Sharing skins

• US 7,610,352 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2002
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MECA Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MECA Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Lipschultz, Robert P., AlHusseini, Ibrahim Ameen, Klickstein, Bruce, Harrington, Gregg D.
• Primary Examiner(s): OSMAN, RAMY M
• Application Number:
  US10/238,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20070033254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,605 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/205, 709217-219, 709/204, 709/206, 709/243, 709/244, 715/758
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A system and method for sharing skins between a first user and a second user on a computerized network. A first skin selected by the first user is transferred to and displayed to the second user. The transfer and/or the display is performed automatically. A second skin selected by the second user is transferred to and displayed to the first user. In one embodiment, the first and second skins are alternately displayed (e.g. periodically in time) to the first and second users. Users can have one or more skins, including a default skin, associated with each of them. Options are available to allow a user to authorize skin sharing with other users, to specify which skins can be shared, to control the amount of time between alternating skin displays, and the number of times the skins are alternately displayed.

Claims

1. A method for sharing skins between a first user and a second user via a computer network, the method, comprising:

transferring a first skin associated with the first user to the second user, wherein the first skin comprises at least a graphical representation of an application;

displaying the first skin to the second user;

wherein at least one of said transferring and said displaying is performed automatically;

receiving, from a second work station associated with the second user, a second skin at a first work station associated with the first user; and

displaying, through the first work station, the second skin such that the first work station transitions from displaying the first skin to displaying the second skin;

wherein the transition from displaying the first skin to displaying the second skin comprises transitioning as controlled in accordance with a user selected transition effect as selected by the first user.

2. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring an identity of the first skin.

3. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

transferring, from the second workstation associated with the second user, the second skin to the first work station associated with the first user.

4. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first workstation associated with the first user transfers the first skin to the second workstation associated with the second user, wherein the displaying the first skin to the second user comprises displaying through the second workstation the first skin to the second user.

5. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a method for transferring the first skin.

6. The method, as set forth in claim 5, wherein determining a method for transferring the first skin comprises:

determining whether the first skin is currently stored in the second workstation associated with the second user.

7. The method, as set forth in claim 5, wherein determining a method for transferring the first skin comprises:

accessing the first skin via a skin sharing server.

8. The method, as set forth in claim 5, wherein determining a method for transferring the first skin comprises:

determining whether the first skin is currently stored in the second workstation; and

transferring the first skin via a skin sharing server.

9. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a messaging session between the first user and the second user; and

alternately displaying the first skin and the second skin associated with the second user to the first user.

10. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a messaging session between the first user and the second user; and

alternately displaying the first skin and the second skin associated with the second user to the second user.

11. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a messaging session between the first user and the second user;

alternately displaying the first skin and the second skin associated with the second user to the first user when the first user has authorized skin sharing; and

alternately displaying the first skin and the second skin associated with the second user to the second user when the second user has authorized skin sharing.

12. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving selections of options to control how often the shared skins are displayed.

13. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving selections of options to control whether the first user can download a skin from a skin sharing server.

14. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying options to control how often the shared skins are displayed.

15. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

recording the display date and at least a portion of an identity of a skin that is shared between the first and second users.

16. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

storing the first skin on the second workstation associated with the second user.

17. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the first skin simultaneously with one or more options for controlling skin sharing between the first and second users.

18. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

transferring the first skin, after the first user sends a message to the second user; and

displaying the first skin to the one or more other users.

19. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the transferring the first skin is performed automatically.

20. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the displaying the first skin is performed automatically.

21. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the transferring and displaying the first skin is performed automatically.

22. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a default skin is associated with the first user, further comprising:

transferring the default skin unless the first user turns off a skin sharing option not allowing access to the default skin.

23. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein transferring the first skin includes:

retrieving the first skin from cache memory in the second workstation associated with the second user when the first skin is the same as the second skin.

24. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the transferring the first skin includes:

retrieving the first skin from cache memory in the second workstation when the first skin is alternately displayed with the second skin.

25. A computer readable storage media comprising:

computer instructions that induce a physical device implementing the computer instructions to implement the method of claim 1.

26. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the transfer of the second skin is in response to an inter-party communication comprising an instant messaging communication.

27. A method for sharing a first skin associated with a first user and a second skin associated with a second user via a computer network, the method comprising:

receiving the first skin at a second display device associated with the second user, wherein the first skin comprises at least a graphical representation of an application; and

alternately displaying the first skin and the second skin to the second user; and

transferring, from the second display device, the second skin to a first display device associated with the first user;

wherein the alternately displaying comprises transitioning from displaying, through the second display device, the first skin to displaying the second skin; and

wherein the transitioning from displaying the second skin to displaying the first skin comprises transitioning as controlled in accordance with a user selected transition effect as selected in accordance with the second user.

28. The method, as set forth in claim 27, wherein alternately displaying comprises:

displaying the first skin to the second user in place of the second skin; and

displaying the second skin to the second user in place of the first skin.

29. A method for sharing a first skin associated with a first user and a second skin associated with a second user via a computer network, wherein the first skin comprises at least a graphical representation of an application, the method comprising:

automatically transferring the first skin to the second user;

automatically displaying the first skin to the second user, in place of the second;

receiving, from a second display device, associated with the second user, the second skin at a first display device associated with the first user; and

displaying, through the first display device, the second skin such that the first display device transitions from displaying the first skin to displaying the second skin;

wherein the transition from displaying the first skin to displaying the second skin comprises transitioning as controlled in accordance with a user selected transition effect as selected by the first user.

30. The method, as set forth in claim 29, further comprising:

automatically transferring the second skin to the first user; and

automatically displaying the second skin to the first user, in place of the first skin.

31. A method for sharing a first skin associated with a first user and a second skin associated with a second user via a computer network, wherein the first skin comprises at least a graphical representation of an application, the method comprising:

causing to be displayed, at a second display device associated with the second user, the first skin to the second user;

receiving, from the second display device, the second skin at a first display device; and

displaying, through the first display device associated with the first user, the second skin to the first user;

wherein the displaying the second skin at the first display device comprises transitioning from displaying the first skin to displaying the second skin; and

wherein the transitioning from displaying the first skin to displaying the second skin comprises transitioning as controlled in accordance with a user selected transition effect as selected by the first user.

32. The method, as set forth in claim 31 further comprising:

displaying the first skin to the first user in place of the second skin; and

displaying the second skin to the second user in place of the first skin.

33. The method, as set forth in claim 32 further comprising:

periodically repeating the acts of displaying.

34. A method for sharing a first skin associated with a first user and a second skin associated with a second user via a server, wherein the first skin comprises at least a graphical representation of an application, the method comprising:

transferring the first skin to the second user;

transferring the second skin to a first display device associated with the first user where the second skin is displayed, through the first display device, by transitioning from displaying the first skin to displaying the second skin;

wherein the transitioning from displaying the first skin to displaying the second skin comprises transitioning as controlled in accordance with a user selected transition effect as designated by the first user; and

storing an indication of transfer of the first skin to the second user and vice versa.

35. The method, as set forth in claim 34 further comprising:

statistically reporting on the transfers.

36. An apparatus comprising a computer programmed to:

transfer a first skin to a first user, wherein the first skin comprises at least a graphical representation of an application;

transfer a second skin to a second user;

transfer the first skin to the second user; and

transfer the second skin to a first display device associated with the first user where the second skin is displayed, through she first display device, by transitioning from displaying the first skin to displaying the second skin;

wherein the transitioning from displaying the first skin to displaying the second skin comprises transitioning as controlled in accordance with a user selected transition effect as designated by the first user.

37. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 36 wherein the computer comprises a database for holding statistics on the transfers and the computer is further programmed to:

report on the transfers in response to a query.