System and method to facilitate real-time communications and content sharing among users over a network
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer-implemented method to facilitate exchange of content among entities in a computer network during a real-time communications session over said computer network, said method comprising the steps of:
- identifying a sender user and at least one recipient user, wherein said sender user and said at least one recipient user subscribe to an instant messaging application service, and wherein said sender user has defined at least one of content preferences and media preset preferences;
dynamically generating a plurality of hyperlinks to at least one audio file for said sender user based on said sender user'"'"'s content preferences and media preset preferences, wherein said hyperlinks are scripted in a computing reference language selected from among hypertext markup language and extensible markup language, wherein said at least one audio file resides on a remote content server, said content server being part of said computer network, wherein said at least one audio file is accessible by selection of a respective hyperlink, wherein said dynamic generation is performed on a communication server that is coupled with said remote content server, and wherein said dynamic generation is performed by taking into account said content preferences and media presets as follows;
if the sender user has programmed media presets, but has not generated any content preferences, generating additional links corresponding to content popularity;
if the sender user has programmed both media presets and content preferences, generating an equal number of links for the content preferences and media presets;
if the sender user has generated content preferences, but has not programmed media presets, generating additional links corresponding to preferences; and
inserting said hyperlink and said associated metadata in a real-time message displayed in a message window for said sender user;
transmitting said real-time message to said at least one recipient user;
responsive to selection of a hyperlink of said plurality of hyperlinks by said sender using during an instant messaging communications session with said at least one recipient user, communicating said hyperlink and associated metadata information to said at least one recipient user while engaged in said instant messaging communication session with said sender user for display to said recipient user in an instant messaging user interface as part of, and along with, said instant messaging communications session, wherein communicating said hyperlink is performed using said communication server;
wherein selection of said hyperlink allows said at least one recipient user to access said at least one audio file from said remote content server;
wherein said at least one recipient user can access said at least one audio file from said sender user during said real-time communications session by activating said hyperlink; and
wherein said at least one recipient user can access said at least one audio file from said sender user after said real-time communications session has ended by activating said hyperlink and initiating a file transfer from said remote content server, wherein said file transfer is selected from;
downloading said at least one audio file from said remote content server after said real-time communications sessions has ceased; and
streaming said at least one audio from said remote content server after said real-time communication session has ceased via a webstreaming protocol.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method to facilitate real-time communications and content sharing among users over a network are described. In one preferred embodiment, multiple links to content information are dynamically generated for a sender user. Responsive to selection of a link by the sender user, the link and associated metadata information are communicated to at least one recipient user engaged in the real-time communications session with the sender user.
77 Citations
34 Claims
-
1. A computer-implemented method to facilitate exchange of content among entities in a computer network during a real-time communications session over said computer network, said method comprising the steps of:
-
identifying a sender user and at least one recipient user, wherein said sender user and said at least one recipient user subscribe to an instant messaging application service, and wherein said sender user has defined at least one of content preferences and media preset preferences; dynamically generating a plurality of hyperlinks to at least one audio file for said sender user based on said sender user'"'"'s content preferences and media preset preferences, wherein said hyperlinks are scripted in a computing reference language selected from among hypertext markup language and extensible markup language, wherein said at least one audio file resides on a remote content server, said content server being part of said computer network, wherein said at least one audio file is accessible by selection of a respective hyperlink, wherein said dynamic generation is performed on a communication server that is coupled with said remote content server, and wherein said dynamic generation is performed by taking into account said content preferences and media presets as follows; if the sender user has programmed media presets, but has not generated any content preferences, generating additional links corresponding to content popularity; if the sender user has programmed both media presets and content preferences, generating an equal number of links for the content preferences and media presets; if the sender user has generated content preferences, but has not programmed media presets, generating additional links corresponding to preferences; and inserting said hyperlink and said associated metadata in a real-time message displayed in a message window for said sender user; transmitting said real-time message to said at least one recipient user; responsive to selection of a hyperlink of said plurality of hyperlinks by said sender using during an instant messaging communications session with said at least one recipient user, communicating said hyperlink and associated metadata information to said at least one recipient user while engaged in said instant messaging communication session with said sender user for display to said recipient user in an instant messaging user interface as part of, and along with, said instant messaging communications session, wherein communicating said hyperlink is performed using said communication server; wherein selection of said hyperlink allows said at least one recipient user to access said at least one audio file from said remote content server; wherein said at least one recipient user can access said at least one audio file from said sender user during said real-time communications session by activating said hyperlink; and wherein said at least one recipient user can access said at least one audio file from said sender user after said real-time communications session has ended by activating said hyperlink and initiating a file transfer from said remote content server, wherein said file transfer is selected from; downloading said at least one audio file from said remote content server after said real-time communications sessions has ceased; and streaming said at least one audio from said remote content server after said real-time communication session has ceased via a webstreaming protocol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A computer-implemented method to facilitate content sharing among entities during a real-time instant messaging communications session over a network, said method comprising the steps of:
