Abstract:
A computer-assisted system and method for the creation, organization, consumption and distribution of bodies of user-generated content. The system and method includes joining individual contributions, made both synchronously and asynchronously, by multiple user contributors in real-time to form the content. The system and method implements a non-destructive approach, with each individual contribution made by every contributor being maintained as a complete, distinct entry, and retaining its original presence in the work without being subject to modification, deletion, obsolescence or replacement.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/613,625, filed Mar. 21, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present disclosure is related to story content and other digital media content. More particularly, the present disclosure is related to systems and methods that provide for multiple contributors to collaboratively generate works and other media content. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Works such as, but not limited to, stories, books, articles, music, lyrics, plays, movies, and others, are often generated by content from more than one contributor (or “author”). Here, the contributors collaborate to generate a single work by modifying and revising one another&#39;s content. In some instances, the previous drafts are maintained as unique content, but are left unused when the work is finalized. 
         [0006]    The use of social media such as Facebook, MySpace, Google+, Linkedln and other similar systems is becoming more and more prevalent in various realms of daily life. 
         [0007]    The present disclosure is related to a social media system and method that allows multiple contributors to work on the same body of content, but allows each contributor, and even each consumer of the content, to generate their own unique path through the body of content, and to capture that unique path in the creation of a completed work. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    A computer-assisted system and method for the creation, organization, consumption and distribution of bodies of user-generated content. The system and method includes joining individual contributions, made both synchronously and asynchronously, by multiple user contributors in real-time to form the content. 
         [0009]    The system and method of some embodiments allow for a high degree of collaboration and cooperation between participating parties, both contributors and consumers, in the creation of any single body of work, with the participants enabled to determine, through their contributions and interactions with the system and method and each other, how each of their component contributions will be integrated into the work such that it may be consumed, published, sold, used, distributed and/or otherwise enjoyed by both consumers of, and other contributors to, the work. 
         [0010]    Additionally, the system and method of some embodiments implement a non-destructive approach, with each individual contribution made by every contributor being maintained as a complete, distinct entry, and retaining its original presence in the work without being subject to modification, deletion, obsolescence or replacement. 
         [0011]    Further, the system and method of some embodiments combine contributions from multiple parties into different groupings and/or sequences for the purpose of creating valuable or otherwise pleasing “completed works” as a result of such combination. 
         [0012]    Also, the system and method of some embodiments incorporate individual contributions into a single body of work, using multiple groupings and sequences with other individual contributions, to form multiple completed works, each of which represents a different and unique “view,” or path, through the total body of work. 
         [0013]    Still further, the system and method of some embodiments allow individual contributions to be developed and contributed from, and to be consumed and enjoyed by users upon, multiple hardware and software platforms, including but not limited to web-based, mobile and social networking platforms. 
         [0014]    In another embodiment, a computer-assisted system and method for the creation, organization, consumption and distribution of a body of user-generated content is provided. The resultant work includes individual contributions submitted from multiple user participants, allowing combination and consumption by other user participants whereby each individual user may define his/her own unique combination of contributions that may make a finished “completed work product” from the total body of work. 
         [0015]    The system and method of some embodiments allow users to self-direct the navigation of multiple linear paths through such body of work; and further allowing any number of such linear paths to co-exist through the single body of work, with each unique path representing a potential or actual “completed work,” based on the perspective of each individual user/consumer of the content. 
         [0016]    Additionally, the system and method of some embodiments accommodate any number of individual contributions made from any number of individual contributors, where contributions will be connected together in multiple sequences, with each sequence representing a unique configuration (or “path”) of connected contributions throughout the body of work. Contributors may append new contributions to any contribution at any point in any sequence, without destroying or modifying the existing sequence or its contents, thereby creating a new, unique sequence or path through the body of work that they or another user may follow. 
         [0017]    Further, the system and method of some embodiments allow each individual contribution (or “segment”) to be appended to, at most, one “parent” segment; whereas each segment may have an unlimited number of “child” segments appended to it. Every ending segment in any chain—in this case, every segment that has no “child” Segment appended to it—at any point in time, represents one of potentially many unique “storylines” within the total body of work, tracing its way back to some beginning segment in a single, unique, linear path. 
