Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

John Michael Thornton

Jason Matthew Cahill

Shane Hartley

Alexander Sabo Brodie

Michael H Kim

Bryan P Ferguson

Karthik G Anbalagan

Chunkit Jacky Chan

Scott Robert Ramsby

Timothy R O'Connor

Ryan A Kabir

Jason Fergus Moore

Jason S Flaks

Alan Andrew Urdan

C Shane Evans

Marcus J Andrews

David R Parlin

Rodger William Benson

James E Veres

Ojiakonobi Udezue

Wilhelmina P Dietrich

Jennifer I Shen

Gyorgy K Schadt

Om Sharma

Tatjana Fournier

Bradley G Weed

Robin Counts

Samuel James Pinson

Dave Citron

Aanand Narayanan Pisharathu

Samuel J Pinson

Shanjeef Satchithanantham

Becky Pezely

Michael Jay Gilmore

William David Sproule

Eric W Richards

Eric Jonathan Wright

Eric Wayne Doerr

Mindy C King

Shawn Lee Morrissey

Aanand Narayanan Pulamanthole Pisharathu

Alexander Schokking

Ananda Narayanan Pulamanthole Pisharathu

Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for facilitating the use and exchange of customized third-party content in a distributed computing environment that allows for third-party hosting. Embodiments of the disclosed technology concern an application store within an application (e.g., an 'in-app app store'). The application store can offer downloadable digital content and/or roaming entitlements to a user of the application. Further, in particular embodiments, the downloadable content and/or entitlements are generated by a third party (e.g., a party different than the provider/publisher of the application and the user of the application). Also disclosed are methods and mechanisms for copy-protecting such content.

Securing customized third-party content within a computing environment configured to enable third-party hosting

Techniques to share media files through messaging are described. An apparatus may comprise a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory may store a message application that when executed by the processor is operative to communicate a message and a message attachment comprising a media file at different time intervals using different transports. The message may have a link comprising a reference to a discoverable storage location for the media file. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Techniques to share media files through messaging

An image to be shared with other users based on input from a first user is received. A second user is identified from a tag of the image, and information is provided, based at least in part on the tag, to one or both of the first user and the second user. Additionally, after editing of an image a determination can be made as to whether a region of the image having an associated tag has been affected by the editing. The tag associated with the region is altered if the region has been affected by the editing, otherwise the tag associated with the region is left unaltered. Furthermore, the tag can include a first portion storing data identifying a region of the image to which the tag corresponds, and a second portion storing data identifying a person shown in the region.

Tagging images with labels

A global tag for an image is received identifies one or more objects in the image, and a region-specific tag for the image identifies one or more objects in a region of the image. The global tag and the region-specific tag are stored with the image. Displayed, along with the image, is an identifier for each of the one or more objects identified in the global tag, and an identifier for each of the one or more objects identified in the region-specific tag. Different users are able to maintain different names for the same person, allowing the same tag of the image to be used as the basis for displaying the image with different names for the different users. Additionally, the tags can be used as a basis for generating a credits list of people that are included in a compilation of images.

Image tagging user interface

Display screen with graphical user interface

Display screen with icon

Display screen with animated graphical user interface

Typical users may be interested in viewing photos of people with whom they maintain true social contact. In one example, a person's true social network may be inferred from photo tagging history. Social contacts tend to tag each other in photos, while other types of contacts (e.g., business contacts) are less likely to tag each other in photos. Thus, in order to determine what photos to show to a given user, people may be scored based on how often the user has tagged those people in photos, and also on how often those other people have tagged the user. Those people who have high scores may be presumed to be socially close to the given user. Photos containing people who have received high scores may be selected, and the selected photos may be shown to the user.

Selection of photos based on tagging history

Growing community of inventors

Kirkland, WA, United States of America

John Michael Thornton