Managing and collaborating with digital content

• US 8,713,112 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2010
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hewitt, Joe, Bishop, Marlon
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAO, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US12/728,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20100174799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

A universal digital content system provides a dynamic user interface having a viewing area, an action menu area, and an organizing area. A user can create, organize, send, receive, access, collaborate with and otherwise manage digital content through a single user interface. The universal digital content system provides multiple ways of viewing and organizing all of the digital content accessible through the dynamic user interface. In addition, a user can create a collaboration session with one or more contacts using one or more digital content files.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a computer configured to display a user interface, the user interface being configured to;

display a first window, wherein the first window is a collaboration window accessible to a plurality of users partaking in a collaboration session;

display an email in a second window, the email including;

a header; and

a body;

display an instant message in a third window;

receive first user input selecting first text of the body of the email displayed in the second window, the first user input being provided by at least one of the plurality of users partaking in the collaboration session;

receive second user input indicating that the selected first text should be added to the first window;

in response to receiving the second user input indicating that the selected first text should be added to the first window;

add, to the first window, a first user-selectable link including the selected first text from the body of the email;

receive third user input selecting second text of the instant message displayed in the third window;

receive fourth user input indicating that the selected second text should be added to the first window;

in response to receiving the fourth user input indicating that the selected second text should be added to the first window;

add to the first window, a second user-selectable link including the selected second text from the instant message;

receive, in the first window, fifth user input selecting the first user-selectable link including the first text from the body of the email, the fifth user input being provided by at least one of the plurality of users partaking in the collaboration session and by a user who is different from the at least one user who provided the first user input; and

in response to receiving the fifth user input that selected the first user-selectable link including the first text from the body of the email;

shift focus in the user interface from the first window to the second window in which the email is displayed; and

within the second window in which the email is displayed, move to the location of the first text within the body of the email, such that the first text of the body of the email may be seen in context with additional adjacent text of the body of the email.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein instant messages used in the collaboration session are viewable as email messages to at least one of the collaboration users.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the collaboration users who are logged off instant messaging for a certain collaboration session can view the instant messages used in that collaboration session as email messages.

4. A system comprising:

a computer configured to display a user interface, the user interface being configured to;

display a first window, wherein the first window is a collaboration window accessible to a plurality of users partaking in a collaboration session;

display an email in a second window, the email including;

a header; and

a body;

display an instant message in a third window;

receive first user input selecting first text of the body of the email displayed in the second window;

receive second user input indicating that the selected first text should be added to the first window;

in response to receiving the second user input indicating that the selected first text should be added to the first window;

add, to the first window, a first user-selectable link including the selected first text from the body of the email;

receive third user input selecting second text of the instant message displayed in the third window;

receive fourth user input indicating that the selected second text should be added to the first window;

in response to receiving the fourth user input indicating that the selected second text should be added to the first window;

add, to the first window, a second user-selectable link including the selected second text from the instant message;

receive, in the first window, fifth user input selecting the second user-selectable link including the second text from the instant message, the fifth user input being provided by at least one of the plurality of users partaking in the collaboration session; and

in response to receiving the fifth user input that selected the second user-selectable link including the second text from the instant message;

shift focus in the user interface from the first window to the third window in which the instant message is displayed; and

within the third window in which the instant message is displayed, move to the location of the second text within the instant message, such that the second text of the instant message may be seen in context with additional adjacent text of the instant message.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein instant messages used in the collaboration session are viewable as email messages to at least one of the collaboration users.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the collaboration users who are logged off instant messaging for a certain collaboration session can view the instant messages used in that collaboration session as email messages.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon software executable by a processor to display a user interface, the user interface being configured to:

display a first window, wherein the first window is a collaboration window accessible to a plurality of users partaking in a collaboration session;

display a first email in a second window, the first email including;

a header; and

a body;

receive first user input selecting first text of the body of the first email displayed in the second window, the first user input being provided by at least one of the plurality of users partaking in the collaboration session;

receive second user input indicating that the selected first text should be added to the first window;

in response to receiving the second user input indicating that the selected first text should be added to the first window;

add, to the first window, a first user-selectable link including the selected first text from the body of the first email;

receive, in the first window, third user input selecting the first user-selectable link including the first text from the body of the first email, the third user input being provided by at least one of the plurality of users partaking in the collaboration session and by a user who is different from the at least one user who provided the first user input; and

in response to receiving the third user input that selected the first user-selectable link including the first text from the body of the first email;

shift focus in the user interface from the first window to the second window in which the first email is displayed; and

within the second window in which the first email is displayed,

move to the location of the first text within the body of the first email, such that the first text of the body of the first email may be seen in context with additional adjacent text of the body of the first email.

8. The computer-readable storage medium as claim 7, wherein the user interface is further configured to:

display a second email in a third window, the second email including;

a header; and

a body;

receive fourth user input selecting second text of the body of the second email displayed in the third window;

receive fifth user input indicating that the selected second text should be added to the first window; and

in response to receiving the fifth user input indicating that the selected second text should be added to the first window;

add, to the first window, a second user-selectable link including the selected second text from the body of the second email.

9. The computer-readable storage medium as in claim 8, wherein the user interface is further configured to:

receive, in the first window, sixth user input selecting the second user-selectable link including the second text from the body of the second email, the sixth user input being provided by at least one of the plurality of users partaking in the collaboration session and by a user who is different from the at least one user who provided the first user input; and

in response to receiving the sixth user input that selected the second user-selectable link including the second text from the body of the second email;

shift focus in the user interface from the first window to the second window in which the first email is displayed.

10. The computer-readable storage medium as in claim 8, wherein the user interface is further configured to:

receive, in the first window, sixth user input selecting the second user-selectable link including the second text from the body of the second email, the sixth user input being provided by at least one of the plurality of users partaking in the collaboration session and by a user who is different from the at least one user who provided the first user input; and

in response to receiving the sixth user input that selected the second user-selectable link including the second text from the body of the second email;

shift focus in the user interface from the first window to the second window in which the first email is displayed; and

within the third window in which the second email is displayed, move to the location of the second text within the body of the second email, such that the second text of the body of the second email may be seen in context with additional adjacent text of the body of the second email.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the user interface is further configured to display an instant message in a third window.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein instant messages used in the collaboration session are viewable as email messages to at least one of the collaboration users.

13. The storage medium of claim 12, wherein the collaboration users who are logged off instant messaging for a certain collaboration session can view the instant messages used in that collaboration session as email messages.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon software executable by a processor to display a user interface, the user interface being configured to:

display a first window, wherein the first window is a collaboration window accessible to a plurality of users partaking in a collaboration session;

display an instant message in a second window;

receive first user input selecting first text of the instant message displayed in the second window;

receive second user input indicating that the selected first text should be added to the first window;

in response to receiving the second user input indicating that the selected first text should be added to the first window;

add, to the first window, a first user-selectable link including the selected first text from the instant message;

receive, in the first window, third user input selecting the first user-selectable link including the first text from the instant message, the third user input being provided by at least one of the plurality of users partaking in the collaboration session and by a user who is different from the at least one user who provided the first user input; and

in response to receiving the third user input that selected the first user-selectable link including the first text from the instant message;

shift focus in the user interface from the first window to the second window in which the instant message is displayed; and

within the second window in which the instant message is displayed, move to the location of the first text within the instant message, such that the first text of the instant message may be seen in context with additional adjacent text of the instant message.