U.S. patent application number 14/670476 was filed with the patent office on 2015-07-16 for creating variations when transforming data into consumable content.
The applicant listed for this patent is Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC. Invention is credited to Brett David Brewer, Sarah Faulkner, Nathaniel George Freier, Steven Richard Hollasch, David Benjamin Lee, Hai Liu, Jennifer P. Michelstein, Katrika Morris, Christopher Hugh Pratley, Chad Garrett Waldman.
Application Number | 20150199605 14/670476 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48916193 |
Filed Date | 2015-07-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150199605 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Michelstein; Jennifer P. ;
et al. |
July 16, 2015 |
Creating Variations when Transforming Data into Consumable
Content
Abstract
Concepts and technologies are described herein for creating
variations when transforming data into consumable content. In
accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a
computing device can execute a transformation engine for
transforming data into the consumable content. The computing device
can be configured to analyze the data to identify relationships
among data elements or other portions of the data, and to identify
any possible approaches to transforming the data ("worlds") based
upon the relationships and the data. The worlds can be ranked and
selected based upon rank. The computing device can obtain rules
associated with the selected and apply the rules to the data to
generate the output. In some embodiments, the computing device can
be configured to obtain and apply feedback regarding the world
selection.
Inventors: |
Michelstein; Jennifer P.;
(Kirkland, WA) ; Lee; David Benjamin; (Sammamish,
WA) ; Morris; Katrika; (Relssaquah, WA) ;
Pratley; Christopher Hugh; (Seattle, WA) ; Faulkner;
Sarah; (Seattle, WA) ; Hollasch; Steven Richard;
(Redmond, WA) ; Freier; Nathaniel George;
(Seattle, WA) ; Liu; Hai; (Sammamish, WA) ;
Waldman; Chad Garrett; (Renton, WA) ; Brewer; Brett
David; (Sammamish, WA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC |
Redmond |
WA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
48916193 |
Appl. No.: |
14/670476 |
Filed: |
March 27, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13552662 |
Jul 19, 2012 |
9009092 |
|
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14670476 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
706/47 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 40/151 20200101;
G06F 40/103 20200101; G06F 16/26 20190101; G06F 16/34 20190101;
G06N 5/027 20130101; G06F 40/131 20200101; G06F 16/9535
20190101 |
International
Class: |
G06N 5/02 20060101
G06N005/02 |
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A computer, comprising: a processor; and a computer-readable
storage medium having computer readable instructions stored
thereupon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor
to: identify a plurality of worlds that are usable to generate
output comprising at least one of a plurality of data elements,
each of the plurality of worlds defining a visualization model to
apply to the plurality of data elements based, at least partially,
upon relationships identified between the plurality of data
elements, rank the plurality of worlds based, at least partially,
upon a determination of an appropriateness of the each of the
plurality of worlds for a shape determined for the plurality of
data elements, select a world from the plurality of worlds based,
at least partially, upon the plurality of data elements, obtain
rules for applying the plurality of data elements to the world
selected, and apply the rules to the plurality of data elements to
generate the output.
22. The computer of claim 21, further comprising computer readable
instructions to identify the plurality of worlds by analyzing the
plurality of data elements to determine worlds to which the
plurality of data elements are applicable based, at least
partially, upon a shape determined for the plurality of data
elements.
23. The computer of claim 22, wherein the shape determined for the
plurality of data elements comprises data identifying at least one
of an amount of text in the plurality of data elements, an amount
of images in the plurality of data elements, an image to text ratio
associated with the plurality of data elements, an average image
size associated with the plurality of data elements, or a size of
text blocks within the plurality of data elements.
24. The computer of claim 22, wherein the shape determined for the
plurality of data elements further comprises at least one of an
amount of images in the plurality of data elements, a size of
images in the plurality of data elements, a resolution of images in
the plurality of data elements, an aspect ratio of images in the
plurality of data elements, a length of text blocks in the
plurality of data elements, numbers of related text blocks in the
plurality of data elements, or counts of sections in the plurality
of data elements.
25. The computer of claim 22, further comprising computer readable
instructions to select a world from the plurality of worlds by:
ranking each of the plurality of worlds based, at least partially,
upon a determination of an applicability of the world to the
determined shape; selecting the world based, at least partially,
upon the ranking; and outputting the selected world.
26. The computer of claim 21, further comprising computer readable
instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the
computer to: present the output; and obtain feedback relating to
the output.
27. The computer of claim 26, further comprising computer readable
instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the
computer to: determine, based upon the feedback, if the world is to
be changed; and in response to determining that the world is to be
changed, determine a new world to apply the data to and output data
identifying the new world determined.
28. The computer of claim 27, further comprising computer readable
instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the
computer to determine if the world is to be changed by: reranking
the plurality of worlds; and selecting the new world based, at
least partially, upon the reranking of the plurality of worlds.
29. The computer of claim 26, wherein the feedback comprises at
least one of: an indication that an aspect of the output is liked;
an indication that an aspect of the output is disliked; or an
indication that a different world is desired.
30. A computer storage medium having computer readable instructions
stored thereupon that, when executed by a computer, cause the
computer to: obtain data comprising a plurality of data elements;
analyze the data to identify relationships between the plurality of
data elements; identify a plurality of worlds that are usable to
generate output comprising at least one of the plurality of data
elements based, at least partially, upon the relationships, wherein
each of the plurality of worlds defines a visualization model to
apply to the plurality of data elements; rank the plurality of
worlds to determine a ranking of the worlds based, at least
partially, upon a determination of an applicability of the
respective worlds to the data the relationships; select a world
from the plurality of worlds based, at least partially, upon the
ranking of the worlds; obtain rules for applying the data to the
world selected; and apply the rules to the data to generate the
output.
31. The computer storage medium of claim 30, further comprising
computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer,
cause the computer to: present the output; obtain feedback relating
to the output; determine, based upon the feedback, if the world is
to be changed; and in response to determining that the world is to
be changed, determine a new world to apply the data to and output
data identifying the new world determined.
32. The computer storage medium of claim 30, further comprising
computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer,
cause the computer to: determine that the data has been updated;
and update the output to reflect the updated data.
33. A computer-implemented method for transforming data, the
computer-implemented method comprising performing
computer-implemented operations for: identifying a plurality of
worlds that are usable to generate output comprising at least one
of a plurality of data elements, each of the plurality of worlds
defining a visualization model to apply to the plurality of data
elements based, at least partially, upon relationships identified
between the plurality of data elements; ranking the plurality of
worlds based, at least partially, upon a determination of an
appropriateness of the each of the plurality of worlds for a shape
determined for the plurality of data elements; selecting a world
from the plurality of worlds based, at least partially, upon the
plurality of data elements; obtaining rules for applying the
plurality of data elements to the world selected; and applying the
rules to the plurality of data elements to generate the output.
34. The computer-implemented method of claim 33, further
comprising: presenting the output at a display device associated
with the computing device; obtaining feedback from a user of the
computing device; determining if the world is to be changed based,
at least partially, upon the feedback; and in response to
determining that the world is to be changed, selecting a new world
in accordance with the feedback.
35. The computer-implemented method of claim 33, further
comprising: determining at least one variation to apply to the
plurality of data elements for introducing a variation to the
output; determining the visualization model based upon the
variation and the relationships; and selecting the world based, at
least partially, upon the visualization model and the
relationships.
36. The computer-implemented method of claim 33, further
comprising: detecting a change to the plurality of data elements or
a new plurality of data elements; reranking the plurality of worlds
based on the change to the plurality of data elements or the new
plurality of data elements; and selecting a new world based on the
reranking of the plurality of worlds.
37. The computer-implemented method of claim 33, wherein
identifying the plurality of worlds comprises analyzing the
plurality of data elements to determine worlds to which the data
are applicable based, at least partially, upon a shape determined
for the plurality of data elements.
38. The computer-implemented method of claim 37, wherein the shape
determined for the plurality of data elements comprises data
identifying at least one of an amount of text, an amount of images
in the data, or an amount of another type of data.
39. The computer-implemented method of claim 37, wherein selecting
a world from the plurality of worlds comprises: ranking each of the
plurality of worlds based, at least partially, upon a determination
of an appropriateness of the each of the plurality of worlds for
the determined shape; selecting the world based, at least
partially, upon the ranking; and outputting the selected world.
40. The computer-implemented method of claim 39, wherein selecting
the world comprises selecting the world having the highest ranking.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 13/552,662 filed Jul. 19, 2012, entitled "Creating
Variations When Transforming Data into Consumable Content," which
is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] With the increasing availability and diversity of software
that can be used to instantly publish information, data sharing has
been revolutionized by allowing an increasingly diverse set of
users to share increasingly diverse types of data at accelerated
speeds, frequencies, and to expanding audiences. Thus, many users
who create, generate, share, and/or publish data may or may not be
well versed in design concepts that can be used to present data in
a meaningful format for viewers. If these users take time to
improve design characteristics of the presented data, the utility
of the data may diminish due to subsequent data publication by that
user or other users.
[0003] To meet these time-related challenges, some users may
publish data in a simple document and/or may load the data into a
presentation, video, or other output. Because the format chosen to
present data may or may not be ideal, these presentations may lack
enough information to be useful and/or may include too much
information to be easily consumed by viewers. Thus, the challenges
posed to users due to the increasing volume and frequency of data
publication may affect the usefulness of the shared or otherwise
published information.
[0004] While templates can be used to publish data, these templates
may be standard to a particular software package and may or may not
be well suited to a particular type of data published by a user.
Additionally, users may want to distinguish their published data
from other users by making their publication appear unique, thereby
attracting and keeping a viewer's attention and/or giving the
impression that the user generated the document himself or
herself.
[0005] It is with respect to these and other considerations that
the disclosure made herein is presented.
SUMMARY
[0006] Concepts and technologies are described herein for creating
variations when transforming data into consumable content. As used
herein, the term "consumable" can be used to refer to content that
can be readily viewed, interpreted, or accessed by a user, viewer,
or other entity. In some instances, the content or portions thereof
can be arranged in accordance with hierarchical or logical
relationships and/or in accordance with applied design rules. In
accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein,
data can be obtained by a computing device. In some instances, the
data can include a text file, a web page, a document, a
presentation file, a spreadsheet, a video, a photo or other image,
or another type of data. The data can be obtained in various
formats and can be analyzed to identify relationships between data
elements and/or portions of the data. The relationships can be used
to identify hierarchies, emphasis, clusters, and/or to otherwise
obtain an understanding of the data.
[0007] The computing device can determine how to introduce
differences or variations to the data. The variations can include
differences in animations, effects, layouts, color schemes, or
other design variations. The computing device also can select a
world for presenting the data. As used herein, the term "world" can
be used to refer to an approach, model, or theme for presenting
data. The computing device can be configured to identity multiple
worlds that may be appropriate or applicable to the data, based
upon the determined relationships, hierarchy, and/or types and
instance counts of data, and can rank the possible worlds based
upon various considerations. Based upon the ranking of the worlds
and/or other considerations, the computing device can select a
world for presentation of the data. The computing device can apply
the data to the world using one or more sets of rules that define
how data is translated into the world. In some embodiments, the
rules can be tailored for each world and can define, for example,
how data of a particular type is to be represented in the selected
or chosen world.
[0008] Through application of the variations, visualization models,
worlds, and/or rules, the computing device can generate output that
includes the consumable content and that includes variations that
can make the output appear distinguishable or even unique to
viewers. The output can include a presentation, a document, a
video, an interactive data output, or other data. In some
embodiments, the computing device presents the output to a user or
other entity and the user or other entity expresses preferences
relating to various aspects of the output. Thus, for example, the
user can express whether a particular aspect of the output is liked
or disliked, and the computing device can be configured to apply
the expressed likes or dislikes to the output. In some embodiments,
the computing device can be configured to determine, based upon the
user preferences, if the world used to translate the data is to be
changed. The computing device also can be configured to store the
preferences for future use.
[0009] According to one aspect, a computing device obtains data.
The data can be obtained from a local or remote storage device such
as the Internet, a server, or the like. The computing device can be
configured to execute a transformation engine for analyzing the
data, identifying relationships within the data, determining a
visualization model, choosing a world, applying rules such as
design rules associated with the world to the data, and generating
the output. In some embodiments, the transformation engine can
include or can be substituted for by a number of modules. The
modules can include a decomposition and understanding module, a
variation module, and a world chooser module. The transformation
engine also can include representations of the rules for
translating the data based upon the chosen or selected world, and
the transformation engine can be configured to apply the rules to
the data to generate output.
[0010] According to another aspect, the transformation engine can
be configured to select the world by first determining worlds that
can be used to translate the data. The worlds can be ranked by the
computing device based upon various considerations. The computing
device can select a world based, at least partially, upon the
rankings, and apply the world to the data. If the data is updated,
or if the computing device determines based upon feedback that the
world is to be changed, the computing device can change or modify
the world. As such, the computing device can be configured to
generate the output and to modify the output based upon user
preferences and/or based upon changes to the data transformed by
the computing device. The computing device also can be configured
to store the preferences for future use and/or application to other
data.
