Techniques to share media files through messaging

• US 10,073,579 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Thornton, John, Udezue, Ojiakonobi, Benson, Rodger, Shen, Jennifer, Citron, Dave, Fournier, Tatjana, Weed, Bradley, Dietrich, Wilhelmina, Pezely, Becky, Moore, Jason, Urdan, Alan, Counts, Robin
• Primary Examiner(s): Casillas, Roland J
• Application Number:
  US13/718,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20130104053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,093 Days
• Field of Search: 715752, 709204-206, 709217-219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments

Abstract

Techniques to share media files through messaging are described. An apparatus may comprise a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory may store a message application that when executed by the processor is operative to communicate a message and a message attachment comprising a media file at different time intervals using different transports. The message may have a link comprising a reference to a discoverable storage location for the media file. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

displaying a user-interface by a message application on a sender computing device for a message, the user interface comprising;

a ribbon bar having a plurality of display objects representing a plurality of message commands;

receiving a first control directive from a first ribbon bar display object to attach a media file to a message in the user interface;

receiving a second control directive from a second ribbon bar display object to modify an album style;

displaying a second plurality of display objects in response to the second ribbon bar display object, the second plurality of display objects providing selections for at least one of;

style, format, layout and template options for embedding the media file;

selecting a first transport for sending the media file based upon a first set of parameters associated with the first transport;

sending the media file from the message application to a message server over the first transport when a third control directive on a ribbon bar send display object is received;

receiving a link for the media file from the message server by the sender computing device over the first transport, the link comprising a reference to a discoverable storage location on a network storage server for the media file, the discoverable storage location corresponding to a user account for the sender for a web service implemented by the network storage server;

embedding the link in the message;

selecting a second transport for sending the message with the embedded link based upon a second set of parameters associated with the second transport; and

sending the message with the embedded link to a message recipient over the second transport, wherein the first transport and the second transport have different communication parameters comprising a first data size and a first bandwidth for the first transport and a second data size and a second bandwidth for the second transport, wherein the first data size is different from the second data size and the first bandwidth is different from the second bandwidth.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, combining multiple links associated with multiple attachments into a single link.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising receiving a fourth control directive from a third ribbon bar display object to embed an alternate version of the media file in the message.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, comprising embedding an alternate version of the media file in the message in response to the fourth control directive.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising modifying one or more attributes of the media file to form an alternate version of the media file.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising receiving a fifth control directive from a fourth ribbon bar display object representing a style parameter for embedding the media file in the message.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising receiving a sixth a control directive from a fifth ribbon bar display object representing a privacy parameter for accessing the media file on a network storage service.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising receiving a seventh control directive from a sixth ribbon bar display object representing an order parameter for ordering multiple media files in the message.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising updating the message with a message update having information from the message recipient after the message has been sent by a message sender.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising sending a message update for the message after the message has been sent by a message sender, the message update having information from the message sender.

11. An article comprising a hardware system memory containing instructions that when executed cause a system to:

display a user-interface by a message application on a sender computing device for a message, the user interface comprising;

a ribbon bar having a plurality of display objects representing a plurality of message commands;

receive a first control directive from a first ribbon bar display object to attach a media file to a message in the user interface;

receiving a second control directive from a second ribbon bar display object to modify an album style;

display a second plurality of display objects in response to the second ribbon bar display object, the second plurality of display objects providing selections for at least one of;

style, format, layout and template options for embedding the media file;

select a first transport for sending the media file based upon a first set of parameters associated with the first transport;

send, from a start time to an end time of a first time interval, the media file from the message application to a message server over the first transport when a third control directive on a ribbon bar send display object is received;

receive a link for the media file from the message server by the sender computing device over the first transport, the link comprising a reference to a discoverable storage location on a network storage server for the media file, the discoverable storage location is accessible by a message recipient without the link;

embed the link in the message;

select a second transport for sending the message with the embedded link based upon a second set of parameters associated with the second transport; and

send the message with the embedded link to the message recipient over the second transport at a start time of a second time interval before the end time of the first time interval, the first transport and the second transport have different communication parameters comprising a first data size and a first communication speed for the first transport and a second data size and a second communication speed for the second transport, wherein the first data size is different from the second data size and the first communication speed is different from the second communication speed.

12. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system to receive a fourth control directive from a third ribbon bar display object to embed an alternate version of the media file in the message.

13. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system to receive a fifth control directive from a fourth ribbon bar display object representing a privacy parameter for accessing the media file on a network storage service.

14. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system to receive a sixth control directive from a fifth ribbon bar display object representing an order parameter for ordering multiple media files in the message.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory to store a message application that when executed by the processor is operative to;

display a user-interface by a message application on a sender computing device for a message, the user interface comprising;

a ribbon bar having a plurality of display objects representing a plurality of message commands;

receive a first control directive from a first ribbon bar display object to attach a media file to a message in the user interface;

receiving a second control directive from a second ribbon bar display object to modify an album style;

display a second plurality of display objects in response to the second ribbon bar display object, the second plurality of display objects providing selections for at least one of;

style, format, layout and template options for embedding the media file;

select a first transport for sending the media file based upon a first set of parameters associated with the first transport;

select a second transport for sending the message with the attached media file based upon a second set of parameters associated with the second transport;

communicate to a message server the message and the attached media file on at least partially overlapping time intervals using the first transport and the second transport, wherein the first transport and the second transport have different communication parameters comprising a first data size and a first bandwidth for the first transport and a second data size and a second bandwidth for the second transport, wherein the first data size is different from the second data size and the first bandwidth is different from the second bandwidth, the message having a link comprising a reference to the media file stored by the message server at a discoverable storage location on a network storage server, the discoverable storage location corresponding to a user account for the sender for a web service implemented by the network storage server.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the ribbon bar of the user interface comprising a ribbon bar display object selectable to embed an alternate version of the media file in the message.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, the ribbon bar of the user interface comprising a ribbon bar display object selectable to change a style parameter for embedding the media file in the message.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, the ribbon bar of the user interface comprising a ribbon bar display object selectable to change a privacy parameter for accessing the media file on a network storage service.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, the ribbon bar of the user interface comprising a ribbon bar display object selectable to an order parameter for ordering multiple media files in the message.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the attachment manager further operative to selecting the transport for sending the media file based upon a set of parameters associated with the transport.