Abstract:
The method and system make it possible for devices that may not be co-located to capture information such as images, videos, text, audio, speech, location, etc. and create a composite image therefrom. The method and system includes a session initiated by one of the devices to other devices through a central server and/or by peer-to-peer network to synchronize the capture of information across all the devices. The method and system makes it possible to either synchronize the capture of information at each device or allow for preset time differences when each device captures information or allow for such time differences to be random or otherwise uncontrolled.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The methods and systems in this invention apply to messaging and information exchange systems that are used by people to communicate between a plurality of devices and/or computers. Methods and systems are presented for communicating with participants in a manner that allows for coordination of the timing of capture of information from each participant, centrally processing the information from each participant, and coordinating the delivery of the processed information to each participant&#39;s mobile device and/or computer. 
         [0002]    Mobile messaging systems allow users on mobile devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and mobile computers to communicate with one another individually and as groups. Many of today&#39;s systems emerged as improvements on the Short Message Service (SMS) offered by telecom carriers and Instant Messaging (IM) services offered by early Internet companies. Examples of today&#39;s mobile messaging systems include: iMessage, WhatsApp, Line, Diffr, and SnapChat, to name a few. Services such as iMessage and WhatsApp allow for the exchange of text, audio snippets, images, and videos to enhance and facilitate better messaging. Others, such as Line, enable the use of custom emoticons and stickers to help users personalize their messages and be more expressive. Services such as Diffr add richness to the communications by allowing participants to slip on a variety of identities rather than only messaging as themselves. Still others, such as SnapChat, focus their service almost exclusively on the participants&#39; use of self-images (“selfies”) as the medium of messaging. 
         [0003]    However, today&#39;s messaging services lack an important feature that could enhance the user experience of “so far, yet so near”—a true composite image experience. Here, by composite image experience, we mean the ability for participants who are not co-located to have a shared experience at the same moment in time as the other participants. For example, in one manifestation of the invention, self-images or selfies are dynamically coordinated to be taken at the same instant of time for all participants even though they may not be geographically co-located. Such selfies are then processed centrally and each participant receives a composite image consisting of a collage of all of their selfies. In another manifestation, composite images are created as collages of a series of selfies (each taken at the same instant of time or over a short period of time but in different physical locations) and presented to each participant as a moving image video or a “flipbook” video. 
       SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0004]    The current invention describes methods and systems that address the composite image and/or information experience. While what is discussed in this disclosure is a composite image, video, text, audio and combinations thereof could comprise the composite image experience. The current invention is a composite image app that makes it possible for devices that may not be co-located to capture information such as images, videos, text, audio, speech, and location and compile those images into a single composite image. The methods include a real-time session initiated by one of the devices to other devices through a central server and/or by peer-to-peer means to synchronize the capture of information across all the devices. The invention makes it possible to either completely synchronize the capture of information at each device or allow for preset time differences when each device captures information or allow for such time differences to be random or otherwise uncontrolled and/or left to each device and user&#39;s discretion. 
         [0005]    Once the information is captured across the devices, it can be processed and sent or sent as-is to each device. For example, images could be merged or a collage could be created. Location information could be superimposed on a map and a new location image could be created. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The accompanying drawings, wherein like-referenced numerals are employed to designate like parts or steps, are included to provide further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  shows one use scenario of an embodiment of the invention where a plurality of users employ a composite image app running on their mobile devices to communicate images between them. A central server on the Internet is involved in the communications. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  shows a similar scenario as  FIG. 1 , but without a central server. All composite image communication is peer-to-peer between the apps. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  shows a setup similar to  FIG. 1 , but with some of the users utilizing composite image apps running on wearable devices and a desktop computer. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  shows a setup similar to  FIG. 1 , but with one of the users replaced by a computer program sending or receiving composite images. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  shows components of the composite image app. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  shows components of the server that was depicted in  FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  shows the typical communication components of a composite image representation used by the composite image app. 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  shows the typical components of a participant representation used by the composite image app. 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  shows a representation similar to  FIG. 7  but with some of the participants corresponding with a computer program rather than with a real person user. 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  shows components of a message representation used by the composite image app. 
           [0017]      FIG. 11  shows actions that could possibly take place in a composite image during its lifetime. 
           [0018]      FIG. 12  shows steps involved in creating a composite image. 
           [0019]      FIG. 13  shows a screen shot of the Waiting for Other Participants screen in the composite image app. 
