Apparatus and Method for Sharing Content Items among a Plurality of Mobile Devices

• US 20150358584A1
• Filed: 06/04/2015
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reel, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Reel, Inc.
• Inventors: Mattson, William W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,615,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention allow a collection of users (referred to herein as a “forum”) to communicate and exchange content items as part of an interactive communication system (referred to herein as the “Reel service”). Each user has a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone) running an application (referred to herein as the “Reel application”). The Reel application running in each mobile device is in communication with a server infrastructure. The Reel application implements client-side functions of the Reel service while the server infrastructure implements server-side functions of the Reel service. Users of a reel can create and share content items while simultaneously being able to monitor content being captured by other users through a single user interface, even on a mobile device where screen real estate is limited.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that when run on a mobile device provide an application used in implementing a method of capturing and sharing content items among a plurality of mobile devices in communication with a server infrastructure over a network, wherein each mobile device runs the application and the application establishes its user as a party to a forum that shares a reel of content items via the server infrastructure, the method comprising:

receiving by the application running on a first mobile device, from the server infrastructure, a content item associated with the reel of content items; and

causing display, by the application, of a first co-create screen on a display of the first mobile device, the first screen including;

(i) a main display area;

(ii) an album area comprising a set of user-selectable album panes in which recorded content items associated with the reel are displayed; and

(iii) a user-selectable capture control allowing the user (a) to selectively capture content from the main display area and (b) to cause posting of the captured content to the reel as a recorded content item.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein causing display includes causing display of the received content item in the main display area of the first screen, and wherein the user-selectable capture control allows the user to selectively capture content from the received content item.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the received content item includes a one-way video that is made available to parties to the forum.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the received content item includes a live video stream from another party to the forum.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

causing, by the application, display of a user-selectable livebox pane overlaying a portion of the main display area of the first album screen;

causing, by the application, display of video from a camera of the first mobile device in the user-selectable livebox pane of the first screen; and

causing, by the application, a multi-party conferencing connection to be established between the user of the first mobile device and such other party to the forum.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

causing, by the application, display of a user-selectable camera control allowing a user to select a front camera of the first mobile device or a back camera of the first mobile device.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to receipt of an input, from the user, such input selecting the user-selectable livebox pane, causing, by the application, display of a multiview screen including a plurality of user-selectable panes, each pane associated with a distinct party to the forum and each pane displaying one of at least;

a representation, derived by the server infrastructure from a live video stream being sent to the server infrastructure from a mobile device of such party, wherein the representation is dynamically updated in a low-bandwidth manner by the server infrastructure;

or

an indication that such party is not sending a live video stream to the server infrastructure.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each pane displays one of:

the representation;

or

an indication that such party is online but is not sending a live video stream to the server infrastructure;

or

an indication that such party is offline.

9. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to receipt of an input, from the user, such input selecting the user-selectable livebox pane, causing, by the application, display of a second multiview screen including;

(i) a main display area in which is displayed video from the camera of the first mobile device,

(ii) the user-selectable live box pane in which is present the received content, and

(iii) the user-selectable capture control allowing the user (a) to selectively capture content from the main display area of the second multiview screen and (b) to cause posting of the captured content to the reel as a recorded content item.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein causing, by the application, display of the second multiview screen does not interrupt the multi-party video-conferencing connection.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to receipt of a second input, from the user, such input selecting the user-selectable livebox pane, causing, by the application, display of a multiview screen including a plurality of user-selectable panes, each pane associated with a distinct party to the forum and each pane displaying one of at least;

a representation, derived by the server infrastructure from a live video stream being sent to the server infrastructure from a mobile device of such party, wherein the representation is dynamically updated in a low-bandwidth manner by the server infrastructure;

or

an indication that such party is not sending a live video stream to the server infrastructure.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein each pane displays one of:

the representation;

or

an indication that such party is online but is not sending a live video stream to the server infrastructure;

or

an indication that such party is offline.

13. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

causing, by the application, a multi-party conferencing connection to be established between the user of the first mobile device and such other party to the forum; and

causing, by the application, display of a user-selectable camera-disable control allowing the user of the first mobile device to selectively enable and disable a local camera of the first mobile device, wherein the multi-party conferencing connection remains established regardless of whether the local camera is enabled or disabled, and when the local camera is enabled, the application sends a live video stream from the local camera to the server infrastructure for use over the multi-party conferencing connection.

14. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

causing, by the application, display of the received content item in a user-selectable album pane in the album area of the first album screen; and

upon receipt of a user input selecting such user-selectable album pane, causing, by the application, display of a second album screen including;

(i) a main content area in which is displayed the received content item; and

(ii) the user-selectable capture control allowing the user (a) to selectively capture content from the main content area of the second album screen and (b) to cause posting of the captured content to the reel as a recorded content item.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

causing, by the application, display of video from a camera of the first mobile device in the main display area; and

during display of such video from the camera of the first mobile device, causing display, by the application of the user-selectable capture control allowing the user to selectively capture content from such video.

16. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein posting of the captured content to the reel as a recorded content item comprises:

displaying the captured content in a user-selectable pane in the album area; and

sending the captured content to the server infrastructure to allow other parties to the forum to receive the captured content.

17. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the application allows the user to selectively post a captured content item to the reel as either a persistent recorded content item or a decayable recorded content item.

18. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to receipt of a user input selecting one of the user-selectable panes of the multiview screen, wherein the pane displays the representation, causing, by the application, display of a third multiview screen including;

(i) a main content area in which is displayed a live video stream from selected one of the parties to the forum; and

(ii) the user-selectable capture control allowing the user (a) to selectively capture content from the main content area of the third multiview screen and (b) to cause posting of the captured content to the reel as a recorded content item.

19. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to receipt of a user input selecting one of the user-selectable panes of the multiview screen, wherein the pane displays the representation, causing, by the application, display of a third multiview screen including;

(i) a main content area in which is displayed a live video stream from selected one of the parties to the forum; and

(ii) the user-selectable capture control allowing the user (a) to selectively capture content from the main content area of the third multiview screen and (b) to cause posting of the captured content to the reel as a recorded content item.

20. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to receipt of a text message from another party to the forum, causing, by the application, display of a pop-up text message window overlaying a portion of the main display area, the pop-up text message window displaying the received text message.

21. A method of sharing content items among a plurality of mobile devices in communication with a server infrastructure over a network, each mobile device running an application that establishes its user as a party to a forum that shares a reel of content items via the server infrastructure, the method comprising:

managing, by the server infrastructure, a listing of parties to the forum;

managing, by the server infrastructure, the reel of content items, wherein the server infrastructure maintains a master registry of all content items;

serving, by the server infrastructure, to an application running on a mobile device of each party to the forum, a user-specified set of content items in the reel of content items, wherein each distinct application is configured to cause display of a first co-create screen on a display of its associated mobile device, the first screen including an album area comprising a distinct set of user-selectable album panes in which recorded content items served by the server infrastructure and associated with the reel are displayed; and

wherein managing the reel of content items further includes receiving, by the server infrastructure, from each distinct application, metadata characterizing the distinct set of user-selectable album panes and storing the metadata.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein managing the listing of parties to the forum includes adding by the server infrastructure to the listing a user who has received over the network an invitation message to the forum and has manifested, over the network, acceptance of the invitation.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein managing the reel of content items includes adding by the server infrastructure any content item posted by a party to the forum as an addition to the reel.

24. A method according to claim 21, wherein each distinct application is further configured to cause display of a distinct user-selected video served by the server infrastructure.