein both the identifying and the storing are performed by an application module.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying and storing are performed for actions identified by plural application modules, and wherein the result that is formed is based on action information extracted from the plural application modules.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically extracting action information that has been stored, and processing the extracted action information to produce analyzed information, wherein the forming is based at least in part on the analyzed information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming identifies actions taken on items that have occurred within an identified time span.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming of the result comprises:

analyzing the action information to determine at least one group of users who have engaged in similar activity, the analyzing providing analyzed information; and

utilizing the analyzed information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the utilizing comprises revealing said at least one group to a user in response to a query posed by the user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the result, wherein the presenting comprises displaying the result in the form of a timeline presentation, wherein one or more item identifiers are placed at appropriate locations on the timeline presentation, wherein said one or more item identifiers represent one or more respective actions on items.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving a selection of an action instruction, wherein the action instruction specifies said one or more respective actions on the items.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving a user'"'"'s selection of a scope instruction, wherein the timeline presentation has a temporal scope that is based on the scope instruction.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one item is a file, and wherein said at least one action is an operation that is taken on the file.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one item is a message, and wherein said at least one action is an operation that is taken on the message.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one item is a feature of presence information in an Instant Messaging system, and wherein said at least one action is an operation that is taken on the feature.

17. One or more machine-readable media containing machine-readable instructions for implementing the method of claim 1.

18. One or more computing devices, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory to store computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform the method of claim 1.

13. The method of 1, wherein the forming of the result comprises duplicating or reversing at least one action based on the action information.

19. A method for presenting temporal-based action information, comprising:

receiving the user'"'"'s selection of an action instruction, wherein the action instruction specifies one or more types of actions;

receiving the user'"'"'s selection of a scope instruction, wherein the scope instruction specifies a temporal scope of presentation; and

displaying a timeline presentation, wherein the timeline presentation identifies at least one action taken on at least one item in the context of at least one application,

wherein said at least one action conforms to said one or more types of actions selected by the action instruction,

and wherein the timeline presentation has a temporal scope that is based on the scope instruction.

20. An apparatus for presenting temporal-based action information, comprising:

logic configured to receive the user'"'"'s selection of an action instruction, wherein the action instruction specifies one or more types of actions;

logic configured to receive the user'"'"'s selection of a scope instruction, wherein the scope instruction specifies a temporal scope of presentation; and

logic configured to display a timeline presentation, wherein the timeline presentation identifies at least one action taken on at least one item in the context of at least one application,

wherein said at least one action conforms to said one or more types of actions selected by the action instruction,

and wherein the timeline presentation has a temporal scope that is based on the scope instruction.