[0011] It should be appreciated that the above-described subject
matter may be implemented as a computer-controlled apparatus, a
computer process, a computing system, or as an article of
manufacture such as a computer-readable storage medium.
[0012] These and various other features will be apparent from a
reading of the following Detailed Description and a review of the
associated drawings.
[0013] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of
concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in
the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify
key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter,
nor is it intended that this Summary be used to limit the scope of
the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter
is not limited to implementations that solve any or all
disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a system diagram illustrating an illustrative
operating environment for the various embodiments disclosed
herein.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing additional aspects of a
transformation engine, according to an illustrative embodiment.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing aspects of a method for
transforming data into consumable content, according to an
illustrative embodiment.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing aspects of a method for
ranking and selecting a world for introducing variations to data,
according to an illustrative embodiment.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing aspects of changing a world
for introducing variations to data, according to an illustrative
embodiment.
[0019] FIG. 6 is a computer architecture diagram illustrating an
illustrative computer hardware and software architecture for a
computing system capable of implementing aspects of the embodiments
presented herein.
[0020] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a distributed computing
environment capable of implementing aspects of the embodiments
presented herein.
[0021] FIG. 8 is a computer architecture diagram illustrating a
computing device architecture capable of implementing aspects of
the embodiments presented herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] The following detailed description is directed to concepts
and technologies for creating variations when transforming data
into consumable content. According to the concepts and technologies
described herein, a computing device can execute a transformation
engine for transforming data into the consumable content and
introducing variations to the consumable content. In some
embodiments, the computing device obtains data from a local or
remote storage device such as a memory or server, the Internet, or
the like. In some other embodiments, the data is generated at the
computing device using an application program executing at the
computing device. The computing device can be configured to execute
the transformation engine to analyze the data. Via analysis of the
data, the computing device can identify relationships within data
elements or other portions of the data. The computing device also
can execute the transformation engine to determine variations to
apply to the data and to select a visualization model and/or world
to apply to the data. In selecting the world, the computing device
can determine possible worlds for the data, rank the possible
worlds, and select a single world based upon the ranking of the
possible worlds. The computing device also can execute the
transformation engine to obtain rules associated with the selected
or chosen world and to apply the rules to the data to generate
output.
[0023] The computing device can be configured to obtain and apply
input or feedback from a user or other entity. The feedback can be
interpreted by the computing device to understand preferences of
the user or other entity with regard to the output. The input or
feedback can be obtained directly from the user or other entity
and/or can be obtained in response to one or more prompts that can
be generated by the computing device. Based upon the input or
feedback, the computing device can be configured to modify the
world used to transform the data, modify the output, and/or to
determine that the world or the output is not to be modified. The
computing device also can be configured to store the preferences
for future use and/or for application to other data.
[0024] The preferences stored by the computing device can include
preferences not only for a particular user, but additionally or
alternatively for multiple or all users. Additionally, or
alternatively, the preferences can relate to the specific content
or output, as well as the user or users. Thus, the preferences also
can indicate, for example, that a particular data element, cluster
of data elements, presentation aspect, presentation or design
scheme, rule, or the like, is more or less important than other
data elements, clusters of data elements, presentation aspects,
presentation or design schemes, rules, or the like.
[0025] While the subject matter described herein is presented in
the general context of program modules that execute in conjunction
with the execution of an operating system and application programs
on a computer system, those skilled in the art will recognize that
other implementations may be performed in combination with other
types of program modules. Generally, program modules include
routines, programs, components, data structures, and other types of
structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular
abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will
appreciate that the subject matter described herein may be
practiced with other computer system configurations, including
hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or
programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe
computers, and the like.
[0026] In the following detailed description, references are made
to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which
are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments or examples.
Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent
like elements throughout the several figures, aspects of a
computing system, computer-readable storage medium, and
computer-implemented methodology for creating variations when
transforming data into consumable content will be presented.
[0027] Referring now to FIG. 1, aspects of one operating
environment 100 for the various embodiments presented herein will
be described. The operating environment 100 shown in FIG. 1
includes a computing device 102. According to various embodiments,
the functionality of the computing device 102 can be provided by a
personal computer ("PC") such as a desktop, tablet, or laptop
computer system. The functionality of the computing device 102 also
can be provided by other types of computing systems including, but
not limited to, server computers, handheld computers, netbook
computers, embedded computer systems, personal digital assistants,
mobile telephones, tablet or slate computers, smart phones, or
other devices or systems capable of executing the various software
elements described herein in detail. For purposes of describing the
concepts and technologies disclosed herein, the computing device
102 is described herein as including a PC or a mobile computing
device such as a tablet computer. It should be understood that this
embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being
limiting in any way.
[0028] According to some embodiments, the computing device 102 is
configured to operate in communication with, or as part of, a
communications network ("network") 104. In some other embodiments,
the computing device 102 does not operate in communication with the
network 104. The computing device 102 can be configured to execute
an operating system 106 and one or more application programs,
modules, software elements, or other computer-executable or
computer readable instructions such as, for example, a
transformation engine 108.
[0029] The operating system 106 is a computer program for
controlling the operation of the computing device 102. The
transformation engine 108 can include an executable program
configured to execute on top of the operating system 106 to provide
the functionality described herein for creating variations when
transforming information into consumable content. Although the
transformation engine 108 is illustrated as a component of the
computing device 102, it should be understood that the
transformation engine 108 may be embodied as or in a stand-alone
device or components thereof operating as part of or in
communication with the network 104 and/or the computing device 102.
The transformation engine 108 also can be a virtualized service or
technology layer that executes on the computing device 102 and/or
on other real or virtual devices. Thus, the illustrated embodiment
is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in
any way.
[0030] As will be explained in more detail below, particularly with
reference to FIGS. 2-5, the transformation engine 108 can be
configured to obtain data 110, to analyze the data 110 to determine
a "world" into which the data 110 is to be loaded, to create
variations in the content within the world, and/or to transform the
data 110 into consumable content that can include, or can be
included within, output 112 generated by the computing device 102.
As used herein, the term "world" can be used to refer to an
approach for displaying data elements, rules for converting
elements in the data 110 to elements in the output 112, and/or
various parameters for introducing or accenting variations within a
particular world. Similarly, the term "consumable" as used herein
can be used to refer to output such as the output 112 that can be
readily or easily viewed, interpreted, or accessed by a user or
viewer. More particularly, as explained in more detail below, the
output 112 can include various data elements or portions of the
data 110 that are arranged by the transformation engine 108 in
accordance with the various concepts and technologies disclosed
herein. As such, it can be appreciated that the data 110 can
include a number of data elements or other portions of data.
[0031] In some embodiments, the transformation engine 108 is
configured to analyze the data 110 to identify relationships
between various data elements within the data 110 and to translate
or arrange the data 110 into a relationship-based design based upon
a determined world. This relationship-based design can be, but is
not necessarily, arranged in a logical and/or hierarchical fashion
and/or can be arranged in accordance with various designer-based
presentation rules for arranging and/or laying out data. Thus, the
phrase "consumable content" can, but does not necessarily, refer to
visually appealing and/or logically arranged data. It should be
understood, however, that the output 112 as described herein need
not be visually appealing and/or that visual appeal can be
subjective. For example, the purpose of the output 112 may be
utilitarian, such as to present the output 112 that optimizes for
readability and/or comprehension. As such, the output 112 can
include various data elements or other portions of the data 110
translated into the output 112 as described herein.
[0032] According to various embodiments, the computing device 102
is configured to receive or store the data 110. For example, the
data 110 can be stored at the computing device 102 in a memory,
disk drive, or other data storage elements. In some other
embodiments such as the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the data
110 can be obtained from a data source 114 that can be configured
to operate as part of or in communication with the network 104. The
functionality of the data source 114 can be provided by a network
drive, a server computer operating on or in communication with the
network 104, a database or another real or virtual data storage
element, and/or other data storage devices. In some embodiments,
wherein the transformation engine 108 operates a technology layer
within the computing device 102, the data 110 can be obtained from
an application or storage device and loaded into or otherwise
provided to the transformation engine 108. As such, it should be
understood that the illustrated and described embodiments of the
operating environment 100 are illustrative, and should not be
construed as being limiting in any way.
[0033] According to various aspects of the concepts and
technologies disclosed herein, the transformation engine 108 can
include one or more applications, programs, software, computer
executable instructions, and/or other data. Some examples of data
that can be included as part of the transformation engine 108 are
illustrated and described in more detail below with reference to
FIG. 2. Briefly, the computer-executable instructions can include,
but are not limited to, instructions for decomposing and
understanding content included with the data 110, instructions for
generating and/or suggesting variations to be employed when
presenting the data 110 as part of the output 112, instructions for
choosing a theme, mood, color scheme, animations, layout, logical
approach, and/or other aspects of a world to be employed in
generating the output 112, rules for tailoring a selected or chosen
world, and/or instructions for modifying output based upon input
from users or other entities.
[0034] These and other aspects of the transformation engine 108 can
be provided by a single or multiple applications or modules. Thus,
the computing device 102 can, by execution of the transformation
engine 108, receive the data 110; identify relationships between
various elements or other portions of the data 110; identify, based
upon the relationships, a world into which to load the data 110;
determine how the data 110 is to be presented by modifying
parameters and/or rules associated with the world; generate the
output 112 for presenting the data in the determined formats,
schemes, themes, or the like; and present the output 112. Before,
during, or after presentation of the output 112, the computing
device 102 also can be configured to obtain input or feedback
("feedback") regarding the output 112 from users or other entities.
In some embodiments, the computing device 102 can be configured to
prompt users for the feedback. In some other embodiments, the
computing device 102 can be configured to receive the feedback from
various users or other entities without prompting for the
feedback.
[0035] Based upon the feedback received by the computing device
102, the computing device 102 can select a new world, modify
parameters associated with the world, introduce or modify
variations added to the data 110, and/or modify the output 112 to
reflect preferences, likes, dislikes, or the like associated with
the user or other entity. In some embodiments, the computing device
102 also can be configured to support an "expert mode" in which
specific aspects of the output 112 can be adjusted by a user. In
some other embodiments, users may be restricted from overriding
some or all aspects of the output 112. As such, the computing
device 102 can be configured not only to present the data 110 in a
format that is determined by the computing device 102, but
furthermore in a format that is tailored by and/or modified by the
user or other entity via providing feedback. It should be
understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be
construed as being limiting in any way.
[0036] In some embodiments, the computing device 102 retrieves,
receives, or otherwise obtains the data 110. The data 110 can be
obtained from a local data storage device or from a remote data
storage device or entity such as the data source 114. The data 110
can include almost any type of information including, but not
limited to, documents, text, images, presentations, spreadsheets,
web pages, video, media, or other information. Because the data 110
can include other types of information or content, it should be
understood that these embodiments are illustrative, and should not
be construed as being limiting in any way.
[0037] The computing device 102 can be configured to analyze the
data 110 to identify a hierarchy and/or relationships within the
data 110. In particular, the computing device 102 can be configured
to identify relationships between one or more data elements or
portions of data that are included within the data 110. For
example, if the data 110 includes a presentation document, the data
elements can include slides of the presentation, objects within
slides of the presentation, and/or other portions of data included
in the presentation such as individual text characters, images,
sentences, words, bullet lists, numbered lists, text blocks,
backgrounds, title blocks, media objects, or the like. The
computing device 102 can be configured to analyze the various
elements or portions ("data elements") of the data 110 to identify
relationships between the various data elements and/or to identify
a hierarchy within the data 110. Similarly, the computing device
102 can be configured to recognize relationships between one or
more instances of data 110 and/or to receive notifications
indicating that the data 110 has changed. For example, images from
a FLICKR or other photo album software can be associated with
status updates or messages such as FACEBOOK or TWITTER updates
and/or timestamp information to identify relationships between the
images. As such, even after generating the output 112, the
computing device 102 can be configured to receive an updated
version of the data 110 and/or an indication that the data 110 has
been updated, and can update the output 112 to reflect the change.
Because other types of data and/or data sources can be used to
identify relationships between elements of the data 110, these
examples should be understood as being illustrative, and should not
be construed as being limiting in any way.
[0038] The computing device 102 also can be configured to determine
a visualization model to be used for generating the output 112. In
particular, the computing device 102 can determine variations that
can be included when generating the output 112 to provide
differentiated output 112. For example, the computing device 102
can apply variations in animations, image sizes, text effects,
layouts, color schemes, themes, or other visualizations to the data
included as the output 112 to provide highly differentiated output.
Furthermore, relationships in the data, such as emphasis,
de-emphasis, ordered lists, collections, parent-child
relationships, or the like, can be used to create many
visualizations, each of which express the underlying relationship.
For example, emphasis in text can be visualized by making the text
bold, by increasing the font size of the text, by changing the
color of the text to red, by adding a subtle animation, and/or in
other ways. Thus, a user of the computing device 102 can generate a
unique product using the computing device 102 even if other users
provide substantially similar or even identical input. In some
embodiments, these variations can be added to the output 112 by
adjusting various parameters associated with the selected world. It
should be understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and
should not be construed as being limiting in any way.
