Systems and methods for sharing user generated slide objects over a network

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to an address match in connection with a request for a target structured document, identifying one or more slide objects associated with the target structured document, the one or more slide objects defining a set of anchor point definitions in the target structured document; identifying one or more anchor points corresponding to the one or more slide objects in a document object model (DOM) representation of the target structured document based on the set of anchor point definitions; accessing content corresponding to the one or more slide objects; and rendering the target structured document and the content of the one or more slide objects proximal to the identified anchor points.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 in connection with a target content object rendered by a client computing device:   identifying a slide object associated with but distinct from the target content object, the slide object defining an anchor point definition in the target content object;   identifying, in a representation of the target content object, at least one anchor point corresponding to the slide object, based on the anchor point definition; and   rendering, at the client computing device, the content of the slide object as an overlay to the target content object, the slide object being rendered relative to the target content object in a position proximal to the identified anchor point.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target content object is a structured document. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the structured document is an HTML document. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the representation is a document object model (DOM) representation. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content for the slide object comprises multimedia content created by a first user; and wherein the rendering the content of the slide object comprises delivering the multimedia content to the client application. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying a slide object comprises querying a remote database based on an identifier corresponding to the target content object and a user identifier associated with a user of the client application. 
     
     
         7 . A method comprising:
 in connection with a target content object rendered by a client computing device:   identifying a slide object associated with but distinct from the target content object;   identifying an anchor point corresponding to the slide object; and   rendering, at the client computing device, the content of the slide object as an overlay to the target content object, the slide object being rendered relative to the target content object in a position proximal to the identified anchor point.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the target content object is a structured document. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the structured document is an HTML document. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the representation is a document object model (DOM) representation. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the content for the slide object comprises multimedia content created by a first user; and wherein the rendering the content of the slide object comprises delivering the multimedia content to the client application. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein identifying a slide object comprises querying a remote database based on an identifier corresponding to the target content object and a user identifier associated with a user of the client application. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 in connection with a target content object rendered by a client application of a client computing device:   identifying one or more slide objects associated with but distinct from the target content object;   accessing content corresponding to the one or more slide objects; and   rendering at the client computing device the content of the one or more slide objects as an overlay to the target content object.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the target content object is a structured document. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the structured document is an HTML document. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein rendering the content comprises modifying a Document Object Model (DOM) representation of the target content object by adding one or more HTML elements that are operative to cause a client application to render the one or more slide objects. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the content for a first slide object of the one or more slide objects comprises multimedia content created by a first user; and wherein rendering the content comprises delivering the multimedia content to the client application. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein identifying one or more slide objects comprises querying a remote database based on an identifier corresponding to the content object and a user identifier associated with a user of the client application. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 presenting, responsive to a command issued by a user at a client host computing device, a slide creation interface as an overlay to a content object rendered in a client application window;   in response to user input:   accessing, at the client host computing device, content distinct from the content object and access control information inputted by the user via the slide creation interface;   creating a slide object comprising an identifier associated with the content object, the content and access control information inputted by the user; and   transmitting the slide object to a remote database.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of target elements is a text element. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of the target elements is a multimedia object embedded in the content object. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the access control information comprises one or more user identifiers. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the access control information identifies or corresponds to a group of users. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising recording audio information generated by the first user and including the generated audio information in the content of the slide object. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising recording video information generated by the first user and including the generated video information in the content of the slide object. 
     
     
         26 . A system comprising:
 a user account database maintaining accounts for one or more users, each account including a user identifier;   a slide object database storing one or more slide objects, each slide objecting comprising:
 an identifier associated with a content object; 
 content distinct from the content object; and 
 access control information; 
   a computing device comprising a memory, a processor, and computer program code stored on non-transitory, computer-readable media, the computer program code comprising instructions operative to cause the processor to:   store slide objects received from remote hosts associated with users identified in the user account database;   access, in response to a request from a first client computing device operated by a first user, the slide object database to retrieve one or more slide objects for the first user, wherein the access control information associated with each slide object controls at least in part whether a slide object is retrieved for the first user;   transmit a response to the client computing device, the response including at least one of the retrieved slide objects; and
 control access to slide objects for transmitting of the response based on access control information of the slide objects. 
   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the computer program code further comprises instructions operative to cause the processor to:
 receive a second request for one or more slide objects from a second client computing device operated by a second user, wherein the request identifies a content object;   access, in response to the second request from the second client computing device, the slide object database to identify one or more slide objects that correspond to the content object;   return at least one of the identified slide objects if the access control information of the one or more identified slide objects indicates that the second user is allowed access.   
     
     
         28 . A system comprising:
 a user account database maintaining accounts for one or more users;   a slide object database storing one or more slide objects, each slide object comprising:
 content distinct from the content object; and 
 access control information controlling availability of each slide object to one or more users; 
   a computing device comprising a memory, a processor, and computer program code stored in the memory and operative to cause the processor to:   store slide objects received from remote hosts;   access, in response to a request from a first client computing device operated by a first user, the slide object database to identify one or more slide objects available to the first user according to the access control information;   transmit a response to the first client computing device, the response including at least one of the identified slide objects available to the first user.   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the computer program code is further operative to cause the processor to:
 access, in response to a second request from a second client computing device operated by a second user, the slide object database to identify one or more slide objects available to the second user according to the access control information; and   transmit a second response to the second client computing device, the second response including at least one of the identified slide objects available to the second user.   
     
     
         30 . A computer program product comprising computer program code stored on non-transitory, computer-readable media, the computer program code comprising instructions operative to cause a processor to:
 store slide objects received from remote hosts associated with users identified in the user account database;   access, in response to a request from a first client computing device operated by a first user, the slide object database to retrieve one or more slide objects for the first user, wherein the access control information associated with each slide object controls at least in part whether a slide object is retrieved for the first user;   transmit a response to the client computing device, the response including at least one of the retrieved slide objects; and
 control access to slide objects for transmitting of the response based on access control information of the slide objects. 
   
     
     
         31 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , the computer program code further comprising instructions operative to cause the processor to:
 receive a second request for one or more slide objects from a second client computing device operated by a second user, wherein the request identifies a content object;   access, in response to the second request from the second client computing device, the slide object database to identify one or more slide objects that correspond to the content object;   return at least one of the identified slide objects if the access control information of the one or more identified slide objects indicates that the second user is allowed access.   
     
     
         32 . A computer program product comprising computer program code stored on non-transitory, computer-readable media, the computer program code comprising instructions operative to cause a processor to, in connection with a target content object rendered by a client computing device:
 identify a slide object associated with but distinct from the target content object, the slide object defining an anchor point definition in the target content object;   identify, in a representation of the target content object, at least one anchor point corresponding to the slide object, based on the anchor point definition; and   render, at the client computing device, the content of the slide object as an overlay to the target content object, the slide object being rendered relative to the target content object in a position proximal to the identified anchor point.   
     
     
         33 . A computer program product comprising computer program code stored on non-transitory, computer-readable media, the computer program code comprising instructions operative to cause a processor to, in connection with a target content object rendered by a client computing device:
 identify one or more slide objects associated with but distinct from the target content object;   access content corresponding to the one or more slide objects; and   render at the client computing device the content of the one or more slide objects as an overlay to the target content object.