           [0020]      FIG. 14  shows a screen shot wherein a composite image app user has received an invitation to join a group to create a composite image. 
           [0021]      FIG. 15  shows a screen shot of the composite image app posing screen, wherein a user is getting ready to provide picture information to create a message or image that will become part of the group&#39;s composite image. 
           [0022]      FIG. 16  shows a screen shot of a composite image app message created from four images collected at the same time. 
           [0023]      FIG. 17  shows a screen shot of a composite image app message containing photos and graphics. 
           [0024]      FIG. 18  shows a screen shot of a feature of the composite image app that allows the sender to change the time given to invitees to participate in a composite image collaboration session. 
           [0025]      FIG. 19  shows a screen shot of a composite image app feature that allows the sender to set the maximum time that participants are allowed to join and participate in a composite image collaboration session. 
           [0026]      FIG. 20  shows a screen shot of the composite image app feature that allows users to capture and send photographs. 
           [0027]      FIG. 21  shows a screen shot of the composite image app wherein multiple images have been captured during a collaboration session. 
           [0028]      FIG. 22  shows a screen shot of a gallery composite images captured. 
           [0029]      FIG. 23  shows a screen shot of the notifications feature of the second embodiment of the composite image app. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0030]      FIG. 1  shows a use scenario of a composite image creation application. A plurality of users  100  employ their mobile devices  200 , which can be any mobile device capable of capturing and displaying images or videos or voice or text, executed by a computer program and communicating over a computer network, for example, a smart phone or a tablet. A composite image app  220  ( FIG. 5 ), is running on each of the mobile devices  200 . Users  100  can use the composite image app  220  ( FIG. 5 ) to create composite images with other users  100 . Messages  550  ( FIG. 7 ) are exchanged over the Internet  300 . A server  400  accessible over the Internet  300  is involved in the exchange  555  ( FIG. 7 ) of the messages  550  ( FIG. 7 ). 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  shows another possible use scenario. In this scenario, the composite image app  220  may run on a mobile devices  200  to communicate peer-to-peer without involvement of a central server  400  ( FIG. 1 ). Any information that would be stored on the server  400  ( FIG. 1 ) may now be stored in a distributed manner over the composite image app  220  ( FIG. 5 ) peers. 
         [0032]      FIG. 3  illustrates that the composite image app  220  ( FIG. 5 ) is not limited to use on mobile devices  200  only. The composite image app  220  ( FIG. 5 ) can be implemented on any computing device that is able to communicate over a computer network. These options include: physical computing devices, like personal desktop computers, laptops, netbooks, and wearable devices, as well as virtual computing devices, e.g., ECMAScript-enabled Web browsers. This scenario is illustrated in  FIG. 3 , which is similar to  FIG. 1 , but with one of the mobile devices  200  replaced by a desktop computer  290 , and two other mobile devices  200  replaced by wearable devices  250 ,  270 . Similarly, a desktop computer  290 , or wearable device  250 ,  270  could replace any or all mobile devices in a peer-to-peer scenario such as the one shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  shows a possible scenario where a user  100  of the app is replaced by a computer program  110 . The computer program  110  can incorporate the functionality of the composite image app, for example, by including the composite image app&#39;s code in a form of software library, as is illustrated in  FIG. 4  or it can communicate with a stand-alone composite image app, or an equivalent composite image app service, via an API, using means known to a person or ordinary skill in the art. 
         [0034]    An example of the scenario shown in  FIG. 4  may occur when the computer program  110  originates creation of some of the composite image messages  550  ( FIG. 7 ) by monitoring a source of activity on the Internet  300  and automatically initiating a composite image message when specific types of events occur. An example where the computer program  110  compiles the composite image message is when it monitors the composite image messages that it receives and posts some of them to a social media website, such as Instagram or Facebook. A specific example would be captured images involving a news event or concert. 
         [0035]      FIG. 5  shows certain functional components of the composite image app  220 . The output component  224  allows a user  100  to access composite image app collaboration sessions  500  ( FIG. 7 ). The output component  224  may also directly connect to a screen to communicate information to the user, but it can also connect to other devices, for example, a transmitter to communicate the information to a wearable device or a projector to communicate to a screen. The output component  224  may also use audio output, video output, or other output to communicate the information to the user. The input component  228  allows the user  100  to provide commands to the composite image app  220 . It allows the user  100  to perform many actions, including: creating a new composite image collaboration session  500 , controlling the view, editing a composite image, or creating or editing a composite image app message  550 , as well as other actions enabled by the composite image app  220 . The input component  228  can be implemented as a camera, microphone, keyboard, keypad, touch screen, computer pointing device, or any other means of interacting with a computing device, including a combination of these input mechanisms. 