[0039] The computing device 102 also can be configured to choose a
world that is to be used for generating the output 112. As
mentioned above, the term "world" as used herein can be used to
refer to a type or category of visualizations and/or themes that
can be applied to the data 110 and used to generate the output 112.
The worlds can include instructions for visualizing the data 110 in
two-dimensional ("2D") or three-dimensional ("3D") visualizations;
specifying fonts and font formats; images and image formats;
animations; backgrounds; audio effects; text block sizes and
layouts; document layouts; or other aspects of the output 112. It
should be understood, however, that the "worlds" are not
necessarily limited to templates. Rather, in the embodiments
described herein, the worlds are not templates and instead define
facets or aspects of visualizations that can be applied to the data
110 to obtain the output 112 as described herein. For example, in
some embodiments a "world" includes a conglomeration of
visualizations, styles, and tuned rules that guide how the data 110
is to be handled and displayed. Additional aspects of the worlds
disclosed herein are described in additional detail below with
reference to FIG. 2.
[0040] Some or all of the worlds also can be associated with a set
of rules. Additional aspects of the rules are described in detail
below with reference to FIG. 2. Briefly, the rules can define how
the various aspects of the worlds are to be applied to data such as
the data 110. Some additional aspects of the rules and some
examples of how the rules can be used are set forth below in more
detail with reference to FIG. 2. The computing device 102 can be
configured to obtain rules associated with a chosen world, if
available, and to apply those rules to the data 110 to obtain the
output 112. The computing device 102 can thus generate the output
112 and present the output 112 to a user or other entity. The
output 112 also can be saved to data storage device, if
desired.
[0041] As will be explained in more detail below, particularly with
reference to FIG. 5, the computing device 102 and/or the
transformation engine 108 executing thereon, can be configured to
update the output 112 if the data 110 changes. For example, the
computing device 102 can evaluate the world chosen to represent the
previous version of the data 110, adopt a new world, if
appropriate, based upon the update, or merely update the output 112
to reflect the modified version of the data 110. Updating the
output 112 can include, but is not limited to, again laying out
some or all of the data in the world to accommodate the updates to
the data 110. Animations can be generated for adding the new data,
if desired. For example, elements in the output 112 can be moved to
make room to accommodate the new data elements. The computing
device 102 also can be configured to support a user request to
explicitly adopt a different world, to present output 112 generated
with multiple worlds to enable a user choice of a preferred world,
or the like.
[0042] According to some embodiments of the concepts and
technologies disclosed herein, the computing device 102 also is
configured to obtain and apply user feedback to the output 112. In
some embodiments, the user feedback includes user responses to
various prompts or questions. For example, the computing device 102
can present questions to a user or other entity for evaluating
various aspects of the output 112. In some embodiments, the
computing device 102 asks or prompts a user or other entity for
feedback regarding colors, color schemes, fonts, layouts, element
locations, image sizes, importance, emphasis, arrangement of data,
or other aspects of the output 112 by expressing whether that
particular aspect is liked or disliked.
[0043] The computing device 102 also can be configured to generate
questions for the user about the various aspects of the output 112
in addition to, or instead to, prompting for feedback. For example,
the computing device can ask if a particular aspect is liked or
disliked, is good or bad, or the like. It should be understood that
the feedback, questions, prompts, or the like can be formatted as
questions with binary yes/no, like/dislike, or true/false answers.
The questions or prompts also can request rankings over various
ranges such as, for example, scales of numbers such as one to ten,
letter grades such as "A" through "F," numbers of stars, or the
like. The user can provide this and/or other types of feedback with
respect to the entirety of the output 112 and/or the computing
device 102 can be configured to ask the user to express this
feedback regarding individual parts or components of the output
112. For example, the computing device 102 can be configured to ask
if the output 112 is liked or disliked, or to ask if a particular
font, color scheme, and/or other aspect or component of the output
112 is liked or disliked. It should be understood that these
embodiments are illustrative, and should not be construed as being
limiting in any way.
[0044] The computing device 102 can be configured to evaluate the
feedback from the user and to determine if the output 112 is to be
modified based upon the feedback. For example, if feedback received
from the user or another entity indicates that a color scheme is
"disliked," the computing device 102 can change the color scheme.
Similarly, "likes" can be used to modify the output 112 so aspects
of the output 112 that are liked by the user or other entity can be
repeated in the output 112 and/or can be used for generating other
output 112 in the future. As such, it can be appreciated that
various aspects of the output 112 can be modified based upon the
feedback. Because the preferences can be fed back into the rules
system, the preferences expressed with regard to any particular
instance of output 112 can have a consistent effect across the
world, instead of, or in addition to, merely updating the current
output 112 and/or viewed elements thereof
[0045] In some embodiments, the feedback also can be used to modify
a world chosen to represent the data 110 and/or to adjust various
parameters or properties associated with the world. Thus, feedback
can be used to determine how data 110 is represented in a selected
world and/or how various variations are applied within the selected
world. It should be understood that these embodiments are
illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any
way.
[0046] FIG. 1 illustrates one computing device 102, one network
104, and one data source 114. It should be understood, however,
that some implementations of the operating environment 100 include
multiple computing devices 102, multiple networks 104, zero or
multiple data sources 114 and/or additional or alternative hardware
elements. Thus, the illustrated embodiments should be understood as
being illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting
in any way.
[0047] Turning now to FIG. 2, additional aspects of the
transformation engine 108 will be described in detail, according to
an illustrative embodiment. As explained above with reference to
FIG. 1, the transformation engine 108 can be configured to
transform the data 110 into the output 112. In some embodiments,
such as the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the transformation
engine 108 includes a number of modules, applications, programs,
software, or other computer-executable instructions for providing
the functionality described herein with respect to the
transformation engine 108 and/or the computing device 102.
Additionally, or alternatively, the transformation engine 108 also
can include other data as will be described herein in more
detail.
[0048] In the illustrated embodiment, the transformation engine 108
includes a decomposition and understanding module 200, a variation
module 202, a world chooser module 204, rules 206, an authoring
module 208, worlds 210, and other data or instructions (not shown).
Although not shown in FIG. 2, the transformation engine 108 also
can include a design rules module for authoring, creating, and/or
saving the rules 206. As such, the transformation engine 108 can be
configured to transform the data 110 into the output 112 via
execution of one or more portions of computer-executable code or
instructions. It should be understood that the various
functionality described herein with respect to the various modules
and other data shown in FIG. 2 can be provided by a single
application, module, program, or other software or data, and that
as such, the illustrated embodiment is illustrative and should not
be construed as being limiting in any way.
[0049] The decomposition and understanding module 200 can be
configured to analyze the data 110. As explained above, the
analysis of the data 110 can be completed to understand
relationships between the various data elements or other portions
of the data 110. More particularly, in some embodiments the data
110 is arranged in a flow-based format and/or is not arranged in
any particular format. The decomposition and understanding module
200 can apply various rules for interpreting the data 110 to
identify relationships between the various data. For example, if
multiple pages of a presentation or other document include a
similar or identical title, the decomposition and understanding
module 200 can be configured to determine that the multiple pages
are related to one another. Similarly, if a title on one page is
similar to a title on the second page but also includes the word
"continued" or an abbreviation such as "cont'd," the decomposition
and understanding module 200 can determine that these pages are
related. It should be understood that these embodiments are
illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any
way.
[0050] In some embodiments, the decomposition and understanding
module 200 can be configured to determine that elements in bullet
lists or numbered lists are related to one another and/or to a
heading of the lists. In some other embodiments, the decomposition
and understanding module 200 can be configured to determine that
text surrounding the same or similar images is related; that text
with similar or identical references or footnotes are related;
and/or that other elements or portions of the data 110 are related
to one another. In some other embodiments, decomposition and
understanding can include image analysis. For example, images can
be analyzed to detect faces, salient regions, invariant regions
(over which text can be placed), compositional analysis, or other
aspects of the image. Various rules for interpreting the data 110
can be applied by the decomposition and understanding module 200.
Because other processes or rules for identifying relationships are
contemplated, it should be understood that these embodiments are
illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any
way.
[0051] The variation module 202 can be configured to generate
differentiated output 112 for the user or other entity. In
particular, the variation module 202 can apply variations in
animations, visual effects, designs, themes, or other variations.
The variations can be applied to the data 110 to create
differentiations that can be used to make each output 112 of the
computing device 102 seem unique. These variations can be applied
to the data 110, as described in more detail below with reference
to FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the variations can be introduced to
the output 112 via modification or adjustment of one or more
properties or parameters associated with a world 210 chosen for
representing the data 110.
[0052] The world chooser module 204 can be configured to evaluate
and choose a world 210 to apply to the data 110. As explained
above, a "world" can include a theme, model, scheme, or other
approach for presenting data that can be stored, selected, and/or
applied to data 110 to obtain output 112. In some embodiments, the
worlds are extensible. In particular, a third party or other entity
can create new or additional worlds 210 and can define how the data
110 can be applied to the world 210.
[0053] The world chooser module 204 can be configured to consider
various aspects of the data 110 and to determine what visualization
models and/or differentiations to apply to the data 110 based upon
the determined world 210 that best fits the data 110. In some
embodiments, the world chooser module 204 is configured to
determine any worlds 210 that can be used to represent the data
110. Thus, worlds 210 that are determined to be poor choices for
representing the data 110 can be excluded from the group of
possible worlds 210. The world chooser module 204 can rank the
possible worlds based upon various considerations, as explained in
more detail below with reference to FIG. 4. Based upon the ranking,
the world chooser module 204 can select a world 210 to which to
apply the data 110. In some embodiments, the worlds 210 are stored
by the transformation engine 108, as shown in FIG. 2. The world
chooser module 204 can consider, for example, the shape of the data
110, hierarchies identified within the data 110, and other aspects
of the data 110.
[0054] As mentioned above, the data 110 can include various data
elements 212. Thus, while various operations and/or analyses are
described herein with respect to the data 110, it should be
understood that these and/or other operations can be taken with
respect to the data elements 212. Thus, the world chooser module
204 can, for example, consider relationships between and/or
hierarchies among the data elements 212 to rank and select the
world 210. These and other aspects of selecting a world 210 are set
forth below in further detail with reference to FIG. 3.
[0055] Additionally, the world chooser module 204 can be configured
to determine, at various times, if the world 210 chosen for
representing the data 110 should be modified or changed. Thus, for
example, the world chooser module 204 can be invoked if the data
110 is updated to determine if the chosen world 210 is to be
changed, or if the output 112 is to be changed by applying the
modified version of the data 110 to the same world 210. Additional
aspects of updating the world 210 are illustrated and described
below with reference to FIG. 5.
[0056] The rules 206 can include adaptive rules that are configured
to convert the data 110, which can include arbitrary content, into
the output 112 based upon the variations and the world 210 chosen.
In other words, the rules 206 can include categories of
translations that can be applied to the data 110 to obtain the
output 112. Thus, in some embodiments the rules 206 include one or
more sets of rules for each world 210, and the rules 206 are
selected by the computing device 102 based upon which world 210 is
chosen. As such, the rules 206 can be tailored operations, steps,
or rules for converting or translating the data 110 into the output
112. It should be understood that the data 110 may not always be a
direct translation into the output 112. In particular, the content
or layout of the data 110 may be manipulated during translation of
the data 110 into the output 112. It should be understood that this
embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being
limiting in any way.
[0057] The rules 206 can be used to select portions of the data
110, for example the data elements 212 described in more detail
below, that are to be included in a layout or other form of the
output 112. In particular, the rules 206 can be used to select the
information or data elements 212 for each view in the output 112
and to define what type of information and/or what data elements
212 are needed, desired, or appropriate at any given location
within a layout, view, or other output 112 associated with the
chosen world. Developers or other entities can specify, by way of
the rules 206, what information is to be presented in each view or
layout.
[0058] The rules 206 also can be used to determine a flow,
progression, and/or layout of the data elements 212 or other
information selected for the output 112. In particular, the
computing device 102 can apply the rules 206 to provide
decision-making capability when the transformation engine 108
generates layouts associated with the output 112. The layouts can
define what types of information or data elements 212 are used in
what grid cells on the screen (or defining location of the data
elements 212 using other approaches for placing the data elements
212 on the screen), while the rules 206 can define how the
information flows or is modified (stylistically or otherwise, for
example the size, shape, or other aspect of the information) once
the information is placed in the layout. In some cases, the rules
206 also can handle how the layout is adjusted if information flows
beyond the predefined default layout.
[0059] The rules 206 also can be applied to the data 110 to upgrade
or otherwise modify one or more of the data elements 212 or other
information to be included in the output 112. It therefore can be
appreciated that the flow handling behavior of a world for any type
of data 110 can be changed by modifying the rules 206 associated
with the world. In particular, the rules 206 can be used to
improve, upgrade, or otherwise modify data elements 212 or other
portions of the data 110. For example, if a data element 212
includes a low-resolution image, upgrading the data element 212 can
include replacing the low-resolution image with an image having a
higher resolution, applying image treatments such as blur or the
like to the image to create an artistic representation, or the
like.
