SHARING IMAGES AND COMMENTS ACROSS DIFFERENT DEVICES

• US 20130332855A1
• Filed: 09/29/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Roman, Peter W., Dickens, Joshua B., Dellinger, Richard R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,116,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• 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. To facilitate the sharing operations, 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. The content sharing tools of some embodiments can be used to exchange comments regarding the stream'"'"'s content.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing sets of instructions that when executed by at least one processing unit of a device provides a user interface (UI), the UI comprising:

a display area for displaying a plurality of images; and

a set of image sharing tools for (i) receiving selection of a set of images from display area, (ii) sharing the set of images with a group of people, and (iii) exchanging comments with the group of people regarding the set of image.

2. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the UI further comprises a selectable item that when selected causes the display area to only display the set of images that is shared with the group of people.

3. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein each image that is associated with at least one comment is displayed in the display area with a marking or number that identifies the number of comments associated with the image.

4. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein each image that is associated with at least one comment is displayed in the display area with a marking that indicates whether the image is associated with at least one unread comment or is not associated with any unread comment.

5. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 4, wherein the marking is displayed in a first color to indicate that the image is associated with at least one unread comment or is displayed in a second different color to indicate that the image is not associated with any unread comment.

6. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein each image that is associated with a plurality of comments is displayed in the display area with a marking that identifies whether the device'"'"'s user has previously left at least one comment regarding the same image.

7. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first display area is a first display area, wherein UI further comprises a second display area to display a notification regarding a new comment associated with an image in the set of images.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein the notification is displayed with at least one of the new comment, a name of the person that posted the new comment, a thumbnail representation of the image associated with the new comment.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein the selection of the second display with the notification causes the image associated with the new comment to be displayed in the first display area with the new comment.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein the notification is only displayed when the device'"'"'s user has previously left a comment regarding the same image.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of image sharing tools comprises a selectable item that when selected associated an image in the set of images with a comment that indicates that the device'"'"'s user likes the image.

12. A method of defining a user interface (UI) for sharing comment regarding images, the method comprising:

defining a display area for displaying a plurality of images; and

defining a set of image sharing tools for (i) receiving selection of a set of images from display area, (ii) sharing the set of images with a group of people, and (iii) exchanging comments with the group of people regarding the set of image.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising defining a selectable item that when selected causes the display area to only display the set of images that is shared with the group of people.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein each image that is associated with at least one comment is displayed in the display area with a marking or number that identifies the number of comments associated with the image.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein each image that is associated with at least one comment is displayed in the display area with a marking that indicates whether the image is associated with at least one unread comment or is not associated with any unread comment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the marking is displayed in a first color to indicate that the image is associated with at least one unread comment or is displayed in a second different color to indicate that the image is not associated with any unread comment.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein each image that is associated with a plurality of comments is displayed in the display area with a marking that identifies whether the device'"'"'s user has previously left at least one comment regarding the same image.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the first display area is a first display area, wherein UI further comprises a second display area to display a notification regarding a new comment associated with an image in the set of images.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the notification is displayed with at least one of the new comment, a name of the person that posted the new comment, a thumbnail representation of the image associated with the new comment.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the selection of the second display with the notification causes the image associated with the new comment to be displayed in the first display area with the new comment.