Abstract:
The present invention provides a computer-implemented platform for creating a social network interface, comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having encoded thereon non-transitory computer executable instructions which, when executed by at least one processor provides, on at least one computing network, a graphical user interface (GUI) for the computer-implemented platform that further provides access to a plurality of content comprising a plurality of content types, allows for selection of at least first ones of the content from the plurality of content for association with at least second ones of the content from the plurality of content, provides at least two of a time, type and location stamp in association with the plurality of content, provides at least one association between the at least first ones of the content and the at least second ones of the content in accordance with at least one rule; and provides display of the at least first ones of the content contemporaneously with at least second ones of the content from the plurality of content, wherein the at least first ones of the content and the at least second ones of the content are of a different content type.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/930,448, filed Jan. 22, 2014, entitled “System and Methods for Delivery Information and a Platform for Same”, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/903,180, filed Nov. 12, 2013, entitled “Systems and Method for Mobile Social Network Interactions”, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/845,005, filed Jul. 11, 2013 entitled, “Engine, System and Method of Providing Interactive Content Delivery Management”, each of which are incorporated by reference herein as if set forth herein in their entireties. 
         [0002]    The present application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ , entitled “Computer-Implemented Virtual Object for Managing Digital Content”, U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ entitled “System and Method for Creating a Unique Media and Information Management Platform”, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ entitled “An Apparatus, System and Method for a Graphical User Interface for a Multi-Dimensional Networked Content Platform”, which are all filed contemporaneously, the entireties of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0004]    The present invention relates aspects of social media and interaction, and, more particularly, to an engine, system and method of providing cloud-based communication services. 
         [0005]    2. Background of the Invention 
         [0006]    In the present environment, one&#39;s virtual presence is synonymous with an actual, physical presence. That is, a large portion of who a person is—the person&#39;s interests, likes, beliefs, and the like—may be presented to the world via social media. 
         [0007]    However, currently available platforms suitable to provide content of interest, and accordingly suitable to show the world one&#39;s interests, beliefs, etc., operate independently of one another. That is, a professional face, and hence professionally-related content, may be presented to the world via LinkedIn, and an artistic face, that is, artistic content, may be presented to the world via Instagram. 
         [0008]    As such, the number of current communications platforms is overwhelming, and it is impossible to share multiple facets of a person using known methods. For example, a student athlete&#39;s have taken to developing their own unique websites to try to attract colleges, in part because there is no single platform presently available for the student athlete to share game videos, express herself, share her scholarly pursuits, likes, interests, hobbies, social/virtual presence, and more with a prospective college recruiting for such an athlete. 
         [0009]    Moreover, known means of content provision do not scale well, in large measure because such means provide only two-dimensional methodologies for providing content. Accordingly, in typical known embodiments, a viewer of content provided by a user must scroll, flip, or otherwise maneuver as between content provision screens or the like. This is exceedingly inconvenient, particularly in a mobile environment having limited screen size. 
         [0010]    There is thus no currently available platform that is suitable to provide various types and substantially unlimited amounts of content, including audio, image, video, text, site, RSS feed, social media, e-magazine, and e-commerce, integration in an interactive, digital interface. Further, it would be preferable that such a platform provide a three dimensional content-providing platform, to thereby improve the efficiency of providing the content. Additionally, a graphical user interface to allow for the creation of the aspects associated with such a platform would be advantageous. 
         [0011]    Thus, the need exists for an apparatus, system and method for a graphical user interface for a multi-dimensional networked content platform. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0012]    The present invention provides a system and method for visually aiding communications by at least one user providing a plurality of content types which may be associated with each other to form unified portions of information having disparate content types. The system and method may include a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having encoded thereon non-transitory computer executable instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, provide, on at least one computing network, a graphical user interface (GUI) for the computer-implemented platform that: provides access to a plurality of content comprising a plurality of content types; allows for the providing of a plurality of content having a type and time stamp in association with the content; and allows for selection of access rules for third parties attempting to access the selected content. 
