IP Library Granted Patent US 11,099,726
Granted Patent B1
US 11,099,726 · App. 16/399,349 · Granted Aug 24, 2021

Group-based communication system and apparatus configured to manage user-defined channel labels associated with a plurality of group-based communication channels

Inventors: Michael Montazeri (Brooklyn, NY); Kyle Stetz (Berkeley, CA); Matthew Hodgins (Toronto, CA)
Assignee: Slack Technologies, Inc.
G06F3/04847G06F3/0482G06F2203/04803
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,099,726
App. No.
16/399,349
Granted
Aug 24, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to an improved group-based communication apparatus that is configured to efficiently manage group-based communication interfaces associated with one or more group-based communication workspaces. The group-based communication apparatus is configured to create and assign user-defined channel labels in association with one or more of a plurality of group-based communication channels. The user-defined channel labels may be displayed to a sidebar label focus interface component of a sidebar pane of the group-based communication interfaces. The user-defined channel labels may be combined with other data of the group-based communication workspaces to assemble one or more work graph data structures.

Claims (62)

1. A group-based communication apparatus configured to manage communication channels, the group-based communication apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory having computer-coded instructions therein, wherein the computer-coded instructions are configured to, in execution with the at least one processor, cause the group-based communication apparatus to:

receive, from a client device associated with a user, a first request to generate a user-defined label to be presented via an interface of the client device in association with at least one communication channel of the communication channels, the first request comprising a user identifier associated with the user and an indication of the at least one communication channel to be associated with the user-defined label;

store the user-defined label in association with the user identifier;

cause the user-defined label associated with the user identifier and at least one indicator associated with the at least one communication channel that is associated with the user-defined label to be rendered to a sidebar pane of the interface;

receive, from the client device, a second request to associate another communication channel of the communication channels with the user-defined label, wherein the second request comprises modifying a location of an indicator associated with the other communication channel from a first location associated with a subset of the communication channels that are not associated with the user-defined label to a second location associated with the user-defined label; and

based at least in part on the second request, modify the sidebar pane of the interface to present the indicator associated with the other communication channel in association with the user-defined label and the at least one indicator associated with the at least one communication channel.

2. The group-based communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further configure the group-based communication apparatus to:

cause ordering of the communication channels within the sidebar pane of the interface based on group-defined titles associated with the communication channels.

3. The group-based communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user-defined label comprises an author identifier matching the user identifier.

4. The group-based communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user-defined label comprises an author identifier that does not match the user identifier.

5. The group-based communication apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the instructions further configure the group-based communication apparatus to:

receive a user-defined label share request comprising the author identifier, the user-defined label, and a share recipient identifier; and

cause transmission of a user-defined label share message to a second client device associated with the share recipient identifier, wherein the user-defined label share message comprises the author identifier and the user-defined label.

6. The group-based communication apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further configure the group-based communication apparatus to:

receive, from the second client device and based at least in part on the user-defined label share message, an indication of acceptance of the user-defined label; and

in response to receiving the indication of acceptance of the user-defined label, cause the user-defined label to be stored in association with the share recipient identifier.

7. The group-based communication apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the instructions further configure the group-based communication apparatus to:

receive, from the second client device, a third request to view one or more communication channels associated with the user-defined label; and

cause the at least one indicator associated with the communication channel and the indicator associated with the other communication channel to be presented in a second sidebar pane of a second user interface associated with the second client device.

8. The group-based communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further configure the group-based communication apparatus to:

in response to the first request, cause rendering of a user-defined label selection interface component via the interface; and

receive a user-defined label text string representative of the user-defined label and the indication of the at least one communication channel via the user-defined label selection interface component.

9. The group-based communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further configure the group-based communication apparatus to:

receive, from the client device, a sidebar default request; and

cause rendering of indicators associated with the communication channels to the sidebar pane based on group-defined titles for the communication channels.

