Personalized memory compilation for members of a group and collaborative method to build a memory compilation

• US 9,286,643 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applaud, LLC
• Original Assignee: Applaud, LLC
• Inventors: Reinders, Robert R., Romano, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie
• Application Number:
  US13/406,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20130061135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 715/201, 715/202, 715/203, 715/255
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5846 using extracted text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/12 Use of codes for handling textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

The present invention may provide a method and apparatus for building a personalized memory compilation for members of a group: providing digitally encoded images, text and other data; analyzing data; eliciting a characteristic of data; selecting a plurality of the provided data; arranging the provided data, to generate a personalized memory compilation; wherein at least one of a selecting or an arranging step is performed in response to elicited characteristics. The invention may comprise a collaborative method and apparatus for gathering, enriching, preserving, and sharing memories for members of a group using the combination of 1) collaboration through nominal group recall and 2) recording of personal preferences to produce a digital asset that contains a unique blend of selected profiles, images, stories, personalized notes, and other relevant content from more than one group member to constitute a more complete and accurate rendering of an important occasion experienced by the group.

Claims

1. A method performed by a server system for automatically generating personalized memory compilations and eliciting latent memories, the method comprising:

a) receiving information for a group, wherein the group has members and is defined based on a shared experience, and wherein the information for the group identifies the group members;

b) after receiving the information identifying the group members, assembling a content collection through nominal group recall by, for each of a plurality of group members, independently performing a set of acts comprising;

i) prompting that member to provide computer readable data items representing memories of that member which are relevant to the shared experience;

ii) receiving, from that member, one or more computer readable data items representing memories of that member which are relevant to the shared experience;

iii) storing the one or more computer readable data items received from that member in the content collection;

c) selectively including data items representing an intersection of memories of different individuals in personalized memory compilations of the plurality of group members by, for each of the plurality of group members, performing a set of acts comprising the following acts with that member as subject member;

i) receiving, from the subject member, memory enrichment information, wherein the memory enrichment information comprises information identifying other group members whose memories should be included in a personalized memory compilation for the subject member; and

ii) generating the personalized memory compilation for the subject member, wherein the personalized memory compilation for the subject member comprises;

A) the computer readable data items stored in the content collection which represent memories of the subject member which are relevant to the shared experience; and

B) the computer readable data items stored in the content collection which represent memories of other members identified as members whose memories should be included in the personalized memory compilation for the subject member; and

d) eliciting latent memories from the plurality of group members through providing group members access to each others'"'"' memories in a controlled manner by, for each of the plurality of group members, providing that group member with the personalized memory compilation generated for that member, wherein providing group members access to each others'"'"' memories in a controlled manner comprises providing group members access to each others'"'"' memories after assembling the content collection through nominal group recall.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises, for each of the plurality of group members, providing that group member a list of other individuals who could potentially submit computer readable data items which should be included in that group member'"'"'s personalized memory compilation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a) the personalized memory compilation for a first group member from the plurality of group members comprises;

i) information from an individual who is not a member of the group which is specific to the first group member; and

ii) information from another group member which his specific to the first group member; and

b) the information which is specific to the first group member is included only in the first group member'"'"'s personalized memory compilation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the personalized memory compilation for a first member from the plurality of group members excludes at least one set of computer readable data items which is included in personalized memory compilations for other group members.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the group comprises a second group member in addition to the plurality of group members, and wherein the set of computer readable data items which is excluded from the personalized memory compilation of the first group member comprises data items submitted by the second member.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, for each of the plurality of group members, the act of prompting that member to provide computer readable data items representing memories of that member which are relevant to the shared experience comprises providing that member with variable questions which are specific to the group defined based on the shared experience.

7. A machine comprising:

a) a plurality of user computers;

b) a computer network; and

c) a server system;

wherein;

A) the computer network is a wide area network to which both the server system and the server system are communicatively connected;

B) each user computer from the plurality of user computers is configured to allow a user of that user computer to, via the computer network, access a program hosted by the server system for automatically generating personalized memory compilations and eliciting latent memories;

C) the program hosted by the server system for automatically generating personalized memory compilations and eliciting latent memories comprises data operable to configure the server system to perform a set of acts comprising;

I) receiving information for a group, wherein the group has members and is defined based on a shared experience, and wherein the information for the group identifies the group members;

II) after receiving the information identifying the group members, assembling a content collection through nominal group recall by, for each of a plurality of group members who access the program, independently performing a set of acts comprising;

a) prompting that member to provide computer readable data items representing memories of that member which are relevant to the shared experience;

b) receiving, from that member, one or more computer readable data items representing memories of that member which are relevant to the shared experience;

c) storing the one or more computer readable data items received from that member in the content collection;

III) selectively including data items representing an intersection of memories of different individuals in personalized memory compilations of the plurality of group members who access the program by, for each of the plurality of group members who access the program, performing a set of acts comprising the following acts with that member as subject member;

a) receiving, from the subject member, memory enrichment information, wherein the memory enrichment information comprises information identifying other group members whose memories should be included in a personalized memory compilation for the subject member; and

b) generating the personalized memory compilation for the subject member, wherein the personalized memory compilation for the subject member comprises;

i) the computer readable data items stored in the content collection which represent memories of the subject member which are relevant to the shared experience; and

ii) the computer readable data items stored in the content collection which represent memories of other members identified as members whose memories should be included in the personalized memory compilation for the subject member; and

IV) eliciting latent memories through providing group members access to each others'"'"' memories in a controlled manner by, for each of the plurality of group members who access the program, providing that group member with the personalized memory compilation generated for that member, wherein providing group members access to each others'"'"' memories in a controlled manner comprises providing group members access to each others'"'"' memories after assembling the content collection through nominal group recall.

8. The machine of claim 7, wherein the set of acts the data comprised by the program hosted by the server system for automatically generating personalized memory compilations and eliciting latent memories is operable to configure the server system to perform comprises, for each of the plurality of group members who access the program, providing that group member a list of other individuals who could potentially submit computer readable data items which should be included in that group member'"'"'s personalized memory compilation.

9. The machine of claim 7, wherein:

a) the plurality of group members who access the program comprises a first group member;

b) the act of generating the personalized memory compilation for the first member comprises generating a personalized memory compilation comprising;

i) information from an individual who is not a member of the group which is specific to the first group member; and

ii) information from another group member which his specific to the first group member; and

c) the information which is specific to the first group member is included only in the first group member'"'"'s personalized memory compilation.

10. The machine of claim 7, wherein:

a) the plurality of group members who access the program comprises a first group member;

b) the act of generating the personalized memory compilation for the first member comprises generating a personalized memory compilation which excludes at least one set of computer readable data items which is included in personalized memory compilations for other group members who access the program.

11. The machine of claim 10, wherein the group comprises a second group member in addition to the plurality of group members who access the program, and wherein the set of computer readable data items which is excluded from the personalized memory compilation of the first group member comprises data items submitted by the second member.

12. The machine of claim 7, wherein, for each of the plurality of group members who access the program, the act of prompting that member to provide computer readable data items representing memories of that member which are relevant to the shared experience comprises providing that member with variable questions which are specific to the group defined based on the shared experience.