         [0013]    Thus, the present invention provides an apparatus, system and method for a graphical user interface for a multi-dimensional networked content platform. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosed embodiments. In the drawings, like numerals represent like elements, and: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates an aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  illustrates an aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  illustrates an aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  illustrates an aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  illustrates an aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  illustrates an aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  illustrates an aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  illustrates an aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    Computer-implemented platforms, engines, systems and methods of use are disclosed that provide networked access to a plurality of types of digital content, including but not limited to video, audio, metadata, interactive and document content, and that track, deliver manipulate, transform and report the accessed content. Described embodiments of these platforms, engines, systems and methods are intended to be exemplary and not limiting. As such, it is contemplated that the herein described systems and methods can be adapted to provide many types of cloud-based valuations, scoring, marketplaces, and the like, and can be extended to provide enhancements and/or additions to the exemplary platforms, engines, systems and methods described. The invention is thus intended to include all such extensions. Reference will now be made in detail to various exemplary and illustrative embodiments of the present invention. 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  depicts an exemplary computing system  100  for use in accordance with herein described system and methods. Computing system  100  is capable of executing software, such as an operating system (OS) and a variety of computing applications  190 . The operation of exemplary computing system  100  is controlled primarily by computer readable instructions, such as instructions stored in a computer readable storage medium, such as hard disk drive (HDD)  115 , optical disk (not shown) such as a CD or DVD, solid state drive (not shown) such as a USB “thumb drive,” or the like. Such instructions may be executed within central processing unit (CPU)  110  to cause computing system  100  to perform operations. In many known computer servers, workstations, personal computers, and the like, CPU  110  is implemented in an integrated circuit called a processor. 
         [0025]    It is appreciated that, although exemplary computing system  100  is shown to comprise a single CPU  110 , such description is merely illustrative as computing system  100  may comprise a plurality of CPUs  110 . Additionally, computing system  100  may exploit the resources of remote CPUs (not shown), for example, through communications network  170  or some other data communications means. 
         [0026]    In operation, CPU  110  fetches, decodes, and executes instructions from a computer readable storage medium such as HDD  115 . Such instructions can be included in software such as an operating system (OS), executable programs, and the like. Information, such as computer instructions and other computer readable data, is transferred between components of computing system  100  via the system&#39;s main data-transfer path. The main data-transfer path may use a system bus architecture  105 , although other computer architectures (not shown) can be used, such as architectures using serializers and deserializers and crossbar switches to communicate data between devices over serial communication paths. System bus  105  can include data lines for sending data, address lines for sending addresses, and control lines for sending interrupts and for operating the system bus. Some busses provide bus arbitration that regulates access to the bus by extension cards, controllers, and CPU  110 . Devices that attach to the busses and arbitrate access to the bus are called bus masters. Bus master support also allows multiprocessor configurations of the busses to be created by the addition of bus master adapters containing processors and support chips. 
         [0027]    Memory devices coupled to system bus  105  can include random access memory (RAM)  125  and read only memory (ROM)  130 . Such memories include circuitry that allows information to be stored and retrieved. ROMs  130  generally contain stored data that cannot be modified. Data stored in RAM  125  can be read or changed by CPU  110  or other hardware devices. Access to RAM  125  and/or ROM  130  may be controlled by memory controller  120 . Memory controller  120  may provide an address translation function that translates virtual addresses into physical addresses as instructions are executed. Memory controller  120  may also provide a memory protection function that isolates processes within the system and isolates system processes from user processes. Thus, a program running in user mode can normally access only memory mapped by its own process virtual address space; it cannot access memory within another process&#39; virtual address space unless memory sharing between the processes has been set up. 
         [0028]    In addition, computing system  100  may contain peripheral controller  135  responsible for communicating instructions using a peripheral bus from CPU  110  to peripherals, such as printer  140 , keyboard  145 , and mouse  150 . An example of a peripheral bus is the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus. 
         [0029]    Display  160 , which is controlled by display controller  155 , can be used to display visual output and/or presentation generated by or at the request of computing system  100 . Such visual output may include text, graphics, animated graphics, and/or video, for example. Display  160  may be implemented with a CRT-based video display, an LCD-based flat-panel display, gas plasma-based flat-panel display, touch-panel, or the like. Display controller  155  includes electronic components required to generate a video signal that is sent to display  160 . 
         [0030]    Further, computing system  100  may contain network adapter  165  which may be used to couple computing system  100  to an external communication network  170 , which may include or provide access to the Internet. Communications network  170  may provide user access for computing system  100  with means of communicating and transferring software and information electronically. Additionally, communications network  170  may provide for distributed processing, which involves several computers and the sharing of workloads or cooperative efforts in performing a task. It is appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing communications links between computing system  100  and remote users may be used. 
