DIGITAL MEDIA RECEIVER FOR SHARING IMAGE STREAMS

• US 20130332856A1
• Filed: 09/29/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sanders, Christopher John, Roman, Peter W., Dickens, Joshua B.
• Application Number:
  US13/631,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20130332856A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

Some embodiments provide tools that allow a user to share content on one device with multiple other users using different devices. The content sharing tools allow the user to (1) create a shared stream that represents a set of shared content and (2) invite one or more recipients to subscribe to the shared stream. When a recipient subscribes to the shared stream, the set of content is streamed across one or more of his or her devices. In some embodiments, the content sharing tools are provided as part of an image application that executes on a digital media receiver or smart television.

Claims

1. A method of defining a user interface (UI) for a digital media receiver, the method comprising:

defining a first display area to display a list of invitations to subscribe to different shared streams, each shared stream associated with a set of images;

defining an image sharing tool to accept or decline each invitation in the list; and

defining a second display area to display a set of images associated with a shared stream upon accepting an invitation to subscribe to the shared stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first display area is further to display, with each invitation in the list, a name of the person that shared the set of images.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first display area lists the shared stream separately from the remaining invitations upon accepting the invitation to subscribe to the shared stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of images is a first set of images that is shared by a person, wherein the second display area is dynamically updated with a second set of images when the person shares the second set of images.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second sets of images are displayed separately in a batch view, starting with the first or second set and ending with the remaining set.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second sets of images are displayed side-by-side in the second display area.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein an image layout is selected for each set based on the number of images in the set and the orientation of the images in the set.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein a selection of an image in the batch view causes the second display to display a full-screen representation of the selected image in a full screen view.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the batch view is a first view, the method further defining a selectable item that when selected causes a plurality of images in the first and second sets to be displayed across the second display in a second view.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one image associated with the shared stream is associated with a new comment, the method further comprising defining a control that when selected causes the second display area to only display each image associated with a new comment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the comments associated with an image are automatically scrolled in the second display area.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the comments are automatically scrolled starting from a newest unread comment to an oldest unread comment.

13. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program that when executed by at least one processing unit provides a user interface (UI) for a digital media receiver, the UI comprising:

a first display area to display a list of invitations to subscribe to different shared streams, each shared stream associated with a set of images;

an image sharing tool to accept or decline each invitation in the list; and

a second display area to display a set of images associated with a shared stream upon accepting an invitation to subscribe to the shared stream.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first display area is further to display, with each invitation in the list, a name of the person that shared the set of images.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first display area lists the shared stream separately from the remaining invitations upon accepting the invitation to subscribe to the shared stream.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the set of images is a first set of images that is shared by a person, wherein the second display area is dynamically updated with a second set of images when the person shares the second set of images.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first and second sets of images are displayed separately in a batch view, starting with the first or second set and ending with the remaining set.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first and second sets of images are displayed side-by-side in the second display area.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein an image layout is selected for each set based on the number of images in the set and the orientation of the images in the set.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein a selection of an image in the batch view causes the second display to display a full-screen representation of the selected image in a full screen view.