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  Sharing skinsUSPTO Application #: 20070203984Title: Sharing skins Abstract: A system and method for sharing skins between a first user and a second user on a computerized network. A first skin selected by the first user is transferred to and displayed to the second user. The transfer and/or the display is performed automatically. A second skin selected by the second user is transferred to and displayed to the first user. In one embodiment, the first and second skins are alternately displayed (e.g. periodically in time) to the first and second users. Users can have one or more skins, including a default skin, associated with each of them. Options are available to allow a user to authorize skin sharing with other users, to specify which skins can be shared, to control the amount of time between alternating skin displays, and the number of times the skins are alternately displayed. (end of abstract)
Agent: Sinsheimer Juhnke Lebens & Mcivor, LLP - San Luis Obispo, CA, US Inventors: Ibrahim AlHusseini, Bruce Klickstein, Robert Lipschutz, Gregg Harrington USPTO Applicaton #: 20070203984 - Class: 709205000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Electrical Computers And Digital Processing Systems: Multicomputer Data Transferring, Computer Conferencing, Cooperative Computer Processing The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070203984. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX [0001] Appendix A contains the following files in one CD-ROM (of which two identical copies are attached hereto), and is a part of the present disclosure and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Volume in drive D is Sharingskin [0002] Volume Serial Number is 04D1-08B5 TABLE-US-00001 Directory of D:\ 09/08/2002 09:21a 43,027 Client1.txt 09/08/2002 09:21a 13,339 Client2.txt 09/08/2002 09:21a 76,972 Client3.txt 09/08/2002 09:21a 4,532 server1.txt 09/08/2002 09:24a 2,007 server2.txt 09/08/2002 09:24a 1,969 server3.txt 6 File(s) 141,846 bytes 0 Dir(s) 0 bytes free [0003] The files of Appendix A form source code of computer programs for an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. [0004] The files client1.txt, client2.txt and client3.txt contain computer instructions in Borland's Delphi 5 for describing the behavior of one embodiment of a workstation that supports skin sharing. Note that instead of using Delphi language software for client computers, other embodiments may use software written in other languages such as C++ or Java. [0005] The files server1.txt, server2.txt and server3.txt are computer instructions in the language Java for describing the behavior of one embodiment of a server that supports client computers programmed with the above-described Delphi software: client1.txt, client2.txt and client3.txt. COPYRIGHT NOTICE [0006] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0007] Users at two or more computers (called "workstations") can communicate information between each other using a communication network. One such network includes one or more additional computers (called "servers") that have data storage and routing facilities for transferring information between servers to a workstation. The workstations include network interfaces that allow them to transmit and receive information from the servers. Another commonly used network is a peer-to-peer network that includes a communication link between two or more workstations to communicate information directly between the workstations (without the need for a server). [0008] Workstations connected to a network can include software for allowing users to exchange messages with one another in real-time. This type of exchange is commonly referred to as instant messaging and/or chat session. Instant messaging typically involves two users, whereas chat sessions typically involve more than two users. In both kinds of sessions, messages are entered and received via a user interface on the workstations. [0009] For additional information on instant messaging, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,609 granted to Aravamudan, et al. on Oct. 9, 2001 and entitled "Assignable Associate Priorities For User-Definable Instant Messaging Buddy Groups" that is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. [0010] Examples of four commonly used software at a workstation, for instant messaging are: ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, and AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). Each of these software programs has, in the past, used proprietary interfaces and protocols to transfer instant messages among users, although newer software programs, such as Trillian 0.71 and Odigo 3.1 provide an interface to (and communicate with) the just-described four instant messengers. [0011] According to a review article on the Internet at the website www.cnet.com, it is possible to "Switch Trillian 0.71's look and feel by downloading skins. We downloaded a few colorful ones from Cerulean's site and DeviantArt and settled on a skin that looks a lot less artistic but is much more functional." Trillian is just one