[0060] Similarly, if the data element 212 includes a data table,
upgrading or improving the data element 212 can include replacing
the data table with a graph. These and/or other types of upgrades,
improvements, and/or other modifications can be controlled by the
rules 206. Thus, a designer can be given the ability to articulate
how specific types of information will be upgraded or otherwise
modified using an available set of tools such as upgrading an
image, converting to a graph, etc. In some embodiments, the
designer can articulate the various rules 206 prior to the
application of the rules 206 as described herein. As such, it
should be understood that the articulation of the rules 206 can
occur at almost any time and that the utilization of the rules 206
can occur at almost any time, including long after the rules 206
have been articulated. It should be understood that these
embodiments are illustrative, and should not be construed as being
limiting in any way.
[0061] The rules 206 also can be applied to the data 110 to score
one or more layouts or other forms of the output 112. In
particular, the rules 206 can be used to facilitate selection of a
layout by providing feedback regarding how information handled for
a given layout and whether a quality bar has been met. Accurate
scores for each layout within a world can be obtained and the
scores can be adjusted through a set of rules 206 without
recompilation of the codebase.
[0062] The rules 206 also can be used to score the various worlds
210 considered by the transformation engine 108 and the scores can
be passed to the world chooser module 204 for scoring the worlds
210 under consideration. In particular, the rules 206 can be used
to facilitate selection of one of the worlds 210 by generating
feedback regarding quality of fit of information being placed in
the world 210. The rules 206 may not make a final decision about
world ranking, but can be a component that provides information to
help make the decision. Accurate scores for each world 210 that
describes the fit of the world 210 for the information set can be
obtained, and the scores can be adjusted using a set of rules 206
without recompilation of the codebase. Additional aspects of
ranking and selecting worlds 210 are illustrated and described
below with reference to FIGS. 4-5.
[0063] According to various implementations of the transformation
engine 108, the rules 206 can be created, modified, and/or deleted
by designers, users, or other entities. As such, the rules 206 can
be accessible to designers to articulate the rules 206 in a way
that fits with the designers' workflow. In some embodiments, tools
for allowing the designer to articulate all of the necessary
information, ideally in a visual way, to address the prior goals in
this list. Additional aspects of the rules 206 are described
herein, and as such, the above uses of the rules 206 should be
understood as being illustrative and should not be construed as
being limiting in any way.
[0064] Thus, the rules 206 can be applied to adjust how the data
110 is presented by application of a particular world. For example,
the rules 206 can be applied to the data 110 to adjust the
readability of text. These adjustments can be based, for example,
upon a relative ease with which a typeface can be read when
characters are laid out in words, sentences, and paragraphs, upon
an assumption that long blocks of text need to be readable to hold
the reader and/or to boost comprehension, upon an assumption that
setting text in columns can provide short line length, which can
improve readability, upon rules that assume that text set with
`ragged right` alignment is more readable than text that is `force
justified` or manipulated to line up on the left and right margins,
upon rules for introducing white space, subheads, and/or other
elements to divide text to give eyes of a reader resting places to
help prevent fatigue, by adjusting leading based on number of lines
of text, by adjusting line length based on amount of content and
layout, by adjusting the content based upon capabilities of a
device used to view the content (e.g., screen size, resolution,
input devices, or the like), by adjusting font size based on an
amount of content, and/or by applying other adjustments or
modifications to the data. It should be understood that this
embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being
limiting in any way.
[0065] The rules 206 also can be used to improve the legibility of
the output 112. For example, the rules 206 can be used to evaluate
how easily a particular run of text can be read against background
imagery. The rules 206 also can be used to insert transparent
fields between background image and text so that text is legible,
to overlay semi-transparent backgrounds behind text, so the text is
more legible than without the semi-transparent backgrounds, to
apply rules for darkening and/or lightening entire images and/or
portions thereof, to select font sizes, colors and type styles with
superior legibility, to add drop shadow to make text more legible,
by repositioning, selecting and/or scaling images to place in
regions of a layout such that space for text is left with superior
legibility of the text, to add subtle transparency behind text, to
apply photo darkening, exposure or other image transformation to
modify the image, to apply other adjustments, or the like.
[0066] The rules 206 also can be used to improve the quality of the
output 112. For example, the rules 206 can be used to align or
constrain text on gridlines and/or adjusting placement or flow of
the text so the text visually lines up on the grid, to define text
size relationships so that text is optimized for body copy and
title copy overlaid on an image, by adjusting leading based on a
number of lines of text, by applying text kerning, text leading,
baseline alignment of text of various sizes, and the like. The
rules 206 also can be used to identify structure in photos so that
photos overlaying content relate to the underlying structure in the
photo. Similarly, the rules 206 can be used to ensure that text
blocks align with one another and/or with other text such that the
text blocks flow together to ensure proper placement, alignment,
depending on variable strings. Further, structure present in the
image itself may either be positioned relative to text in the
layout, or may itself guide the placement of text in a given
layout. It should be understood that these embodiments are
illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any
way.
[0067] The rules 206 also can be used to adjust images. For
example, the rules 206 can be used to provide cropping of images
based on one or more salient regions, to upgrade images, to crop
and/or avoid cropping images in one or more directions and/or to
maintain image orientations. When used to achieve some goal of
layout, an image so cropped may include extrapolated and
synthesized image data along one or more edges, when governed to be
of sufficiently high quality, and when allowable by the world
parameters.
[0068] The rules 206 also can be used to search for and/or generate
a summarization of the data 110. The rules 206 also can be used to
upgrade the data 110 and/or data elements 212, for example, by
using global positioning system ("GPS") or map data to obtain
additional information about the places/locations referenced in the
data 110, to add current statistics and/or other types of live
content, to add related information such as a number of comments, a
number of times the content has been linked to, a number of times
the content has been downloaded, or the like. The rules 206 also
can be used to size the data 110 and/or data elements 212. These
embodiments are illustrative and should not be construed as being
limiting in any way.
[0069] The rules 206 also can be used to affect how each data
element 212 moves relative to other data elements 212. For example,
some text may react when interacted with and/or hovered over,
movement or animation may be affected by speed of movement or what
user is interacting with the data 110, ambient motion can be
applied until a click or touch gesture is detected, or the like.
These and other movements and/or relative positioning of the data
elements 212 can be determined by the rules 206. The rules 206 also
can be used to determine orders of the data elements 212, how
content is navigated to (e.g., a number of clicks, swipes, screens
to navigate through, or the like).
[0070] As mentioned above, the rules 206 also can be used to create
variations in the data elements 212 and/or other portions of the
data 110. The rules 206 can apply some variations based upon what
data 110 or data elements 212 surround a particular data portion or
data element 212. The variations also can be based upon the
content. For example, if the data 110 corresponds to timeline-based
data, the world or layout can be chosen based upon an assumption or
recognition that few images are included. It should be understood
that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed
as being limiting in any way.
[0071] The rules 206 also can be used to select, size, and/or
otherwise format typefaces and/or other settings associated with
text. For example, the rules 206 can be used to select a highlight
color and/or complimentary colors for text or fields nearby. The
rules 206 also can be used to define a color palette based upon on
a source of the content. For example, a color scheme can be
selected based upon a color scheme associated with a particular
brand, color schemes included in the data 110, color schemes
extracted from included imagery, or the like. Motion also can be
varied and/or selected based upon the rules 206. It should be
understood that these embodiments are illustrative, and should not
be construed as being limiting in any way.
[0072] The authoring module 208 can be configured to analyze
feedback 214 regarding the output 112 from a user or other entity.
The feedback 214 can be obtained by the authoring module 208 and/or
can be obtained by the transformation engine 108 and passed to the
authoring module 208. The authoring module 208 can be configured to
apply the feedback 214 to the output 112 to modify the output 112.
The authoring module 208 also can be configured to store the
feedback 214 for future uses of the transformation engine 108.
[0073] Thus, although not shown in FIGS. 1-2, it should be
understood that user preferences can be developed by the
transformation engine 108 and can be stored and applied by the
transformation engine 108, if desired. As explained above with
regard to modifying output 112 based upon feedback 214, the
authoring module 208 can be configured to prompt for the feedback
214 or can be configured to receive the feedback 214 from a user or
other entity. The feedback 214 can be provided in terms of likes or
dislikes, as yes/no or true/false answers to questions, as rating
information such as numbers of stars, numbers within ranges, letter
grades, through extrapolation of simple actions such as selection
or reordering, or the like. The feedback 214 can be interpreted by
the authoring module 208.
[0074] As noted above, in addition to changing the output 112 based
upon dislikes, the authoring module 208 also can be configured to
modify the output 112 based upon likes. In particular, the
transformation engine 108 can repeat and/or use more often various
aspects of the output 112 that are liked by users. It should be
understood that a user's likes or dislikes also can be used by the
transformation engine 108 for other users. In particular, the
transformation engine 108 can be configured to recognize
similarities between and/or among various users based upon
preferences, based upon social networking information, and/or based
upon other information, and that the transformation engine 108 can
apply a particular user's preferences to another user who is
considered to be or is indicated as being similar to the user. It
should be understood that these embodiments are illustrative, and
should not be construed as being limiting in any way.
[0075] In light of the above description of FIG. 2, it should be
understood that the computing device 102 described herein can
provide the functions of the transformation engine 108 and/or the
various modules of the transformation engine 108 by execution of
any number of applications, software components, modules, or other
instructions. As such, when the specification refers to functions
of the "computing device," it should be understood that the
functionality described can include functionality provided by any
of the software modules, data, and/or hardware elements described
herein. Furthermore, it should be understood that the
transformation engine 108 can operate as a technology layer that is
called or accessed by various programs executing at the computing
device 102. Similarly, the transformation engine 108 can be
operated as a service that can be called by various applications or
devices. As such, the various described embodiments are
illustrative and should not be construed as being limiting in any
way.
[0076] Turning now to FIG. 3, aspects of a method 300 for
transforming data into consumable content will be described in
detail. It should be understood that the operations of the methods
disclosed herein are not necessarily presented in any particular
order and that performance of some or all of the operations in an
alternative order(s) is possible and is contemplated. The
operations have been presented in the demonstrated order for ease
of description and illustration. Operations may be added, omitted,
and/or performed simultaneously, without departing from the scope
of the appended claims.
[0077] It also should be understood that the illustrated methods
can be ended at any time and need not be performed in its entirety.
Some or all operations of the methods disclosed herein, and/or
substantially equivalent operations, can be performed by execution
of computer-readable instructions included on a computer-storage
media, as defined herein. The term "computer-readable
instructions," and variants thereof, as used in the description and
claims, is used expansively herein to include routines,
applications, application modules, program modules, programs,
components, data structures, algorithms, and the like.
Computer-readable instructions can be implemented on various system
configurations, including single-processor or multiprocessor
systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, personal computers,
hand-held computing devices, microprocessor-based, programmable
consumer electronics, combinations thereof, and the like.
[0078] Thus, it should be appreciated that the logical operations
described herein are implemented (1) as a sequence of computer
implemented acts or program modules running on a computing system
and/or (2) as interconnected machine logic circuits or circuit
modules within the computing system. The implementation is a matter
of choice dependent on the performance and other requirements of
the computing system. Accordingly, the logical operations described
herein are referred to variously as states, operations, structural
devices, acts, or modules. These operations, structural devices,
acts, and modules may be implemented in software, in firmware, in
special purpose digital logic, and any combination thereof.
[0079] For purposes of illustrating and describing the concepts of
the present disclosure, the methods disclosed herein are described
as being performed by the computing device 102 via execution of
computer executable instructions such as, for example, the
transformation engine 108. As explained above with regard to FIG.
2, the transformation engine 108 can include various modules and/or
other data that can be executed and/or used by the computing device
102 to provide the functionality described herein. It should be
understood that additional or alternative devices can provide the
functionality described herein via execution of instructions other
than, or in addition to, the transformation engine 108. As such, it
should be understood that the described embodiments are
illustrative, and should not be viewed as being limiting in any
way.
[0080] The method 300 begins at operation 302, wherein the
computing device 102 obtains the data 110. As explained above, the
data 110 can include various types of information or content such
as, for example, media files including, but not limited to, video
files, animation files, slide show files, image files, audio files,
other media files, or the like; text documents; plain text; web
pages, web content, rich text, or the like; and/or other types of
information. In one contemplated embodiment, the data 110
corresponds to a presentation file such as a file generated by a
member of the MICROSOFT POWERPOINT family of presentation software
products from Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Washington. In
light of the various types of information that can be provided as
the data 110, it should be understood that this embodiment is
illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any
way.
[0081] According to various implementations, the data 110 is
obtained from a data storage device or component associated with
the computing device 102. Some examples of data storage devices are
described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 6-8. In some
other embodiments, the data 110 can be stored at a remote storage
device or resource such as the data source 114 described herein.
