SYSTEM FOR AND METHOD OF EMBEDDING RICH MEDIA INTO TEXT MESSAGES

• US 20140136990A1
• Filed: 11/14/2013
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Invi Labs, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gonnen, Lior, Tal, Iddo
• Granted Patent: US 9,948,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes

Abstract

While texting, a user is able access, share, and control rich media without leaving the texting application. The rich media are provided directly within the executing texting application. The texting application includes an embedded widget for controlling the rich media. Rich media includes, among other things, video clips, streaming audio, a map application, a movie-time application, a social movie-site application, a dynamically controllable image, or promotional media. Different mobile devices executing the texting applications communicate through a server that allows additional functionality, such as syncing the play of video clips and hosting and pushing the promotional media.

Claims

1. A method of embedding interactive content into a texting application comprising:

initiating a query to a server hosting content to determine information about the content;

receiving a widget for interactively displaying the information, wherein the widget comprises rich media; and

embedding the widget into an executing texting application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises a name of the content, a preview image of the content, a description of the content, a duration of the content, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the widget comprises a context-specific action bar.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the context-specific action bar triggers collapsing, expanding, forwarding, sharing, or posting the rich media to a social network site.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the context-specific action bar triggers playing the rich media, rating content generated by the rich media, watching a trailer generated by the rich media, or buying a ticket to an event corresponding to the rich media.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a user'"'"'s viewing position within the rich media.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a notification that a user is watching the rich media.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising syncing the rich media playing on a first device with the rich media playing on a second device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically converting a link to the rich media to a shortened link; and

pasting the shortened link into a text message area for automatically retrieving the rich media.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising splitting a screen area on a device into a text message area and a rich media area.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the rich media comprises a video clip, streaming audio, a map application, a movie-time application, a social movie-site application, or a dynamically controllable image.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the rich media comprises promotional media.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising awarding credits usable on a system hosting the texting application.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the credits are based on a number of messages sent by a user, a number of friends invited by a user, a number of video clips shared by a user, a number of postings by a user to a social network site, a number of messages forwarded by a user, or any combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the widget displays suggestions based on text messages.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising manipulating the rich media from within the chat session by sharing the rich media with a user device from within the chat session.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising concurrently presenting a plurality of selectable panes on a device, each pane corresponding to a chat session and having a widget embedded therein during the corresponding chat session.

18. A method of transmitting data to a first device comprising:

receiving a request from a first device for rich media for embedding the rich media into a chat session executing on the first device;

transmitting a packet containing the rich media to the first device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the packet further comprises a name of the rich media, a description of the rich media, and a playing time of the rich media.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a request to sync playing the rich media on the first device and a second device;

determining a location at which the rich media is executing on the second device; and

transmitting a command to the first device to play the rich media starting at the location.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

monitoring a chat session on the first device;

automatically generating a suggestion related to text in the chat session; and

transmitting the suggestion to the first device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the suggestion is displayed within the chat session.

23. A computer device comprising computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform the steps:

initiating a query to a server hosting content to determine information about the content;

receiving a widget for interactively displaying the information, wherein the widget comprises rich media; and

embedding the widget into a texting application executing on the electronic device.

24. The computer device of claim 23, wherein the computer device is wireless.

25. A server computer comprising computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform the steps:

receiving a request from a first device for rich media for embedding the rich media into a chat session executing on the first device; and

transmitting a packet containing the rich media to the first client device.

26. The server computer of claim 25, wherein the packet further comprises a name of the rich media, a description of the rich media, and a playing time of the rich media.

27. The server computer of claim 25, wherein the steps further comprise:

receiving a request to sync playing the rich media on the first device with the rich media executing on a second device;

determining a location at which the rich media is executing on the second device; and

transmitting a command to the first device to play the rich media starting at the location.

28. The server computer of claim 25, wherein the steps further comprise:

monitoring a chat session on the first device;

automatically generating a suggestion based on information in the chat session; and

transmitting the suggestion to the first device.

29. The server computer of claim 28, wherein the suggestion is displayed within the chat session.

30. The server computer of claim 25, wherein the widget is customizable by a user.

31. A method of organizing contacts on an electronic device comprising:

associating a virtual friend with a category; and

coordinating a chat session between a user application executing on an electronic device and the virtual friend

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising querying a specialized database for returning information corresponding to the category.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the category comprises sports, travel, movies, literature, or current events.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising organizing the virtual friend within a list of virtual friends based on popularity.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising organizing the virtual friend within a list of virtual friends based on sponsorship fees.