         [0018]    It should be recognized that the present disclosure is described by way of example only where every segment has at most one parent segment. This allows for easy description, tracking and management of unique storylines. However, it is also contemplated by the present disclosure that a segment may have more than one parent segment. Every case where a segment has more than one parent segment can also be described and managed as an equivalent case where each segment has only one parent, by considering the multi-parent segment as multiple instances, copies or clones of the original segment. 
         [0019]    Further, the system and method of some embodiments allow users to make copies of segments or chains of segments, and to attach those copies to any other segment in the body of work. 
         [0020]    In yet another embodiment, a computer-assisted system and method is provided that prioritizes multiple, unique combinations and sequences of user-generated content contributed by multiple user participants into a single body of work. 
         [0021]    The system and method of some embodiments prioritize and manage the available segment sequences based upon either a) universally defined criteria for all consumers of a body of work, and/or b) the individual preferences, profile and/or actions of each individual user-consumer. 
         [0022]    Additionally, the system and method of some embodiments allow each participant (consumer or contributor) to be presented with his/her own optimized “view” into a given body of work, wherein two different consumers of the work, each approaching the work for the first time, may be presented with two entirely different “views” of the same work, with each view based upon the individual consumer&#39;s profile, preferences and interactions. 
         [0023]    Also, the system and method of some embodiments allow the algorithms for the prioritization of “views,” or paths, through the body of work to be flexible and limited only by the amount of information known about each user. 
         [0024]    Further, the system and method of some embodiments allow each individual consumer of the content or user to refine and/or modify the algorithms selectively in order to see different views of, or paths through, the body of work, including navigating the content paths step by step, choosing each step from the existing connections available, or by establishing new connections and content of their own. 
         [0025]    The system and method of some embodiments allow for the capture, contribution and management of “meta-information” (i.e., information about or otherwise related to, but not itself, the core segment content) within each individual segment. This meta-information may include additional text or other digital media that has been contributed or linked from publicly accessible sources, either by the original contributor of the segment, by any other user of the system, or by the system itself. 
         [0026]    Additionally, the system and method of some embodiments may optionally incorporate a method and procedure for tracking, evaluating, comparing and weighing the relative contributions made by multiple contributors in any subset of the total body of work (the “attribution engine”). Such an attribution engine would be used to define, monitor and manage the relative contributions of multiple contributors involved in any defined sub-set of the total body of work. 
         [0027]    Further, the system and method of some embodiments allow for the allocation of any potentially available reward and/or recognition associated with a work to the multiple contributors involved in contributing to that work, based on the attribution engine. 
         [0028]    Further, the system and method of some embodiments allow for the incorporation of user reviews and ratings (of individual and aggregate user contributions, and of their contributors) as inputs to the attribution engine. 
         [0029]    Additionally, the system and method of some embodiments allow for the development of templates or frameworks that may be used either to direct, guide or evaluate user contributions, both in real-time (as the user is creating and submitting a new contribution) and after a user contribution has been submitted. 
         [0030]    Further, the system and method of some embodiments allow such templates, or frameworks, to be defined both globally and/or locally specific to any story, contribution or contributor. 
         [0031]    Further, the system and method of some embodiments allow such templates, or frameworks, to be defined by individual users of the system. 
         [0032]    Further, the system and method of some embodiments allow such templates, or frameworks, to be made available for re-use by other users of the system 
         [0033]    The system and method of some embodiments allow for the ability to make available various forms of compensation, recognition or attribution in connection with a user&#39;s re-use of an available template, or framework. 
         [0034]    The system and method of some embodiments also allow for the use of such templates, or frameworks, in the evaluation and prioritization of multiple segment chains that may be available for presentation by the system to a user at any point. Such evaluation and/or prioritization may be defined globally within the system or within a story, or may be defined locally by either the individual user or the individual creator of the associated template, or framework. 
