System and method for a multimedia timeline

• US 8,522,155 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Making Everlasting Memories, LLC (Service Corporation International)
• Original Assignee: Making Everlasting Memories, LLC (Service Corporation International)
• Inventors: Mindrum, Gordon Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): HAILU, TADESSE
• Application Number:
  US12/178,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20080282163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 715762-765, 715/740, 715/744
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 13/003 Funeral monuments, grave sites curbing or markers not making part of vaults E04H13/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An interactive user interface on a computer system for presenting information about a deceased person comprises a viewable screen image. A plurality of types of life related recordations are associated with a time during the person'"'"'s life. The user interface further includes a plurality of selection options. Each of the selection options corresponds to at least one type of recordation. The viewable screen image also presents an interactive timeline that is operable to effect a selection of time. The timeline is associated with at least a portion of the plurality of recordations such that when a specific time is selected the user interface presents one or more recordations that correspond to the selected time. The interface may also include a historical information feature that is operable to provide historical information relating to times during the deceased person'"'"'s life, with the historical information being independent of the deceased person.

Claims

1. An interactive user interface on a computer system for presenting information about a deceased person, the user interface comprising:

(a) a viewable screen image associated with the deceased person;

(b) a plurality of life related recordations having content associated with the deceased person stored on a remote database, wherein the recordations comprise recordations of more than one type, wherein the types of recordations comprise at least two of the types selected from the group consisting of pictures, documents, audio, and video, wherein each of the recordations is associated with a time period during the deceased person'"'"'s life;

(c) a plurality of selection options on the viewable screen image, wherein each of the selection options corresponds to at least one type of recordation such that when a selection option is selected the corresponding types of recordations are presented; and

(d) an interactive timeline on the viewable screen image wherein the timeline is operable to effect a selection of a time period during the deceased person'"'"'s life, wherein the timeline is associated with at least a portion of the plurality of recordations, and wherein the content of one or more of the recordations associated with the time period are automatically displayed on the viewable screen image in response to the selection of the time period during the deceased person'"'"'s life;

wherein the user interface is hosted on a server and is accessible remotely via a network, and wherein a portion of the user interface is publicly accessible and another portion of the user interface is not publicly accessible.

2. The interactive user interface of claim 1, wherein the interactive timeline comprises a slidable calendar date selection option on the viewable screen image for selecting a specific calendar date.

3. The interactive user interface of claim 1, wherein the user interface presents one or more recordations that correspond to the selected time in a separate page.

4. The interactive user interface of claim 1, further comprising an auto play feature, wherein the auto play feature is operable to automatically present the recordations in a chronological order.

5. The interactive user interface of claim 1, further comprising a historical information feature, wherein the historical information feature is operable to provide historical information corresponds with a time period during the deceased person'"'"'s life that is associated with the recordations, wherein the historical information is independent of the deceased person.

6. The interactive user interface of claim 5, wherein the recordations relate to life events occurring at certain times during the deceased person'"'"'s life, wherein the historical information relates to historical events occurring at a certain time associated with the time at which the corresponding life event occurred.

7. The interactive user interface of claim 5, wherein the historical information feature comprises a button, wherein the button is configured to provide historical information in response to a user clicking on the button.

8. The interactive user interface of claim 1, wherein a plurality of recordations are associated with the selected time period.

9. The interactive user interface of claim 1, further comprising one or more future messages from the deceased person, the content of the future messages being provided from the deceased person and directed to a user of the interactive user interface.

10. The interactive user interface of claim 1, further comprising a list of relatives to the deceased person, wherein one or more of the listed relatives has a link to a screen associated with that listed relative.

11. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the timeline comprises:

i. a first selectable portion located on a left side of the interactive timeline, and

ii. a second selectable portion located to the right of the first selectable portion,

wherein the first and second selectable portions are operable to effect a selection of a time period during the deceased person'"'"'s life,

wherein the first and second selectable portions are associated with at least a portion of the plurality of recordations such that when the first or second selectable portion is selected the user interface presents one or more recordations that correspond to the first or second selectable portion.

12. A method of providing a multimedia timeline, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a plurality of recordations having content relating to a person, wherein the recordations comprise recordations of more than one type, wherein each of the recordations is associated with a time during the person'"'"'s life;

(b) arranging the recordations in a chronological order;

(c) providing an interactive user interface via the Internet, wherein the interactive user interface includes an interactive timeline, wherein the timeline is operable to effect a selection of time, wherein the timeline is associated with at least a portion of the plurality of recordations;

(d) receiving a time selection from a user via the interactive user interface;

(e) displaying the content of one or more of the recordations automatically to the user in response to the time selection by the user, wherein the one or more presented recordations are associated with the time selected by the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more presented recordations comprise a plurality of presented recordations of more than one type, wherein the types comprise at least two of the types selected from the group consisting of pictures, documents, audio, and video.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the interactive timeline comprises a life line bar with a slider, wherein the slider is slidable along the life line bar to enter a time selection.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the interactive user interface further comprises an auto play feature, wherein the auto play feature is operable to automatically present the recordations in a chronological order.

16. The method of claim 12, the method further comprising:

(a) gathering historical information that is unrelated to the person; and

(b) presenting at least a portion of the historical information to the user in response to the time selection by the user, wherein the presented historical information is associated with the time selected by the user.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the person is a deceased person, wherein the interactive timeline has a left end and a right end, wherein the left end corresponds with the birth of the deceased person, wherein the right end corresponds with the death of the deceased person.

18. A system for providing information about a plurality of deceased persons, the system comprising:

(a) a first computer system, wherein the first computer system stores information relating to a plurality of deceased persons, wherein the information includes a plurality of types of recordations having content associated with each of the deceased persons, wherein the types of recordations comprise at least two of the types selected from the group consisting of pictures, documents, audio, and video;

(b) a second computer system, wherein the second computer system is remote from the first computer system, wherein the second computer system is in communication with the first computer system via a network; and

(c) a user interface generated by the first computer system and displayed on the second computer system via a network, wherein the user interface is operable to access the recordations stored on the first computer system, wherein the user interface comprises an interactive timeline, wherein the timeline is operable to effect a selection of time by a user, wherein the user interface is configured to automatically display the content of one or more recordations from the first computer system that correspond with a time selected by the user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first computer system stores historical information unrelated to the deceased persons, wherein the timeline is further operable to provide portions of the historical information in response to a user'"'"'s selection of time via the user interface, the portions of historical information corresponding to the selected time, wherein the user interface is configured to present the portions of historical information in addition to the one or more recordations that correspond to the selected time.