example of an instant messenger whose look and feel can be changed by use of different skins (also called "themes"). Other examples of instant messengers that support use of skins include MyCQ, ICQ with ICQPlus, Odigo and Yahoo Messenger. [0012] Software that supports skins (also called "skinnable software") is not limited to instant messengers. Other types of skinnable software include video games (such as Quake), media players (such as WinAmp and Windows Media Player), browsers (such as iNet-Tabs and BrowserBob, WebBlinds and Themebar), calculator (such as Beautiful Calculator from RaysLab), Microsoft Windows operating system desktop (such as eFX, Aston, Chroma, Cloud9ine, CustomEyes, Litestep, DarkStep, WindowBlinds), e-mail notificators (such as EzPop and Incredimail), file sharing utilities (such as eDonkey 2000), wcbcam utility (such as Argus 0.6b), news tickers (such as AMINews and HoverNews), message boards (such as Toast Forums 1.5), sticky notes reminder/scheduler (such as Aversoft Sticker), file transfer programs (such as 3D ftp), and Visual Basic applications (by use of Vbskinner available at sourcccode.8m.com/VBskinner/index.html). [0013] To change a skin in certain prior art skinnable software, the user manually performs a number of acts such as the following: (1) download a file from a website of skins (e.g. Cerulean Studios' website) onto the desktop (2) unzip the file into a skins folder in the application folder (e.g. c:\program files\Trillian\skins\) while ensuring that the skin is placed only one directory deep (e.g.\skins\TrillianXP\trillian.xml) (3) load up the application (e.g. Trillian) and access preferences and (4) choose the `Skins` option from and launch the skin chooser. If these four steps are performed correctly, the user is able to see the new skin and select it. At this stage, if the newly-downloaded skin is not available as one of the choices, the user must double check the previous steps while keeping in mind that only certain versions of skins will work on certain versions of the software. Once a newly-downloaded skin is selected in the application, the user must restart the application to actually experience the new look. [0014] For more information on skinning, see the article entitled "The World of `Skinning` an introductory primer" which is available on the Internet at www.stardock.net/media/skinprimer.html and this article is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. See also another article entitled "Windows Customization 2002 A Primer" by Bradley Wardell, published April 2002, on the Internet at www.stardock.com/stardock/articles/skinprimer/skinprimer2002.html SUMMARY [0015] In certain embodiments of the invention, when two or more users use skinnable software, each user may share their skin with the other user. During reciprocal sharing, cach user's skin is displayed to the other user. Such sharing of skins is done automatically in some embodiments, without any of the users doing anything other than the acts that the users normally perform in using the skinnable software. The just-described sharing of skins may be implemented in any skinnable software, although in some embodiments, the software is communication software (such as an instant messenger), and only users that are communicating with one another are involved in skin sharing. [0016] In certain embodiments, a display of each user's skin is periodically replaced with a display of one (or more) other user(s) skin. For example, in a first user's instant messenger, the display of the first user's skin is automatically replaced by a display of a second user's skin. Similarly, in the second user's instant messenger, a display of the second user's skin is automatically replaced by the first user's skin. After a few moments, the just-described acts are performed in the reverse order, so that each user's own skin is displayed by their respective instant messenger. Then the entire process is repeated, thereby to alternately display the two skins to each user. Such a changing display of each user's skins to one or more other users results in a common shared experience for the users, thereby to allow, for example, sharing of each user's feelings with the other user(s). Depending on the embodiment, during a skin sharing process, the users may also communicate with one another, in this example by use of their instant messengers (e.g. by sending to one another text messages and/or emoticons and/or voice signals). [0017] Although an instant messenger is one example of software in which skin sharing can be implemented, skin sharing as described herein can be implemented in any other software, such as chat software, email notification software or even browser software. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0018] FIG. 1A illustrates, in a flow chart, acts performed in accordance with the invention to display different skins to a user. Continue reading... Full patent description for Sharing skins Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Sharing skins patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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