Sharing images and image albums over a communication network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11146520-B2
Application number	US-201916675269-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2019
Priority date	Sep 28, 2015
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

Implementations relate to sharing images and image albums over a communication network. In some implementations, a computer-implemented method includes determining that a shared album data structure is accessible by a device and includes references to album images. The device determines one or more suggested images from a collection of stored images associated with a user, based on determining sharing scores for the stored images. The sharing scores are based on comparing one or more characteristics of the stored images to one or more corresponding characteristics of the album images. The method includes causing display of the one or more suggested images by the device, receiving a selection of at least one selected image of the suggested images based on received user input, and causing an update of the shared album data structure with the at least one selected image to be accessible over a communication network by recipient users.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method to share images over a communication network, the method comprising:
determining a set of recipient users to receive access to one or more images, wherein an album data structure stores the one or more images, the album data structure being accessible to the set of recipient users over a communication network;
determining, by a device, that a first recipient user of the set of recipient users is associated with a first communication channel;
determining, by the device, a type of the first communication channel, wherein the type of the first communication channel is a first type of communication channel of a plurality of different types of communication channels, wherein determining the type of the first communication channel includes:
determining, by the device, that the type of the first communication channel is a particular application program based on determining that the first recipient user uses the particular application program, the particular application program enabling display of shared images; and
in response to determining that the first recipient user does not use the particular application program, determining, by the device, the type of the first communication channel is email or short message service (SMS) based on a form of an address associated with the first recipient user;

in response to determining that the first recipient user is associated with the first communication channel and determining the type of the first communication channel, providing, in a first sharing message, first information having a first information type selected based on the first type of communication channel, wherein each type of communication channel of the plurality of different types of communication channels is associated with a respective type of information to be included in sharing messages sent via the type of communication channel, wherein the first information includes a first link to the album data structure that stores the one or more images,
receiving a share command to share the one or more images with the set of recipient users; and
in response to receiving the share command, causing the first sharing message to be sent to a first recipient device of the first recipient user via the first communication channel, the album data structure being accessible to the first recipient device over the communication network,
wherein in response to the type of first communication channel being the particular application program, the first communication channel is enabled to transmit notifications about changes made to the album data structure by one or more of the set of recipient users, and in response to the type of the first communication channel being email or SMS, the first communication channel is disabled to transmit the notifications about the changes made to the album data structure by the one or more of the set of recipient users.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that a second recipient user of the set of recipient users is associated with a second communication channel;
determining a type of the second communication channel, wherein the type of the second communication channel is a second type of communication channel different from the first type of communication channel;
in response to determining that the second recipient user is associated with the second type of communication channel, providing, in a second sharing message, second information having a second information type selected based on the second type of communication channel and different than the first information type; and
in response to receiving the share command, causing the second sharing message to be sent to a second recipient device of the second recipient user via the second communication channel.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein in response to the type of the first communication channel being the particular application program, the first information includes:
a first link to an album data structure storing the one or more images; and
notification data to be displayed in a notification by the first recipient device, the notification indicating that the one or more images are accessible in the album data structure via the first recipient device,
wherein in response to the type of the second communication channel being email, the second information includes one or more provided images corresponding to at least one of the one or more images.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the type of the first communication channel further includes determining, by the device, that the type of the first communication channel is a user account in response to determining that the first recipient user does not use the particular application program and in response to determining that the first recipient user is associated with the user account on a network service used for providing shared images, and
wherein determining the type of the first communication channel to be email or short message service (SMS) is in response to determining that the first recipient user does not use the particular application program and determining that the first recipient user is not associated with the user account.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first information includes notification data to be displayed in a notification by the first recipient device of the first recipient user, the notification indicating that the album data structure is updated with the one or more images, and
wherein the first information includes one or more preview images corresponding to at least one of the one or more images.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first information includes:
a first link to an album data structure storing the one or more images; and
one or more preview images corresponding to at least one of the one or more images.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the determined type of the first communication channel is the particular application program, the first sharing message comprises a notification indicating that the one or more images are accessible via the first recipient device, the notification configured to cause displaying, by the first recipient device, the one or more images in a shared album viewing interface of the particular application program; and
if the determined type of the first communication channel is associated with email, the first sharing message comprises an install control configured to be selected by the first recipient user on the first recipient device to cause the particular application program to be downloaded and installed on the first recipient device, thereby allowing the shared album viewing interface of the particular application program to be used for displaying the one or more images.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the form of the address is an email address for the email type of communication channel, or the form of the address is a phone number for the SMS type of communication channel.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first information includes a first link to an album data structure that stores the one or more images, wherein the album data structure is accessible to the first recipient device over a network,
wherein the second information includes a second link to the one or more images, and wherein the first link and the second link are different types of links, wherein the first link is associated with the particular application program and the second link is associated with a web browser.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first information includes a web link to a shared album web page that includes the one or more images, the web link configured to cause a web page to be displayed on the fi

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Lieb David
• Gallagher James
• KANITKAR Kedar Jayant
• Ko Teresa
• PUCHALLA FIORE Loren
• Chang Jason
• Wang Nan
• Cui Jingyu
• Dai Shengyang

Classifications

• G06F16/50 Primary

  of still image data · CPC title

• H04L67/535

  Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34) · CPC title

• G06T3/40

  Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting · CPC title

• H04L51/18 Primary

  Commands or executable codes · CPC title

• G06F16/58

  Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually · CPC title