         [0031]    It is appreciated that exemplary computing system  100  is merely illustrative of a computing environment in which the herein described systems and methods may operate and does not limit the implementation of the herein described systems and methods in computing environments having differing components and configurations, as the inventive concepts described herein may be implemented in various computing environments using various components and configurations. 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , computing system  100  can be deployed in networked computing environment  200 . In general, the above description for computing system  100  applies to server, client, and peer computers deployed in a networked environment, for example, server  205 , laptop computer  210 , and desktop computer  230 .  FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary illustrative networked computing environment  200 , with a server in communication with client computing and/or communicating devices via a communications network, in which the herein described apparatus and methods may be employed. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , server  205  may be interconnected via a communications network  240  (which may include any of, or any combination of, a fixed-wire or wireless LAN, WAN, intranet, extranet, peer-to-peer network, virtual private network, the Internet, or other communications network such as POTS, ISDN, VoIP, PSTN, etc.) with a number of client computing/communication devices such as laptop computer  210 , wireless mobile telephone  215 , wired telephone  220 , personal digital assistant  225 , user desktop computer  230 , and/or other communication enabled devices (not shown). Server  205  can comprise dedicated servers operable to process and communicate data such as digital content  250  to and from client devices  210 ,  215 ,  220 ,  225 ,  230 , etc. using any of a number of known protocols, such as hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), file transfer protocol (FTP), simple object access protocol (SOAP), wireless application protocol (WAP), or the like. Additionally, networked computing environment  200  can utilize various data security protocols such as secured socket layer (SSL), pretty good privacy (PGP), virtual private network (VPN) security, or the like. Each client device  210 ,  215 ,  220 ,  225 ,  230 , etc. can be equipped with an operating system operable to support one or more computing and/or communication applications, such as a web browser (not shown), email (not shown), or the like, to interact with server  205 . 
         [0034]    The present invention may provide a server  301  which may provide a platform for a social networking among a plurality of users. Such a system may have an embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , which may include system  300 . System  300  may include a blog server  301  connected to the internet  310  which may have further connected thereto multiple devices. Although any device may be directly connected to the blog server  301 , it is more likely that each device is connected wirelessly or through a hard wire connection to some form of the internet  310 . In an embodiment of the present invention, multiple users using various devices may communicate with the blog server  301 . For example, two users having mobile device  321  and mobile device  322  may be related in some way, such as, for example, by being previous connects of one another and/or by being resident in the same location. As with the user of device  323 , the user of device  321  may communicate with blog server  301  to post content. Such content may include text, images, or other visual content capable of being rendered on a mobile or other electronic device. 
         [0035]    As would be appreciated by one skilled in the art, a user of mobile device  323  may post content to blog server  301  in a linear fashion and may post in response to other users also posting to blog server  301 . In the case of two users unified by a common characteristic  330 , each user may literally post to blog server  301  and/or may interact between each other only later posting to blog server  301  a plurality of conversational threads and content occurring within common thread  330 . In this way, two or more users may interact without posting or otherwise having contact with blog server  101  and may therefore only post to blog server  301  content or blog conversations which the users authorize. 
         [0036]    As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , a user of the present invention may upload various entries to a blog server which may include text, images and other media. Through connection  401 , the user may enter a text entry  410  followed by an image  420  for example and may repeat the exercise with or without having connection  401  in contact with the blog server. Further, and in the embodiment of the present invention, a media file  450  may uploaded to the blog server. Such media may include not only images, but multi-frame content such as animations and/or movies, for example. Although text and other visual content may be individually uploaded to the blog server, such content may be joined together to form a unified blog posting. 
         [0037]    As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the present invention may allow for text and other content to be joined or attributed together to form a unified blog posting. For example, feed  500  may be provided by a plurality of users who may be posting a variety of content which may include individual images  501 , text and image combinations including text  510 , image  503  and text  511  for example, and plain text entries  513 . The text and image combination  530  may include, for example, an image associated or related to the text being entered for inclusion in the blog accessible on blog server  301 . Although various user GUIs will be discussed further herein, a user may associate text with an image and/or images with text either by uploading them simultaneously to the blog server  301  and/or designating them as related through functionality provided by a GUI. By way of example, a user may upload a photograph of their dog and may associate text with the picture describing their feelings of their pet. The user may simultaneously send the picture and the text to blog server  301  and have posted thereon the picture along with the text in close association such that a reader of the blog would identify the text as being associated with the picture. 
