INTERGRATED EXPERIENCE OF VOGUE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHARED INTERGRATED ONLINE SOCIAL INTERACTION

• US 20060190828A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ranganath, Rama, Mesgar, Eugene, Saretto, Cesare John, Zarahovsky, Eugene, Ferguson, Heather, Sanders, Erica, Murarka, Neel Ishwar, Vert, John, Zaner, Melora, Stone, Linda, Glatzer, Asta, Mulcahy, Kathleen, Savage, Tammy
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• 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: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A novel application and user interface for facilitating group interactions over a network integrates messaging, file sharing, media playing, journaling, profiles, and gaming into a cohesive environment. The groups facilitated by the invention are persistent and mobile in that a user does not have to recollect and reconfigure the group each time he or she wants to interact with the group online and, while online, the group may be taken from one activity to another without having to disband and reconnect at the second activity. The application is modular so as to be extensible to include other activities and functionalities. In an embodiment, the group interaction application utilizes a peer-to-peer network environment to facilitate network communications between group members.

Claims

1. A system for generating a graphical interface, comprising:

a file sharing component that facilitates a member of a group to share a file with at least one other member of the group;

a display component that displays at least one group space window within the graphical interface to at least one member of the group; and

a notification component that provides notification to the at least one other member of the group that a file has been shared.

2. The system of claim 1, the file sharing component further comprises an update component that modifies the interface presented to at least one member of the group.

3. The system of claim 1, the file sharing component further comprises a file selection component that receives an identifier or icon associated with the shared file.

4. The system of claim 2, the update component displays a file icon in the at least one group space corresponding to the shared file.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a download component that allows a member of the group to download the shared file by selecting an icon associated with the shared file.

6. The system of claim 5, the shared file corresponding to the file icon is one of an audio, video, graphical, animated, and text file.

7. The system of claim 1, the notification component further comprises an annotation component that displays annotations associated with the shared file.

8. The system of claim 1, the display component further comprises a control component that displays visual controls within the interface.

9. The system of claim 8, the visual controls comprising window controls.

10. The system of claim 8, the visual controls comprising controls for directing and interacting with the at least one other member of the group.

11. A method for generating a graphical interface, comprising:

sharing a file between members of a group;

displaying at least one group space within the graphical interface; and

notifying at least one member of the group when a file has been shared.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising updating the graphical interface in response to a member of the group sharing a file.

13. The method of claim 12, updating the graphical interface further comprises displaying a file icon associated with the shared file in the group space.

14. The method of claim 12, updating the graphical interface further comprises displaying at least one annotation associated with the shared file.

15. The method of claim 11, displaying the graphical interface further comprises placing visual controls within the interface.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying a personal space containing information associated with at least one other member of the group.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising downloading a shared file in response to a user selecting a file icon associated with the shared file.

18. A graphical user interface, comprising:

a first field that displays annotations entered by a first user to at least one other online member of a group and acts as a drop target for at least one file icon that becomes visible to the at least one other online member of the group, a file associated with the at least one dropped file icon may be retrieved by selecting the associated icon; and

at least one visible tool icon selectable by the first user to place an annotation in the first field.

20. The graphical user interface according to claim 18, the file type associated with the at least one icon is one of audio, video, graphical, animated, and text.

19. The graphical user interface according to claim 19, further comprising a visible control selectable by the first user for selecting at least one other activity and for automatically displaying information associated with at least a second group activity in an interactive second field displayed to the at least one other online group member.