Distribution of user-generated annotations associated with digital content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10083160-B1
Application number	US-201514675578-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 31, 2015
Priority date	Mar 31, 2015
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

A metadata item may be generated that includes metadata content corresponding to a selected portion of digital content stored on a first device, the metadata item may be associated with a first user profile, and the metadata item may be distributed to a second user device storing the digital content such that the metadata item can be accessed via a second user profile and rendered on the second user device in association with the digital content. In this manner, metadata content corresponding to digital content may be shared across user profiles that access the digital content. In addition, a collaborative content item may be generated that includes collaborative content associated with a word or phrase in digital content and that is editable by multiple user profiles.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
at least one memory storing an electronic book and computer-executable instructions, wherein the electronic book is stored in association with a reader user profile;
a display; and
at least one processor operatively coupled to the display and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to:
render content of the electronic book on the display;
render an annotations indicator on the display, the annotations indicator indicating that an annotation is associated with the content, the annotation including annotation content relating to the content of the electronic book rendered on the display, wherein the annotation content is specified by a different user profile than the reader user profile;
receive user input indicating a selection of the annotations indicator;
retrieve first user profile data corresponding to a first annotator user profile;
retrieve second user profile data corresponding to a second annotator user profile;
retrieve annotations data including a set of user profile identifiers associated with a book identifier of the electronic book;
determine that the set of user profile identifiers includes a first user profile identifier of the first annotator user profile and a second user profile identifier of the second annotator user profile;
determine that the annotations data includes a first annotation of the content and a second annotation of the content, wherein the first annotation is associated with the first annotator user profile and the second annotation is associated with the second annotator user profile;
determine that the first user profile data includes a first priority designation indicating a first priority level for display of the annotations data, the first priority level based at least in part on a first type of association between the first annotator user profile and the reader user profile;
determine that the second user profile data includes a second priority designation indicating a second priority level for display of the annotations data, the second priority level based at least in part on a second type of association between the second annotator user profile and the reader user profile;
determine that the first annotation is prioritized for presentation to the reader user profile over the second annotation based at least in part on the first priority level being a higher priority than the second priority level; and
render the first annotation on the display inline with the content.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
determine that the annotations data includes metadata associated with the first annotation, wherein the metadata is associated with a fourth user profile and includes at least one of: i) an indication of user sentiment towards the first annotation or ii) commentary on the first annotation; and
render a user interface object on the display inline with the content, wherein the user interface object includes the first annotation and the metadata.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the user input is first user input and the content is first content, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
render second content on the display;
receive second user input indicative of a selection of the second content;
receive third user input indicative of a request to generate a third annotation associated with the second content;
receive user-specified content including at least one of: i) text content, ii) video content, or iii) audio content;
generate an annotation data object for the third annotation, the annotation data object including the user-specified content and anchor data indicating a start position and an end position of the second content;
determine that a delivery triggering event has occurred;
determine that the delivery triggering event corresponds to a threshold number of annotation data objects being generated or a threshold period of time elapsing since generation of the annotation data object; and
add the annotation data object to a queue for delivery to a distribution server.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
receive user input indicative of a selected portion of the content of the electronic book rendered on the display;
render a selectable indicator on the display, the selectable indicator enabling association of message content with the selected portion of the content;
receive user input indicating a selection of the selectable indicator;
render a user interface that enables receipt of the message content;
receive the message content via the user interface;
receive an indication of a fourth user profile designated to receive the message content; and
send the message content and anchor data to a user device associated with the fourth user profile, the anchor data including a set of position identifiers indicative of the selected portion of the content.

5. A method, comprising:
rendering, on a display of a user device, content stored on the user device, wherein the content is stored in association with a content consumer user profile;
receiving annotations data including a set of user profile identifiers associated with a content identifier of the content;
determining that the set of user profile identifiers includes a first user profile identifier of a first annotator user profile and a second user profile identifier of a second annotator user profile;
determining that the annotations data includes a first annotation of the content and a second annotation of the content, wherein the first annotation is associated with the first annotator user profile and the second annotation is associated with the second annotator user profile;
receiving first user profile data corresponding to the first annotator user profile, the first user profile data comprising a first priority level for display of the annotations data, the first priority level based at least in part on a first type of association between the first annotator user profile and the content consumer user profile;
receiving second user profile data corresponding to the second annotator user profile, the second user profile data comprising a second priority level for display of the annotations data, the second priority level based at least in part on a second type of association between the second annotator user profile and the content consumer user profile;
determining, using the first priority level and the second priority level, that the first annotation associated with the first annotator user profile is prioritized for presentation to the content consumer user profile over the second annotation associated with the second annotator user profile; and
rendering the first annotation on the display in association with the content.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
rendering, on the display, an annotations indicator indicating that at least one annotation is associated with the content; and
receiving user input indicating a selection of the annotations indicator,
wherein rendering the first annotation comprises rendering the first annotation inline with the content after receiving the user input indicating the selection of the annotations indicator.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising: determining the first priority level based at least in part on a bi-directional association between the content consumer user profile and the fir

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Yu Wainwright Gregory Siady
• Muhunthan Shanmugarasa
• Roth Robert Wayne
• Singh Ashish
• Rosenblat Brian David
• Kunins Jeffrey Craig
• Franklin Eric Michael
• Tseng Walter Manching
• Goldstein Seth Gershom
• Chandler Otis Yeager
• Olcott Andrew
• Subramanian Arjun
• Subhash Jay Prashant
• Natarajan Manigandan

Classifications

• G06F2203/04803

  Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas · CPC title

• G06F3/04855 Primary

  Interaction with scrollbars · CPC title

• G06F40/169 Primary

  Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/0483

  Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor · CPC title