NETWORKED MULTIMEDIA ENVIRONMENT ALLOWING ASYNCHRONOUS ISSUE TRACKING AND COLLABORATION USING MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20110131299A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Babak Habibi Sardary
• Original Assignee: Babak Habibi Sardary
• Inventors: Sardary, Babak Habibi
• Application Number:
  US12/956,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20110131299A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

Online collaboration using multimedia content may be implemented by a server communicatively coupled to mobile computing devices such as smart phones and PDAs, as well as desk top computing systems. Users may create memorandums using a variety of different types of content. The memorandums may address particular issues, for example a project, issue, or trouble tracking item. Users can create stories for the memorandums, for example narrating or otherwise explaining elements of the issue, replicating a face-to-face discussion in an asynchronous manner.

Claims

1. A method of operating a server in a networked collaborative environment, the method comprising:

receiving a first memorandum creation request to create a first memorandum at the server via a network from a first end user processor-based device remotely located from the server; and

in response to receiving the first memorandum creation request,

creating a first memorandum record by the server, the first memorandum record corresponding to the first memorandum, the first memorandum record including metadata specifying at least one of a title or a description of a subject of the first memorandum and at least one content item reference specifying at least one content item of the first memorandum;

creating at least one content item record including metadata specifying at least one of a date, a time or a geographical location and a reference to a piece of content with a content type selected from audio content, still image content, video content, document content and a Web content;

creating at least one media record including an original source data file reference and at least one pointer to a set of source data; and

providing a notification of the availability of the first memorandum from the server via a network to at least a second end user processor-based device remotely located from the server, the second end user processor-based device different from the first end user processor-based device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first story creation request to create a first story associated with the first memorandum at the server via a network from a first end user processor-based device remotely located from the server; and

in response to receiving the first story creation request, creating a first story record by the server, the first story record corresponding to the first story, the first story record including a time index and a mapping of a number of pieces of content and a number of media objects created by a user to the time index.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the media objects include at least one of a video file, an audio file, a visual annotation or a drawing created by the user and related to the at least one piece of content.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein creating a first story record by the server includes creating the first story record including a set of metadata specifying at least one of a date, a time, or a geographic location associated with the first story.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein creating a first story record by the server includes creating the first story record including an ambient parameter or a set of user credentials.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing a notification of the availability of the first story from the server via the network to at least a second end user processor-based device remotely located from the server, the second end user processor-based device different from the first end user processor-based device.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein creating a first story record by the server includes creating a screen annotation record that identifies a screen annotation created by the user.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein creating a first story record by the server includes creating a screen annotation record that identifies a screen annotation in the form of at least one of a label, reference to a graphic file, or reference to an animation file created by the user.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein creating a first story record by the server includes creating drawing data record including a time-indexed array of screen coordinates traversed by the user.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

outputting at least one story in a format employed by at least one third party social networking or collaboration service.

11. A method of operating a first end user processor-based device in a networked collaborative environment, the method comprising:

presenting a memorandum specification user interface on a display of the first end user processor-based device, the memorandum specification user interface including at least one metadata specification field configured to allow a user to enter metadata for a memorandum in the form of at least one of a title or a description of the memorandum, at least one content specification field configured to allow the user to specify at least one piece of content for the memorandum where a type of content selectable by the user includes still image content, video image content, audio content, document content, and electronic mail content, and at least one participant specification field configured to allow the user to identify each of a number of participants having authority to at least one of view, modify or respond to the memorandum;

receiving a number of user selections indicative of the metadata, the at least one piece of content and the at least one participant for the memorandum; and

transmitting a memorandum specification request to a processor-based server remotely located from the first end user processor-based device, the memorandum specification request specifying the at least one piece of content and the at least one participant for the memorandum.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

presenting a story specification user interface on the display of the first end user processor-based device, the story specification user interface including at least one metadata specification field configured to allow a user to enter metadata for a story in the form of at least one of a title or a description of the story;

a memorandum content field that displays user selectable content icons for each piece of content of the memorandum, a story board field configured to have a representation of user selected ones of the at least one piece of content displayed therein, and at least one set of user selectable content operation icons that are specific to the content type of the piece of content identified by the representation in the story board field, selection of which causes an operation to be performed on the piece of content.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein presenting a story specification user interface on the display of the first end user processor-based device includes presenting the representation of the at least one user selected piece of content in the story board field in response to a user swiping motion on a touch-screen display of the first end user processor-based device, the user swiping motion moving from at least proximate the use selected content icon toward the story board field.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein when the content type is video presenting the at least one set of user selectable content operation icons includes presenting at least three user selectable icons the selection of which cause the piece of content to play, pause and stop, respectively.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein presenting the story specification user interface further includes presenting at least one user selectable narration icon selection of which allows the user to record at least one of an audio or a video narration for the piece of content identified by the representation in the story board field and logically associate the recorded audio or the video narration with the piece of content.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein presenting the story specification user interface further includes presenting a set of user selectable markup icons selection of which allows placement of graphic or textual indicator on a portion of the representation in the story board field.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein presenting a set of user selectable markup icons includes presenting three user selectable icons the selection of which causes placement of text, an arrow, a circle, respectively, on a selected portion of the representation in the story board field.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein presenting the story specification user interface further includes presenting at least one user selectable bookmarking icon selection of which allows the user to identify a portion of the piece of content identified by the representation in the story board field with a logical marker.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein presenting the story specification user interface further includes presenting at least one field that displays each user selectable bookmark created by a user for the piece of content identified by the representation in the story board field.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one content specification field is configured to allow the user to specify the at least one piece of content for the memorandum by selecting an existing piece of content, recording a new piece of content and importing a new piece of content.