Content sharing application utilizing radially-distributed menus

• US 8,869,068 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2012
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Backplane, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Backplane, Inc.
• Inventors: Primiani, Joseph, Michelsen, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): RIEGLER, PATRICK F
• Application Number:
  US13/553,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20130132904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 715/834, 715/810, 715/826
• US Class Current: 715/834
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

Disclosed herein are encoded computer readable storage media and computer-implemented systems creating a content sharing application comprising: a software module for identifying content to share; a software module for displaying a radially-distributed menu of destinations for identified content in response to a first user interaction, wherein said menu of destinations allows a user to select at least one destination; a software module for displaying a radially-distributed menu of individuals associated with one or more displayed destinations in response to a second user interaction, wherein said menu of individuals allows a user to select at least one individual; and a software module for customizing said radially-distributed menus. Also disclosed are methods for rapidly sharing content utilizing the same.

Claims

1. Non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with a computer program including instructions executable by a digital processing device to create a content sharing application comprising:

a. a software module for identifying content to share in response to a first user interaction, the first user interaction comprising;

i) a swipe, a touch, or a touch and hold by the user performed over the content to share, or ii) a click or click and hold by the user with a pointing device performed over the content to share;

b. a software module for displaying a radially-distributed menu of destinations for identified content in response to the first user interaction, the menu of destinations allowing the user to select any of;

one destination, a plurality of destinations, and all destinations, wherein each destination is a distinct network, forum, service, or application;

c. a software module for displaying a radially-distributed menu of individuals associated with one or more displayed destinations in response to a second user interaction, the menu of individuals allowing the user to select any of;

one individual, a plurality of individuals, and all individuals;

d. a software module for annotating identified content; and

e. a software module for providing a menu configuration interface, the menu configuration interface allowing the user to add or remove destinations and associate individuals with one or more destinations, whereby the user configures the menu items of the radially-distributed menu of destinations for identified content and the menu items of the radially-distributed menu of individuals associated with one or more destinations.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein said content comprises one or more of:

a web site, a web page, text, a link, an image, a video, an audio, a multimedia, and an executable.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein said radially-distributed menu of destinations optionally displays between about 2 and about 14 destinations simultaneously.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein said radially-distributed menu of destinations is a pie menu.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein said module for displaying a radially-distributed menu of destinations responds to a third user interaction by replacing the destinations displayed.

6. The media of claim 1, wherein said module for displaying a radially-distributed menu of individuals responds to a third user interaction by replacing the individuals displayed.

7. The media of claim 1, wherein said module for annotating shared content allows the user to associate text, audio, video, or multimedia with shared content.

8. The media of claim 1, wherein said content sharing application is implemented as a web browser extension, plug-in, add-in, or add-on.

9. The media of claim 1, wherein said content sharing application is implemented as a mobile application.

21. The media of claim 1, wherein at least one destination is email.

10. A computer-implemented system for rapidly sharing content comprising:

a. a networked digital processing device comprising an operating system configured to perform executable instructions and a memory device;

b. a computer program including instructions executable by the digital processing device to create a content sharing application comprising;

i. a software module for identifying content to share in response to a first user interaction, the first user interaction comprising;

     1) a swipe, a touch, or a touch and hold by the user performed over the content to share, or

     2) a click or click and hold by the user with a pointing device performed over the content to share;

ii. a software module for displaying a radially-distributed menu of destinations for identified content in response to the first user interaction, the menu of destinations allowing the user to select any of;

one destination, a plurality of destinations, and all destinations, wherein each destination is a distinct network, forum, service, or application;

iii. a software module for displaying a radially-distributed menu of individuals associated with one or more displayed destinations in response to a second user interaction, the menu of individuals allowing the user to select any of;

one individual, a plurality of individuals, and all individuals;

iv. a software module for annotating identified content; and

v. a software module for providing a menu configuration interface, the menu configuration interface allowing the user to add or remove destinations and associate individuals with one or more destinations, whereby the user configures the menu items of the radially-distributed menu of destinations for identified content and the menu items of the radially-distributed menu of individuals associated with one or more destinations.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said content comprises one or more of:

a web site, a web page, text, a link, an image, a video, an audio, a multimedia, and an executable.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said radially-distributed menu of destinations optionally displays between about 2 and about 14 destinations simultaneously.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said radially-distributed menu of destinations is a pie menu.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said module for displaying a radially-distributed menu of destinations responds to a third user interaction by replacing the destinations displayed.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said module for displaying a radially-distributed menu of individuals responds to a third user interaction by replacing the individuals displayed.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said module for annotating shared content allows the user to associate text, audio, video, or multimedia with shared content.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said computer program comprises a web browser extension, plug-in, add-in, or add-on.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein said networked digital processing device is a mobile device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said computer program comprises a mobile application.

22. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one destination is email.

20. A computer-implemented method for rapidly sharing content comprising the steps of:

a. providing a software module for allowing a user to identify computer-based content to share in response to a first user interaction, the first user interaction comprising;

i) a swipe, a touch, or a touch and hold by the user performed over the content to share, or ii) a click or click and hold by the user with a pointing device performed over the content to share;

b. providing a software module for generating, on a computer display, a radially-distributed menu of destinations for identified content in response to the first user interaction, the menu of destinations allowing the user to select any of;

one destination, a plurality of destinations, and all destinations, wherein each destination is a distinct network, forum, service, or application;

c. providing a software module for generating, on a computer display, a radially-distributed menu of individuals associated with one or more destinations in response to a second user interaction, the menu of individuals allowing a the user to select any of;

one individual, a plurality of individuals, and all individuals;

d. providing a menu configuration software module for providing a menu configuration interface, the menu configuration interface allowing a the user to add or remove destinations and associate individuals with one or more displayed destinations, whereby the user configures the menu items of the radially-distributed menu of destinations for identified content and the menu items of the radially-distributed menu of individuals associated with one or more destinations;

e. providing a software module for annotating identified content; and

f. sharing, by the internet, identified content to selected destinations and individuals.