RICH MEDIA COLLABORATION SYSTEM

• US 20090260060A1
• Filed: 04/14/2008
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Display Social Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lookwithus Com Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Mark, Harvey, Michael, Anderson, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,826,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

A user annotates a shared document with text, sound, images, video, an e-mail message, graphics, screen snapshots, web site snapshots to share with others. The document and its annotations are stored in a digital object repository to which other users have access. Within the closed collaboration system, only users who are authenticated may upload digital objects, annotate digital objects and view objects and their annotations. The user sends a message to other users to invite them to view the object and its annotations and to add their own annotations. An annotated object generates an alert for all of the invited users. A remote authentication gateway authenticates users and has a repository for user metadata. Digital object repositories are separate from the authentication gateway, thus providing for disintermediation of the user metadata from the digital object data. The collaboration system may be hosted by a third party on a server computer available over the Internet that displays a web site. A user is not required to have collaboration system software on his or her computer and may annotate any image on the web site for later viewing by other users of the web site.

Claims

1. In a distributed computer network, a method of collaborating upon a document, said method comprising:

a first user identifying a document at a first computer for collaboration;

uploading said document from said first computer over a network to a remote digital object repository;

downloading said document from said digital object repository to a second computer of said second user;

attaching a plurality of digital objects to said document by said second user;

uploading said document along with said digital objects from said second computer over a network to said remote digital object repository;

downloading said document from said digital object repository along with said attached digital objects to a third computer; and

rendering said document and said attached digital objects on said third computer.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said digital objects are selected from the types of:

a sound file, video file, and image file, and a text file.

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

sending a message from said first user to said second user inviting said second user to view said document.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

authenticating said first user and said second user at an authentication gateway before said users are allowed to perform said steps of uploading.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said distributed computer network is a closed computer network requiring authentication at an authentication gateway before said first and second users are allowed access to said digital object repository.

6. In a distributed computer network, a method of collaborating upon a document, said method comprising:

a first user identifying a document at a first computer for collaboration;

attaching a plurality of digital objects to said document by said first user;

sending a message from said first user to second user inviting said second user to collaborate upon said document;

uploading said document along with said attached digital objects from said first computer over a network to a remote digital object repository;

downloading said document along with said attached digital objects from said digital object repository to a second computer of said second user; and

rendering said document and said attached digital objects on said second computer.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein said digital objects are selected from the types of:

a sound file, video file, and image file, and a text file.

8. A method as recited in claim 6 further comprising:

authenticating said first user and said second user at an authentication gateway before said users are allowed to perform said steps of uploading.

9. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein said distributed computer network is a closed computer network requiring authentication at an authentication gateway before said first and second users are allowed access to said digital object repository.

10. In a distributed computer network, a method of communicating messages between users, said method comprising:

authenticating a first user at a first computer using an authentication gateway computer;

returning a first metadata package from said authentication gateway to said first computer;

authenticating a second user at a second computer using said authentication gateway computer;

returning a second metadata package from said authentication gateway to said second computer;

sending a message from said first user to said second user; and

receiving said message at said second computer by said second user.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

determining that said first user possesses a valid first metadata package before said step of sending.

12. A method as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

determining that said second user possesses a valid second metadata package before said step of receiving.

13. A method as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

receiving said first metadata package at a first client application on said first computer, thereby allowing said first user to perform said step of sending.

14. A method as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

receiving said second metadata package at a second client application on said second computer, thereby allowing said second user to perform said step of receiving.

15. A collaboration system comprising:

a user computer operated by a user that is in communication with a network;

an authentication gateway computer remote from said user computer that is arranged to authenticate said user upon a request from said user computer;

a user metadata repository in association with said authentication gateway;

a digital object repository that includes a plurality of digital objects representing data of said user;

a metadata package data structure included in said user metadata repository that indicates rights of said user but does not hold data of said user, said metadata package identifying said digital object repository to which said user has access; and

a repository gateway providing an interface between said digital object repository and said network.

16. A collaboration system as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

a repository API that forms an interface between said digital object repository and said repository gateway.

17. A collaboration system as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

a client application resident on said user computer arranged to request authentication of said user by said authentication gateway computer and to receive said metadata package data structure from said metadata repository.

18. A collaboration system as recited in claim 15 wherein said metadata package data structure further indicates how said user is allowed to interact with said digital objects.

19. A collaboration system as recited in claim 15 wherein said metadata package data structure further includes a spoil flag arranged to indicate when information in said metadata package is spoiled.

20. A method of collaborating upon a web site feature, said method comprising:

a first user accessing a web site over the Internet using a web browser of a first computer;

said first user identifying a web site feature displayed on said web site for collaboration;

utilizing a software feature of said web site, attaching a digital object having a first type in association with said web site feature;

uploading said digital object from said first computer over the Internet to a server computer associated with said web site;

sending a message inviting a second user to view said web site feature; and

displaying a symbol on said web site in association with said web site feature indicating that said digital object has been attached to said web site feature;

21. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising:

said second user accessing said web site over the Internet using a web browser of a second computer;

selecting said symbol on said web site; and

rendering said digital object on said second computer.

22. A method as recited in claim 20 wherein said web browser of said first computer is a standard web browser without extra functionality for attaching said digital object.

23. A method as recited in claim 20 wherein said first type of said digital object is one of an audio file, a video file, an image file or a text file.