Sharing images in a social network

• US 9,021,045 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Pennington, Havoc
• Primary Examiner(s): Laekemariam, Yosef K
• Application Number:
  US11/565,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20080133658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,071 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 709/212, 709/213, 709/214, 709/219, 709/216
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide for a shared photo space that is synchronized among members of a social network or group. In some embodiments, users of a social group automatically pull photos directly from all registered hard drives of clients and online services and mirror them around the group, thus making the collection available to the social network of users.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, an access to a first online image source from a first member among a plurality of members of a social network;

receiving, by the processor, an access to a second online image source from a second member among the plurality of members of the social network, wherein the second online image source is not accessible by the first member of the social network;

in response to a first image added to the first online image source, collecting, by the processor, without receiving instructions from the first member to share the first image, the first image from the first online image source into a shared storage space;

in response to a second image added to the second online image source, collecting, by the processor, without receiving instructions from the second member to share the second image, the second image from the second online image source into the shared storage space; and

distributing, by the processor, the first and the second collected images to each of the plurality of members of the social network, wherein the distributing comprising distributing a first pointer to the first online image source of the first collected image and distributing a second pointer to a second online image source of the second collected image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing information that indicates the first online image source of the first image that is collected; and

providing information that indicates the second online image source of the second image that is collected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the collecting, without receiving instructions from the first member to share the first image, the first image from the first online image source comprises accessing a first account of the first member for the first online image source and collecting the first image from the first online image source using the first account, wherein the collecting, without receiving instructions from the second member to share the second image, the second image from the second online image source comprises accessing a second account of the second member for the second online image source and collecting the second image from the second online image source using the second account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing the first and the second collected images comprises distributing copies of the first and the second images.

5. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, information that indicates a social network of users interested in sharing a plurality of images;

determining, by the processor, a first online location of a first image among the plurality of images of a first user among the social network of users;

determining, by the processor, a second online location of a second image among the plurality of images of a second user among the social network of users, wherein the second online location of second image is inaccessible to the first user;

in response to the first image among the plurality of images added to the location, collecting, by the processor, without receiving instructions from the first user to share the first image of the first user, the first image from the first online location into a shared storage space;

in response to the second image among the plurality of images added to the location, collecting, by the processor, without receiving instructions from the second user to share the second image of the second user, the second image from the first online location into a shared storage space; and

distributing, by the processor, the first and the second collected images to each of the interested users of the social network, wherein the distributing comprising distributing a first pointer to the first online location of the first collected image and distributing a second pointer to a second online location of the second collected image.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the collecting, without receiving instructions from the first user to share the first image, the first image of the first user comprises accessing the first online location using a first account of the first user and wherein the collecting, without receiving instructions from the second user to share the second image, the second image of the second user comprises accessing the second online location using a second account of the second user.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

retrieving the first image of the first user from the first account of the first user on a first service; and

retrieving the second image of the second user from the second account of the second user on a second service.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

retrieving the first pointer to the first online location of the first image of the first user from the first account of the first user; and

retrieving the second pointer to the second online location of the second image of the second user from the second account of the second user.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the distributing the first and the second collected images comprises distributing copies of the first and the second collected images.

10. A system comprising:

a memory;

a processor operatively coupled to the memory, to;

receive an access to a first online image source from a first member among a plurality of members of a social network;

receive an access to a second online image source from a second member among the plurality of members of the social network, wherein the second online image source is not accessible by the first member of the social network;

in response to a first image added to the first online image source, collect without receiving instructions from the first member to share the first image, the first image from the first online image source into a shared storage space;

in response to a second image added to the second online image source, collect without receiving instructions from the second member to share the second image, the second image from the second online image source into the shared storage space; and

distribute the first and the second collected images to each of the plurality of members of the social network, wherein the distribute comprises distribute a first pointer to the first online image source of the first collected image and distribute a second pointer to a second online image source of the second collected image.

11. The system of claim 10, the processor to:

provide information that indicates the first online image source of the first image that is collected; and

provide information that indicates the second online image source of the second image that is collected.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the collect, without receiving instructions from the first member to share the first image, the first image from the first online image source comprises to access a first account of the first member for the first online image source and collect the first image from the first online image source using the first account, wherein the collect, without receiving instructions from the second member to share the second image, the second image from the second online image source comprises to access a second account of the second member for the second online image source and collect the second image from the second online image source using the second account.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the distribute the first and second collected images comprises distribute copies of the first and the second images.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, by the processor, to a first online image source from a first member among a plurality of members of a social network;

receive, by the processor, an access to a second online image source from a second member among the plurality of members of the social network, wherein the second online image source is not accessible by the first member of the social network;

in response to a first image added to the first online image source, collect without receiving instructions from the first member to share the first image, the first image from the first online image source into a shared storage space;

in response to a second image added to the second online image source, collect, by the processor, without receiving instructions from the second member to share the second image, the second image from the second online image source into the shared storage space; and

distribute, by the processor, the first and the second collected images to each of the plurality of members of the social network, wherein the distribute comprises distribute a first pointer to the first online image source of the first collected image and distribute a second pointer to a second online image source of the second collected image.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, the processor to:

provide information that indicates the first online image source of the first image that is collected; and

provide information that indicates the second online image source of the second image that is collected.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the collect, without receiving instructions from the first member to share the first image, the first image from the first online image source comprises to access a first account of the first member for the first online image source and collect the first image from the first online image source using the first account, wherein the collect, without receiving instructions from the second member to share the second image, the second image from the second online image source comprises to access a second account of the second member for the second online image source and collect the second image from the second online image source using the second account.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the distribute the first and the second collected images comprises distribute copies of the first and the second images.