         [0036]    Again referring to  FIG. 5 , the storage component  226  stores the data from the composite image collaboration session  500  ( FIG. 7 ) and other data needed to support the functionality of the composite image app  220 . The extent of the data stored in the storage component  226  depends on the embodiment of the invention and specific use scenarios. In an embodiment supporting the use scenario illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the data stored in the storage component  226  may be limited to transient data as shown on the output component  224  or entered via the input component  228 . In another embodiment, the data stored in the storage component  226  may include all the composite image app messages  550 . In an embodiment supporting a peer-to-peer use scenario like the one illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the storage component  226  may store a portion of the distributed state of all live composite image app collaboration sessions  500  ( FIG. 7 ) shared among the users  100  ( FIG. 1 ). 
         [0037]    Still referring to  FIG. 5 , the collaboration component  229  may perform multiple functions: controlling the times of capture and the types of information captured, such as images, videos, text, audio, speech, and location information, via the input component  228 ; displaying composite image app messages  550  via the output component  224 ; allowing for the deletion of composite image app messages. The collaboration component  229  of the composite image app  220  communicates with the collaboration component  429  of the server  400  in order to coordinate the generation and display of composite image messages  550  across participants  560  of a composite image collaboration session  500  (see  FIGS. 6 and 7 ). 
         [0038]    Again referring to the composite image app  220  shown in  FIG. 5 , the app may be used in scenarios such as the one shown in  FIG. 4  where a computer program  110  is involved. In this case, the output component  224  and the input component  228  work to support interaction with a computer program  110 . A single-use scenario may include a plurality of embodiments of the composite image app; for example, one embodiment could be used by a human user  100  as another embodiment is used by a computer program  110 . 
         [0039]    Still referring to  FIG. 5 , the communication component  222  enables the composite image app  220  to send information used to create composite image app messages  550  to and receive composite image app messages from the devices  200  of other composite image app users  100 . Depending on the use scenario (e.g.,  FIG. 1  versus  FIG. 2 ), the communication component  222  will communicate either with a server  400  ( FIG. 6 ) or with other composite image apps  220 . In some embodiments a mixture of server-mediated and peer-to-peer communication may be used. Communication may be accomplished using either standard protocols like RTP or Websockets, for example, or using a proprietary protocol. Multiple protocols may be used to accomplish the communication. 
         [0040]    The collaboration component  229  may enable the app  220  to coordinate the capture of composite image app messages  550  ( FIG. 7 ) from other composite image apps  220  and the creation and distribution of composite image app messages  550  ( FIG. 7 ). Depending on the use scenario, the collaboration component  229  will communicate either with a server  400  or with other composite image apps  220 . If the use scenario is as seen in  FIG. 2 , the processing of information from each participant  560  ( FIG. 7 ) to create a composite image message  550  will be distributed across composite image apps  220  ( FIG. 5 ). In some embodiments a mixture of server-mediated and peer-to-peer communication may be used. 
         [0041]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the server  400  may contain a communication component  420  that is used to communicate with the communication component  222  of composite image apps  220 . The server  400  may also contain an identity service  410 . The identity service  410  uniquely identify users  100  of the composite image app  220 . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the app user  100 &#39;s identity is tied to an identifier unique to a social media program like Facebook. In other embodiments, the app user&#39;s  100  identity could be tied to alternate, unique identifiers, e.g., a phone number, an email address, or a unique user name employed by all composite image app  220  users participating in a specific composite image app collaboration session  500 . 
         [0042]    The server  400  may also contain a collaboration component  429 . In communicating with the collaboration component  229 , the server&#39;s collaboration component  429 : controls the times of capture and type of information captured, such as an image, series of images, video, text, location, or audio, by all participants  560  of a composite image app collaboration session  500 ; processes the information from each of the participants  560  of a composite image app collaboration session  500  to create a composite image app message  550 ; controls the time and duration of presentation of composite image app messages  550  across all participants  560  of a collaboration session  500 ; and controls the deletion of a collaboration session  500  across all participants  560 . In an alternate embodiment, the collaboration component  429  controls the times of capture of information across all participants  560  so that the capture is synchronized as well as the time of delivery of the composite image app message  550  and the duration of presentation of the composite image app messages  550  to be synchronized independent of the geographic location of the individual participants  560 . In alternate manifestations, the collaboration component  429  times the capture of information across participants  560  to be preset time differences or randomly chosen time differences or not control the capture at all. Similarly, the delivery of a composite image app message to participants  560  can be at preset time differences to each other or randomly chosen times or not controlled at all. 
