User ratings allowing access to features for modifying content

• US 8,543,929 B1
• Filed: 05/14/2008
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Holloway, David Cloudesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARRETT, RYAN S
• Application Number:
  US12/120,563
• Time in Patent Office: 1,959 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751, 715/757
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Methods and apparatus provide for a Virtual Environment that receives content associated with a first user and stores the content for presentation to a second user. When the second user accesses the virtual community, the Virtual Environment transmits the content for display of the content to the second user. The Virtual Environment receives data (e.g. ratings, feedback) associated with the content from the second user(s). The Virtual Environment processes the received data from the second user in order to determine an amount of reward for the first user. The Virtual Environment allows the first user to use the amount of reward (e.g. virtual money) towards obtaining one or more features that allow the first user to modifying the content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving content associated with a user;

storing the content for presentation to a plurality of additional users;

transmitting the content for presentation to the plurality of additional users;

receiving a plurality of ratings from at least some of the plurality of additional users, wherein receiving the plurality of ratings comprises;

receiving at least one rating with respect to a first faded version of the content from at least one first additional user from the plurality of additional users, wherein the first faded version comprises the content being faded to be less visible according to a rate of decay as a first unit of time elapses from a creation time associated with the content;

receiving a second rating with respect to a second faded version of the content from at least one second additional user from the plurality of additional users, wherein the second faded version comprises the first faded version of the content being faded to be less visible according to the rate of decay as a second unit of time elapses after the first unit of time;

determining an aggregate rating of the content by aggregating the plurality of ratings from the at least some additional users including at least the first rating and the second rating; and

based on determining that the aggregate rating is greater than or equal to a threshold rating, granting an amount of reward to the user, wherein the amount of reward is applicable towards the user obtaining at least one feature that allows for modifying the content.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein receiving content associated with the user includes receiving user-generated content;

and

wherein storing the content for presentation to the plurality of additional users includes;

storing the user-generated content for presentation on a self-extending coordinate map; and

assigning the user-generated content to at least one coordinate address on the self-extending coordinate map, the at least one coordinate address corresponding to a location for the user-generated content selected by the user.

3. The method as in claim 2, further comprising:

providing access to at least one additional user from the plurality of additional users allowing the at least one additional user to browse the self-extending coordinate map; and

upon detecting the at least one additional user navigating to an area of the self-extending coordinate map that is proximate to the at least one coordinate address assigned to the user-generated content, transmitting data to allow the at least one additional user to view the user-generated content at the assigned at least one coordinate address.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein storing the content for presentation on the self-extending coordinate map includes:

defining the self-extending coordinate map as a two-dimensional coordinate map;

defining the self-extending coordinate map to extend according to at least one new coordinate limit in response to detecting the at least one additional user navigating the self-extending coordinate map up to at least one current coordinate limit of the self-extending coordinate map;

creating a new portion of the self-extending coordinate map, the new portion mapped by the at least one new coordinate limit, the new portion including at least one new coordinate address capable of being assigned to new content generated by any user; and

updating a stored representation of the self-extending coordinate map to include the new portion in addition to existing stored portions of the self-extending coordinate map.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein granting the amount of reward to the user includes:

upon the user obtaining a prerequisite amount of reward, allowing the user to choose a preservation feature, the preservation feature allowing for at least one of;

(i) decreasing the rate of decay applied to the content for the first unit of time;

(ii) refreshing a current version of the content to create a new version of the content, the new version of the content representing the content at the creation time;

(iii) terminating the rate of decay applied to the content for the second unit of time; and

(iv) prohibiting the plurality of additional users from modifying the current version of the content for a third unit of time.