10. A computer implemented method for managing communication channels associated with a communication platform, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a client device associated with a user, a first request to generate a user-defined label to be presented via an interface of the client device in association with at least one communication channel of the communication channels, the first request comprising a user identifier associated with the user and an indication of the at least one communication channel to be associated with the user-defined label;

storing the user-defined label in association with the user identifier;

causing the user-defined label associated with the user identifier and at least one indicator associated with the at least one communication channel that is associated with the user-defined label to be rendered to a sidebar pane of the interface;

receiving, from the client device, a second request to associate another communication channel of the communication channels with the user-defined label, wherein the second request comprises modifying a location of an indicator associated with the other communication channel from a first location associated with a subset of the communication channels that are not associated with the user-defined label to a second location associated with the user-defined label; and

based at least in part on the second request, modifying the sidebar pane of the interface to present the indicator associated with the other communication channel in association with the user-defined label and the at least one indicator associated with the at least one communication channel.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:

causing ordering of the communication channels within the sidebar pane of the interface based on group-defined titles associated with the communication channels.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the user-defined label comprises an author identifier matching the user identifier.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the user-defined label comprises an author identifier that does not match the user identifier.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving a user-defined label share request comprising the author identifier, the user-defined label, and a share recipient identifier; and

causing transmission of a user-defined label share message to a second client device associated with the share recipient identifier, wherein the user-defined label share message comprises the author identifier and the user-defined label.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving, from the second client device and based at least in part on the user-defined label share message, an indication of acceptance of the user-defined label; and

in response to receiving the indication of acceptance of the user-defined label, cause the user-defined label to be stored in association with the share recipient identifier.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving, from the second client device, a third request to view one or more communication channels associated with the user-defined label; and

causing the at least one indicator associated with the communication channel and the indicator associated with the other communication channel to be presented in a second sidebar pane of a second user interface associated with the second client device.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:

in response to the first request, causing rendering of a user-defined label selection interface component via the interface; and

receiving a user-defined label text string representative of the user-defined label and the indication of the at least one communication channel via the user-defined label selection interface component.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving, from the client device, a sidebar default request; and

causing rendering of indicators associated with the communication channels to the sidebar pane based on group-defined titles for the communication channels.

19. A system associated with a communication platform, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a client device associated with a user, a first request to generate a user-defined label to be presented via an interface of the client device in association with at least one communication channel of the communication channels, the first request comprising a user identifier associated with the user and an indication of the at least one communication channel to be associated with the user-defined label;

storing the user-defined label in association with the user identifier;

causing the user-defined label associated with the user identifier and at least one indicator associated with the at least one communication channel that is associated with the user-defined label to be rendered to a sidebar pane of the interface;

receiving, from the client device and via the interface, a second request to associate another communication channel of the communication channels with the user-defined label, wherein the second request comprises modifying a location of an indicator associated with the other communication channel from a first location associated with a subset of the communication channels that are not associated with the user-defined label to a second location associated with the user-defined label view; and

based at least in part on the second request, modifying the sidebar pane of the interface to present the indicator associated with the other communication channel in association with the user-defined label and the at least one indicator associated with the at least one communication channel.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise:

causing ordering of the communication channels within the sidebar pane of the interface based on group-defined titles associated with the communication channels.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the user-defined label comprises an author identifier matching the user identifier.

22. The system of claim 19 , wherein the user-defined label comprises an author identifier that does not match the user identifier.

Assignments (6)
MERGER Recorded Jan 11, 2023
From: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: SALESFORCE.COM, INC.
Reel/Frame 062354/0073 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 11, 2023
From: SALESFORCE.COM, INC.
To: SALESFORCE, INC.
Reel/Frame 062354/0100 →
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 1, 2021
From: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 057683/0001 →
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2019
From: MONTAZERI, MICHAEL; STETZ, KYLE; HODGINS, MATTHEW
To: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 049736/0968 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 30, 2019
From: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049332/0349 →
Cited By (2)
US 12,218,898 US 12,348,475