CREATING AND SHARING IMAGE STREAMS

• US 20130332526A1
• Filed: 09/29/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hurley, Timothy S., Neitzer, Guido, Roman, Peter W., Dickens, Joshua B., Ritchie, Mark L., Scorer, Richard J., Te Whau, Jason, Torres Bergman, Erik, Wang, Li, Wong, Raymond Wai-Keung
• Application Number:
  US13/631,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20130332526A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

Some embodiments provide tools that allow a user to share content on one device with multiple other users using different devices. The content sharing tools allow the user to (1) create a shared stream that represents a set of shared content and (2) invite one or more recipients to subscribe to the shared stream. When a recipient subscribes to the shared stream, the set of content is streamed across one or more of his or her devices. In some embodiments, a control server facilitates the sharing of content by managing control data associated with different shared streams.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program that when executed by at least one processing unit facilitates sharing of images across different devices, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving, from a source device, a message regarding an invitation for a recipient to subscribe to a shared stream comprising a set of images;

identifying, based on the message, a plurality of destination devices associated with the recipient; and

to each destination device in the plurality of destination devices, sending the invitation for the recipient to subscribe to the shared stream.

2. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for sending image file location data to the source device, wherein the source device uses the image file location data to upload the set of images to a storage server.

3. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 2, wherein the storage server is a third-party storage server.

4. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 2, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for sending the image file location data to the plurality of destination devices after receiving a message regarding an acceptance of the invitation.

5. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 4, wherein the shared stream is associated with an access list, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for specifying, in the access list, the recipient as an authorized person to access any images in the shared stream upon receiving the message regarding the acceptance of the invitation.

6. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 4, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for sending a notification regarding the acceptance of the invitation to the source device.

7. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the shared stream is associated with an access list, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for removing the recipient from the list upon receiving a message that indicates that the invitation has been declined from one of the destination devices.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program further comprises sets of instructions for:

receiving, from the source device, a message regarding an image that has been deleted from the shared stream; and

sending a message regarding the regarding the deleted image to the plurality of destination devices, wherein each destination devices deletes the same image from the device'"'"'s storage upon receiving the message regarding the deleted image.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program further comprises sets of instructions for:

receiving, from the source device, a message regarding an image that has been added to the shared stream; and

sending a message regarding the regarding the added image to the plurality of destination devices, wherein each destination devices obtains the same image upon receiving the message regarding the added image.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program further comprises sets of instructions for:

receiving, from the source device, a message regarding deletion of the shared stream; and

sending a message regarding the regarding the deletion of the shared stream to the plurality of destination devices, wherein each destination devices deletes the set of images upon receiving the message regarding the deletion of the shared stream.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the different devices comprises at least two of a tablet, a smart phone, a laptop, and a personal computer.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11, wherein the program uses a same protocol to communicate with the different devices.

13. A method of facilitates sharing of images across different devices, the method comprising:

receiving, from a source device, a message regarding an invitation for a recipient to subscribe to a shared stream comprising a set of images;

identifying, based on the message, a plurality of destination devices associated with the recipient; and

to each destination device in the plurality of destination devices, sending the invitation for the recipient to subscribe to the shared stream.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising sending image file location data to the source device, wherein the source device uses the image file location data to upload the set of images to a storage server.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the storage server is a third-party storage server.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising sending the image file location data to the plurality of destination devices after receiving a message regarding an acceptance of the invitation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the shared stream is associated with an access list, the method further comprising specifying, in the access list, the recipient as an authorized person to access any images in the shared stream upon receiving the message regarding the acceptance of the invitation.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising sending a notification regarding the acceptance of the invitation to the source device.

19. A system comprising:

a plurality of different devices;

a control server for (i) receiving, from a source device in the plurality of devices, a message regarding an invitation for a recipient to subscribe to a shared stream comprising a set of images, (ii) identifying, based on the message, a plurality of destination devices associated with the recipient; and

(iii) sending, to each destination device in the plurality of destination devices, the invitation for the recipient to subscribe to the shared stream.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising a storage server, wherein the control server is further for sending image file location data to the source device, wherein the source device uses the image file location data to upload the set of images to the storage server.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the storage server is a third-party storage server.