INTERACTIVE MESSAGE EDITING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20100153376A1
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Perion Network Limited (KGB)
• Original Assignee: INCREDIMAIL LTD.
• Inventors: Davidson, Perry
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

In an interactive message editing system (10) and method a database (16) contains data representative of a plurality of media objects (19a, 19b, 19c, 19d) and of a plurality of data strings each associated with one or more of the media objects according to a predetermined rank. A memory (14) stores multimedia message data entered by a user and a parser (15) coupled to the memory parses the message data on the fly for identifying successive character strings, each of which is compared with data strings in the database. One or more media objects associated with a data string in the database that at least partially matches a character string are presented on a display device (11) according to the predetermined rank for manual selection by the user. A selected media object is embedded in spatial association with the associated data string.

Claims

1. An interactive message editing system, comprising:

a database containing data representative of a plurality of media objects and of a plurality of data strings each associated with one or more of said media objects,

a memory for storing multimedia message data entered by a user via a user interface,

a parser coupled to the memory for parsing said message data on the fly for identifying successive character strings,

a comparator coupled to the parser and to said database for comparing each of the character strings with data strings in the database,

an interactive menu compiler coupled to the comparator and responsive to a character string at least partially matching a data string in the database for presenting on a display device one or more media objects associated with the data string, and

a media enhancer responsive to manual selection by the user of a presented media object for embedding the selected media object in spatial association with the associated character string.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of media objects includes media objects of different media types.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the interactive menu compiler is adapted to compile an initial default menu of media objects of different media types.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display device is adapted to display the multimedia message data in real time during entry by the user and to automatically wrap displayed multimedia message data to accommodate selected media objects as they are embedded within the multimedia message data by the media enhancer.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the media enhancer is adapted to automatically select a default media object for embedding in the multimedia message data if no media object is manually selected within a predetermined time.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined time is adjustable.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the interactive menu compiler is responsive to a predetermined number of selections of an identical one of the presented media objects for presenting at least one different media object for association with a subsequent character string that at least partially matches said data string.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display device is external to the interactive message editing system.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display device is integral with the interactive message editing system.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the media objects in the database is indicative of at least one property associated with a character string in a multimedia message.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the interactive menu compiler is responsive to a character string matching more than one media object of the same type, for selecting one of said default media objects for display.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the interactive menu compiler is adapted to select said default media object for display randomly.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data strings are associated with one or more of said media objects according to a predetermined rank depicting a nominal preference to be accorded to each media object matching the respective data string.

14. The system according to claim 13, including a database update unit coupled to the database and responsive to successive manual selections of displayed media objects for adjusting the respective ranks of matching media objects and updating the database accordingly.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the database update unit is responsive to repeated manual selection of objects of a specified type, for increasing the rank of all media objects of said specified type in the database.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the interactive menu compiler is responsive to a character string matching more than one media object of the same type and the same rank, for selecting one of said default media objects for display.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein the interactive menu compiler is adapted to present on the display device said one or more media objects associated with the data string according to said predetermined rank.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein the interactive menu compiler is adapted to select said default media object for display randomly.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein the interactive menu compiler is responsive to a default media object being selected for display, for forcing said media object to have a lower rank for subsequent matches.

20. The system according to claim 1, being adapted to highlight a character string that at least partially matching a data string until a displayed media object is selected.

21. The system according to claim 1, wherein the database is located remote from the display device.

22. An interactive message editing method, comprising:

maintaining a database containing data representative of a plurality of media objects and of a plurality of data strings each associated with one or more of said media objects;

storing multimedia message data entered by a user via a user interface;

parsing said message data on the fly for identifying successive character strings;

comparing each of the character strings with data strings in the database;

presenting on a display device one or more media objects associated with a data string in the database that at least partially matches a character string, and

embedding a selected media object in spatial association with the associated character string.

23. The method according to claim 22, including storing in the database data representative of media objects of different media types.

24. The method according to claim 23, including compiling an initial default menu of media objects of different media types.

25. The method according to claim 22, including displaying the multimedia message data in real time during entry by the user and automatically wrapping displayed multimedia message data to accommodate selected media objects as they embedded within the multimedia message data by the media enhancer.

26. The method according to claim 22, including:

counting a number of selections of an identical one of the presented media objects; and

presenting at least one different media object for association with a subsequent character string that at least partially matches said data string if said number exceeds a predetermined threshold.

27. The method according to claim 22, including storing in the database data representative of at least one media object indicative of at least one property associated with a character string in a multimedia message.

28. The method according to claim 22, wherein the selected media object is manually selected by the user.

29. The method according to claim 22, wherein the selected media object is a default media object that is selected automatically if no media object is manually selected by the user within a predetermined time.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the predetermined time is adjustable.

31. The method according to claim 22, including selecting one of multiple default media objects for display if a character string matches multiple media objects of the same type.

32. The method according to claim 31, including randomly selecting said default media object for display.

33. The method according to claim 22, including:

for each of the media objects associated with each data string in said database storing a respective rank depicting a nominal preference to be accorded to each media object matching the respective data string; and

adjusting the respective ranks of matching media objects in response to successive manual selections of displayed media objects and updating the database accordingly.

34. The method according to claim 33, including increasing the rank of all media objects of a specified type in the database in response to repeated manual selection of objects of said specified type.

35. The method according to claim 33, including selecting one of multiple default media objects for display if a character string matches multiple media objects of the same type and the same rank.

36. The method according to claim 35, including randomly selecting said default media object for display.

37. The method according to claim 35, including forcing the default media objects that is selected for display to have a lower rank for subsequent matches.

38. The method according to claim 22, including highlighting a character string that at least partially matches a data string until a displayed media object is selected.

39. The method according to claim 22, including maintaining the database (16) remotely.

40. The method according to claim 22, including accessing the database (16) remotely for comparing each of the character strings with data strings in the database.

41. (canceled)

42. (canceled)

43. A computer readable medium bearing a database structure containing data representative of a plurality of media objects and of a plurality of data strings each associated with one or more of said media objects according to a predetermined rank.

44. An interactive message editing program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps, comprising:

maintaining a database containing data representative of a plurality of media objects and of a plurality of data strings each associated with one or more of said media objects;

storing multimedia message data entered by a user via a user interface;

parsing said message data on the fly for identifying successive character strings;

comparing each of the character strings with data strings in the database;

presenting on a display device one or more media objects associated with a data string in the database that at least partially matches a character string, and

embedding a selected media object in spatial association with the associated character string.

45. An interactive message editing computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code for causing the computer to maintain a database containing data representative of a plurality of media objects and of a plurality of data strings each associated with one or more of said media objects;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to store multimedia message data entered by a user via a user interface;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to parse said message data on the fly for identifying successive character strings;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to compare each of the character strings with data strings in the database;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to present on a display device one or more media objects associated with a data string in the database that at least partially matches a character string, and

computer readable program code for causing the computer to embed a selected media object in spatial association with the associated character string.