         [0043]    Still referring to  FIG. 6 , the collaboration component  429  of the server  400  may process each image received from participants  560  to create either a single composite image collage message  550  or a moving composite image app message  550  similar to that of a video but displayed as a set of animated images. In alternate manifestations, other information types such as text, audio, speech, videos, and location information could be combined from participants  560  who may or may not be geographically co-located to create a composite image app message  550 . In an alternate embodiment, the collaboration component  429  may not do any processing at all and instead send the information to the composite image apps  220  of all the participants  560  without modifying or combining the information in any manner. The composite image app&#39;s collaboration component  229  will, in this case, combine the information. 
         [0044]    The identity service  410  may store user-related information as user data  415 . The user data  415  may include the name under which a user wants to be known within a system, the user&#39;s avatar, or the user&#39;s unique name. The user data  415  may also comprise information such as history of aliases used by the user and composite app participation history. In addition to user data  415 , the preferred embodiment also stores group data  416 . The group data  416  may define groups of users  100 , and all the group attributes, such as name and visibility (privacy setting). Group data  416  may be used as a means of identifying multiple users  100 , e.g., when adding new participants to a composite image app collaboration session  500 . 
         [0045]    Still referring to  FIG. 6 , although in the preferred embodiment identity service  410  is implemented in the server  400 , the entirety or part of the functionality of the identity service  410  may be implemented in a distributed manner without using a central server. 
         [0046]      FIG. 7  shows the typical components of a composite image app collaboration session  500  that can be communicated between the composite image apps  220  ( FIG. 5 ). A composite image app collaboration session  500  comprises a composite image app collaboration session ID  501  that uniquely identifies the composite image app collaboration session, one or more composite image app messages  550 , and a plurality of participant objects  560  that define which of the users  100  ( FIG. 1 ) the composite image app collaboration session  500  is being distributed to. Though in the preferred embodiment there is a one-to-one relationship between a participant  560  and a user  100 , other embodiments may allow many-to-many relationships, or may also map participants  560  to user groups as defined in group data  416 . A composite image app collaboration session  500  may maintain the relationship  555  between the participants  560  and one or more composite image app messages  550 . In other embodiments, a composite image app collaboration session  500  may also comprise other data used to reduce communication with the server  400  and reduce resource requirements of the server  400 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 8  shows the main components of a participant data object  560  in the preferred embodiment. A participant  560  may have a participant ID  562  that uniquely identifies one of the users  100 . The identity service  410  may be used to determine each user&#39;s identity. In other embodiments, a participant  560  may also store, either complete or as references, user name, user avatars, or other user data. 
         [0048]      FIG. 9  shows a composite image app collaboration session  500  similar to  FIG. 7 , but in this case the session  500  also comprises one or more computer participants  580  corresponding to computer programs  110 . 
         [0049]      FIG. 10  shows the main components of a composite image app message  550  in the preferred embodiment. A composite image app message  550  comprises a Message ID  552  that uniquely identifies the composite image message  550 . A composite image may  550  include a title  553  that can be either the participant names or another participant-chosen title of the composite image app message  550 . A composite image app message  550  may also include message content  554  that may contain one or more of the following: text, images, emoticons, audio, video, drawings, doodles, and location information. Message content  554  may also be a processed combination of multiple text, images, emoticons, audio, video, drawings, doodles, and location information. 
         [0050]      FIG. 11  shows actions possible in a composite image app collaboration session  500  during its lifetime  600 . A composite image app collaboration session&#39;s  500  lifetime starts when it is created, a process that is demonstrated in  FIG. 12 . The creator of the composite image app collaboration session may invite participants  610  to participate in the collaboration session. The collaboration session  500  can be viewed by the users  100  identified as participants  560  of the collaboration session  500  until the collaboration session is deleted  640  or expires  645  when its preset lifetime has expired. During a collaboration session&#39;s lifetime  600  any participant  560  of the collaboration session  500  may: “favorite” a composite image app message  635 , share a composite image app message  630  on any messaging system or social media such as Instagram or Facebook, or inform a non-participating user. Collaboration session participants  560  may create a message  625  or retake a message  628 . 
