CREATING AND PROPAGATING ANNOTATED INFORMATION

• US 20110246502A1
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bennett, Eric Paul, Colando, Christian James, Aguera y Arcas, Blaise H., MacLaurin, Matthew Bret, Fynn, Scott V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/43 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Content may be collected, annotated, and propagated in a unified process. In one example, a mobile device such as a smart phone is used to collect information. The information may be text, video, audio, etc. The information may be sent to a reaction service, which may return an annotation of the information. The annotation may be attached to the information to create an annotated document. The annotated document may be communicated to other users. Additionally, the annotated document may be stored in a way that associated the annotated document with the user who created or captured the information. The ability to capture information, obtain annotations to the information, and propagate the annotated information may facilitate the creation of social media, such as social network postings or online photo albums.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media that store executable instructions to communicate information, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform acts comprising:

receiving a document on said device;

sending, to a service that is remote from said device, first information that comprises said document;

receiving, from said service, one or more annotations to said document;

combining a first one of said annotations with said document to create an annotated document;

associating said document and said first one of said annotations with a user of said device; and

saving said document with said first one of said annotations.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said acts further comprise:

receiving, from said user, an indication of which of said annotations are to be associated with said document; and

including, in said annotated document, the one or more annotations that said user has indicated are to be associated with said document.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 2, wherein said acts further comprise:

associating said annotations with said document as metadata.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said document comprises a text query that is received through a user input mechanism of said device, wherein said acts further comprises:

creating a social network posting based on said document and said first one of said annotations; and

posting said social network posting on a social network.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said document comprises an image captured through a camera on said device, wherein said annotations comprise an identification of a person or object in said image, and wherein said acts further comprise:

posting said image and said identification of said person or object to an online photo album.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said document comprises a sound recording captured through a microphone on said device, wherein said annotations comprise an identification of a sound in said recording, and wherein said acts further comprise:

taking action to acquire a commercially-available recording of an object identified in said sound recording.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said sending of said first information to said service comprises:

sending, to said service, a time at which said document was received on said device or an indication of where said device was located at a time at which said document was received on said device,

and wherein said acts further comprise;

including said indication of location or said time in said annotated document.

8. A method of facilitating communication of information, the method comprising:

using a processor to perform acts comprising;

receiving first information through an input mechanism of a device;

sending, to a service that is remote from said device, second information that comprises said first information;

receiving, from said service, one or more items of third information, wherein said service creates said items of third information in reaction to said second information;

creating an annotated document based on said first information and said items of third information; and

propagating, to one or more people, fourth information that is based on said annotated document and on an identity of a user of said device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said acts further comprise:

receiving, from said user, an indication of which ones of said one or more items of third information are to be attached to said first information as metadata.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said first information comprises text that is received through a user input mechanism of said device, wherein said service performs a search based on said second information, wherein said third information comprises results of said search, and wherein said acts further comprise:

creating a draft social network posting based on said third information, wherein said fourth information comprises said draft social network posting; and

receiving, from said user, an indication that said draft social network posting is to be posted to a social network, wherein said propagating said fourth information to one or more people comprises posting said draft social network posting on said social network.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said first information comprises an image captured by a camera of said device, wherein said third information comprises an identification of a person or object that appears in said image, and wherein said fourth information comprises said image and said identification.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said first information comprises a sound recording captured by a microphone of said device, wherein said third information comprises an identification of a sound contained in said sound recording, and wherein said fourth information comprises said identification.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said device comprises a communication device that communicates with said service through a cellular network.

14. A device for collecting and propagating information, wherein the device comprises:

a content input mechanism through which said device receives content;

a memory;

a processor; and

a client application that is stored in said memory and that executes on said processor, wherein said client application, upon instruction from a first user of the device, sends, to a service that is located remotely from said device and with which the device communicates through a network, content received through said content input mechanism, and wherein said client application receives from the service one or more annotations of said content, combines said content and a first one of said one or more annotations to create an annotated document, creates information based on said annotated document, and propagates said information to one or more second users.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said client application receives, from said first user, an indication of which of said one or more annotations are to be attached to said content as metadata.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein said content input mechanism comprises a text input mechanism, wherein said content comprises a text query, wherein said one or more annotations comprise search results generated in response to said query, and wherein said information is based on said results.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein said client application propagates said information by posting, to a social network, a post that said client application creates based on said content and on said results.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein said content input mechanism comprises a camera, wherein said content comprises an image, wherein said one or more annotations comprise an identification of a person or object that appears in said image, and wherein said client application propagates said information by posting said image and said identification to an online photo album associated with said first user.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein said content input mechanism comprises a microphone, wherein said content comprises a sound recording, wherein said one or more annotations comprise an identification of a song in said sound recording, and wherein said client application propagates information by communicating, to said one or more second users, information concerning said song.

20. The device of claim 14, wherein client application communicates, to said service, a time at which said content was received and a geographic location at which said device was located at said time, wherein said one or more annotations are based on said content, said time, and said geographic location.