IP Library Patent Application 10781029
Patent Application
App. No. 10/781,029

Peer-to-peer identity-based activity sharing

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
10/781,029
Abstract

A system and method to allow a user of instant messaging chat modules in a network to share identity-based activity of the certain user and/or related information with contacts. For example, the user's instant messenger contacts may view recent active content, ongoing and recent online activity, etc., of another user. A sender peer includes an application module to activate a media content file from a content repository, or perform online activities through an activity server. The sender peer also includes a chat module, which detects identity-based activity and sends related indications to a recipient peer. The recipient peer includes a chat module to display identity-based activity based on the indications and an application module to activate related content files. A content enhancement server provides supplemental content information for display at the recipient peer and content previews. The content enhancement server also enables a transaction related to the content file such as a purchase of an MP3 copy of the content.

Claims (56)

1 . A peer for sharing identity-based activity with a plurality of peers, comprising:

a content daemon to detect and store identity-based activity; and

an instant messaging module, communicatively coupled to the content daemon, to send an indication of recent identity-based activity to at least one of the plurality of peers, the recent identity-based activity related to a user logged-in to the instant messaging module.

2 . The peer of claim 1 wherein identity-based activity comprises content customized by the user that is accessible to the plurality of peers.

3 . The peer of claim 2 , wherein the customized content comprises a current online auction posted by the user.

4 . The peer of claim 1 , wherein identity-based activity comprises instances of active content by a user logged-in to the instant messaging module.

5 . The peer of claim 4 , wherein recently active content comprises multimedia files played back in the peer.

6 . The peer of claim 1 , further comprises an application module to view identity-based content, and wherein the content daemon detects and stores identity-based activity in the application module.

7 . The peer of claim 1 , wherein the content daemon detects and stores identity-based activity by communicating with an activity server that hosts the identity-based activity.

8 . The peer of claim 1 , wherein the content daemon detects and stores identity-based activity after logging-in the user to the instant messaging module, and wherein the instant messaging module sends an update to the recent identity-based activity.

9 . The peer of claim 1 , wherein the indication comprises a unique identifier related to the identity-based activity.

10 . The peer of claim 1 , wherein the content daemon is part of an operating system running on the peer.

11 . The peer of claim 1 , wherein the instant messaging module further outputs a received indication of recent identity-based activity of another user.

12 . The peer of claim 1 , further comprising a content transaction module to enable a transaction related to the identity-based activity.

13 . The peer of claim 1 , wherein the peer is communicatively coupled to the plurality of peers through a network.

14 . A method of sharing identity-based activity with a plurality of peers, comprising:

detecting identity-based activity;

storing the identity-based activity; and

sending an indication of recent identity-based activity to at least one of the plurality of peers, the recent identity-based activity related to a user logged-in to an instant messaging module.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein identity-based activity comprises content customized by the user that is accessible to the plurality of peers.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the customized content comprises a current online auction posted by the user.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein identity-based activity comprises instances of active content by a user logged-in to the instant messaging module.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein recently active content comprises multimedia files played back in the peer.

19 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

viewing identity-based content; and

detecting and storing identity-based activity.

20 . The method of claim 14 , further comprises:

detecting and storing identity-based activity independent of viewing identity-based activity.

21 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the indication comprises a unique identifier related to the identity-based activity.

22 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the detecting comprises detecting identity-based activity of an application module in an operating system.

23 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the instant messaging module further outputs a received indication of recent identity-based activity of another user.

24 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

enabling a transaction related to the identity-based activity.

25 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

communicating with the plurality of peers through a network.

26 . A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium having computer program instructions and data embodied thereon for sharing identity-based activity with a plurality of peers, comprising:

detecting identity-based activity;

storing the identity-based activity; and

sending an indication of recent identity-based activity to at least one of the plurality of peers, the recent identity-based activity related to a user logged-in to an instant messaging module.

27 . The computer program product of claim 26 , wherein identity-based activity comprises content customized by the user that is accessible to the plurality of peers.

28 . The computer program product of claim 27 , wherein the customized content comprises a current online auction posted by the user.

29 . The computer program product of claim 26 , wherein identity-based activity comprises instances of active content by a user logged-in to the instant messaging module.

30 . The computer program product of claim 29 , wherein recently active content comprises multimedia files played back in the peer.

31 . The computer program product of claim 26 , further comprising:

viewing identity-based content; and

detecting and storing identity-based activity.

32 . The computer program product of claim 26 , further comprising:

detecting and storing identity-based activity independent of viewing identity-based activity.

33 . The computer program product of claim 26 , wherein the indication comprises a unique identifier related to the identity-based activity.

34 . The computer program product of claim 26 , wherein the detecting comprises detecting identity-based activity of an application module in an operating system.

35 . The computer program product of claim 26 , wherein the instant messaging module further outputs a received indication of recent identity-based activity of another user.

36 . The computer program product of claim 26 , further comprising:

enabling a transaction related to the identity-based activity.

37 . The computer program product of claim 26 , further comprising:

communicating with the plurality of peers through a network.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 18, 2007
From: APPLE COMPUTER, INC.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 019570/0044 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 21, 2004
From: STOCHOSKY, MICHAEL
To: APPLE COMPUTER, INC.
Reel/Frame 014887/0991 →