         [0035]    The system and method of some embodiments allow for the automated generation of sequential chains of user-contributed segments (“system-generated storylines”) based on an evaluation of the available segments and/or the creation and inclusion of new system-generated segments, in reference to such templates, or frameworks, and/or any other available set of rules as may be determined for the purpose. 
         [0036]    Accordingly and as used herein, the term “segment” shall mean an encapsulated unit of content and/or data, including but not limited to text, audio, video, images, drawings, data or other representations or media. The term “storyline” shall mean a particular path through the available segments, where the path is defined by linking segments to one another in a particular order. The term “story” shall mean a collection of related data and content elements including but not limited to segments and storylines. The term “meta-information” shall mean any information about or related to a segment, a storyline, a story or any combinations thereof including, but not limited to information about the contributors, type of content, when contributed, in what context contributed, relationship to other content and/or dynamic information about how the content is used and/or consumed by users, such as when read, liked, used or favorited by users. 
         [0037]    The above-described and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, drawings, and appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0038]      FIGS. 1 through 29  illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the system and method according to the present disclosure in use with a sample story about Maxi&#39;s Balloon; and 
           [0039]      FIG. 30  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a system and non-transitory storage medium on which the method illustrated by  FIGS. 1 through 29  is implemented. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0040]    Referring to the drawings, an exemplary embodiment of the system and method  10  according to the present disclosure is shown. Method  10  is illustrated in  FIG. 1  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure having a story presented to the user as an aggregation of user-contributed segments  12 , including content elements, meta-data referring to those elements, and meta-data and other information connected with the aggregation of those elements (the “story”). Meta-data about the story includes, but is not limited to, a title  14 , overview description  18 , categorization (e.g., genre)  18 , characters used in and statistics  18  about the story  20 , including, the number of times the story has been read, “liked” and marked as a “favorite” by users of the system. Further,  FIG. 1  shows how discrete available “storylines,”  26  or chains of user-contributed segments  22 , appear in connection with the story  20 , including individual statistics (such as those referred to above) and the list of contributing contributors associated with each available storyline  26 . 
         [0041]      FIGS. 2 through 29  show a graphic representation for how the individual user-contributed segments are chained together in an exemplary embodiment within the overall context of a story  20  in the system or method  10  of the present disclosure. 
         [0042]      FIG. 2  begins by showing an available network of segments  22  all associated with a single story  20 , and the linkages  24  between them. Each unique path represents a unique or different “storyline”  26  within the story  20 . As seen in  FIG. 2 , for a given user at any given point in time, exactly one segment  22  and one unique storyline  26  will be “active” within the system (indicated by the segment outlined in bold  32 , and the heavy lines connecting a single chain of segments  26 , respectively). Further, the upper left box  28  in the  FIG. 2  shows how the active state of the system  10  might be represented to the user, with the text, media elements and meta-information associated with the currently active segment  32  visible to the user, along with navigation information that would allow the user to progress forward or backward through the currently active storyline  26 , or to select from among available alternative or next segments  34  inside or outside of the active storyline  26  as they progress through the story  20 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 3  illustrates, in comparison to  FIG. 2 , how the user may use system  10  to make a new unique storyline  26 ′ active by selecting one of the available alternatives to any segment  22  in the prior active storyline  26  at any point. Further,  FIG. 3  illustrates that there may be multiple unique storylines  26 ′,  26 ″ extending from the newly selected “active segment”  32  chosen by the user, in which case the system will prioritize which of the possible storylines to make “active” in connection with the new segment  22  the user has selected (this prioritization would be based on methods described above). 
         [0044]      FIG. 4  illustrates that a user may use system  10  to additionally choose to add a new segment of his/her own creation at any point in the active storyline  26 , with such new segment  22 ′ being appended to the currently active segment  32 . 
