User collaboration through discussion forums

• US 20040111467A1
• Filed: 08/22/2003
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Willis, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,305,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/337 Profile generation, learning or modification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Systems for providing content to multiple users are described, where the systems identify individual content elements within the content, and provide a discussion forum linked to each of the content elements. As one of the users views the content and associated content elements, the user has the option of selecting a particular content element, so as to interact with its associated discussion forum. Thus, multiple users may become viewers or members of a particular discussion forum. The content element associated with a given discussion forum may be included in various pieces of content within the system, such as in multiple articles or email messages. However, users viewing the content elements in any particular setting are all directed to the common discussion forum. In this way, users interested in a particular topic are brought together in a convenient way, without much action required by the users.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a media asset, the media asset including content and content metadata, the content metadata having been associated with a term within the content;

establishing a discussion forum associated with the term, based on the term and the content metadata;

linking the term and the discussion forum; and

delivering the media asset, including the term linked to the discussion forum, to a first user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering the media asset to the first user comprises:

distinguishing the term within a first user display associated with the first user; and

accepting a first selection of the term by the first user.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing a membership option to the first user, based on the first selection.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising delivering the media asset to a second user, wherein delivering the media asset to the second user comprises:

distinguishing the term within a second user display associated with the second user; and

accepting a second selection of the term by the second user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein determining the media asset comprises determining a first media asset and a second media asset, each containing the term.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein delivering the media asset to the first user comprises delivering the first media asset to the first user, and delivering the media asset to the second user comprises delivering the second media asset to the second user.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

registering the first user as a member of the discussion forum;

accepting posting information from users; and

publishing the posting information on the discussion forum.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising establishing a user page that is uniquely associated with the first user, wherein establishing the user page comprises including the posting information within the user page.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the posting information includes only postings published by the first user on the discussion forum.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein including the posting information comprises rendering the posting information with an ordering that is determined based on preference information about content of the posting information that is associated with the first user.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the posting information includes a posting published by the second user, and further wherein the posting is located on the user page based on user-specific preference information that the first user has entered with respect to the second user.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the posting information includes a posting published by the second user, and further wherein the posting is located on the user page based on user-specific preference information that users have entered with respect to the second user.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the media asset includes selecting the media asset based on preference information associated with the first user.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the content metadata includes preference indication information, and wherein establishing the discussion forum associated with the term comprises registering the first user as a member of the discussion forum based on preference information received from the first user with respect to the preference indication information.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the content metadata includes membership indication information, and wherein establishing the discussion forum associated with the term comprises registering the first user as a member of the discussion forum based on preference information received from the first user with respect to the membership indication information.

16. An apparatus comprising a storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions including:

a first code segment for presenting a media asset;

a second code segment for identifying a content element of the media asset on a user display, the content element having been selected from content of the media asset and augmented with content metadata;

a third code segment for connecting the content element to a discussion forum, the discussion forum having been established with respect to the content element; and

a fourth code segment for facilitating information exchange within the discussion forum.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the first code segment comprises a fifth code segment for selecting the media asset based on preference information associated with a user of the user display.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the fourth code segment comprises a sixth code segment for rendering the posting information with an ordering that is determined based on the preference information.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the fourth code segment comprises a fifth code segment for establishing membership of a recipient of the media asset in the discussion forum, based on user preference information associated with the recipient.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the fourth code segment comprises a fifth code segment for publishing posting information input by a plurality of users.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the fourth code segment comprises a fifth code segment for maintaining opinion information about a first user, based on input of a second user.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the fourth code segment comprises a sixth code segment for displaying postings of the first user in the discussion forum to the second user, based on the opinion information.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the fourth code segment comprises a sixth code segment for displaying postings of the first user in the discussion forum to a third user, based on the opinion information.

24. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the fourth code segment comprises a fifth code segment for selecting supplemental media assets having content related to the content element, and displaying the supplemental media assets in conjunction with the discussion forum.

25. A system comprising:

a media asset database operable to store media asset information, the media asset information including media assets and discussion objects within content of the media assets, the discussion objects resulting from a selection from the content for assignment of content metadata;

a server operable to deliver selected media assets to a plurality of users, the selected media assets including at least a common discussion object;

a metadata presentation system operable to distinguish the common discussion object on user interfaces, each of the user interfaces being associated with one of the plurality of users; and

a discussion forum engine operable to associate the common discussion object with a discussion forum, the discussion forum having been established based on the selection of the common discussion object.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the discussion forum engine is operable to provide a direct link from the common discussion object to the discussion forum.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the discussion forum engine is operable to publish and maintain posting information received from the plurality of users

28. The system of claim 25 further comprising a preference database operable to store preference information associated with each of the users, wherein the server selects and presents the selected media assets based on the discussion objects and the preference information.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the discussion forum engine is further operable to render the posting information with an ordering that is determined based on the preference information.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein the discussion forum engine is operable to register a first user of the plurality of users as a member of the discussion forum.

31. The system of claim 28 wherein the preference information is associated with the first user and includes user-specific preference information of the first user with respect to a second user, and further wherein the user-specific preference information determines a presentation of the posting information to the first user.

32. The system of claim 25 wherein the posting information is stored as a media asset within the media asset database.

33. The system of claim 25 wherein the discussion forum engine is operable to establish the discussion forum prior to delivery of the media assets by the server to the users.