Messenger application plug-in for providing tailored advertisements within a conversation thread
View Patent ↗A first instance of a messenger application having a plug-in communicates with a second instance of the messenger application lacking the plug-in. The plug-in provides enhanced functionality to the first instance of the messenger application, while also providing corresponding functionality to the second instance, which lacks the plug-in. For example, the plug-in may provide rich, non-thread-native content to the first instance, while also providing corresponding thread-native content to the second instance. As another example, the plug-in may obtain data from the second instance and provide tailored advertisements to the second instance based upon that data. An another example, the plug-in may obtain location data from one or more of the instances and provide access to location-specific services that take the location data into account.
1. A computer-implemented method for communicating between a first instance of a messenger application executing on a first client device having a messenger plug-in and a second instance of the messenger application executing on a second client device lacking the messenger plug-in, the computer-implemented method comprising:
displaying, by the first instance, a user interface having a thread area configured to display thread-native content;
obtaining, by the first instance at least in part from the second instance, content tailoring data;
extracting, by the messenger plug-in, keywords from text of textual messages exchanged on a conversation thread between the first instance of the messenger application and the second instance of the messenger application;
determining, by the messenger plug-in using the extracted keywords, a location of a client device on which the second instance is executing;
obtaining, by the messenger plug-in using the determined location, enhanced content in an enhanced content format not natively displayable within the thread area;
displaying the enhanced content within a control area of the user interface of the first instance, the control area being located in a portion of the user interface of the first instance that is separate from a portion of the user interface of the first instance that is occupied by the thread area configured to display the thread-native content;
determining that a location of the first client device on which the first instance is executing differs from a location of the second client device on which the second instance is executing; and
responsive to the determining, refraining from sending a counterpart of the enhanced content to the second instance.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising the messenger plug-in rendering user interface controls within the control area, wherein the user input corresponds to the rendered user interface controls.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising the messenger plug-in:
receiving user input from the user interface controls within the control area; and
responsive to receiving the user input:
updating the enhanced content within the control area.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 :
wherein obtaining the enhanced content comprises querying a database of content, the querying including the extracted keywords.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining the content tailoring data from a user profile on a social networking system of a user of the first instance or the second instance;
wherein obtaining the enhanced content comprises the messenger plug-in querying a database of content, the querying including data from the user profile.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the enhanced content comprises the messenger plug-in querying a database of content, the querying including location data associated with the second client device.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising the messenger plug-in:
rendering, within the control area, a control for publishing a representation of the enhanced content to a social networking system; and
responsive to selection of the control, publishing a portion of the enhanced content to the social networking system.
8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for a messenger plug-in executing on a first client device having a first instance of a messenger application communicating with a second instance of the messenger application executing on a second client device lacking the messenger plug-in, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer processor perform actions comprising:
displaying, by the first instance, a user interface having a thread area configured to display thread-native content;
obtaining, by the first instance at least in part from the second instance, content tailoring data;
extracting, by the messenger plug-in, keywords from text of textual messages exchanged on a conversation thread between the first instance of the messenger application and the second instance of the messenger application;
determining, by the messenger plug-in using the extracted keywords, a location of a client device on which the second instance is executing;
obtaining, by the messenger plug-in using the determined location enhanced content in an enhanced content format not natively displayable within the thread area;
displaying the enhanced content within a control area of the user interface of the first instance, the control area being located in a portion of the user interface of the first instance that is separate from a portion of the user interface of the first instance that is occupied by the thread area configured to display the thread-native content;
determining that a location of the first client device on which the first instance is executing differs from a location of the second client device on which the second instance is executing; and
responsive to the determining, refraining from sending a counterpart of the enhanced content to the second instance.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , the actions further comprising the messenger plug-in rendering user interface controls within the control area, wherein the user input corresponds to the rendered user interface controls.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , the actions further comprising the messenger plug-in:
receiving user input from the user interface controls within the control area; and
responsive to receiving the user input:
updating the enhanced content within the control area.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 :
wherein obtaining the enhanced content comprises querying a database of content, the querying including the extracted keywords.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , the actions further comprising:
obtaining the content tailoring data from a user profile on a social networking system of a user of the first instance or the second instance;
wherein obtaining the enhanced content comprises the messenger plug-in querying a database of content, the querying including data from the user profile.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein obtaining the enhanced content comprises the messenger plug-in querying a database of content, the querying including the location data.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , the actions further comprising the messenger plug-in:
rendering, within the control area, a control for publishing a representation of the enhanced content to a social networking system; and
responsive to selection of the control, publishing a portion of the enhanced content to the social networking system.
15. A first client device comprising:
a computer processor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for a messenger plug-in executing on the first client device, the first client device executing a first instance of a messenger application communicating with a second instance of the messenger application executing on a second client device lacking the messenger plug-in, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer processor perform actions comprising:
displaying, by the first instance, a user interface having a thread area configured to display thread-native content;
obtaining, by the first instance at least in part from the second instance, content tailoring data;
extracting, by the messenger plug-in, keywords from text of textual messages exchanged on a conversation thread between the first instance of the messenger application and the second instance of the messenger application;
determining, by the messenger plug-in using the extracted keywords, a location of a client device on which the second instance is executing;
obtaining, by the messenger plug-in using the determined location, enhanced content in an enhanced content format not natively displayable within the thread area;
displaying the enhanced content within a control area of the user interface of the first instance, the control area being located in a portion of the user interface of the first instance that is separate from a portion of the user interface of the first instance that is occupied by the thread area configured to display the thread-native content;
determining that a location of the first client device on which the first instance is executing differs from a location of the second client device on which the second instance is executing; and
responsive to the determining, refraining from sending a counterpart of the enhanced content to the second instance.
16. The first client device of claim 15 , the actions further comprising the messenger plug-in rendering user interface controls within the control area, wherein the user input corresponds to the rendered user interface controls.
17. The first client device of claim 16 , the actions further comprising the messenger plug-in:
receiving user input from the user interface controls within the control area; and
responsive to receiving the user input:
updating the enhanced content within the control area.
18. The first client device of claim 15 :
wherein obtaining the enhanced content comprises querying a database of content, the querying including the extracted keywords.
19. The first client device of claim 15 , the actions further comprising:
obtaining the content tailoring data from a user profile on a social networking system of a user of the first instance or the second instance;
wherein obtaining the enhanced content comprises the messenger plug-in querying a database of content, the querying including data from the user profile.
20. The first client device of claim 15 , wherein obtaining the enhanced content comprises the messenger plug-in querying a database of content, the querying including the location data.