IP Library Granted Patent US 10,771,270
Granted Patent B2
US 10,771,270 · App. 15/730,146 · Granted Sep 8, 2020

Channeling messaging communications in a selected group-based communication interface

Inventor: Christopher Sullivan (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Slack Technologies, Inc.
H04L12/1822G06F3/04842H04L51/02H04L51/04H04L51/14H04L51/22H04M1/72552G06F3/04886H04L51/046
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,771,270
App. No.
15/730,146
Granted
Sep 8, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a group-based communication interface configured to allow users of the interface to communicate within group-based communication channels and across group-based communication channels to provide relevant information to other users efficiently and effectively. Group-based messaging communications across the plurality of group-based communication channels can be channeled to specific receiver channels providing relevant information to users of the group-based communication interface thereby increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of group-based messaging communications and the lifetime of the system.

Claims (73)

1. An apparatus comprising at least a processor, and a memory associated with the processor having computer instructions therein, with the computer instructions configured to, when executed by the processor, update a selected group-based communication interface from a plurality of group-based communication interfaces, wherein the selected group-based communication interface comprises a plurality of group-based communication channels, by causing the apparatus to:

receive a channeling association that is configured to establish a connection between a graphical identifier and a receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels;

receive group-based messaging communications to one or more of the plurality of group-based communication channels other than the receiver channel based on one or more group-based communication channel identifiers that are respectively associated with the received group-based messaging communications;

receive, from a client device, a correlation indication comprising electronic instructions to associate the graphical identifier with a selected messaging communication of the group-based messaging communications to cause the selected messaging communication to be associated with both of the graphical identifier and at least one of the one or more group-based communication channel identifiers;

in response to receiving the electronic instructions to associate the graphical identifier with the selected messaging communication of the group-based messaging communications, reproduce the selected messaging communication to create a rendering of a channeled copy within the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels; and

render the channeled copy with the receiver channel via the selected group-based communication interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the graphical identifier is animated to illustrate movement between a first state and a second state through a series of images when rendered within the selected group-based communication interface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer instructions are configured to, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to, prior to receiving the channeling association that is configured to establish the connection between the graphical identifier and the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels, receive a second correlation indication associating the graphical identifier with the selected messaging communication of the group-based messaging communications and not reproduce the selected messaging communication to create the rendering of the channeled copy within the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels in response to receiving the second correlation indication.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the channeling association that is configured to establish the connection between the graphical identifier and the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels is not configured to establish a connection between the graphical identifier and any of the plurality of group-based communication channels of the plurality of group-based communication interfaces other than the receiver channel of the selected group-based communication interface.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer instructions are configured to, when executed by the processor, further cause the apparatus to:

receive a second channeling association that is configured to establish a connection between a second graphical identifier and a second receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels;

receive a second correlation indication associating the second graphical identifier with a second selected messaging communication of the group-based messaging communications;

in response to receiving the second correlation indication, reproduce the second selected messaging communication to create a rendering of a second channeled copy within the second receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels; and

render the second channeled copy of the second selected messaging communication with the second receiver channel via the selected group-based communication interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer instructions are configured to, when executed by the processor, further cause the apparatus to:

analyze the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels for the channeled copy of the selected messaging communication within the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels; and

reproduce the selected messaging communication to create the rendering of the channeled copy within the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels if the channeled copy was not previously present in the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels when the apparatus is caused to reproduce the selected messaging communication to render the channeled copy within the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer instructions are configured to, when executed by the processor, further cause the apparatus to:

receive a channeling request that is configured to move between one or more of the plurality of group-based communication channels after displaying the channeled copy with the receiver channel via the selected group-based communication interface; and

render one or more of the plurality of group-based communication channels via the selected group-based communication interface instead of displaying the receiver channel.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the receiver channel is configured to be rendered as viewable to each user of the selected group-based communication interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of group-based communication channels are configured to render a common set of group-based messaging communications to each user of the respective group-based communication channel.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer instructions are configured to, when executed by the processor, further cause the apparatus to:

receive a plurality of group-based messaging communications to one or more of the plurality of group-based communication channels other than the receiver channel;

receive a plurality of correlation indications associating the graphical identifier with a plurality of selected messaging communications of the group-based messaging communications;

in response to receiving the plurality of correlation indications, reproduce each of the plurality of selected messaging communications to create a plurality of channeled copies within the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels; and

render the plurality of channeled copies with the receiver channel via the selected group-based communication interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer instructions are configured to, when executed by the processor, further cause the apparatus to:

receive a second correlation indication comprising second electronic instructions to associate the graphical identifier with the selected messaging communication;

in response to receiving the second electronic instructions to associate the graphical identifier with the selected messaging communication, analyze the receiver channel for a previous rendering of the channeled copy; and

in circumstances where the previous rendering of the channeled copy is identified, forgo rendering a second channeled copy of the selected messaging communication within the receiver channel.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein analyzing the receiver channel for the previous rendering of the channeled copy comprises identifying a timestamp associated with the selected messaging communication.

13. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program instructions stored therein, said computer program instructions, when executed by a processor, update a selected group-based communication interface from a plurality of group-based communication interfaces, wherein the selected group-based communication interface comprises a plurality of group-based communication channels, by causing the computer program product to:

receive a channeling association that is configured to establish a connection between a graphical identifier and a receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels;

receive group-based messaging communications to one or more of the plurality of group-based communication channels other than the receiver channel based on one or more group-based communication channel identifiers that are respectively associated with the received group-based messaging communications;

receive, from a client device, a correlation indication comprising electronic instructions to associate the graphical identifier with a selected messaging communication of the group-based messaging communications to cause the selected messaging communication to be associated with both of the graphical identifier and at least one of the one or more group-based communication channel identifiers;

in response to receiving the electronic instructions to associate the graphical identifier with the selected messaging communication of the group-based messaging communications, reproduce the selected messaging communication to create a rendering of a channeled copy within the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels; and

rendering the channeled copy with the receiver channel via the selected group-based communication interface.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein said computer program instructions, when executed by the processor, update the selected group-based communication interface from the plurality of group-based communication interfaces by causing the computer program product to further:

receive a second correlation indication comprising second electronic instructions to associate the graphical identifier with the selected messaging communication;

in response to receiving the second electronic instructions to associate the graphical identifier with the selected messaging communication, analyze the receiver channel for a previous rendering of the channeled copy; and

in circumstances where the previous rendering of the channeled copy is identified, forgo rendering a second channeled copy of the selected messaging communication within the receiver channel.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein said computer program instructions, when executed by the processor, update the selected group-based communication interface from the plurality of group-based communication interfaces by causing the computer program product to further identify a timestamp associated with the selected messaging communication.

16. A computer-implemented method of updating a selected group-based communication interface from a plurality of group-based communication interfaces, wherein the selected group-based communication interface comprises a plurality of group-based communication channels, the method comprising:

receiving a channeling association that is configured to establish a connection between a graphical identifier and a receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels;

receiving group-based messaging communications to one or more of the plurality of group-based communication channels other than the receiver channel based on one or more group-based communication channel identifiers that are respectively associated with the received group-based messaging communications;

receiving, from a client device, a correlation indication comprising electronic instructions to associate the graphical identifier with a selected messaging communication of the group-based messaging communications to cause the selected messaging communication to be associated with both of the graphical identifier and at least one of the one or more group-based communication channel identifiers;

in response to receiving the electronic instructions to associate the graphical identifier with the selected messaging communication of the group-based messaging communications, reproducing the selected messaging communication to create a rendering of a channeled copy within the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels; and

rendering the channeled copy with the receiver channel via the selected group-based communication interface.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the graphical identifier is animated to illustrate movement between a first state and a second state through a series of images when rendered within the selected group-based communication interface.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein prior to receiving the channeling association that is configured to establish the connection between the graphical identifier and the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels, receiving a second correlation indication associating the graphical identifier with the selected messaging communication of the group-based messaging communications does not elicit the response to reproduce the selected messaging communication to create the channeled copy within the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the channeling association that is configured to establish the connection between the graphical identifier and the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels is not configured to establish a connection between the graphical identifier and any of the plurality of group-based communication channels of the plurality of group-based communication interfaces other than the receiver channel of the selected group-based communication interface.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving a second channeling association that is configured to establish a connection between a second graphical identifier and a second receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels;

receiving a second correlation indication associating the second graphical identifier with the selected messaging communication of the group-based messaging communications;

in response to receiving the second correlation indication, reproducing the selected messaging communication to create a second channeled copy within the second receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels; and

rendering the second channeled copy of the selected messaging communication with the second receiver channel via the selected group-based communication interface.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein reproducing the selected messaging communication to create the channeled copy within the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels comprises:

analyzing the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels for the channeled copy of the selected messaging communication within the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels; and

reproducing the selected messaging communication to create the channeled copy within the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels based on determining that the channeled copy was not previously present in the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels.

22. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving a channeling request that is configured to move between one or more of the plurality of group-based communication channels after displaying the channeled copy with the receiver channel via the selected group-based communication interface; and

displaying one or more of the plurality of group-based communication channels via the selected group-based communication interface instead of displaying the receiver channel.

23. The method of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of group-based communication channels are configured to render for display a common set of group-based messaging communications to each user of the respective group-based communication channel.

24. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving a plurality of group-based messaging communications to one or more of the plurality of group-based communication channels other than the receiver channel;

receiving a plurality of correlation indications associating the graphical identifier with a plurality of selected messaging communications of the group-based messaging communications;

in response to receiving the plurality of correlation indications, reproducing each of the plurality of selected messaging communications to create a plurality of channeled copies within the receiver channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels; and

rendering the plurality of channeled copies with the receiver channel via the selected group-based communication interface.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving a second correlation indication comprising second electronic instructions to associate the graphical identifier with the selected messaging communication;

in response to receiving the second electronic instructions to associate the graphical identifier with the selected messaging communication, analyzing the receiver channel for a previous rendering of the channeled copy; and

in circumstances where the previous rendering of the channeled copy is identified, forgoing rendering a second channeled copy of the selected messaging communication within the receiver channel.

Assignments (7)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 23, 2025
From: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: SALESFORCE, INC.
Reel/Frame 070001/0469 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE NEWLY MERGED ENTITY'S NEW NAME, AND TO REMOVE THE PERIOD PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 057254 FRAME: 0738. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Sep 9, 2021
From: SKYLINE STRATEGIES II LLC; SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 057514/0930 →
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 2, 2021
From: SKYLINE STRATEGIES II LLC; SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC.
Reel/Frame 057254/0738 →
MERGER Recorded Aug 2, 2021
From: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; SKYLINE STRATEGIES I INC.
To: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 057254/0693 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL AT REEL/FRAME NO. 49332/0349 Recorded Jul 19, 2021
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 057649/0882 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 30, 2019
From: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049332/0349 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2017
From: SULLIVAN, CHRISTOPHER
To: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 044385/0824 →