         [0038]    In an embodiment of the present invention, the picture of the dog would, in the background of the blog, with the text associate with the picture superimposed over the picture. Preferably, the picture of the dog would be semi-transparent and/or partially de-pixelated to allow for the clear presentation of text over the picture. As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , a device  610  may include a display of the blog  620  for which content has been posted. As illustrated here, a picture of two people may have been uploaded to the blog and may be presented as a background over which multiple blog entries related to that picture have been uploaded to the blog. Multiple users may comment and/or enter information over the same picture allowing for any number of entries to be associated with a single image upload. 
         [0039]    In the case where uploaded text and comments from users exceed the viewable space provided by device  610 , for example, the user may scroll through the text entries while the image related thereto remains substantially within the viewable portion  620 . Such functionality may allow for multiple users to comment on a single uploaded piece of content while allowing for review of those comments by a user without losing site of the uploaded image. This may be accomplished by providing a scrolling function of the text over the uploaded image within the viewable portion  620 . 
         [0040]    Referring again to  FIG. 5 , the image and text combinations of  540 , for example, may be preceded by plain text entry  513  which may then be preceded by, for example, a text and media combination  550 . As illustrated, text  513  may not be associated with the text image combination  540  nor with the text media combination  550 . Thus, when viewing the entries on the blog, a user viewing text  513  may not see the image  505  or media  520 . For example, if image  505  represents a picture of a person playing a slot machine having associated therewith text  512 , the viewing of text  513  by the user may force image  505  out of view. In this way, the reading of text  513  would not be confusingly associated with image  505 . Although text  513  may not be present in a viewable area on a device with image  505 , text  513  may adjoin at least a portion of text  512  to provide for a continuous visual stream of text within the blog. The point at which image  505  no longer appears in the viewable area relevant to text  513  may be sent by the program administration and/or locally by the user. By way of example, the user may not wish image  505  to disappear from the viewable area until all of text entry  513  is available within the viewable area. As would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, any artificial boundary may be set up in the viewable area of the blog to trigger the removal of an unrelated piece of content. 
         [0041]    Similarly, scrolling forward in the order of user input may introduce text and media combination  550  which may have already been entered into the blog by at least one user. Media content  520  may include an image and/or may include a movie file which may be of any duration and may, preferably, be of a length suitable for mobile viewing. 
         [0042]    In an embodiment of the present invention, a user of the present invention may be characterized as a subscriber and may be provided access to the at least one blog server through at least one credentialed gateway and may, for example, be a user having a defined username and password associated with at least a portion of the present invention. As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the present invention may receive content from a subscriber and may further collect subscriber attributes which may include, for example, specific subscriber characteristics, which may include demographic and location information, and content attributes, which may include, for example, time stamp information, location information, file type and size, and other known measurables. Such information may be retained in at least one database and may be temporally and/or maintained for a period of time. 
         [0043]    A rules engine associated with the present invention may correlate the information based on attributes selected by the subscriber and/or administrator of the present invention. For example, text and images may be correlated together if, for example, the time stamp related to the receipt of each corresponds to a certain time frame, such as, for example, over a  10  minute period. Similarly, the content could be aggregated by keyword association. For example, an uploaded video may include the keyword “Betty” among its meta-data and may have associated therewith text entries including the term “Betty.” In this way, the received content may not be strictly temporally associated, allowing for later received content to be associated with recorded content at a time which may be outside the temporal window described above. The flexibility may allow for a more dynamic blogging experience, for example, by allowing users to continue to add to and/or update received content. 
         [0044]    The receiving and/or sending of content may be assisted by measuring the speed at which at least one participant connection speed and illustrated in  FIG. 8 . Connection speed may be relatively constant and/or variable and may be suitable for the download and/or uploading of information at speeds such that, for example, the viewed content appears in real-time to the receiving user. If the connection speed is less than optimal and, for example, causes some delay in the download and/or uploading of information, the information may be sized down by, for example, depixilation and/or by selecting a single frame of a video to be at least temporarily presented, and other techniques known to those skilled in the art. 
         [0045]    Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the herein described systems and methods may be subject to various modifications and alternative constructions. There is no intention to limit the scope of the invention to the specific constructions described herein. Rather, the herein described systems and methods are intended to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the scope and spirit of the invention and its equivalents.