Strongly typed tags

• US 8,041,738 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2011
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Thornton, John M., Flaks, Jason S., Kabir, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Jami; Hares
• Application Number:
  US13/024,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20110131254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 250 Days
• Field of Search: 707/790, 707/791, 707/802, 707/803, 707/999.1, 707/999.102, 715/700, 715/705, 715/713
• US Class Current: 707/790
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

In one or more embodiments, a tag is provided and includes a property that associates a strongly typed variable with the tag. Strongly typed variables can include any suitable types. For example, in at least some embodiments, the strongly typed variable is a people type that allows the tag to be associated with an individual person or group of people by virtue of a unique identification that is associated with the person or group. Strongly typed tags can then serve as a foundation upon which various other types of information and services can be provided to enhance the user experience.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable storage media devices having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed, implement a method comprising:

presenting a user interface that enables a user to create a tag that is to be used to tag one or more digital objects;

defining the tag using the user interface;

strongly typing the tag by providing a unique ID that is associated with an individual or group of people, wherein the tag is configured to associate a changeable property with the unique ID, the changeable property being a name, wherein different names associated with a same unique ID are automatically resolved to the same unique ID independent of a user resolving the different names;

using the tag to present multiple user-selectable communication options to the user that the user can select, via a cursor, to cause initiation of a communication with a tagged entity, responsive to the user interacting with the one or more digital objects; and

presenting the tag in a navigation tree that is displayed on the user interface and which includes a tag node that is expandable to expose a list of previously created tags.

2. The one or more computer-readable storage media devices of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, implement a method further comprising associating the tag with the one or more digital objects.

3. The one or more computer-readable storage media devices of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises one that is presented via a photo viewing application.

4. The one or more computer-readable storage media devices of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, implement a method further comprising using the tag to provide one or more services to the user.

5. The one or more computer-readable storage media devices of claim 1, wherein one of the user-selectable communication options comprises an instant messaging service.

6. The one or more computer-readable storage media devices of claim 1, wherein one of the user-selectable communication options comprises an email service.

7. The one or more computer-readable storage media devices of claim 1, wherein the unique ID comprises an email address.

8. The one or more computer-readable storage media devices of claim 1, wherein the unique ID comprises an instant messaging ID.

9. A system comprising:

a digital object embodied on a computer-readable storage medium;

a tag associated with the digital object and embodied on the computer-readable storage medium, wherein the tag includes a property that associates a strongly typed variable with the tag, wherein the tag is configured to associate a changeable property with the strongly typed variable, the strongly typed variable including a unique ID, the changeable property being a name, and wherein different names associated with a same unique ID are automatically resolved to the same unique ID independent of a user resolving the different names; and

code embodied on the computer-readable storage medium configured to present the tag in a navigation tree that comprises a tag node expandable to expose a list of previously created tags, the code further configured to use the tag to present multiple user-selectable communication options to the user that the user can select, via a cursor, to cause initiation of a communication with a tagged entity, responsive to the user interacting with the digital object.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the strongly typed variable comprises a people type variable that associates the tag with a person or group of people, wherein the tag is configured to be used to provide at least one or more of email functionality or instant messaging functionality, and wherein the object is a photo.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the changeable property includes a string type property that can be used to provide a friendly name for the object.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the strongly typed variable comprises a people type variable that associates the tag with a person or group of people, wherein the tag is configured to be used to provide at least one or more of email functionality or instant messaging functionality, and wherein the people type variable associates the tag with the person or group of people by associating the unique ID with the tag.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the unique ID comprises an instant messaging ID.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the unique ID comprises an email address.

15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing one or more objects through an application that is not primarily an instant messaging application or email application;

the one or more objects having at least one strongly typed tag and at least one changeable property, the at least one changeable property being a name, wherein different names associated with a same unique ID are automatically resolved to the same unique ID independent of a user resolving the different names, wherein strongly typed tags uniquely associate tags with an individual or group of people;

presenting a navigation tree comprising a tag node that is expandable to expose a list of previously created tags which are usable to tag the one or more objects; and

using one or more strongly tags from within the application to present a user interface element that gives the user a choice to select between functionalities including an instant messaging functionality or an email functionality.

16. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, wherein using the one or more strongly typed tags further comprises displaying instant messaging presence information in a user interface of the application.

17. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, wherein providing the one or more objects further comprises providing one or more photos.