         [0051]    Before the lifetime for a session expires, a user may send second image data and the app would update the composite image by replacing the originally received image data with the second received image data. 
         [0052]      FIG. 12  shows steps involved in creating a composite image app collaboration session  500 . The process  605  of creating a composite image app collaboration session  500  by a participant  560  involves multiple steps that do not have to occur in the sequence outlined below and of course, some may be omitted. The steps may include the selecting of other participants  705  (Note that the creator of the collaboration session may automatically become one of the participants  560 ). Typically the participants  560  will be one or more users  100  known to the identity service  410 ; however, it is also possible to select other users as participants  560 , and they will automatically be registered with the identity service. It is also possible to select participants  560  for a collaboration session  500  by identifying one or more user groups as defined by the group data  416 . 
         [0053]    Still referring to  FIG. 12 , another step in creating a composite image app collaboration session  500  may be selecting the lifetime of the collaboration session. In one embodiment, the composite image app  220  ( FIG. 5 ) provides multiple options for the lifetime of the collaboration session  500 . The creator of the collaboration session  500  can elect for it to be deleted automatically after a preset time or can elect for the collaboration session to be permanent. 
         [0054]    Referring again to  FIG. 12 , another step in creating a composite image app collaboration session  500  may be selecting the theme  712 . The creator of the collaboration session  500  can choose the theme to convey to other participants the setting or ambience of the collaboration session  500  they want to create. One way for the creator to set the collaboration session&#39;s theme or ambience is to choose the media type, such as an image, series of images, video, location, text, emoticons, doodles, audio, or speech, including any combination of these. An example of a theme  1130  is shown in  FIG. 17 . 
         [0055]    Once a composite image app collaboration session  500  is created, the collaboration component  229  may communicate the list of collaboration session participants  560  to the collaboration component  429  of the server  400 . The collaboration component  429  may communicate with the composite image app&#39;s collaboration component  229  for the composite image participants  560  and invites them to participate in the collaboration session  500 . The communication component  222  of the composite image app  220  used by each participant  560  who has chosen to participate in the collaboration session  500  will capture information via the input component  228  of that participant&#39;s composite image app  220 . The communication component  222  of that participant&#39;s app sends the information captured to the communication component  420 . The collaboration component  429  processes the information received from each participant  560  to create a composite image app message  550 . The server&#39;s communication component  420  sends the composite image app messages  550  to the communication component  222  of the composite image app  220  of each participant who accepted the collaboration session invite. The collaboration component  229  in each participant&#39;s  560  composite image app  220  controls when the composite message  550  is provided to the output component  224 . 
         [0056]    In an embodiment, only the participants  560  listed in the composite image app collaboration session  500  who accepted the collaboration session invite ( FIG. 17 ) may receive the collaboration image app message  550 . Alternatively, non-participating users  100  may also receive communication from the composite image app  220 , for example, to inform them about a collaboration session  500  with or without revealing the content. In this embodiment, these non-participating users are selected by the composite image app  220  from the contact list of a mobile device  200  or are entered explicitly by a participant  560  of the collaboration session  500 . Other embodiments may implement other methods of selecting which non-participating users  100  should be informed about a collaboration session  500 . 
         [0057]      FIGS. 13-23  show various screen shots of the app in use. 
         [0058]      FIG. 13  is a screen shot of the Waiting for Other Participants to join a collaboration session feature  1010  of the composite image app. This screen includes a segment at the bottom  1050  where the user can watch a time countdown before a snapshot is taken. This screen also shows invited users who have already arrived for the collaboration session  1020 , as well as invited users who have not yet arrived  1030 . 
         [0059]      FIG. 14  is a screen shot that a composite image app user who has been invited to join a composite image app collaboration session would see alerting him to the new invitation. The new invitation notification  1060  is displayed at the top of the screen, below which the user has the option to “Join” the collaboration session or “Dismiss”  1070  the invitation. The screen displays the other users who have been invited to join the collaboration session. At the bottom of this screen, the type of collaboration session is displayed  1090 , in this case, it is a “Candid Picpal: Short Lived” meaning that it will disappear at the end of a designated period of time (for example 1 minute or 24 hours) determined by the user who starts the collaboration session. 
