Sharing media objects in a network

• US 20060004914A1
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Lili, Farnham, Shelly, Kelly, Sean, Portnoy, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,886,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

A method, computer readable medium, user component, and system for sharing media object in a network environment are disclosed. A network manager may determine a similarity metric between users of the environment, between media objects, and/or between a user and media objects. Based upon the similarity metric, the network manager may share media objects with another user if the similarity metric exceeds a predetermined value or is more similar than other retrieved media objects. A user component may also provide a network map manager to display a network map, and may provide a tailored view manager to display a web log associated with at least one of the user icons displayed in the network map.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) defining a plurality of users in a network environment;

b) providing a user component that allows a first user to send a media object to a network manager;

c) determining a similarity metric indicating a similarity between a second user and at least one of the first user and the media object; and

d) forwarding the media object to the second user if the similarity metric exceeds a pre-determined value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-determined value is identified by the second user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-determined value is identified by the network manager.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the similarity metric includes determining co-occurrence of the first user and the second user in the media object.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the similarity metric includes determining if the media object is a comment by the first user on another media object posted by the second user on the network manager.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the similarity metric includes determining the presence of the second user in the media object.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the media object comprises an electronic communication from the first user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the similarity metric includes determining the communication pattern between the first user and the second user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the similarity metric includes determining the transaction history between the first user and the second user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the user component includes providing a comment tool that allows the first user to provide a comment media object associated with an other media object

11. The method of claim 10 wherein determining the similarity metric includes considering the comment media object.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the user component includes providing a labeling tool that allows the first user to provide an identity label media object identifying a user depicted in an other media object and associates the identity label media object with the other media object.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein determining the similarity metric includes considering the identity label media object.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the user component includes providing a network map manager that displays a map of at least a portion of the plurality of users and indicates similarities between the first user and the at least a portion of the plurality of users.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein a relatively short distance displayed between the first user and a third user on the map is indicative of high similarity between the first user and the third user, and a relatively long distance displayed between the first user and a fourth user on the map is indicative of low similarity between the first user and the fourth user.

16. A user component comprising:

a) a network map manager for providing a network map display of user icons that each represent a user in a network environment;

b) a tailored view manager for providing a web log view display of a web log associated with at least one of the user icons, wherein selecting a user icon in the network map causes the associated web log to be displayed; and

c) a user input tool for allowing a user to post a media object on the web log.

17. The user component of claim 16 wherein the network map manager indicates a similarity between at least two users in the network map.

18. The user component of claim 17 wherein a relatively short distance between two user icons on the network map is indicative of high similarity between the users, and a relatively long distance between two user icons on the network map is indicative of low similarity between the users.

19. The user component of claim 16 wherein the web log includes at least one media object and the user input tool allows a user to provide a comment that is associated with the at least one media object.

20. The user component of claim 16 wherein the web log includes at least one image and the user input tool allows a user to provide an identity label identifying a person in the image and that is associated with the image.

21. A system for sharing media objects in a network environment, comprising:

a) a database that stores media objects upon which queries can be executed;

b) a memory in which machine instructions are stored; and

c) a processor that is coupled to the database and the memory, the processor executing the machine instructions to carry out a plurality of functions, including;

i) accepting a media object from a first user of the network environment;

ii) storing the media object in the database;

iii) determining a similarity metric between a second user and at least one of the first user and the media object; and

iv) sharing the media object with the second user.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the processor receives an electronic communication from the first user and parses the media object from the electronic communication.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the processor parses metadata from the electronic communication.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the functions include determining the similarity metric between the first user and each of a plurality of users of the network environment and providing each similarity metric to a network map manager to display a map of the plurality of users.

25. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing a method of sharing media objects in a network environment, the method comprising:

a) defining a network of users in the network environment;

b) providing a first user component that allows a first user to post a first media object;

c) providing a second user component that allows a second user to request a search based on at least one query parameter;

d) determining a similarity metric between the second user and at least one of the first user and the first media object;

e) based on the at least one query parameter and the similarity metric, returning a representation of the media object to the second user.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein returning a representation of the media object includes returning a web log associated with the first user.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein providing the first user component includes providing a user input tool for posting media objects into a web log.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27 wherein the web log is associated with the first user.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 27 wherein the web log is associated with the second user.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein providing the first user component includes providing a comment tool that allows the first user to post a comment media object associated with a second media object.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein providing the first user component includes providing an identification tool that allows the first user to provide a label media object identifying the second user in the first media object.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein determining the similarity metric includes considering the label media object associated with the first media object.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein the identification tool allows the first user to select a portion of the first media object and associates the label media object with the portion of the first media object.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein the second user component allows the second user to post a second media object.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 34 further comprising determining a second similarity metric between the second media object and at least one of the first user and the first media object.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 35 further comprising automatically forwarding the second media object to the first user based on the second similarity metric.

37. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing steps for sharing media objects in a network environment, the steps comprising:

a) receiving an electronic communication from a first user of the network environment;

b) parsing the electronic communication into metadata and at least one media object;

c) based on the metadata, determining an object similarity metric between a second user and the at least one media object;

d) based on the object similarity metric, automatically forwarding the at least one media object to the second user.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37 further comprising associating the media object with a web log based on the metadata.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 38 further comprising automatically determining the position of the media object in the web log based on the metadata.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 37 further comprising determining a user-user similarity metric between the first user and the second user and sending the user-user similarity metric to a user component to display a network map of at least a portion of the network environment to the first user.

41. A computer readable medium having computer executable components comprising:

a) network map manager for displaying a map of a plurality of user icons and an indicator of similarity between each of the plurality of user icons and at least one focal point icon, each icon representing at least one user of a network environment;

b) a query tool for providing a user interface for accepting at least one query parameter to be applied against at least one database holding a media object;

c) a commenting tool for allowing a user to associate a comment with at least a portion of the media object; and

d) a tailored view manager for displaying the media object meeting the at least one query parameter and for displaying at least one web log associated with the user represented by the focal point icon.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 41, further comprising an image region tool allowing a user to select a portion of the media object as an object to be associated with an other media object.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein the other media object is a comment.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein the other media object is a link.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein the other media object is an identifier of a person depicted in the image.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 41, further comprising a web posting tool for allowing a user to enter a media object into a web log.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein the tailored view manager displaying the media object meeting the query parameter may display a collage view of a plurality of media objects positioned relative to a focal point media object.

48. The computer readable medium of claim 47, wherein the collage view may display an indicator of similarity between each of the plurality of media objects and the focal point media object.

49. The computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein the indicator of similarity includes a displayed distance between each of the user icons and the focal point icon, wherein a relatively long distance is indicative of a low similarity and a relatively short distance is indicative of a high similarity.

50. The computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein the tailored view manager displays an other media object not meeting that at least one query term, the other media object being similar to at least one of the media object and the user represented by the focal point icon.

51. The computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein the tailored view manager only displays the media object if the media object is determined to be similar to the user represented by the focal point icon.

52. A method in a computer system for displaying on a display device a network map and a tailored view of a network environment, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a plurality of user icons as the network map representing at least a portion of the network environment;

(b) receiving an indication from a user that the tailored view of the network environment is to be displayed based upon at least one of the users in the network environment;

(c) displaying on the display device, in accordance with the received user indication, a web log associated with the at least one of the users in the network.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the indication is a selection signal indicative of a user interface selection device pointing at one of the plurality of user icons in the network map.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein receiving an indication includes receiving an indication that the tailored view is to be displayed based upon two users in the network environment, and wherein displaying on the display device includes displaying a relationship view which includes an indicator of associations between the two users.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the indication is a selection signal indicative of a user interface selection device pointing and dragging one user icon to another user icon displayed in the network map.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein the indicator of associations between the two users includes displaying at least one of a media object similar to both of the two users and a user icon representing a third user similar to both of the two users.