Thus, the data 110 can be obtained by the computing device 102 via
communications with the data source 114. As such, it should be
understood that the data 110 can be obtained from any real or
virtual device via a direct connection, via one or more networks,
and/or via other nodes, devices, and/or device components.
[0082] From operation 302, the method 300 proceeds to operation
304, wherein the computing device 102 can identify relationships
between data elements or other portions of the data 110. Some types
of information, and some embodiments of the data 110, can be
arranged or organized in a flow-based arrangement and/or otherwise
may not be arranged in a logical and/or hierarchical arrangement.
For example, each slide or page of a document such as a word
processing document or a presentation may include data elements 212
such as a title, one or more paragraphs of text, one or more
sentences, one or more words, one or more bullet points, one or
more numbered lists, one or more tables, one or more images, and/or
other objects. In some instances, each slide or page can be
directed to or addresses a different topic or sub-topic. In some
other instances, each slide or page can be directed to a same or
similar topic. Operation 304 can include determining and
identifying relationships between the various data elements 212 or
other portions of the data 110. In some embodiments, the computing
device 102 provides the functionality described herein with respect
to operation 304 via execution of the decomposition and
understanding module 200. It should be understood that this
embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being
limiting in any way.
[0083] In one contemplated example, a ten-page document can include
a title on each page. The title can be indicated by a block or
field that is labeled "title" and/or can be determined to include a
title based upon the location, formatting, size, color, contents,
or other aspect of the information. Thus, if three of the ten pages
include the same or similar title information, the three pages can
be considered to be related and information on the three pages can
be determined to share a relationship to the title. In another
example, the computing device 102 can be configured to consider a
numbered list or bulleted list under a heading as being related to
the heading. Similarly, the computing device 102 can be configured
to consider numbered or bulleted items within the lists as being
related to one another.
[0084] Thus, it can be appreciated that the location, size, format,
content, and/or other aspects of text, images, or other data, as
well as relative position, location, format, size, contents, or
other aspects of the data, relative to other data in the documents,
can be used to determine relationships between the data in
operation 304. Because many other approaches for identifying
relationships between various data elements or other portions of
the data 110 are contemplated, it should be understood that these
embodiments are illustrative, and should not be construed as being
limiting in any way.
[0085] From operation 304, the method 300 proceeds to operation
306, wherein the computing device 102 determines variations to
apply to the data 110. In operation 306, the computing device 102
can examine the relationships determined in operation 304 to
determine how the data 110 is to be presented. In particular, the
computing device 102 can examine various factors associated with
the data 110 and determine how to add variations to the data 110.
Thus, for example, the computing device 102 can determine visual
effects, designs, and/or other variations that can be applied to
the data 110 to present the relationships determined in operation
304 in various ways. In one contemplated embodiment, the computing
device 102 provides the functionality described herein with respect
to operation 306 via execution of the variation module 202
illustrated and described in more detail above with reference to
FIG. 2. It should be understood that this embodiment is
illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any
way.
[0086] From operation 306, the method 300 proceeds to operation
308, wherein the computing device 102 chooses a world 210 for
presenting the data 110. Additional aspects of selecting a world
210 are illustrated and described below with reference to FIG. 4.
Briefly, as mentioned above, the term "world" as used herein can
include a type of visualization and/or theme that can be applied to
the data 110 and used to generate the output 112. In operation 308,
the computing device 102 can select a world 210 based upon the
various aspects of the data 110, the variations identified in
operation 306, relationships between the data elements 212, and/or
based upon other considerations. For example, the computing device
102 can be configured to examine a shape of the data 110 such as,
for example, an overall mood or tone of the data 110; a length of
the data 110 such as a presentation or document; a text to image
ratio of the data 110; a number of images or other media objects in
the data 110; a total number of text characters, words, sentences,
paragraphs, or the like in the data 110; an expected audience of
the output 112; an expected venue for viewing the output 112; an
expected display medium such as a display device expected to be
used to view the output 112; a location at which the output 112 may
be viewed; hierarchies within the data 110 and/or among data
elements 212; input mechanisms that may be used when viewing or
interacting with the output 112; relative sizes of the visual
objects or other data elements 212 such as text, images, or the
like; and/or other aspects of the data 110.
[0087] In selecting a world 210, the computing device 102 can
consider a number of worlds 210 or can identify a single world 210
that fits the data 110 and/or the determined relationships,
hierarchies, mood, shape, and/or other aspects of the data 110
and/or the data elements 212. Thus, operation 308 can include
selecting a highest-ranked world 210 from a number of available
worlds 210, identifying a single world 210 based upon the
variations, or receiving input specifying a particular world 210.
In one contemplated embodiment, the computing device 102 provides
the functionality described herein with respect to operation 308
via execution of the world chooser module 208. It should be
understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be
construed as being limiting in any way.
[0088] From operation 308, the method 300 proceeds to operation
310, wherein the computer device 102 obtains rules 206 associated
with the chosen world 210. In operation 310, the computing device
102 can apply the rules 206 associated with the selected world 210
to the data 110. Via application of the rules 206 to the data 110,
the computing device 102 can be configured to present the data 110
in a designed way. In particular, the rules 206 can specify how
data 110 is to be presented in a particular world 210. Thus,
operation 310 can include obtaining the rules 206 based, at least
partially, upon the world 210 chosen in operation 308.
[0089] From operation 310, the method 300 proceeds to operation
312, wherein the computer device 102 applies the rules 206 obtained
in operation 310. As mentioned above, the computing device 102 can
apply the rules 206 to the data 110 to format the data 110 in a
format or form associated with the world 210 chosen in operation
308. For example, a rule 206 can define a font in which text is to
be presented, a size for displayed images, or other instructions
for modifying the data 110 to obtain the output 112. It should be
understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be
construed as being limiting in any way.
[0090] From operation 312, the method 300 proceeds to operation
314, wherein the computer device 102 generates the output 112. In
operation 314, the computing device 102 can apply the variations,
world 210, and rules 206 identified in operations 306-312 to the
data 110. From operation 314, the method 300 proceeds to operation
316, wherein the computer device 102 presents the output 112. The
output 112 can be presented, for example, on a display device
associated with the computing device 102 and/or another device. In
some embodiments, the computing device 102 can be configured to
save the output 112 to a data storage device for later viewing or
presentation, although such an operation is not shown in FIG. 3.
For purposes of describing the various embodiments of the concepts
and technologies disclosed herein, the method 300 is described with
respect to an embodiment in which the output 112 is displayed on a
display device associated with the computing device 102. It should
be understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not
be construed as being limiting in any way.
[0091] From operation 316, the method 300 proceeds to operation
318, wherein the computer device 102 determines if the data or
relationships used to generate the output 112 are to be modified
based upon feedback 214 received at the computing device 102. Thus,
while not shown in FIG. 3, the method 300 can include an operation
for receiving feedback 214 at the computing device 102 and/or for
prompting a user or other entity for feedback regarding the output
112. In some embodiments, for example, the output 112 is presented
and a user is prompted for feedback 214 regarding the output 112.
For example, a user may be asked if the output 112 is visually
appealing, if a particular color is liked or disliked, if the
layout of the elements is liked or disliked, and/or other
questions. In some embodiments, the computing device 102 receives
feedback 214 and/or comments regarding almost any aspect of the
output 112.
[0092] In response to the feedback 214 received at the computing
device 102, the computing device 102 can determine that the data or
relationships used to generate the output 112 are to be modified.
For example, the computing device 102 can determine that a color, a
layout, a color scheme, a theme, a mood, or other aspect of the
output 112 is to be modified in response to the feedback 214, and
can determine, based upon this determination, that a data element
or a relationship used to generate that aspect of the output 112 is
to be modified. It should be understood that in determining that
the data or relationships used to generate output 112 are to be
modified, the computing device 102 can determine that the data 110
and/or the relationships or hierarchies determined in operation
304, as well as the world 210 chosen in operation 308, may be
changed, among other aspects of the output 112. Because almost any
aspect of the output 112 can be changed, it should be understood
that these embodiments are illustrative, and should not be
construed as being limiting in any way.
[0093] If the computing device 102 determines, in operation 318,
that the output 112 is to be modified, the method 300 proceeds to
operation 320, wherein the computing device 102 modifies the data
or relationships used to generate the output 112. The modifications
to the data or relationships can include emphasizing or
de-emphasizing text, resizing text, resizing images, changing
formats of text or images, changing text fonts, sizes, or colors,
changing worlds 210, changing visualization modes, changing
variations or types of variations, and/or otherwise modifying the
data or relationships used to generate the output 112. Because
additional or alternative modifications can be made to data or
relationships used to generate the output 112, it should be
understood that these embodiments are illustrative, and should not
be construed as being limiting in any way.
[0094] From operation 320, the method returns to operation 312,
wherein the rules 206 are again applied to the data 110. A such, it
can be appreciated that operations 312-320 of the method 300 can be
repeated until, in any iteration of operation 318, the computing
device 102 determines that the data or relationships used to
generate the output 112 are not to be modified. If the computing
device 102 determines that the data or relationships used to
generate the output 112 are not to be modified, the method 300
proceeds to operation 322. The method 300 ends at operation
322.
[0095] Turning now to FIG. 4, additional aspects of choosing a
world 210 will be described in detail. In particular, FIG. 4
illustrates aspects of a method 400 for ranking and selecting a
world 210 for introducing variations to the data 110, according to
some illustrative embodiments. It should be understood that the
method 400 illustrated in FIG. 4 can, but is not necessarily,
executed by the computing device 102 in operation 308 of the method
300 illustrated in FIG. 3. As such, the illustrated embodiment
should be understood as being illustrative and should not be
construed as being limiting in any way.
[0096] The method 400 begins at operation 402, wherein the
computing device 102 identifies possible worlds 210 for the data
110. As mentioned above, the computing device 102 can be configured
to examine a shape of the data 110 such as, for example, an overall
mood or tone of the data 110; a length of the data 110 such as a
presentation or document; a text to image ratio of the data 110; a
number of images or other media objects in the data 110; a total
number of text characters, words, sentences, paragraphs, or the
like in the data 110; types of images included in the data 110 such
as, for example, high resolution images, low resolution images,
images with faces, or the like; an expected audience of the output
112; an expected venue for viewing the output 112; an expected
display medium such as a display device expected to be used to view
the output 112; a location at which the output 112 may be viewed;
hierarchies within the data 110 and/or among data elements 212;
input mechanisms that may be used when viewing or interacting with
the output 112; relative sizes of the visual objects or other data
elements 212 such as text, images, or the like; and/or other
aspects of the data 110. Thus, the computing device 102 can analyze
the data 110 to compile a list of properties that describe a type
of data 110 that is obtained by the computing device 102.
[0097] Based, at least partially, upon the shape of data 110, the
computing device 102 can determine worlds 210 that can be used to
represent the data 110. In some embodiments, the computing device
102 can exclude worlds 210 that are determined by the computing
device 102 to be poor or inappropriate for the type of data 110
being analyzed. For example, if the data 110 includes large blocks
of text and a few low resolution images, a world 210 designed for
presentation of multiple high resolution images with little text
may be determined by the computing device 102 to be poor choices
for representation of the data 110. Thresholds can be defined for
determining possible worlds 210. For example, the computing device
102 can be configured to ignore or exclude worlds 210 determined to
be less appropriate than a defined threshold. The threshold can be
applied to appropriateness based upon a text to image ratio, number
of text characters to space of text ratios, other ratios, other
non-ratio considerations, and/or the like. As such, the list of
possible worlds 210 compiled in operation 402 can include zero
worlds 210, one world 210, and/or more than one world 210.
[0098] From operation 402, the method 400 proceeds to operation
404, wherein the computing device 102 ranks the possible worlds
210. In some embodiments, the computing device 102 can determine an
appropriateness level or factor relating the world 210 to the data
110. This appropriateness factor can be based upon the determined
shape of the data 110 and how the world 210 is or is not
appropriate for the determined shape based upon one or more rules.
The various aspects of each of the possible worlds 210 can be
determined, based upon the data 110 and/or the identified
relationships, and each world 210 can be ranked.
[0099] For example, a particular world 210 may be determined to be
appropriate for data 110 having a text to image ratio of 2:1 or
higher and an average sentence length of fifteen words or lower. If
the data 110 has an text to image ratio of 1.8:1 and an average
sentence length of eighteen words, the world 210 may be determined
Another world 210 determined to be appropriate for data 110 having
an image ratio of 1.5:1 or higher and an average sentence length of
twenty words or lower, meanwhile, may be ranked higher than the
first example world 210 discussed above. Because many other aspects
of data shape can be considered in weighting and/or ranking worlds
210, this example should be understood as being illustrative and
should not be construed as being limiting in any way.
[0100] From operation 404, the method 400 can proceed to operation
406, wherein the computing device 102 can select a world 210 based
upon the ranking. In some embodiments, the highest ranked world 210
can be chosen. In some embodiments, if multiple worlds 210 are
ranked identically or substantially similarly, a user can select a
world 210, the world 210 can be chosen randomly from the worlds 210
having a same or similar ranking, or other considerations can
prompt selection of the highest ranked world 210.
[0101] From operation 406, the method 400 proceeds to operation
408, wherein the computing device 102 outputs the selected world
210 and/or data indicating the world 210 selected by the computing
device 102. As such, the computing device 102 can generate data
indicating what world 210 is to be used to transform the data 110
into the output 112.
[0102] From operation 408, the method 400 proceeds to operation
410. The method can end at operation 410. In some embodiments,
wherein the functionality described herein with reference to FIG. 4
is executed by the computing device 102 in association with
operation 308 of the method 300, the computing device 102 can
resume execution of the method 300 at operation 310 after executing
the method 400. Because the method 400 may or may not be associated
with execution of the method 300, it should be understood that this
embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being
limiting in any way.
[0103] FIG. 5 illustrates aspects of a method 400 for changing a
world 210 for introducing variations to the data 110, according to
some illustrative embodiments. It should be understood that the
illustrated embodiment of the method 400 is illustrative and should
not be construed as being limiting in any way. The method 500
begins at operation 502, wherein the computing device 102
determines if new content is detected. In particular, the computing
device 102 can determine if a new version of the data 110 has been
released, detected, or received; if a new data element 212 has been
released, detected, or received; and/or if a notification
indicating new data 110 and/or a new data element 212 has been
received or detected.
[0104] In some embodiments, the data 110 can include or can
correspond to a data feed such as an RSS feed; a comments section
of a weblog, article, social networking post, website, or the like;
a realtime message feed such as a messaging feed provided by the
TWITTER realtime messaging service; a photo album or photo feed; or
other data 110 that may change over time. As such, the computing
device 102 can subscribe to the feed to obtain or detect updates,
or can receive notifications from other devices that data has
changed. It should be understood that these embodiments are
illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any
way.
[0105] If the computing device 102 determines that the data 110 has
not changed, the method 500 can return to operation 502, wherein
the computing device 102 can again determine if the data 110 has
changed. Thus, execution of the method 500 can pause at operation
502 until a data update is detected. If the computing device 102
determines, in any iteration of operation 502, that the data 110
has changed, the method 500 proceeds to operation 504.
[0106] In operation 504, the computing device 102 can determine if
the world 210 is to be changed. In some embodiments, the
functionality of operation 502 can be omitted, and the method 500
can begin with the functionality described herein with respect to
operation 504. As such, it should be understood that in some
embodiments the indication that a world 210 is to be changed can
come from an explicit command from a user or other entity to change
the world 210 used to represent the data 110.
[0107] In some other embodiments, the computing device 102 can,
upon detecting a change to the data 110, examine the world 210 and
determine if the change made to the data 110 indicates that the
chosen world 210 is to be changed. The determination that the world
210 is to be changed can be made based upon any number of
considerations such as, for example, an indication of a maximum
number of elements that can be represented with a particular world
210, a change in data types, a change in update frequency, or the
like. Because other approaches for determining if a world 210 is to
be changed are contemplated and are possible, it should be
understood that these embodiments for making such a determination
are illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in
any way.
[0108] If the computing device 102 determines, in operation 504,
that the world 210 is not to be changed, the method 500 can return
to operation 502, wherein the computing device 102 can again
determine if the data 110 has changed. Although not explicitly
illustrated in FIG. 5, the rules 206 can be re-evaluated and/or the
world 510 can be changed to accommodate the changes in the data
110. Thus, execution of the method 500 can repeat operations
502-504 until the computing device 102 determines, in any iteration
of operation 504, that a world 210 is to be changed. If the
computing device 102 determines, in any iteration of operation 504,
that the world 210 is to be changed, the method 500 proceeds to
operation 506.
[0109] At operation 506, the computing device 102 can rank possible
worlds 210 for presenting the data 110. Thus, although not shown in
FIG. 5, the computing device 102 can again identify all possible
worlds 210, and can rank the possible worlds 210 based upon the new
or updated data 110. It should be understood that the functionality
of the computing device for a ranking possible worlds 210 can be,
but is not necessarily, similar or even identical to the ranking of
possible worlds 210 as illustrated in FIG. 4.
[0110] From operation 506, the method 500 proceeds to operation
508, wherein the computing device 102 selects a world 210 based
upon the ranking. From operation 508, the method 500 proceeds to
operation 510, wherein the computing device 102 outputs the
selected world 210. It should be understood that the functionality
of the computing device for selecting the world 210 and outputting
the selected world 210 as shown in operations 508-510 can be, but
are not necessarily, similar or even identical to the ranking and
selecting of a world 210 as illustrated and described above with
reference to operations 406-408 of FIG. 4. From operation 510, the
method 500 proceeds to operation 512. The method can end at
operation 512.
[0111] As mentioned above, but not illustrated explicitly in FIG.
5, the world 210 can be changed based upon feedback 214. Thus, for
example, user likes and/or dislikes can be used to determine that
new world 210 is to be selected for representing the data 110.
Additionally, or alternatively, a user can specify that the data
110 is to be loaded into a new world 210 explicitly. Thus, the
computing device 102 can be configured to present representations
of the data 110 loaded into multiple world 210, and a user or other
entity can select a desired world 210 based upon the
representations. Because other methods for changing the world based
upon feedback 214 and/or other input are contemplated and are
possible, it should be understood that these embodiments of input
are illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in
any way.
[0112] FIG. 6 illustrates an illustrative computer architecture 600
for a device capable of executing the software components described
herein for creating variations when transforming data into
consumable content. Thus, the computer architecture 600 illustrated
in FIG. 6 illustrates an architecture for a server computer, mobile
phone, a PDA, a smart phone, a desktop computer, a netbook
computer, a tablet computer, and/or a laptop computer. The computer
architecture 600 may be utilized to execute any aspects of the
software components presented herein.
[0113] The computer architecture 600 illustrated in FIG. 6 includes
a central processing unit 602 ("CPU"), a system memory 604,
including a random access memory 606 ("RAM") and a read-only memory
("ROM") 608, and a system bus 610 that couples the memory 604 to
the CPU 602. A basic input/output system containing the basic
routines that help to transfer information between elements within
the computer architecture 600, such as during startup, is stored in
the ROM 608. The computer architecture 600 further includes a mass
storage device 612 for storing the operating system 106 and one or
more application programs including, but not limited to, the
transformation engine 108. Although not shown in FIG. 6, the mass
storage device 612 also can be configured to store the data 110,
the output 112, the rules 206, the worlds 210, the data elements
212, the feedback 214, and/or other applications, modules, or other
information described herein.
[0114] The mass storage device 612 is connected to the CPU 602
through a mass storage controller (not shown) connected to the bus
610. The mass storage device 612 and its associated
computer-readable media provide non-volatile storage for the
computer architecture 600. Although the description of
computer-readable media contained herein refers to a mass storage
device, such as a hard disk or CD-ROM drive, it should be
appreciated by those skilled in the art that computer-readable
media can be any available computer storage media or communication
media that can be accessed by the computer architecture 600.
[0115] Communication media includes computer readable instructions,
data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data
signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and
includes any delivery media. The term "modulated data signal" means
a signal that has one or more of its characteristics changed or set
in a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of
example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired
media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and
wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless
media. Combinations of the any of the above should also be included
within the scope of computer-readable media.
[0116] By way of example, and not limitation, computer storage
media may include volatile and non-volatile, removable and
non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for
storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data
structures, program modules or other data. For example, computer
media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM,
flash memory or other solid state memory technology, CD-ROM,
digital versatile disks ("DVD"), HD-DVD, BLU-RAY, or other optical
storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage
or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be
used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by
the computer architecture 600. For purposes the claims, the phrase
"computer storage medium" and variations thereof, does not include
waves, signals, and/or other transitory and/or intangible
communication media, per se.
[0117] According to various embodiments, the computer architecture
600 may operate in a networked environment using logical
connections to remote computers through a network such as the
network 104. The computer architecture 600 may connect to the
network 104 through a network interface unit 614 connected to the
bus 610. It should be appreciated that the network interface unit
614 also may be utilized to connect to other types of networks and
remote computer systems, for example, the data source 114. The
computer architecture 600 also may include an input/output
controller 616 for receiving and processing input from a number of
other devices, including a keyboard, mouse, or electronic stylus
(not shown in FIG. 6). Similarly, the input/output controller 616
may provide output to a display screen, a printer, or other type of
output device (also not shown in FIG. 6).
[0118] It should be appreciated that the software components
described herein may, when loaded into the CPU 602 and executed,
transform the CPU 602 and the overall computer architecture 600
from a general-purpose computing system into a special-purpose
computing system customized to facilitate the functionality
presented herein. The CPU 602 may be constructed from any number of
transistors or other discrete circuit elements, which may
individually or collectively assume any number of states. More
specifically, the CPU 602 may operate as a finite-state machine, in
response to executable instructions contained within the software
modules disclosed herein. These computer-executable instructions
may transform the CPU 602 by specifying how the CPU 602 transitions
between states, thereby transforming the transistors or other
discrete hardware elements constituting the CPU 602.
[0119] Encoding the software modules presented herein also may
transform the physical structure of the computer-readable media
presented herein. The specific transformation of physical structure
may depend on various factors, in different implementations of this
description. Examples of such factors may include, but are not
limited to, the technology used to implement the computer-readable
media, whether the computer-readable media is characterized as
primary or secondary storage, and the like. For example, if the
computer-readable media is implemented as semiconductor-based
memory, the software disclosed herein may be encoded on the
computer-readable media by transforming the physical state of the
semiconductor memory. For example, the software may transform the
state of transistors, capacitors, or other discrete circuit
elements constituting the semiconductor memory. The software also
may transform the physical state of such components in order to
store data thereupon.
[0120] As another example, the computer-readable media disclosed
herein may be implemented using magnetic or optical technology. In
such implementations, the software presented herein may transform
the physical state of magnetic or optical media, when the software
is encoded therein. These transformations may include altering the
magnetic characteristics of particular locations within given
magnetic media. These transformations also may include altering the
physical features or characteristics of particular locations within
given optical media, to change the optical characteristics of those
locations. Other transformations of physical media are possible
without departing from the scope and spirit of the present
description, with the foregoing examples provided only to
facilitate this discussion.
[0121] In light of the above, it should be appreciated that many
types of physical transformations take place in the computer
architecture 600 in order to store and execute the software
components presented herein. It also should be appreciated that the
computer architecture 600 may include other types of computing
devices, including hand-held computers, embedded computer systems,
personal digital assistants, and other types of computing devices
known to those skilled in the art. It is also contemplated that the
computer architecture 600 may not include all of the components
shown in FIG. 6, may include other components that are not
explicitly shown in FIG. 6, or may utilize an architecture
completely different than that shown in FIG. 6.
[0122] FIG. 7 illustrates an illustrative distributed computing
environment 700 capable of executing the software components
described herein for creating variations when transforming data
into consumable content. Thus, the distributed computing
environment 700 illustrated in FIG. 7 can be used to provide the
functionality described herein with respect to the computing device
102. The distributed computing environment 700 thus may be utilized
to execute any aspects of the software components presented
herein.
[0123] According to various implementations, the distributed
computing environment 700 includes a computing environment 702
operating on, in communication with, or as part of the network 704.
The network 704 also can include various access networks. According
to various implementations, the functionality of the network 704 is
provided by the network 104 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6. One or
more client devices 706A-706N (hereinafter referred to collectively
and/or generically as "clients 706") can communicate with the
computing environment 702 via the network 704 and/or other
connections (not illustrated in FIG. 7). In the illustrated
embodiment, the clients 706 include a computing device 706A such as
a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or other computing device; a
slate or tablet computing device ("tablet computing device") 706B;
a mobile computing device 706C such as a mobile telephone, a smart
phone, or other mobile computing device; a server computer 706D;
and/or other devices 706N. It should be understood that any number
of clients 706 can communicate with the computing environment 702.
Two example computing architectures for the clients 706 are
illustrated and described herein with reference to FIGS. 6 and 6.
It should be understood that the illustrated clients 706 and
computing architectures illustrated and described herein are
illustrative, and should not be construed as being limited in any
way.
[0124] In the illustrated embodiment, the computing environment 702
includes application servers 708, data storage 710, and one or more
network interfaces 712. According to various implementations, the
functionality of the application servers 708 can be provided by one
or more server computers that are executing as part of, or in
communication with, the network 704. The application servers 708
can host various services, virtual machines, portals, and/or other
resources. In the illustrated embodiment, the application servers
708 host one or more virtual machines 714 for hosting applications
or other functionality. According to various implementations, the
virtual machines 714 host one or more applications and/or software
modules for providing the functionality described herein for
creating variations when transforming data into consumable content.
It should be understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and
should not be construed as being limiting in any way. The
application servers 708 also host or provide access to one or more
Web portals, link pages, Web sites, and/or other information ("Web
portals") 716.
[0125] According to various implementations, the application
servers 708 also include one or more mailbox services 718 and one
or more messaging services 720. The mailbox services 718 can
include electronic mail ("email") services. The mailbox services
718 also can include various personal information management
("PIM") services including, but not limited to, calendar services,
contact management services, collaboration services, and/or other
services. The messaging services 720 can include, but are not
limited to, instant messaging services, chat services, forum
services, and/or other communication services.
