Content visualization

• US 8,751,940 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Rose, R. Kevin, Migurski, Michal Jan, Allen, Shawn Paul, Rodenbeck, Eric W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B
• Application Number:
  US14/040,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20140033063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 256 Days
• Field of Search: 715/234, 715/733, 715/738, 715/742, 715/745, 715/746, 715/747, 715/760
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71

Abstract

Displaying a preference by a user of a content contribution is disclosed. A preference event by the user is detected. A plurality of detected events is stored. In response to a query from a client, at least a portion of the stored detected events is stored. At least a portion of the received events is displayed in an interface.

Claims

1. A method of displaying preference events regarding a content contribution, the method comprising:

displaying multiple content contributions in a first interface;

receiving via the first interface a plurality of preference events initiated by viewers of the content contributions, wherein each preference event expresses a preference of a viewer regarding a content contribution viewed in the first interface;

in response to a query from a client displaying a swarm interface comprising representations of the content contributions, sending preference events that correspond to the content contributions; and

within the swarm interface;

for each sent preference event, causing a viewer object representing the viewer that initiated the sent preference event to be displayed in proximity to the representation of the corresponding content contribution; and

causing a size of each viewer object displayed in the swarm interface to be proportional to a number of preference events initiated by the viewer represented by the viewer object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the query is received periodically.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a representation of a content contribution is shown in different sizes based on the number of preference events associated with the content contribution.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a first viewer object representing a first viewer is moved in the swarm interface from a first position proximate to a representation of a first content contribution to a second position proximate to a representation of a second content contribution.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting multiple preference events initiated by a first viewer; and

displaying an indication that the first viewer initiated preference events with respect to multiple content contributions.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, within the swarm interface:

causing the sent preference events to be animated.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the swarm interface includes a control that allows the client to selectively show or hide representations of content contributions.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, within the swarm interface:

causing a size of each representation of a content contribution displayed in the swarm interface to be proportional to a number of preference events corresponding to the content contribution.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, within the swarm interface:

causing a line to be displayed between representations of a first content contribution and a second content contribution;

wherein a thickness of the line is proportional to a number of viewers that initiated preference events for both the first content contribution and the second content contribution.

10. A computer program product for displaying preference events regarding a content contribution, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

displaying multiple content contributions in a first interface;

receiving via the first interface a plurality of preference events initiated by viewers of the content contributions, wherein each preference event expresses a preference of a viewer regarding a content contribution viewed in the first interface;

in response to a query from a client displaying a swarm interface comprising representations of the content contributions, sending preference events that correspond to the content contributions; and

within the swarm interface;

for each sent preference event, causing a viewer object representing the viewer that initiated the sent preference event to be displayed in proximity to the representation of the corresponding content contribution; and

causing a size of each viewer object displayed in the swarm interface to be proportional to a number of preference events initiated by the viewer represented by the viewer object.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the query is received periodically.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein a representation of a content contribution is shown in different sizes based on the number of preference events associated with the content contribution.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein a first viewer object representing a first viewer is moved in the swarm interface from a first position proximate to a representation of a first content contribution to a second position proximate to a representation of a second content contribution.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising computer instructions for:

detecting multiple preference events initiated by a first viewer; and

displaying an indication that the first viewer initiated preference events with respect to multiple content contributions.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising computer instructions for, within the swarm interface:

causing the sent preference events to be animated.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the swarm interface includes a control that allows the client to selectively show or hide representations of content contributions.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising computer instructions for, within the swarm interface:

causing a size of each representation of a content contribution displayed in the swarm interface to be proportional to a number of preference events corresponding to the content contribution.

18. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising computer instructions for, within the swarm interface:

causing a line to be displayed between representations of a first content contribution and a second content contribution;

wherein a thickness of the line is proportional to a number of viewers that initiated preference events for both the first content contribution and the second content contribution.

19. A system for displaying preference events regarding a content contribution, the system including:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

display multiple content contributions in a first interface;

receive via the first interface a plurality of preference events initiated by viewers of the content contributions, wherein each preference event expresses a preference of a viewer regarding a content contribution viewed in the first interface;

in response to a query from a client displaying a swarm interface comprising representations of the content contributions, send preference events that correspond to the content contributions; and

within the swarm interface;

for each sent preference event, cause a viewer object representing the viewer that initiated the sent preference event to be displayed in proximity to the representation of the corresponding content contribution; and

cause a size of each viewer object displayed in the swarm interface to be proportional to a number of preference events initiated by the viewer represented by the viewer object.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the query is received periodically.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein a representation of a content contribution is shown in different sizes based on the number of preference events associated with the content contribution.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein a first viewer object representing a first viewer is moved in the swarm interface from a first position proximate to a representation of a first content contribution to a second position proximate to a representation of a second content contribution.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

detect multiple preference events initiated by a first viewer; and

display an indication that the first viewer initiated preference events with respect to multiple content contributions.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to, within the swarm interface:

cause the sent preference events to be animated.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the swarm interface includes a control that allows the client to selectively show or hide representations of content contributions.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to, within the swarm interface:

cause a size of each representation of a content contribution displayed in the swarm interface to be proportional to a number of preference events corresponding to the content contribution.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to, within the swarm interface:

cause a line to be displayed between representations of a first content contribution and a second content contribution;

wherein a thickness of the line is proportional to a number of viewers that initiated preference events for both the first content contribution and the second content contribution.