System And Method For Improved Content Delivery

Abstract

A system and method for sharing content among a plurality of users, enables the transfer of electronic content items captured by any of a variety of electronic content devices. The content item can include multiple levels of encoding to facilitate efficient transfer across a communication medium. The content item can be decoded at a recipient device to allow playback, display or other utilization of the content item. Content-specific encoding can be applied to enhance the transportability of the content. A content sharing application can be provided to facilitate content transfer in a computing environment, and can be implemented so as to provide an e-mail like user interface.

1 . A method for sharing content among a plurality of users, comprising:
 receiving at a digital media server a content message in a content sharing application from a sender, wherein the content message contains digital media content and content identifying a recipient of the content;   separating the content message at the digital media server into the digital media content and the recipient identifier content;   creating at the digital media server a notification e-mail message identifying that the digital media content is available for transmission to the recipient; and   transmitting the notification e-mail message across a communication medium to the recipient.   
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the content message comprises a content item encoded using a first encoding scheme to create an encoded content item, wherein the content item is captured with an electronic content device, and a content-specific encoding scheme is applied to the encoded content item to create the digital media content. 
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising dynamically generating at the digital media server a web page in response to receiving the content message; and the digital media server providing the web page, wherein the digital media content may be transmitted across the communication medium to the recipient. 
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising maintaining an account system at the digital media server, wherein the account system is comprised of accounts; and the digital media server provides the recipient access to the digital media content if the recipient has an existing account in the account system and the recipient has been identified to receive the digital media content. 
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the content identifying the recipient is assembled by the content sharing application accessing a collection of one or more e-mail addresses. 
   
   
       6 . A method for sharing content among a plurality of users, comprising:
 receiving a content message at a digital media server, wherein the content message contains digital media content and content identifying one or more recipients;   separating the content message at the digital media server into the digital media content and the recipient identifier content;   creating a notification e-mail message at the digital media server, wherein the notification e-mail identifies that the digital media content is available for download;   transmitting the notification e-mail message across a communication medium; and   transferring the digital media content across the communication medium.   
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein transferring the digital media content further comprises dynamically generating one or more web pages in response to receiving the content message and providing the one or more web pages, wherein the digital media content may be transmitted across the communication medium to the one or more recipients. 
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein transferring the digital media content further comprises serving one or more web pages, wherein each of one or more web pages contains one or more links to the digital media content, triggering a receiving application, transmitting across the communication medium at least a portion of the digital media content to the receiving application. 
   
   
       9 . A method for sharing content among a plurality of users, comprising:
 encoding a digital media content item using a first encoding scheme, wherein the content item is captured with an electronic content device;   determining an appropriate one of a plurality of content-specific encoding schemes to apply to the encoded content item to create a second encoded content item; applying a content-specific encoding scheme to the encoded content item to create the second encoded content item;   transferring the second encoded content item across a communication medium; and   decoding the second encoded content item to recover a representation of the first encoded item.   
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 9  wherein transferring the second encoded content item across a communication medium further comprises a communication application, wherein the communication application comprises: a transfer application portion, wherein the transfer application portion of the communication application is capable of retrieving the second encoded content item and transferring the second encoded item across a communication medium; and a receiving application portion, wherein the receiving application portion of the communication application is capable of receiving the second encoded content item from the transfer application. 
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 9  wherein applying a content-specific encoding scheme and transferring the second encoded content item across a communication medium further comprise:
 receiving a request at a transfer application to transmit the encoded content item;   applying the content-specific encoding scheme to the encoded content item to create the second encoded content item after the receipt of the request; and   transferring the second encoded content item across the communication medium.   
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 9  wherein decoding the second encoded content item further comprises:
 receiving the second encoded content item; determining the content-specific encoding scheme of the second encoded content item;   determining a preferred decoder, wherein the decode is capable of decoding the content-specific encoding scheme; and   determining if the second encoded content item requires decoding, and if so the preferred decoder decoding the second encoded content item to recover a representation of the first encoded item.   
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 9  wherein the step of transferring the second encoded content item across a communication medium further comprises:
 transmitting the second encoded content item across the communication medium to a digital media server; and   transmitting the second encoded content item across the communication medium to a recipient.   
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 12  wherein transmitting the second encoded content item to a digital media server further comprises:
 receiving a first e-mail containing the second encoded content item by a transfer application;   separating the second encoded content item from the first e-mail so as to create a second e-mail, wherein the second e-mail does not contain the second encoded content item;   sending the second encoded content item to the digital media server; and   sending the second e-mail to an e-mail server.