[0126] The application servers 708 also can include one or more
social networking services 722. The social networking services 722
can include various social networking services including, but not
limited to, services for sharing or posting status updates, instant
messages, links, photos, videos, and/or other information; services
for commenting or displaying interest in articles, products, blogs,
or other resources; and/or other services. In some embodiments, the
social networking services 722 are provided by or include the
FACEBOOK social networking service, the LINKEDIN professional
networking service, the MYSPACE social networking service, the
FOURSQUARE geographic networking service, the YAMMER office
colleague networking service, and the like. In other embodiments,
the social networking services 722 are provided by other services,
sites, and/or providers that may or may not explicitly be known as
social networking providers. For example, some web sites allow
users to interact with one another via email, chat services, and/or
other means during various activities and/or contexts such as
reading published articles, commenting on goods or services,
publishing, collaboration, gaming, and the like. Examples of such
services include, but are not limited to, the WINDOWS LIVE service
and the XBOX LIVE service from Microsoft Corporation in Redmond,
Wash. Other services are possible and are contemplated.
[0127] The social networking services 722 also can include
commenting, blogging, and/or microblogging services. Examples of
such services include, but are not limited to, the YELP commenting
service, the KUDZU review service, the OFFICETALK enterprise
microblogging service, the TWITTER messaging service, the GOOGLE
BUZZ service, and/or other services. It should be appreciated that
the above lists of services are not exhaustive and that numerous
additional and/or alternative social networking services 722 are
not mentioned herein for the sake of brevity. As such, the above
embodiments are illustrative, and should not be construed as being
limited in any way.
[0128] As shown in FIG. 7, the application servers 708 also can
host other services, applications, portals, and/or other resources
("other resources") 724. It thus can be appreciated that the
computing environment 702 can provide integration of the concepts
and technologies disclosed herein provided herein for creating
variations when transforming data into consumable content with
various mailbox, messaging, social networking, and/or other
services or resources. For example, the concepts and technologies
disclosed herein can be used to transform social networking data or
mailbox data into visual content for a user. Similarly, the
concepts and technologies disclosed herein can be used to transform
messaging or other resources into visual content. It should be
understood that these embodiments are illustrative, and should not
be construed as being limiting in any way.
[0129] As mentioned above, the computing environment 702 can
include the data storage 710. According to various implementations,
the functionality of the data storage 710 is provided by one or
more databases operating on, or in communication with, the network
704. The functionality of the data storage 710 also can be provided
by one or more server computers configured to host data for the
computing environment 702. The data storage 710 can include, host,
or provide one or more real or virtual datastores 726A-726N
(hereinafter referred to collectively and/or generically as
"datastores 726"). The datastores 726 are configured to host data
used or created by the application servers 708 and/or other data.
Although not illustrated in FIG. 7, the datastores 726 also can
host or store the data 110, the output 112, the rules 206, the
worlds 210, the data elements 212, the feedback 214, and/or other
data, computer executable instructions, or other information
described herein.
[0130] The computing environment 702 can communicate with, or be
accessed by, the network interfaces 712. The network interfaces 712
can include various types of network hardware and software for
supporting communications between two or more computing devices
including, but not limited to, the clients 706 and the application
servers 708. It should be appreciated that the network interfaces
712 also may be utilized to connect to other types of networks
and/or computer systems.
[0131] It should be understood that the distributed computing
environment 700 described herein can provide any aspects of the
software elements described herein with any number of virtual
computing resources and/or other distributed computing
functionality that can be configured to execute any aspects of the
software components disclosed herein. According to various
implementations of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein,
the distributed computing environment 700 provides the software
functionality described herein as a service to the clients 706. It
should be understood that the clients 706 can include real or
virtual machines including, but not limited to, server computers,
web servers, personal computers, mobile computing devices, smart
phones, and/or other devices. As such, various embodiments of the
concepts and technologies disclosed herein enable any device
configured to access the distributed computing environment 700 to
utilize the functionality described herein for creating variations
when transforming data into consumable content.
[0132] Turning now to FIG. 8, an illustrative computing device
architecture 800 for a computing device that is capable of
executing various software components described herein for creating
variations when transforming data into consumable content. The
computing device architecture 800 is applicable to computing
devices that facilitate mobile computing due, in part, to form
factor, wireless connectivity, and/or battery-powered operation. In
some embodiments, the computing devices include, but are not
limited to, mobile telephones, tablet devices, slate devices,
portable video game devices, and the like. Moreover, the computing
device architecture 800 is applicable to any of the clients 806
shown in FIG. 7. Furthermore, aspects of the computing device
architecture 800 may be applicable to traditional desktop
computers, portable computers (e.g., laptops, notebooks,
ultra-portables, and netbooks), server computers, and other
computer systems, such as described herein with reference to FIG.
8. For example, the single touch and multi-touch aspects disclosed
herein below may be applied to desktop computers that utilize a
touchscreen or some other touch-enabled device, such as a
touch-enabled track pad or touch-enabled mouse.
[0133] The computing device architecture 800 illustrated in FIG. 8
includes a processor 802, memory components 804, network
connectivity components 806, sensor components 808, input/output
components 810, and power components 812. In the illustrated
embodiment, the processor 802 is in communication with the memory
components 804, the network connectivity components 806, the sensor
components 808, the input/output ("I/O") components 810, and the
power components 812. Although no connections are shown between the
individuals components illustrated in FIG. 8, the components can
interact to carry out device functions. In some embodiments, the
components are arranged so as to communicate via one or more busses
(not shown).
[0134] The processor 802 includes a central processing unit ("CPU")
configured to process data, execute computer-executable
instructions of one or more application programs, and communicate
with other components of the computing device architecture 800 in
order to perform various functionality described herein. The
processor 802 may be utilized to execute aspects of the software
components presented herein and, particularly, those that utilize,
at least in part, a touch-enabled input.
[0135] In some embodiments, the processor 802 includes a graphics
processing unit ("GPU") configured to accelerate operations
performed by the CPU, including, but not limited to, operations
performed by executing general-purpose scientific and engineering
computing applications, as well as graphics-intensive computing
applications such as high resolution video (e.g., 720P, 1080P, and
greater), video games, three-dimensional ("3D") modeling
applications, and the like. In some embodiments, the processor 802
is configured to communicate with a discrete GPU (not shown). In
any case, the CPU and GPU may be configured in accordance with a
co-processing CPU/GPU computing model, wherein the sequential part
of an application executes on the CPU and the
computationally-intensive part is accelerated by the GPU.
[0136] In some embodiments, the processor 802 is, or is included
in, a system-on-chip ("SoC") along with one or more of the other
components described herein below. For example, the SoC may include
the processor 802, a GPU, one or more of the network connectivity
components 806, and one or more of the sensor components 808. In
some embodiments, the processor 802 is fabricated, in part,
utilizing a package-on-package ("PoP") integrated circuit packaging
technique. Moreover, the processor 802 may be a single core or
multi-core processor.
[0137] The processor 802 may be created in accordance with an ARM
architecture, available for license from ARM HOLDINGS of Cambridge,
United Kingdom. Alternatively, the processor 802 may be created in
accordance with an x86 architecture, such as is available from
INTEL CORPORATION of Mountain View, Calif. and others. In some
embodiments, the processor 802 is a SNAPDRAGON SoC, available from
QUALCOMM of San Diego, Calif., a TEGRA SoC, available from NVIDIA
of Santa Clara, Calif., a HUMMINGBIRD SoC, available from SAMSUNG
of Seoul, South Korea, an Open Multimedia Application Platform
("OMAP") SoC, available from TEXAS INSTRUMENTS of Dallas, Tex., a
customized version of any of the above SoCs, or a proprietary
SoC.
[0138] The memory components 804 include a random access memory
("RAM") 814, a read-only memory ("ROM") 816, an integrated storage
memory ("integrated storage") 818, and a removable storage memory
("removable storage") 820. In some embodiments, the RAM 814 or a
portion thereof, the ROM 816 or a portion thereof, and/or some
combination the RAM 814 and the ROM 816 is integrated in the
processor 802. In some embodiments, the ROM 816 is configured to
store a firmware, an operating system or a portion thereof (e.g.,
operating system kernel), and/or a bootloader to load an operating
system kernel from the integrated storage 818 or the removable
storage 820.
[0139] The integrated storage 818 can include a solid-state memory,
a hard disk, or a combination of solid-state memory and a hard
disk. The integrated storage 818 may be soldered or otherwise
connected to a logic board upon which the processor 802 and other
components described herein also may be connected. As such, the
integrated storage 818 is integrated in the computing device. The
integrated storage 818 is configured to store an operating system
or portions thereof, application programs, data, and other software
components described herein.
[0140] The removable storage 820 can include a solid-state memory,
a hard disk, or a combination of solid-state memory and a hard
disk. In some embodiments, the removable storage 820 is provided in
lieu of the integrated storage 818. In other embodiments, the
removable storage 820 is provided as additional optional storage.
In some embodiments, the removable storage 820 is logically
combined with the integrated storage 818 such that the total
available storage is made available and shown to a user as a total
combined capacity of the integrated storage 818 and the removable
storage 820.
[0141] The removable storage 820 is configured to be inserted into
a removable storage memory slot (not shown) or other mechanism by
which the removable storage 820 is inserted and secured to
facilitate a connection over which the removable storage 820 can
communicate with other components of the computing device, such as
the processor 802. The removable storage 820 may be embodied in
various memory card formats including, but not limited to, PC card,
CompactFlash card, memory stick, secure digital ("SD"), miniSD,
microSD, universal integrated circuit card ("UICC") (e.g., a
subscriber identity module ("SIM") or universal SIM ("USIM")), a
proprietary format, or the like.
[0142] It can be understood that one or more of the memory
components 804 can store an operating system. According to various
embodiments, the operating system includes, but is not limited to,
SYMBIAN OS from SYMBIAN LIMITED, WINDOWS MOBILE OS from Microsoft
Corporation of Redmond, Wash., WINDOWS PHONE OS from Microsoft
Corporation, WINDOWS from Microsoft Corporation, PALM WEBOS from
Hewlett-Packard Company of Palo Alto, Calif., BLACKBERRY OS from
Research In Motion Limited of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, IOS from
Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., and ANDROID OS from Google Inc. of
Mountain View, Calif. Other operating systems are contemplated.
[0143] The network connectivity components 806 include a wireless
wide area network component ("WWAN component") 822, a wireless
local area network component ("WLAN component") 824, and a wireless
personal area network component ("WPAN component") 826. The network
connectivity components 806 facilitate communications to and from a
network 828, which may be a WWAN, a WLAN, or a WPAN. Although a
single network 828 is illustrated, the network connectivity
components 806 may facilitate simultaneous communication with
multiple networks. For example, the network connectivity components
806 may facilitate simultaneous communications with multiple
networks via one or more of a WWAN, a WLAN, or a WPAN.
[0144] In some embodiments, the functionality of the network 828 is
provided by one or more of the networks 104, 704. In some
embodiments, the network 828 includes one or more of the networks
104, 704. In some other embodiments, the network 828 provides
access to one or more of the networks 104, 704.
[0145] The network 828 may be a WWAN, such as a mobile
telecommunications network utilizing one or more mobile
telecommunications technologies to provide voice and/or data
services to a computing device utilizing the computing device
architecture 800 via the WWAN component 822. The mobile
telecommunications technologies can include, but are not limited
to, Global System for Mobile communications ("GSM"), Code Division
Multiple Access ("CDMA") ONE, CDMA2000, Universal Mobile
Telecommunications System ("UMTS"), Long Term Evolution ("LTE"),
and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access ("WiMAX").
Moreover, the network 828 may utilize various channel access
methods (which may or may not be used by the aforementioned
standards) including, but not limited to, Time Division Multiple
Access ("TDMA"), Frequency Division Multiple Access ("FDMA"), CDMA,
wideband CDMA ("W-CDMA"), Orthogonal Frequency Division
Multiplexing ("OFDM"), Space Division Multiple Access ("SDMA"), and
the like. Data communications may be provided using General Packet
Radio Service ("GPRS"), Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution
("EDGE"), the High-Speed Packet Access ("HSPA") protocol family
including High-Speed Downlink Packet Access ("HSDPA"), Enhanced
Uplink ("EUL") or otherwise termed High-Speed Uplink Packet Access
("HSUPA"), Evolved HSPA ("HSPA+"), LTE, and various other current
and future wireless data access standards. The network 828 may be
configured to provide voice and/or data communications with any
combination of the above technologies. The network 828 may be
configured to or adapted to provide voice and/or data
communications in accordance with future generation
technologies.