         [0045]      FIG. 5  illustrates, system  10  having letters (A through S) next to the boxes in the graphic, each chain of segments  22  in the story  20  that is considered a unique storyline  26 .  FIG. 5  further illustrates, by the box  28  in the upper left and the circled letters, how an available storyline  26  might correspond to the user&#39;s view of that storyline  26  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0046]      FIG. 6  illustrates that each user of the system  10  is able to define his/her own version, or “view,” of the same story  20 , as defined by the unique storyline  26 , or chain of segments  22  through the story, selected by the user. Here, two different storylines  26 - 1  and  26 - 2  are illustrated for different users. 
         [0047]      FIG. 7  illustrates that in system  10  any segment  22  may be marked by its contributor as beginning a new chapter  30  in the story. Thereafter, that segment will mark the beginning of the new chapter  30  in any storyline  26  in which that segment  22  is included by any user of the system  10 . 
         [0048]      FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  illustrate how a user may use system  10  to step forward and backward through the segments  22  in the active storyline  26  to change which of the segments is the “active segment”  32 . 
         [0049]      FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11  illustrate how a user may use system  10  to move from a current storyline  26  ( FIG. 10 ) to a new active storyline  26 ′ ( FIG. 11 ) by selecting, as the active segment  32  ( FIG. 11 ), an available alternative “next segment”  34  ( FIG. 10 ) that is not contained within the currently active storyline  26 . 
         [0050]      FIG. 12  and  FIG. 13  illustrate, in comparison to  FIG. 10 , how in system  10 , once a new storyline  26 ′ ( FIGS. 12 and 13 ) has been made active by the user instead of a previous storyline  26  ( FIG. 10 ), the user&#39;s forward and backward movement through the story will then move the user along the newly active storyline  26 ′, even upon reaching segments  22  that may be shared by both the new and the prior active storylines  26 ′,  26 . 
         [0051]      FIG. 14  illustrates, for example in relation to  FIG. 1 , that in system  10  for any active segment  32  shared by two or more unique storylines, only one of the available “next segment” or “child segment”  34  will be included in the currently active storyline  26 . Any other available “next segments”  34  may be shown as alternatives and selected by the user as a means of exploring, or making active, a storyline different from that which is currently active. 
         [0052]      FIG. 15  through  FIG. 19  illustrate, for example in relation to  FIG. 10 , that when a user uses system  10  to select an alternative “next segment”  34  ( FIG. 15 ) that is not in the currently active storyline  26 , but that may have been included in a prior active storyline, then the selected next segment  34  ( FIG. 15 ) will be made as the new active segment  32  ( FIG. 16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19 ), but the prior active storyline  26  ( FIG. 10 ) in which that segment had been included will not necessarily be made active. The system  10  may select a different unique storyline  26  to make active, so long as there are multiple storylines  26 ″ ( FIG. 19 ) that include the newly selected segment  22  as the active segment  32 . 
         [0053]      FIG. 20  and  FIG. 21  illustrate, in comparison to  FIG. 17 , that system  10  allows a user to also choose to return from the currently active storyline  26 ′ ( FIG. 20 ) to the prior active storyline  26  ( FIG. 17 ), making it once again the currently active storyline  26 ″ ( FIG. 21 ). 
         [0054]      FIG. 22  through  FIG. 24  illustrate how a user may use system  10 , from any currently active segment  32  ( FIG. 22 ), choose to append a new segment  36  ( FIG. 23 ) of their own contribution and, once saved, the newly contributed segment  36  is left as the active segment  32  ( FIG. 24 ).  FIG. 22  illustrates the system  10  before adding in the new segment  36 ,  FIG. 23  illustrates the system during addition of the new segment, and  FIG. 24  illustrates the system after addition of the new segment—where the new segment is now the active segment  32 . 
         [0055]      FIG. 25 ,  FIG. 26  and  FIG. 27  illustrate how a user may also use system  10  to create a new, and/or select from available existing, storylines  26  that do not share a common “opening segment”  38  with the currently active storyline; an opening segment being the first segment  22  in a storyline  26 , and having no “parent segment.” 
         [0056]      FIG. 28  and  FIG. 29  illustrate how a user may replicate any segment  22 , or any contiguous chain  39  of segments  22 , into a story line other than the one in which the original segments  22 , or chain  29 , are located, creating a new copy of the segments or chain  39 ′ without disturbing or changing the original storyline, segments  22  or segment chain  39 . 
