Peer-to-peer synchronous content selection

• US 8,285,812 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, K. Aaron, Selbie, John, Canitz, Drew, Jani, Kandarp, Abrahams, Steven, Schauls, Troy, Roseway, Asta
• Primary Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian P
• Assistant Examiner(s): COX, NATISHA D
• Application Number:
  US12/147,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20090327448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

Various technologies for sharing digital images within an instant messaging (IM) session between two users. In one implementation, a first user uploads a set of images to the second user. The set of images may be displayed as thumbnails on the displays of both users. By clicking on one of the thumbnails, either user may make the associated image appear as a larger image on both users'"'"' displays. In the event that both users click on different images simultaneously, or near-simultaneously, a protocol may be employed that selects which image is displayed.

Claims

1. A method for uploading a set of media from a source to a destination, comprising:

during an instant messaging (IM) session in which the source and the destination are participating, displaying an upload queue on a display associated with the source and a display associated with the destination, the upload queue comprising thumbnail media created from the set of media, the upload queue representing the set of media to be uploaded according to a first sequence;

receiving a selection of one of the media to be placed at a top of the upload queue;

sending the selection to the source that is uploading the media;

modifying the upload queue such that the source uploads the set of media according to a second sequence where the one of the media is at a top of the upload queue; and

simultaneously receiving from the source and the destination a selection of another one of the media to be placed at the top of the upload queue;

determining whether the selection of the destination is in sequence;

ignoring the selection of the destination, if the selection of the destination is not in sequence; and

modifying the upload queue such that the source uploads the set of media according to a third sequence where the another one of the media selected by the destination is at a top of the upload queue, if the selection of the destination is in sequence; and

displaying the modified upload queue according to the second sequence on both the display associated with the source and the display associated with the destination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the set of media according to the second sequence.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a proportion of one of the media that has been uploaded is indicated by a grayed-out proportion of a reduced size version of the one of the media.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of media comprises a set of images.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the source and the destination are connected over a peer-to-peer connection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to receiving a selection of one of the set of media, simultaneously displaying the selected one of the set of media on both the display associated with the source and the display associated with the destination.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the upload queue comprises a reduced size version of the set of media.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying the reduced size version of the media as a progress bar.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a proportion of one of the media that has been uploaded is indicated by a grayed-out proportion of the reduced size version of the one of the media.

10. A user interface for modifying an upload queue, comprising:

a thumbnail region of the user interface that displays the upload queue comprising thumbnail media created from a set of media, the upload queue representing the set of media to be uploaded according to a first sequence from a source; and

a display region that displays a selected one of the set of media, wherein in response to receiving a selection of one of the media to be placed at a top of the upload queue, sending the selection to the source;

simultaneously receiving from the source and the destination a selection of another one of the media to be placed at the top of the upload queue;

determining whether the selection of the destination is in sequence;

ignoring the selection of the destination, if the selection of the destination is not in sequence;

modifying the upload queue such that the source uploads the set of media according to a third sequence where the another one of the media selected by the destination is at a top of the upload queue, if the selection of the destination is in sequence, and modifying the thumbnail region of the user interface to display the upload queue according to a second sequence where the one of the media is at a top of the upload queue.

11. The user interface of claim 10, wherein the set of media comprises a set of images.

12. The user interface of claim 10, wherein the upload queue comprises a reduced size version of the set of media.

13. The user interface of claim 10, further comprising displaying a reduced size version of the media as a progress bar.

14. The user interface of claim 13, wherein a proportion of one of the media that has been uploaded is indicated by a grayed-out proportion of the reduced size version of the one of the media.

15. A computer system for uploading a set of images, comprising:

a destination computer, comprising;

a first processor; and

a first memory comprising program instructions executable by the first processor to;

during an instant messaging (IM) session in which a source and the destination are participating, display an upload queue comprising reduced size versions of the set of images created from the set of images, the upload queue representing the set of images to be uploaded according to a first sequence;

receive a selection of one of the images to be placed at a top of the upload queue;

send the selection to the source computer that is uploading the set of images;

display the upload queue according to a second sequence where the one of the images is at a top of the upload queue;

simultaneously receive from the source and the destination a selection of another one of the media to be placed at the top of the upload queue;

determine whether the selection of the destination is in sequence;

ignore the selection of the destination, if the selection of the destination is not in sequence;

modify the upload queue such that the source uploads the set of media according to a third sequence where the another one of the media selected by the destination is at a top of the upload queue, if the selection of the destination is in sequence; and

receive the set of images according to the upload queue second sequence.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the source computer comprises a second processor;

and

a second memory comprising program instructions executable by the second processor to;

display the upload queue;

receive the selection from the destination computer;

modify the upload queue in response to receiving the selection according to the second sequence;

upload the set of images according to the second sequence; and

display the uploaded queue according to the second sequence.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the source computer and the destination computer are participating in the instant messaging session over a peer-to-peer connection.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the first memory further comprises program instructions executable by the first processor to display the reduced size version of the images as a progress bar.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein a proportion of one of the images that has been uploaded is indicated by a grayed-out proportion of the reduced sized version of the one of the images.