[0146] In some embodiments, the WWAN component 822 is configured to
provide dual- multi-mode connectivity to the network 828. For
example, the WWAN component 822 may be configured to provide
connectivity to the network 828, wherein the network 828 provides
service via GSM and UMTS technologies, or via some other
combination of technologies. Alternatively, multiple WWAN
components 822 may be utilized to perform such functionality,
and/or provide additional functionality to support other
non-compatible technologies (i.e., incapable of being supported by
a single WWAN component). The WWAN component 822 may facilitate
similar connectivity to multiple networks (e.g., a UMTS network and
an LTE network).
[0147] The network 828 may be a WLAN operating in accordance with
one or more Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
("IEEE") 802.11 standards, such as IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g,
802.11n, and/or future 802.11 standard (referred to herein
collectively as WI-FI). Draft 802.11 standards are also
contemplated. In some embodiments, the WLAN is implemented
utilizing one or more wireless WI-FI access points. In some
embodiments, one or more of the wireless WI-FI access points are
another computing device with connectivity to a WWAN that are
functioning as a WI-FI hotspot. The WLAN component 824 is
configured to connect to the network 828 via the WI-FI access
points. Such connections may be secured via various encryption
technologies including, but not limited, WI-FI Protected Access
("WPA"), WPA2, Wired Equivalent Privacy ("WEP"), and the like.
[0148] The network 828 may be a WPAN operating in accordance with
Infrared Data Association ("IrDA"), BLUETOOTH, wireless Universal
Serial Bus ("USB"), Z-Wave, ZIGBEE, or some other short-range
wireless technology. In some embodiments, the WPAN component 826 is
configured to facilitate communications with other devices, such as
peripherals, computers, or other computing devices via the
WPAN.
[0149] The sensor components 808 include a magnetometer 830, an
ambient light sensor 832, a proximity sensor 834, an accelerometer
836, a gyroscope 838, and a Global Positioning System sensor ("GPS
sensor") 840. It is contemplated that other sensors, such as, but
not limited to, temperature sensors or shock detection sensors,
also may be incorporated in the computing device architecture
800.
[0150] The magnetometer 830 is configured to measure the strength
and direction of a magnetic field. In some embodiments the
magnetometer 830 provides measurements to a compass application
program stored within one of the memory components 804 in order to
provide a user with accurate directions in a frame of reference
including the cardinal directions, north, south, east, and west.
Similar measurements may be provided to a navigation application
program that includes a compass component. Other uses of
measurements obtained by the magnetometer 830 are contemplated.
[0151] The ambient light sensor 832 is configured to measure
ambient light. In some embodiments, the ambient light sensor 832
provides measurements to an application program stored within one
the memory components 804 in order to automatically adjust the
brightness of a display (described below) to compensate for
low-light and high-light environments. Other uses of measurements
obtained by the ambient light sensor 832 are contemplated.
[0152] The proximity sensor 834 is configured to detect the
presence of an object or thing in proximity to the computing device
without direct contact. In some embodiments, the proximity sensor
834 detects the presence of a user's body (e.g., the user's face)
and provides this information to an application program stored
within one of the memory components 804 that utilizes the proximity
information to enable or disable some functionality of the
computing device. For example, a telephone application program may
automatically disable a touchscreen (described below) in response
to receiving the proximity information so that the user's face does
not inadvertently end a call or enable/disable other functionality
within the telephone application program during the call. Other
uses of proximity as detected by the proximity sensor 834 are
contemplated.
[0153] The accelerometer 836 is configured to measure proper
acceleration. In some embodiments, output from the accelerometer
836 is used by an application program as an input mechanism to
control some functionality of the application program. For example,
the application program may be a video game in which a character, a
portion thereof, or an object is moved or otherwise manipulated in
response to input received via the accelerometer 836. In some
embodiments, output from the accelerometer 836 is provided to an
application program for use in switching between landscape and
portrait modes, calculating coordinate acceleration, or detecting a
fall. Other uses of the accelerometer 836 are contemplated.
[0154] The gyroscope 838 is configured to measure and maintain
orientation. In some embodiments, output from the gyroscope 838 is
used by an application program as an input mechanism to control
some functionality of the application program. For example, the
gyroscope 838 can be used for accurate recognition of movement
within a 3D environment of a video game application or some other
application. In some embodiments, an application program utilizes
output from the gyroscope 838 and the accelerometer 836 to enhance
control of some functionality of the application program. Other
uses of the gyroscope 838 are contemplated.
[0155] The GPS sensor 840 is configured to receive signals from GPS
satellites for use in calculating a location. The location
calculated by the GPS sensor 840 may be used by any application
program that requires or benefits from location information. For
example, the location calculated by the GPS sensor 840 may be used
with a navigation application program to provide directions from
the location to a destination or directions from the destination to
the location. Moreover, the GPS sensor 840 may be used to provide
location information to an external location-based service, such as
E911 service. The GPS sensor 840 may obtain location information
generated via WI-FI, WIMAX, and/or cellular triangulation
techniques utilizing one or more of the network connectivity
components 806 to aid the GPS sensor 840 in obtaining a location
fix. The GPS sensor 840 may also be used in Assisted GPS ("A-GPS")
systems.
[0156] The I/O components 810 include a display 842, a touchscreen
844, a data I/O interface component ("data I/O") 846, an audio I/O
interface component ("audio I/O") 848, a video I/O interface
component ("video I/O") 850, and a camera 852. In some embodiments,
the display 842 and the touchscreen 844 are combined. In some
embodiments two or more of the data I/O component 846, the audio
I/O component 848, and the video I/O component 850 are combined.
The I/O components 810 may include discrete processors configured
to support the various interface described below, or may include
processing functionality built-in to the processor 802.
[0157] The display 842 is an output device configured to present
information in a visual form. In particular, the display 842 may
present graphical user interface ("GUI") elements, text, images,
video, notifications, virtual buttons, virtual keyboards, messaging
data, Internet content, device status, time, date, calendar data,
preferences, map information, location information, and any other
information that is capable of being presented in a visual form. In
some embodiments, the display 842 is a liquid crystal display
("LCD") utilizing any active or passive matrix technology and any
backlighting technology (if used). In some embodiments, the display
842 is an organic light emitting diode ("OLED") display. Other
display types are contemplated.
[0158] The touchscreen 844 is an input device configured to detect
the presence and location of a touch. The touchscreen 844 may be a
resistive touchscreen, a capacitive touchscreen, a surface acoustic
wave touchscreen, an infrared touchscreen, an optical imaging
touchscreen, a dispersive signal touchscreen, an acoustic pulse
recognition touchscreen, or may utilize any other touchscreen
technology. In some embodiments, the touchscreen 844 is
incorporated on top of the display 842 as a transparent layer to
enable a user to use one or more touches to interact with objects
or other information presented on the display 842. In other
embodiments, the touchscreen 844 is a touch pad incorporated on a
surface of the computing device that does not include the display
842. For example, the computing device may have a touchscreen
incorporated on top of the display 842 and a touch pad on a surface
opposite the display 842.
[0159] In some embodiments, the touchscreen 844 is a single-touch
touchscreen. In other embodiments, the touchscreen 844 is a
multi-touch touchscreen. In some embodiments, the touchscreen 844
is configured to detect discrete touches, single touch gestures,
and/or multi-touch gestures. These are collectively referred to
herein as gestures for convenience. Several gestures will now be
described. It should be understood that these gestures are
illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the
appended claims. Moreover, the described gestures, additional
gestures, and/or alternative gestures may be implemented in
software for use with the touchscreen 844. As such, a developer may
create gestures that are specific to a particular application
program.
[0160] In some embodiments, the touchscreen 844 supports a tap
gesture in which a user taps the touchscreen 844 once on an item
presented on the display 842. The tap gesture may be used for
various reasons including, but not limited to, opening or launching
whatever the user taps. In some embodiments, the touchscreen 844
supports a double tap gesture in which a user taps the touchscreen
844 twice on an item presented on the display 842. The double tap
gesture may be used for various reasons including, but not limited
to, zooming in or zooming out in stages. In some embodiments, the
touchscreen 844 supports a tap and hold gesture in which a user
taps the touchscreen 844 and maintains contact for at least a
pre-defined time. The tap and hold gesture may be used for various
reasons including, but not limited to, opening a context-specific
menu.
[0161] In some embodiments, the touchscreen 844 supports a pan
gesture in which a user places a finger on the touchscreen 844 and
maintains contact with the touchscreen 844 while moving the finger
on the touchscreen 844. The pan gesture may be used for various
reasons including, but not limited to, moving through screens,
images, or menus at a controlled rate. Multiple finger pan gestures
are also contemplated. In some embodiments, the touchscreen 844
supports a flick gesture in which a user swipes a finger in the
direction the user wants the screen to move. The flick gesture may
be used for various reasons including, but not limited to,
scrolling horizontally or vertically through menus or pages. In
some embodiments, the touchscreen 844 supports a pinch and stretch
gesture in which a user makes a pinching motion with two fingers
(e.g., thumb and forefinger) on the touchscreen 844 or moves the
two fingers apart. The pinch and stretch gesture may be used for
various reasons including, but not limited to, zooming gradually in
or out of a website, map, or picture.
[0162] Although the above gestures have been described with
reference to the use one or more fingers for performing the
gestures, other appendages such as toes or objects such as styluses
may be used to interact with the touchscreen 844. As such, the
above gestures should be understood as being illustrative and
should not be construed as being limiting in any way.
[0163] The data I/O interface component 846 is configured to
facilitate input of data to the computing device and output of data
from the computing device. In some embodiments, the data I/O
interface component 846 includes a connector configured to provide
wired connectivity between the computing device and a computer
system, for example, for synchronization operation purposes. The
connector may be a proprietary connector or a standardized
connector such as USB, micro-USB, mini-USB, or the like. In some
embodiments, the connector is a dock connector for docking the
computing device with another device such as a docking station,
audio device (e.g., a digital music player), or video device.
[0164] The audio I/O interface component 848 is configured to
provide audio input and/or output capabilities to the computing
device. In some embodiments, the audio I/O interface component 846
includes a microphone configured to collect audio signals. In some
embodiments, the audio I/O interface component 846 includes a
headphone jack configured to provide connectivity for headphones or
other external speakers. In some embodiments, the audio interface
component 848 includes a speaker for the output of audio signals.
In some embodiments, the audio I/O interface component 846 includes
an optical audio cable out.
[0165] The video I/O interface component 850 is configured to
provide video input and/or output capabilities to the computing
device. In some embodiments, the video I/O interface component 850
includes a video connector configured to receive video as input
from another device (e.g., a video media player such as a DVD or
BLURAY player) or send video as output to another device (e.g., a
monitor, a television, or some other external display). In some
embodiments, the video I/O interface component 850 includes a
High-Definition Multimedia Interface ("HDMI"), mini-HDMI,
micro-HDMI, DisplayPort, or proprietary connector to input/output
video content. In some embodiments, the video I/O interface
component 850 or portions thereof is combined with the audio I/O
interface component 848 or portions thereof
[0166] The camera 852 can be configured to capture still images
and/or video. The camera 852 may utilize a charge coupled device
("CCD") or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor ("CMOS") image
sensor to capture images. In some embodiments, the camera 852
includes a flash to aid in taking pictures in low-light
environments. Settings for the camera 852 may be implemented as
hardware or software buttons.
[0167] Although not illustrated, one or more hardware buttons may
also be included in the computing device architecture 800. The
hardware buttons may be used for controlling some operational
aspect of the computing device. The hardware buttons may be
dedicated buttons or multi-use buttons. The hardware buttons may be
mechanical or sensor-based.
[0168] The illustrated power components 812 include one or more
batteries 854, which can be connected to a battery gauge 856. The
batteries 854 may be rechargeable or disposable. Rechargeable
battery types include, but are not limited to, lithium polymer,
lithium ion, nickel cadmium, and nickel metal hydride. Each of the
batteries 854 may be made of one or more cells.
[0169] The battery gauge 856 can be configured to measure battery
parameters such as current, voltage, and temperature. In some
embodiments, the battery gauge 856 is configured to measure the
effect of a battery's discharge rate, temperature, age and other
factors to predict remaining life within a certain percentage of
error. In some embodiments, the battery gauge 856 provides
measurements to an application program that is configured to
utilize the measurements to present useful power management data to
a user. Power management data may include one or more of a
percentage of battery used, a percentage of battery remaining, a
battery condition, a remaining time, a remaining capacity (e.g., in
watt hours), a current draw, and a voltage.
[0170] The power components 812 may also include a power connector,
which may be combined with one or more of the aforementioned I/O
components 810. The power components 812 may interface with an
external power system or charging equipment via a power I/O
component 844.
[0171] Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that
technologies for creating variations when transforming data into
consumable content have been disclosed herein. Although the subject
matter presented herein has been described in language specific to
computer structural features, methodological and transformative
acts, specific computing machinery, and computer readable media, it
is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended
claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features, acts,
or media described herein. Rather, the specific features, acts and
mediums are disclosed as example forms of implementing the
claims.
[0172] The subject matter described above is provided by way of
illustration only and should not be construed as limiting. Various
modifications and changes may be made to the subject matter
described herein without following the example embodiments and
applications illustrated and described, and without departing from
the true spirit and scope of the present invention, which is set
forth in the following claims.
* * * * *