Integrated experience of vogue system and method for shared integrated online social interaction

• US 7,689,922 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): HAILU, TADESSE
• Application Number:
  US11/379,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 715751-759
• 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 executing one or more processors for generating a graphical interface, comprising:

a file sharing component that facilitates a particular member of a first group to share a file with at least one other member of the first group, wherein the file sharing component is operable across a plurality of activities within the first group, a graphical user interface of the particular member configured to facilitate a transition from having a plurality of members of the first group engage in a first activity to having the plurality of members engage in a second activity, wherein the transition is a movement of the first group with the first activity to a second group with the second activity, the transition including an automatic creation and pre-population of the second group for engaging in the second activity with the plurality of members;

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

a notification component that provides notification to the at least one other member of the first 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 first 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 first 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 first group.

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

sharing a file between members of a first group, wherein the sharing is operable across a plurality of activities within the first group;

configuring the graphical user interface to facilitate a transition from having a plurality of members of the first group engage in a first activity to having the plurality of members engage in a second activity, wherein the transition is a movement of the first group with the first activity to a second group with the second activity, the transition including an automatic creation and pre-population of the second group for engaging in the second activity with the plurality of members;

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

notifying at least one member of the first 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 first 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 first 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 on a computer display, 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 two file icons that become visible to the at least one other online member of the group, a file associated with one of the at least two dropped file icons may be retrieved by selecting the associated icon, wherein each of the at least two dropped file icons represent a distinct activity within the group, the graphical user interface configured to facilitate a transition from having a plurality of online members of the group engage in a first activity to having the plurality of online members engage in a second activity, wherein the transition is a movement of the group with the first activity to a second group with the second activity, the transition including an automatic pre-population of the second group for engaging in the second activity with the plurality of online members wherein the distinct activity, the first activity, and the second activity are selected from a group including at least one of a photo activity, an audio activity, an audio sharing activity, a scrap book activity, a journal activity, a game activity, a “

jam session”

activity, and a chat activity; and

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

19. The graphical user interface according to claim 18, further comprising a visible control selectable by the first user for selecting the first activity and for automatically displaying information associated with a third activity in an interactive second field displayed to the at least one other online group member.

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