         [0057]      FIG. 30  is a block diagram of a system  200  that is programmed to operate the method and system  10  of  FIGS. 1 through 29 . Here, the system  200  includes a processor  215  such as a computer or server, a network  220  such as an intranet or the internet, and a plurality of user computers  240  (only one shown). The processor  215  is configured to allow communication via the network  220  among the users&#39; computers  240  to implement the method of  FIGS. 1 through 29 . 
         [0058]    More specifically, system  200  includes a computer  205  coupled to a data communications network, i.e. network  220 , such as the Internet. 
         [0059]    Computer  205  includes a user interface  210 , processor  215 , and a memory  225 . Although computer  205  is represented herein as a standalone device, it is not limited to such, but instead can be coupled to other devices (not shown) in a distributed processing system. 
         [0060]    User interface  210  includes an input device, such as a keyboard or speech recognition subsystem (not shown), for enabling a user to communicate information and command selections to processor  215 . User interface  210  also includes an output device such as a display or a printer (not shown). A cursor control such as a mouse, track-ball, joy stick, or a touch-sensitive material situated on the display, allows the user to manipulate a cursor on the display for communicating additional information and command selections to processor  215 . 
         [0061]    Processor  215  is an electronic device configured of logic circuitry that responds to and executes instructions. 
         [0062]    Memory  225  is a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program. In this regard, memory  225  stores data and instructions, which are readable and executable by processor  215  for controlling the operation of processor  215 . Memory  225  may be implemented in a random access memory (RAM), a hard drive, a read only memory (ROM), or a combination thereof. One of the components of memory  225  is a program module  230 . 
         [0063]    Program module  230  contains instructions for controlling processor  215  to execute the systems and methods  10  described herein above. For example, under control of program module  230 , processor  215  executes the processes of the systems and methods  10  of  FIGS. 1 through 29 . The term “module” is used herein to denote a functional operation that may be embodied either as a stand-alone component or as an integrated configuration of a plurality of sub-ordinate components. Thus, program module  230  may be implemented as a single module or as a plurality of modules that operate in cooperation with one another. Moreover, although program module  230  is described herein as being installed in memory  225 , and therefore being implemented in software, it could be implemented in any of hardware (e.g., electronic circuitry), firmware, software, or a combination thereof. 
         [0064]    While program module  230  is indicated as already loaded into memory  225 , it may be configured on a separate storage medium  235  for subsequent loading into memory  225 . Storage medium  235  is also a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program, and can be any conventional storage medium that stores program module  225  thereon in tangible form. Examples of storage medium  235  include a floppy disk, a compact disk, a magnetic tape, a read only memory, an optical storage media, universal serial bus (USB) flash drive, a digital versatile disc, or a zip drive. Storage medium  235  can also be a random access memory, or other type of electronic storage, located on a remote storage system and coupled to computer  205  via network  220 . 
         [0065]    The program module  230  on computer  205  can be accessed by a plurality of users via user computers  240  over network  220 . Specifically, the users can use computers  240  to log into the program module  230  resident on computer  205  via network  220  in a known manner. It should be recognized that computer  205  can be any computing device such as but not limited to a home computer, a mobile computer (e.g., laptops, notebooks, ultrabooks, tablets, etc), smart phones, and other mobile or stationary computing devices. 
         [0066]    The present disclosure is illustrated above by way of example having a centralized architecture, namely with the systems and methods  10  of  FIGS. 1 through 29  being executed on computer  205  and being accessed by the user computers  240  via the network  220 . Of course, it is contemplated by the present disclosure for the present disclosure to operate in a decentralized architecture, namely with one or more portions of the method of  FIGS. 1 through 29  to be resident on the user computers  240  and with other portions of the method resident on computer  205 . 
         [0067]    While the present disclosure has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed as the best mode contemplated, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the entire disclosure herein and any combinations of the individual embodiments disclosed herein.