6. The method as in claim 1, comprising:

receiving a rule suggestion from at least one of the plurality of additional users;

receiving a respective rule response from each of the plurality of additional users, the rule response comprising one of;

(i) an approval of a rule described in the rule suggestion;

(ii) a disapproval of the rule described in the rule suggestion; and

(iii) a modified rule based on the rule described in the rule suggestion; and

upon receiving a threshold amount of approvals associated with one of the rule and the modified rule, creating a community rule based on one of the rule and the modified rule, the community rule changing a required level of access to the at least one feature that allows for modifying the content.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein storing the content for presentation to the plurality of additional users includes:

modifying the content to create a first modified version of the content;

storing the first modified version of the content for presentation to a first group of multiple users in a virtual community;

after storing the first modified version of the content, modifying the first modified version of the content to create a second modified version of the content; and

storing the second modified version of the content for presentation to a second group of multiple users in the virtual community;

wherein transmitting the content for presentation to the plurality of additional users includes;

at a first moment in time, transmitting data to present the first modified version of the content in the virtual community;

at a second moment in time, transmitting data to present the second modified version of the content in the virtual community, the second moment in time occurring after the first moment in time; and

wherein receiving the plurality of ratings from the at least some of the plurality of additional users includes;

receiving at least one indication of feedback about the first modified version of the content from any user within the first group of multiple users; and

receiving at least one indication of feedback about the second modified version of the content from any user within the second group of multiple users.

8. The method as in claim 7, further comprising:

upon receiving the at least one indication of feedback about the first modified version of the content, processing the at least one indication of feedback about the first modified of the content to determine a first amount of virtual money to reward the user, the user belonging to the virtual community;

upon receiving the at least one indication of feedback about the second modified version of the content, processing the at least one indication of feedback about the second modified version of the content to determine a second amount of virtual money to reward the user; and

in exchange for a prerequisite amount of virtual money, allowing the user to acquire the at least one feature that allows for modifying a current version of the content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein aggregating the plurality of ratings from the plurality of additional users comprises:

determining that a first subset of the plurality of ratings comprises a plurality of positive ratings;

determining that a second subset of the plurality of ratings comprises a plurality of negative ratings; and

determining that the first subset includes more ratings than the second subset.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the aggregate rating of the content comprises aggregating the plurality of ratings from the at least some additional users during a period of time and further comprising:

determining an additional aggregate rating of the content by aggregating an additional plurality of ratings from at least some of the plurality of additional users during an additional period of time; and

based on determining that the aggregate rating is greater than or equal to an additional threshold rating greater than the threshold rating, granting an additional amount of reward to the user greater than the amount of reward, the additional amount of reward applicable towards the user obtaining the at least one feature that allows for modifying the content.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions encoded thereon operable on a computerized device to perform processing comprising:

instructions for receiving content associated with a user;

instructions for storing the content for presentation to a plurality of additional users;

instructions for transmitting the content for presentation to the plurality of additional users;

instructions for receiving a plurality of ratings from at least some of the plurality of additional users, wherein receiving the plurality of ratings comprises;

receiving at least one rating with respect to a first faded version of the content from at least one first additional user from the plurality of additional users, wherein the first faded version comprises the content being faded to be less visible according to a rate of decay as a first unit of time elapses from a creation time associated with the content;

receiving a second rating with respect to a second faded version of the content from at least one second additional user from the plurality of additional users, wherein the second faded version comprises the first faded version of the content being faded to be less visible according to the rate of decay as a second unit of time elapses after the first unit of time;

instructions for determining an aggregate rating of the content by aggregating the plurality of ratings from the at least some additional users including at least the first rating and the second rating; and

instructions for based on determining that the aggregate rating is greater than or equal to a threshold rating, granting an amount of reward to the user, wherein the amount of reward is applicable towards the user obtaining at least one feature that allows for modifying the content.

12. The computer readable medium as in claim 11, wherein the instructions for receiving content associated with the user include receiving user-generated content;

and

wherein the instructions for storing the content for presentation to the plurality of additional users include;

instructions for storing the user-generated content for presentation on a self-extending coordinate map; and

instructions for assigning the user-generated content to at least one coordinate address on the self-extending coordinate map, the at least one coordinate address corresponding to a location for the user-generated content selected by the user.

