Techniques to share media files through messaging

• US 8,359,361 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2010
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Thornton, John, Udezue, Ojiakonobi, Benson, Rodger, Shen, Jennifer, Citron, Dave, Fournier, Tatjana, Weed, Bradley, Dietrich, Wilhelmina, Pezely, Becky, Moore, Jason, Urdan, Alan, Counts, Robin
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US12/775,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20110276637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/204, 709217-219, 707/821, 707/827
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments

Abstract

Techniques to share media files through messaging are described. An apparatus may comprise a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory may store a message application that when executed by the processor is operative to communicate a message and a message attachment comprising a media file at different time intervals using different transports. The message may have a link comprising a reference to a discoverable storage location for the media file. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a request to attach a media file to a message at a message application on a sender computing device;

sending the media file from the message application to a message server over a first transport before the message is communicated to the message server;

receiving a link for the media file from the message server by the sender computing device over the first transport, the link comprising a reference to a discoverable storage location on a network storage server for the media file, the discoverable storage location corresponding to a user account for the sender for a web service implemented by the network storage server;

embedding the link in the message; and

sending the message with the embedded link to a message recipient over a second transport.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the link comprising a reference to a discoverable storage location for the media file as stored on the network storage server, the discoverable storage location accessible by a message sender or a message recipient without the link.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising receiving a control directive to embed an alternate version of the media file in the message.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising modifying one or more attributes of the media file to form an alternate version of the media file.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising embedding an alternate version of the media file in the message.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising receiving a control directive representing a style parameter for embedding the media file in the message.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising receiving a control directive representing a privacy parameter for accessing the media file on a network storage service.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising receiving a control directive representing an order parameter for ordering multiple media files in the message.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising updating the message with a message update having information from the message recipient after the message has been sent by a message sender.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising

sending a message update for the message after the message has been sent by a message sender, the message update having information from the message sender.

11. An article comprising a computer-readable storage device containing instructions that when executed cause a system to:

receive a media file for a message by a message service over a first transport at a message server, from a message application executing on a sender computing device, before the message is received from the message application executing on the sender computing device;

store the received media file by the message service on a network storage server accessible by a user account previously established for a message sender or a message recipient;

generate a link to the stored media file; and

send the link for the stored media file over the first transport to the sender computing device.

12. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to store the media file on a server accessible by the user account previously established for the message sender or the message recipient without the link.

13. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to receive the message having the link embedded within the message by the message service over a second transport, and send the message with the embedded link to a message recipient over the second transport.

14. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to receive a message update with information for the message from the network storage service after the message has been sent, and send the message update to a message sender or a message recipient.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory to store a message application that when executed by the processor is operative to;

communicate a message and a message attachment comprising a media file at different time intervals using different transports to a message server, the message having a link comprising a reference to the media file stored by the message server at a discoverable storage location on a network storage server, the discoverable storage location corresponding to a user account for the sender for a web service implemented by the network storage server, wherein the message application comprises an attachment manager operative to receive a request to attach the media file to the message, send the media file to the message server over a transport before the message is communicated to the message server, receive the link for the media file from the message server over the transport, and embed the link in the message.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the message application comprising an attachment converter operative to modify one or more attributes of the media file to form an alternate version of the media file.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, the message application comprising a message manager operative to communicate the message with the link over a transport, the link comprising a reference to a discoverable storage location for the media file as stored on a network storage server, the discoverable storage location accessible by a message sender or a message recipient without the link.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, the message application comprising a message updater operative to dynamically update the message with message updates having information for the message received after the message has been sent.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, the message application comprising a message updater operative to send message updates having information for the message after the message has been sent to a message recipient.