-
presenting a user list containing said at least one recipient user to said sender user wherein said sender user has defined at least one of content preferences and media preset preferences; and facilitating selection of said at least one recipient user from said user list, wherein, prior to said selection of said at least one recipient user, said at least one recipient user is available to participate in said real-time communication session; dynamically generating a plurality of hyperlinks to at least one audio file for said sender user based on said sender user'"'"'s content preferences and media preset preferences, wherein said hyperlinks are scripted in a computing reference language selected from among hypertext markup language and extensible markup language, wherein said at least one audio file resides on a remote content server, said content server being part of said computer network, wherein said at least one audio file is accessible by selection of a respective hyperlink, wherein said dynamic generation is performed on a communication server that is coupled with said remote content server, and wherein said dynamic generation is performed by taking into account said content preferences and media presets as follows; if the sender user has programmed media presets, but has not generated any content preferences, generating additional links corresponding to content popularity; if the sender user has programmed both media presets and content preferences, generating an equal number of links for the content preferences and media presets; if the sender user has generated content preferences, but has not programmed media presets, generating additional links corresponding to preferences; and inserting said hyperlink and said associated metadata in a real-time message displayed in a message window for said sender user; transmitting said real-time message to said at least one recipient user; facilitating selection of a hyperlink to content information residing on a remote content server from a plurality of hyperlinks displayed for a sender user in a content window; and facilitating real-time communication of said hyperlink and associated metadata information to at least one recipient user engaged in said real-time instant messaging communication session with said sender user for allowing said at least one recipient user to access said content information from said remote content server; wherein said at least one recipient user can access said content information from said sender user during said real-time communications session by activating said hyperlink; and wherein said at least one recipient user can access said content information from said sender user after said real-time communications session has ended by activating said hyperlink and initiating a file transfer from said remote content server, wherein said file transfer is selected from; downloading said file from said remote content server after said real-time communications sessions has ceased; and streaming said file from said remote content server after said real-time communication session has ceased via a web-streaming protocol. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A machine-readable medium containing executable instructions, which, when executed in a processing system, cause said processing system to perform a method to facilitate exchange of content among entities during a real-time communications session over a network, said medium selected from among a group of media consisting of read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, and flash memory devices;
- said method comprising the steps of;
identifying a sender user and at least one recipient user, wherein said sender user and said at least one recipient user subscribe to an instant messaging application service, and wherein said sender user has defined at least one of content preferences and media preset preferences; dynamically generating a plurality of hyperlinks to at least one audio file for said sender user based on said sender user'"'"'s content preferences and media preset preferences, wherein said hyperlinks are scripted in a computing reference language selected from among hypertext markup language and extensible markup language, wherein said at least one audio file resides on a remote content server, said content server being part of said computer network, wherein said at least one audio file is accessible by selection of a respective hyperlink, wherein said dynamic generation is performed on a communication server that is coupled with said remote content server, and wherein said dynamic generation is performed by taking into account said content preferences and media presets as follows; if the sender user has programmed media presets, but has not generated any content preferences, generating additional links corresponding to content popularity; if the sender user has programmed both media presets and content preferences, generating an equal number of links for the content preferences and media presets; if the sender user has generated content preferences, but has not programmed media presets, generating additional links corresponding to preferences; and inserting said hyperlink and said associated metadata in a real-time message displayed in a message window for said sender user; transmitting said real-time message to said at least one recipient user; responsive to selection of a hyperlink of said plurality of hyperlinks by said sender using during an instant messaging communications session with said at least one recipient user, communicating said hyperlink and associated metadata information to said at least one recipient user while engaged in said instant messaging communication session with said sender user for display to said recipient user in an instant messaging user interface as part of, and along with, said instant messaging communications session, wherein communicating said hyperlink is performed using said communication server; wherein selection of said hyperlink allows said at least one recipient user to access said at least one audio file from said remote content server; wherein said at least one recipient user can access said at least one audio file from said sender user during said real-time communications session by activating said hyperlink; and wherein said at least one recipient user can access said at least one audio file from said sender user after said real-time communications session has ended by activating said hyperlink and initiating a file transfer from said remote content server, wherein said file transfer is selected from; downloading said at least one audio file from said remote content server after said real-time communications sessions has ceased; and streaming said at least one audio from said remote content server after said real-time communication session has ceased via a web-streaming protocol. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- said method comprising the steps of;
