Method and apparatus pertaining to the sharing of content

• US 9,491,260 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2012
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Johansson, Per Ake Daniel, Thorsander, Simon Martin, Lessing, Robert Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Shih, Haoshian
• Application Number:
  US13/461,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20130298074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/810, 715/811, 715/812, 715/813
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A control circuit co-displays a share-content selection opportunity (such as, but not limited to, a user-selectable icon button) when also displaying shareable content. Upon detecting selection of this share-content selection opportunity, the control circuit displays a plurality of different selectable content-sharing services. By one approach these different selectable content-sharing services are displayed in a window that partially, but not fully, overlies the shareable content. These teachings also provide for displaying a preselected service window for a given one of the plurality of different selectable content-sharing services. The preselected service can be selected, for example, on the basis of having been a most-recently selected one of the different selectable content-sharing services (either in general or in conjunction with the particular application as corresponds to the shareable content).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying content while also co-displaying a share-content selection opportunity;

detecting selection of the share-content selection opportunity; and

in response to the detection, displaying a plurality of different selectable content-sharing services by which a user can share the content, wherein the plurality of different selectable content-sharing services comprises at least one service from each of;

a personal-forwarding service;

a publishing service; and

a transfer service to share the content with another specifically-targeted physical device, wherein upon detecting selection of the share-content selection opportunity, displaying a preselected service window for a given one of the plurality of different selectable content-sharing services by which a user can share the content, wherein the preselected service window is automatically preselected based at least upon being a most-recently selected one of the different selectable content-sharing services for the particular type of content that is now to be shared.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the share-content selection opportunity comprises a user-selectable icon button.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the plurality of different selectable content-sharing services comprises displaying the plurality of different selectable content-sharing services in a window that partially, but not fully, overlies the content.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the preselected service window being automatically preselected additionally displays a second share-content selection opportunity in the pre-selected service window, and further comprising:

detecting selection of the second share-content selection opportunity; and

in response to the detection, displaying a second window that presents thumbnail image representations of one or more other content of similar type as the particular type of content that is now to be shared, the thumbnail image representations being individually selectable to include any selected other content in the content-sharing communication along with the content that is now to be shared.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the preselected service window includes branding content as corresponds to the given one of the plurality of different selectable content-sharing services.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a display;

a control circuit operably coupled to the display and configured to;

display content on the display while also co-displaying on the display a share-content selection opportunity;

detect selection of the share-content selection opportunity; and

in response to the detecting, display on the display a plurality of different selectable content-sharing services by which a user can share the content, wherein the plurality of different selectable content-sharing services comprises at least one service from each of;

a personal-forwarding service;

a publishing service; and

a transfer service to share the content with another specifically-targeted physical device, wherein upon detecting selection of the share-content selection opportunity, displaying a preselected service window for a given one of the plurality of different selectable content-sharing services by which a user can share the content, wherein the preselected service window is automatically preselected based at least upon being a most-recently selected one of the different selectable content-sharing services for the particular type of content that is now to be shared.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the control circuit is configured to display the plurality of different selectable content-sharing services by displaying the plurality of different selectable content-sharing services on the display in a window that partially, but not fully, overlies the content.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the control circuit is configured to display in the automatically preselected service window a second share-content selection opportunity, and

in response to detecting selection of the second share-content selection opportunity, displaying a second window that presents thumbnail image representations of one or more other content of similar type as the particular type of content that is now to be shared, the thumbnail image representations being individually selectable to include any selected other content in the content-sharing communication along with the content that is now to be shared.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the preselected service window includes branding content as corresponds to the given one of the plurality of different selectable content-sharing services.

10. A non-transitory digital memory having stored therein instructions that, when executed by a control circuit, cause the control circuit to:

display content while also co-displaying a share-content selection opportunity;

detect selection of the share-content selection opportunity; and

in response to the detecting, display a plurality of different selectable content-sharing services by which a user can share the content, wherein the plurality of different selectable content-sharing services comprises at least one service from each of;

a personal-forwarding service;

a publishing service; and

a transfer service to share the content with another specifically-targeted physical device, wherein upon detecting selection of the share-content selection opportunity, displaying a preselected service window for a given one of the plurality of different selectable content-sharing services by which a user can share the content, wherein the preselected service window is automatically preselected based at least upon being a most-recently selected one of the different selectable content-sharing services for the particular type of content that is now to be shared.

11. The non-transitory digital memory of claim 10 wherein the preselected service window being automatically preselected additionally causes the control circuit to:

display a second share-content selection opportunity in the pre-selected service window;

detect selection of the second share-content selection opportunity; and

in response to the detection, displaying a second window that presents thumbnail image representations of one or more other content of similar type as the particular type of content that is now to be shared, the thumbnail image representations being individually selectable to include any selected other content in the content-sharing communication along with the content that is now to be shared.

12. The non-transitory digital memory of claim 10 wherein the preselected service window includes branding content as corresponds to the given one of the plurality of different selectable content-sharing services.