Digital Media Retrieval and Display

• US 20100145920A1
• Filed: 12/08/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kirk, David, Banks, Richard, Taylor, Stuart, Izadi, Shahram, Butler, David Alexander, Villar, Nicolas, Sellen, Abigail
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor

Abstract

Retrieval and display of digital media items is described. For example, the digital media items may be photographs, videos, audio files, emails, text documents or parts of these. In an embodiment a dedicated apparatus having a touch display screen is provided in a form designed to look like a domestic fish tank. In an embodiment graphical animated agents are depicted on the display as fish whose motion varies according to at least one behavior parameter which is pseudo random. In embodiments, the agents have associated search criteria and when a user selects one or more agents the associated search criteria are used in a retrieval operation to retrieve digital media items from a store. In some embodiments media items are communicated between the apparatus and a portable communications device using a communications link established by tapping the portable device against the media retrieval and display apparatus.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising

at a display, displaying a plurality of graphical, animated agents each agent being associated with stored search criteria;

for each agent during an autonomous mode, varying motion of that agent on the display on the basis of at least one behavior parameter which is pseudo random;

receiving a user input to select one of the agents;

triggering a media retrieval operation to retrieve at least one digital media item from a store comprising a plurality of digital media items, the media retrieval operation using the search criteria associated with the selected agent;

displaying the retrieved digital media item at the display.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user input is arranged to place the agent in a non-autonomous mode during which the motion of the agent varies in a pre-specified manner as part of the media retrieval operation.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 which comprises storing a plurality of behavior parameters for each agent, at least some of those behavior parameters being user specified.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein at least one of the behavior parameters comprises a time for which an agent is to be displayed.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein at least one of the behavior parameters comprises a velocity of an agent.

6. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein at least one of the behavior parameters comprises a time of day at which an agent is to be displayed.

7. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein at least one of the behavior parameters is a spontaneity parameter used to control a frequency with which the search criteria of an agent are used to retrieve and display a media item without the need for user input to trigger the retrieval.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the received user input is of one of a plurality of different types each associated with a different type of media retrieval operation.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 which comprises graphically representing the agents on the display as living organisms.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises providing a graphical user interface to enable a user to create, edit and delete the agents.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises using a communications interface to communicate agents with other entities.

12. A dedicated digital media retrieval and display apparatus comprising:

a display, displaying a plurality of graphical, animated agents each agent being associated with stored search criteria;

a memory storing a plurality of digital media items;

a processor arranged, for each agent during an autonomous mode, to vary motion of that agent on the display on the basis of at least one behavior parameter which is pseudo random;

the processor also being arranged to select one of the agents as a result of a user input and to carry out a media retrieval operation to retrieve at least one digital media item from the store, the media retrieval operation using the search criteria associated with the selected agent;

the processor being arranged to display the retrieved digital media item at the display.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the processor is arranged to place the agent in a non-autonomous mode as a result of the user input and during which the motion of the agent varies in a pre-specified manner as part of the media retrieval operation.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the memory is arranged to store a plurality of behavior parameters for each agent, at least some of those behavior parameters being user specified.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a vibration sensor and a wireless transceiver.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 which further comprises a monitor arranged to monitor the vibration sensor and wherein the processor is arranged to activate the wireless transceiver if a specified pattern of vibrations is sensed.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein the wireless transceiver is arranged to send data about the sensed pattern of vibrations to other communications devices.

18. One or more device-readable media with device-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

at a display, displaying a plurality of graphical, animated agents each agent being associated with stored search criteria;

for each agent during an autonomous mode, varying motion of that agent on the display on the basis of at least one behavior parameter which is pseudo random;

selecting one of the agents using received user input;

triggering a media retrieval operation to retrieve at least one digital media item from a store comprising a plurality of digital media items, the media retrieval operation using the search criteria associated with the selected agent;

displaying the retrieved digital media item at the display.

19. One or more device-readable media as claimed in claim 18 with device-executable instructions for performing steps comprising monitoring a vibration sensor and activating a wireless transceiver if a specified pattern of vibrations are sensed.

20. One or more device-readable media as claimed in claim 19 with device-executable instructions for performing steps comprising sending data about the sensed pattern of vibrations to other communications devices using the wireless transceiver.