-
21. A machine-readable medium containing executable instructions, which, when executed in a processing system, cause said processing system to perform a method to facilitate exchange of content among entities during a real-time communications session over a network, said medium selected from among a group of media consisting of read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, and flash memory devices;
- said method comprising the steps of;
presenting a user list containing said at least one recipient user to said sender user wherein said sender user has defined at least one of content preferences and media preset preferences; and facilitating selection of said at least one recipient user from said user list, wherein, prior to said selection of said at least one recipient user, said at least one recipient user is available to participate in said real-time communication session; dynamically generating a plurality of hyperlinks to at least one audio file for said sender user based on said sender user'"'"'s content preferences and media preset preferences, wherein said hyperlinks are scripted in a computing reference language selected from among hypertext markup language and extensible markup language, wherein said at least one audio file resides on a remote content server, said content server being part of said computer network, wherein said at least one audio file is accessible by selection of a respective hyperlink, wherein said dynamic generation is performed on a communication server that is coupled with said remote content server, and wherein said dynamic generation is performed by taking into account said content preferences and media presets as follows; if the sender user has programmed media presets, but has not generated any content preferences, generating additional links corresponding to content popularity; if the sender user has programmed both media presets and content preferences, generating an equal number of links for the content preferences and media presets; if the sender user has generated content preferences, but has not programmed media presets, generating additional links corresponding to preferences; and inserting said hyperlink and said associated metadata in a real-time message displayed in a message window for said sender user; transmitting said real-time message to said at least one recipient user; facilitating selection of a hyperlink to content information residing on a remote content server from a plurality of hyperlinks displayed for a sender user in a content window; and facilitating real-time communication of said hyperlink and associated metadata information to at least one recipient user engaged in said real-time instant messaging communication session with said sender user for allowing said at least one recipient user to access said content information from said remote content server; wherein said at least one recipient user can access said content information from said sender user during said real-time communications session by activating said hyperlink; and wherein said at least one recipient user can access said content information from said sender user after said real-time communications session has ended by activating said hyperlink and initiating a file transfer from said remote content server, wherein said file transfer is selected from; downloading said file from said remote content server after said real-time communications sessions has ceased; and streaming said file from said remote content server after said real-time communication session has ceased via a web-streaming protocol. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
- said method comprising the steps of;
-
27. A system to facilitate content sharing among entities during a real-time instant-messaging communications session over a network, said system comprising:
-
at least one processing server configured to; identify a sender user and at least one recipient user, wherein said sender user and said at least one recipient user subscribe to an instant messaging application service, and wherein said sender user has defined at least one of content preferences and media preset preferences; and generate dynamically a plurality of hyperlinks to at least one audio file for a sender user based on said sender user'"'"'s content preferences and media preset preferences, wherein said hyperlinks are scripted in a computing reference language selected from among hypertext markup language and extensible markup language, wherein said at least one audio file resides on a remote content server, said content server being part of said computer network, wherein said at least one audio file is accessible by selection of a respective hyperlink, wherein said dynamic generation is performed on a communication server that is coupled with said remote content server, and wherein said dynamic generation is performed by taking into account said content preferences and media presets as follows; if the sender user has programmed media presets, but has not generated any content preferences, generating additional links corresponding to content popularity; if the sender user has programmed both media presets and content preferences, generating an equal number of links for the content preferences and media presets; if the sender user has generated content preferences, but has not programmed media presets, generating additional links corresponding to preferences; and inserting said hyperlink and said associated metadata in a real-time message displayed in a message window for said sender user; at least one communications server coupled to said at least one processing server to communicate said hyperlink and associated metadata information to at least one recipient user engaged in said real-time instant-messaging communication session with said sender user, in response to selection of a hyperlink of said plurality of hyperlinks, for allowing said at least one recipient user to access said content information at a later time; wherein said at least one recipient user can access said at least one audio file from said sender user during said real-time communications session by activating said hyperlink; and wherein said at least one recipient user can access said at least one audio file from said sender user after said real-time communications session has ended by activating said hyperlink and initiating a file transfer from said remote content server, wherein said file transfer is selected from; downloading said at least one audio file from said remote content server after said real-time communications sessions has ceased; and streaming said at least one audio file from said remote content server after said real-time communication session has ceased via a web-streaming protocol. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
Specification