IP Library Granted Patent US 12712870
Granted Patent B2
US 12712870 · App. 18/991,638 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Conversation merging for electronic devices

Inventors: Nicholas Joseph Circosta (Mountain View, CA); Patrick R. Burns (San Jose, CA); Bhaskar P. Sarma (Santa Clara, CA); Daniel B. Pollack (San Jose, CA); Liang Qu (Sunnyvale, CA); Kevin J. Lindeman (Morgan Hill, CA); Roberto Garcia (Santa Clara, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04L63/0815H04L9/3263H04L12/2814H04L12/282H04L51/42H04L51/56
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12712870
App. No.
18/991,638
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Aspects of subject technology provide systems and methods for generation and distribution of a stable identifier associated with multiple aliases of a user account. The stable identifier may be provided to various electronic devices by a server, responsive to requests associated with communications to those devices from one of the associated aliases. In this way, messaging applications can utilize the stable identifier to merge conversations from a single user having multiple aliases, and secure access to a secure device can be provided to an authorized user, even if the authorized user attempts access from an unauthorized account alias.

Claims (33)

1 . A method comprising:

generating a first alias for a user account, the first alias different from an account alias for the user account;

storing the first alias in association with the user account; and

facilitating, based on at least the first alias, communication between a user device associated with the user account and another user device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the account alias comprises a telephone number or an email address.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising storing, for the user account, an identifier of the user account, and the account alias of the user account, wherein the identifier comprises a login identifier for login to the user account.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein generating the first alias comprises generating a pseudo-random number.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the pseudo-random number is not based on the identifier or the account alias.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first alias comprises a messaging alias, and wherein the communication comprises a messaging communication.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein facilitating the communication based at least on the first alias comprises facilitating the communication based on the account alias and the first alias.

8 . A device, comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors configured to:

generate a first alias for a user account, the first alias different from an account alias for the user account;

store the first alias in association with the user account; and

facilitate, based on at least the first alias, communication between a user device associated with the user account and another user device.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the account alias comprises a telephone number or an email address.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to store, for the user account:

an identifier of the user account, and

the account alias of the user account, wherein the identifier comprises a login identifier for login to the user account.

11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate the first alias by generating a pseudo-random number.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the pseudo-random number is not based on the identifier or the account alias.

13 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the first alias comprises a messaging alias, and wherein the communication comprises a messaging communication.

14 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to facilitate the communication based on the account alias and the first alias.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

generate a first alias for a user account, the first alias different from an account alias for the user account;

store the first alias in association with the user account; and

facilitate, based on at least the first alias, communication between a user device associated with the user account and another user device.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the account alias comprises a telephone number or an email address.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to store, for the user account, an identifier of the user account and the account alias of the user account, wherein the identifier comprises a login identifier for login to the user account.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to generate the first alias by generating a pseudo-random number that is not based on the identifier or the account alias.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first alias comprises a messaging alias, and wherein the communication comprises a messaging communication.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to facilitate the communication based on the account alias and the first alias.