         [0060]      FIG. 15  shows the posing screen of the composite image app, wherein a user who has been invited to participate in a collaboration session is using the camera of her device to pose for a photo  1100 . This participant is getting ready to provide picture information to create a composite image app message that will be included in a composite image collaboration session, in this case an image composite of herself. This screen also displays a countdown of the amount of time  1110  the user has to capture and share a contribution to the collaboration session. 
         [0061]    As seen in  FIG. 16 , a final collaboration session composite image  1113  is shown that includes captured images  1100   a - d  of four users including the user photo  1100 . 
         [0062]      FIG. 17  shows a completed composite image app collaboration session message between two users who have each separately taken image composites  1120  of themselves and posted them. This screen shot shows a love theme  1130  for the collaboration session as conveyed by the use of images of hearts at the bottom. The live or almost-live feature of the posing screen ( FIG. 19 ) may be useful in creating and editing the photographs for this collaboration session before the actual snapshot for the collaboration session composite image is captured. In other words, the participants in this case could use the live or almost-live feature to view a preview of the possible image capture in the composite image to make sure their lips were lined up as closely as possible to give the appearance that they were kissing. 
         [0063]    In practice, a user can invite other users to participate in a composite image app collaboration session or search users to invite. Sign-up for the composite image app may be done by mobile number or preferably through Facebook or other social media applications. 
         [0064]      FIGS. 18 and 19  show screen shots that show a timing feature of the composite image app. In  FIG. 18 , clicking the clock icon  1140  in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen opens up a time adjustment option  1200  as seen at the bottom of the screen shown in  FIG. 19 . This feature of the app allows the user who creates the collaboration session  500  to set and then adjust, if necessary, the time  710  given to invitees of a collaboration session  500  to participate in it. 
         [0065]    Still referring to the significance of the feature specified in  FIG. 19 , the app&#39;s time adjustment option gives the user  560  who creates the collaboration session  500  the ability to set a maximum time deadline  710  within which invitees  1080  can join and participate in the collaboration session  500 . This time option can be adjusted with the creation of each new composite image app collaboration session. 
         [0066]      FIG. 20  shows a screen shot of a composite image app user&#39;s mobile device as it is being used to capture and send information (in this case, a photograph  1330 ) at any time of the user&#39;s choosing. In the case of photographs, the user can capture a picture by clicking on the camera shutter button  1300  of the mobile device. The composite image app user can also choose to take a photograph using the front camera or the back by clicking the camera icon  1310  seen at the top right corner of the screen. If the user decides against taking a photograph after arriving at this screen, pressing “Cancel”  1320  will close the mobile device&#39;s camera. 
         [0067]      FIG. 21  shows a screen shot of an in-progress composite image app collaboration session  1400 , where collaboration session photos  1410  are being downloaded from each participant&#39;s  560  ( FIG. 9 ) device  200  at different times. Each framed photograph  1410 ,  1420 ,  1430  has been received into the collaboration session  1400  from a different participant  560  at unique times that are displayed by the time status  1440  at the bottom left corner of each of the images. In progress uploads may be shown with an upload status indicator  1450 . The composite image app gives each user the liberty to capture pictures at a time of their choosing within the allotted timeframe  710  specified by the user  560  who created the collaboration session. During the time allotted by the user who created the collaboration session, participants are at liberty to continue capturing pictures at a time of their choosing and using the app in other ways to add to the collaboration session, including adding messages, browsing previous collaboration session messages or sending new ones. In an unexpired composite image session, a user may update their image, making the composite image a changing composite. 
         [0068]      FIG. 22  is a screen shot of a composite image app collaboration session gallery  1520  of composite images  1510  assembled from different collaboration sessions  500  that a user has started or participated in. In  FIG. 22 , when a user clicks the “Bell” icon  1530  at the top right-hand corner of the screen, information related to the collaboration session, including incomplete responses to invites or other information related to the collaboration session, is displayed in the Notifications screen, as seen in  FIG. 23 . 
         [0069]      FIG. 23  is a screen shot of the Notifications screen of the composite image app in further detail. This screen displays notifications on information such as missed, pending, and completed collaboration session invites  1610  and lists when each invite was received  1620 . 
         [0070]    A user can share the composite image or invite via social media links within the program, or share an image or link to an image by email or SMS message. 
         [0071]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention.