TECHNIQUES TO SHARE MEDIA FILES THROUGH MESSAGING

• US 20110276637A1
• Filed: 05/06/2010
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shen, Jennifer, Dietrich, Wilhelmina, Weed, Bradley, Moore, Jason, Thornton, John, Benson, Rodger, Citron, Dave, Pezely, Becky, Urdan, Alan, Fournier, Tatjana, Udezue, Ojiakonobi, Counts, Robin
• Granted Patent: US 8,359,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments

Abstract

Techniques to share media files through messaging are described. An apparatus may comprise a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory may store a message application that when executed by the processor is operative to communicate a message and a message attachment comprising a media file at different time intervals using different transports. The message may have a link comprising a reference to a discoverable storage location for the media file. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a request to attach a media file to a message;

sending the media file to a message server over a first transport;

receiving a link for the media file from the server over the first transport, the link comprising a reference to a discoverable storage location for the media file;

embedding the link in the message; and

sending the message with the embedded link to a message recipient over a second transport.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the link comprising a reference to a discoverable storage location for the media file as stored on a network storage server, the discoverable storage location accessible by a message sender or a message recipient without the link.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising receiving a control directive to embed an alternate version of the media file in the message.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising modifying one or more attributes of the media file to form an alternate version of the media file.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising embedding an alternate version of the media file in the message.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising receiving a control directive representing a style parameter for embedding the media file in the message.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising receiving a control directive representing a privacy parameter for accessing the media file on a network storage service.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising receiving a control directive representing an order parameter for ordering multiple media files in the message.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising updating the message with a message update having information from the message recipient after the message has been sent by a message sender.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising sending a message update for the message after the message has been sent by a message sender, the message update having information from the message sender.

11. An article comprising a storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:

receive a media file for a message by a message service over a first transport;

store the media file on a server accessible by a user account previously established for a message sender or a message recipient;

generate a link to the stored media file; and

send the link for the stored media file over the first transport.

12. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to store the media file on a server accessible by the user account previously established for the message sender or the message recipient without the link.

13. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to receive the message having the link embedded within the message by the message service over a second transport, and send the message with the embedded link to a message recipient over the second transport.

14. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to receive a message update with information for the message from the network storage service after the message has been sent, and send the message update to a message sender or a message recipient.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory to store a message application that when executed by the processor is operative to communicate a message and a message attachment comprising a media file at different time intervals using different transports, the message having a link comprising a reference to a discoverable storage location for the media file.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the message application comprising an attachment manager operative to receive a request to attach the media file to the message, send the media file to a server over a transport, receive the link for the media file from the server over the transport, and embed the link in the message.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, the message application comprising an attachment converter operative to modify one or more attributes of the media file to form an alternate version of the media file.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, the message application comprising a message manager operative to communicate the message with the link over a transport, the link comprising a reference to a discoverable storage location for the media file as stored on a network storage server, the discoverable storage location accessible by a message sender or a message recipient without the link.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, the message application comprising a message updater operative to dynamically update the message with message updates having information for the message received after the message has been sent.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, the message application comprising a message updater operative to send message updates having information for the message after the message has been sent to a message recipient.