13. The computer readable medium as in claim 12, further comprising:

instructions for providing the providing access to at least one additional user from the plurality of additional users allowing the at least one additional user to browse the self-extending coordinate map;

instructions for detecting the at least one additional user navigating to an area of the self-extending coordinate map that is proximate to the at least one coordinate address assigned to the user-generated content;

instructions for transmitting data to allow the at least one additional user to view the user-generated content at the assigned at least one coordinate address upon detecting the at least one additional user navigating to the area of the self-extending coordinate map.

14. The computer readable medium as in claim 13, wherein the instructions for storing the content for presentation on the self-extending coordinate map include:

instructions for defining the self-extending coordinate map as a two-dimensional coordinate map;

instructions for defining the self-extending coordinate map to extend according to at least one new coordinate limit in response to detecting the at least one additional user navigating the self-extending coordinate map up to at least one current coordinate limit of the self-extending coordinate map;

instructions for creating a new portion of the self-extending coordinate map, the new portion mapped by the at least one new coordinate limit, the new portion including at least one new coordinate address capable of being assigned to new content generated by any user; and

instructions for updating a stored representation of the self-extending coordinate map to include the new portion in addition to existing stored portions of the self-extending coordinate map.

15. The computer readable medium as in claim 11, wherein the instructions for granting the amount of reward to the user include:

instructions for allowing the user to choose a preservation feature upon the user obtaining a prerequisite amount of reward, the preservation feature allowing for at least one of;

(i) decreasing the rate of decay applied to the content for the first unit amount of time;

(ii) refreshing a current version of the content to create a new version of the content, the new version of the content representing the content at the creation time;

(iii) terminating the rate of decay applied to the content for the second unit of time; and

(iv) prohibiting the plurality of additional users from modifying the current version of the content for a third unit of time.

16. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory unit that stores instructions associated with an application executable by the processor; and

an interconnect coupling the processor and the memory unit;

wherein the processor is configured to execute the application and perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving content associated with a user;

storing the content for presentation to a plurality of additional users;

transmitting the content for presentation to the plurality of additional users;

receiving a plurality of ratings from at least some of the plurality of additional users, wherein receiving the plurality of ratings comprises;

receiving at least one rating with respect to a first faded version of the content from at least one first additional user from the plurality of additional users, wherein the first faded version comprises the content being faded to be less visible according to a rate of decay as a first unit of time elapses from a creation time associated with the content;

receiving a second rating with respect to a second faded version of the content from at least one second additional user from the plurality of additional users, wherein the second faded version comprises the first faded version of the content being faded to be less visible according to the rate of decay as a second unit of time elapses after the first unit of time;

determining an aggregate rating of the content by aggregating the plurality of ratings from the at least some additional users including at least the first rating and the second rating; and

based on determining that the aggregate rating is greater than or equal to a threshold rating, granting an amount of reward to the user, wherein the amount of reward is applicable towards the user obtaining at least one feature that allows for modifying the content.

17. A method comprising:

receiving content associated with a user;

storing the content for presentation to a virtual community, wherein the virtual community includes the user;

modifying the content to create a first modified version of the content for presentation to a first group of users in the virtual community;

receiving at least one first indication of feedback about the first modified version of the content from at least one of the first group of users;

processing the at least one first indication of feedback to determine a first amount of virtual money to reward the user;

modifying the first modified version of the content to create a second modified version of the content for presentation to a second group of users in the virtual community;

receiving at least one second indication of feedback about the second modified version of the content from at least one of the second group of users;

processing the at least one second indication of feedback to determine a second amount of virtual money to reward the user;

determining an aggregate rating of the content by aggregating a plurality of indications of feedback about the content received from at least some of the virtual community; and

granting an amount of reward to the user in exchange for a prerequisite amount of virtual money based on determining that the aggregate rating is greater than or equal to a threshold rating, wherein the amount of reward is applicable towards the user obtaining at least one feature that allows for modifying a current version of the content.