System and Method for Facilitating Collaborative Generation of Life Stories

• US 20070250791A1
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lunt, Christopher, Halliday, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,793,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/808
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/447 Temporal browsing, e.g. timeline
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking messaging within social networks H04L51/52

Abstract

Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) support the collaborative generation of life stories by helping the user view the development of the life stories of other users and facilitating interaction with them through these GUIs. A GUI according to a first type helps the user keep track of recent life stories and comments posted by other users of the collaborative system, and a GUI according to a second type helps the user view life stories of any user in a chronological manner.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface (GUI) generated by a client computing device in communication with a server computing device over a communications network, the GUI comprising a plurality of interactive regions, wherein each interactive region displays an image associated with a life story when a cursor of a pointing device is not positioned within the interactive region, displays textual information associated with the life story when the cursor is positioned within the interactive region, and causes a display of the life story when the pointing device is actuated while the cursor is positioned within the interactive region.

2. The GUI according to claim 1, further comprising another plurality of interactive regions, wherein each of said another plurality of interactive regions displays an image associated with a comment made to a life story when the cursor is not positioned within the interactive region, displays textual information associated with the comment made to the life story when the cursor is positioned within the interactive region, and causes a display of the life story and the comment made to the life story when the cursor is positioned within the interactive region and the pointing device is actuated.

3. The GUI according to claim 2, wherein the images or the textual information associated with the life stories and the comments are displayed in the order of their posting dates, from the most recent post to the least recent post.

4. The GUI according to claim 2, wherein the interactive regions are displayed in a plurality of rows with the topmost row being the tallest.

5. The GUI according to claim 2, wherein the interactive regions are displayed to a first user, and wherein the life stories represented by images or textual information in the interactive regions correspond to life stories posted by other users, and the comments represented by images or textual information in the interactive regions correspond to comments made by other users to the life stories or comments posted by the first user.

6. The GUI according to claim 1, further comprising a timeline graphic that is displayed with at least two dates, and GUI controls using which the dates can be changed.

7. The GUI according to claim 6, wherein the interactive regions display images or textual information associated with those life stories that are within the range of dates displayed with the timeline graphic.

8. The GUI according to claim 7, wherein each interactive region is positioned with respect to the timeline graphic in accordance with the date of the life story whose associated image or textual information is displayed therein.

9. The GUI according to claim 6, wherein the interactive regions are displayed to a first user, and the life stories that are represented by images or textual information in the interactive regions correspond to life stories of another user.

10. The GUI according to claim 1, wherein the textual information includes a title of the life story and a name of the user who posted the life story or comment.

11. In a computer system having a plurality of users, a method for generating a graphical user interface (GUI) to be displayed to a user, wherein the GUI indicates activities of other users within the computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

storing recent posts of life stories by other users of the computer system;

storing recent comments made to life stories of said user by other users of the computer system; and

generating a GUI including images and text associated with a predetermined number of said recent posts and said recent comments and transmitting the GUI for display.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of receiving a request from a user for said GUI, and in response to said request, searching for the predetermined number of said recent posts and said recent comments prior to said steps of storing.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of configuring a queue for storing posts of life stories of other users of the computer system and comments made to life stories of said user by other users of the computer system, wherein new posts and comments are added to the front of the queue.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the queue includes a first queue for storing posts of life stories of other users of the computer system and a second queue for storing comments made to life stories of said user by other users of the computer system, wherein new posts are added to the front of the first queue and new comments are added to the front of the second queue.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of receiving a request from a user for said GUI, wherein, in response to said request, the GUI is generated from the posts stored in the first queue and the comments stored in the second queue.

16. A method for generating a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the GUI provides a timeline summary of life stories of a user, said method comprising the steps of:

retrieving parameters for displaying the timeline summary, the parameters including a date range;

generating a timeline graphic based on said date range;

retrieving life stories of the user that are within said date range; and

generating a GUI including the timeline graphic and interactive regions for the retrieved life stories.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

receiving inputs that modify said date range; and

generating an updated GUI that displays a timeline graphic with the modified date range and interactive regions corresponding to those life stories of the user that are within the modified date range.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the timeline graphic includes at least two dates and GUI controls using which said date range can be changed.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein each interactive region is positioned with respect to the timeline graphic in accordance with the date of the retrieved life story represented in the interactive region.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

receiving inputs relating to a life story from the user, the inputs specifying an approximate date of the life story; and

assigning an exact date to the life story and storing the exact date as the date of the life story that is to be used when determining the display position of the life story in relation to the timeline graphic.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the approximate date specifies the month and the year of the life story or just the year of the life story, and the exact date specifies the day, the month and the year of the life story.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein each interactive region displays an image associated with a life story when a cursor of a pointing device is not positioned within the interactive region, and displays textual information associated with the life story when the cursor is positioned within the interactive region.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein each interactive region displays textual information associated with a life story and an image associated with the life story is additionally displayed when a cursor of a pointing device is positioned within the interactive region.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein a new document that includes the life story is displayed when the pointing device is clicked while the cursor is positioned within the interactive region.

25. The method according to claim 16, wherein the GUI is transmitted to a first user for display and the images and textual information included in the GUI correspond to life stories of another user.