IP Library Granted Patent US 11,233,762
Granted Patent B2
US 11,233,762 · App. 17/023,046 · Granted Jan 25, 2022

Providing augmented message elements in electronic communication threads

Inventors: Cameron James Pickett (Redmond, WA); Patrick Andrew Larson (Bremerton, WA); Russell William Andrews (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: FACEBOOK, INC.
H04L51/16H04L67/22H04L67/306H04L51/063H04L67/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,233,762
App. No.
17/023,046
Granted
Jan 25, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure is directed toward systems and methods for providing message element in electronic communication threads. For example, systems and methods described herein identify message elements in electronic communication threads and add interactions between the message elements to the electronic communication thread.

Claims (86)

1. A method comprising:

detecting a first interaction in connection with a communication thread;

detecting a second interaction in connection with the communication thread;

identifying, based on the first interaction and the second interaction, a special message element;

adding the special message element to the communication thread for a threshold amount of time by:

removing a first electronic message and a second electronic message from the communication thread; and

adding the special message element to the communication thread in place of the first electronic message and the second electronic message; and

in response to the threshold amount of time elapsing, removing the special message element from the communication thread.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein identifying the special message element comprises:

analyzing information associated with the first interaction to determine a first message element identifier;

analyzing information associated with the second interaction to determine a second message element identifier;

identifying an intersection of the first message element identifier and the second message element identifier within a lookup table; and

identifying the special message element based on the intersection within the lookup table.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising determining that the threshold amount of time has elapsed by:

analyzing metadata associated with the special message element to identify the threshold amount of time; and

determining whether an amount of time since adding the special message element to the communication thread is greater than the identified threshold amount of time.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein adding the special message element to the communication thread is further based on determining that detecting the first interaction and detecting the second interaction occur within a threshold time period.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein:

detecting the first interaction in connection with the communication thread comprises detecting that the first electronic message has been added to the communication thread; and

detecting the second interaction in connection with the communication thread comprises detecting that the second electronic message has been added to the communication thread.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein:

removing the first electronic message and the second electronic message from the communication thread comprises:

identifying, at a communication thread position, a first cell including the first electronic message;

identifying, at the communication thread position, a second cell including the second electronic message; and

removing the first cell and the second cell from the communication thread position; and

adding the special message element to the communication thread in place of the first electronic message and the second electronic message comprises:

generating a third cell including the special message element; and

positioning the third cell including the special message element within the communication thread at the communication thread position.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , further comprising:

removing the special message element from the communication thread by removing the third cell including the special message element from the communication thread at the communication thread position; and

adding the first cell including the first electronic message and the second cell including the second electronic message to the communication thread at the communication thread.

8. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

detect a first interaction in connection with a communication thread;

detect a second interaction in connection with the communication thread;

identify, based on the first interaction and the second interaction, a special message element;

add the special message element to the communication thread for a threshold amount of time by:

removing a first electronic message and a second electronic message from the communication thread; and

adding the special message element to the communication thread in place of the first electronic message and the second electronic message; and

in response to the threshold amount of time elapsing, remove the special message element from the communication thread.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further stores instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to identify the special message element by:

analyzing information associated with the first interaction to determine a first message element identifier;

analyzing information associated with the second interaction to determine a second message element identifier;

identifying an intersection of the first message element identifier and the second message element identifier within a lookup table; and

identifying the special message element based on the intersection within the lookup table.

10. The system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further stores instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to determine that the threshold amount of time has elapsed by:

analyzing metadata associated with the special message element to identify the threshold amount of time; and

determining whether an amount of time since adding the special message element to the communication thread is greater than the identified threshold amount of time.

11. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further stores instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to further add the special message element to the communication thread based on determining that detecting the first interaction and detecting the second interaction occur within a threshold time period.

12. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further stores instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

detect the first interaction in connection with the communication thread by detecting that the first electronic message has been added to the communication thread; and

detect the second interaction in connection with the communication thread by detecting that the second electronic message has been added to the communication thread.

13. The system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further stores instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

remove the first electronic message and the second electronic message from the communication thread by:

identifying, at a communication thread position, a first cell including the first electronic message;

identifying, at the communication thread position, a second cell including the second electronic message; and

removing the first cell and the second cell from the communication thread position; and

add the special message element to the communication thread in place of the first electronic message and the second electronic message by:

generating a third cell including the special message element; and

positioning the third cell including the special message element within the communication thread at the communication thread position.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further stores instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

remove the special message element from the communication thread by removing the third cell including the special message element from the communication thread at the communication thread position; and

add the first cell including the first electronic message and the second cell including the second electronic message to the communication thread at the communication thread.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer system to:

detect a first interaction in connection with a communication thread;

detect a second interaction in connection with the communication thread;

identify, based on the first interaction and the second interaction, a special message element;

add the special message element to the communication thread for a threshold amount of time by:

removing a first electronic message and a second electronic message from the communication thread; and

adding the special message element to the communication thread in place of the first electronic message and the second electronic message; and

in response to the threshold amount of time elapsing, remove the special message element from the communication thread.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15 , further storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to:

detect the first interaction in connection with the communication thread by detecting that the first electronic message has been added to the communication thread; and

detect the second interaction in connection with the communication thread by detecting that the second electronic message has been added to the communication thread.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16 , further storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to:

remove the first electronic message and the second electronic message from the communication thread by:

identifying, at a communication thread position, a first cell including the first electronic message;

identifying, at the communication thread position, a second cell including the second electronic message; and

removing the first cell and the second cell from the communication thread position; and

add the special message element to the communication thread in place of the first electronic message and the second electronic message by:

generating a third cell including the special message element; and

positioning the third cell including the special message element within the communication thread at the communication thread position.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17 , further storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to:

remove the special message element from the communication thread by removing the third cell including the special message element from the communication thread at the communication thread position; and

add the first cell including the first electronic message and the second cell including the second electronic message to the communication thread at the communication thread.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 20, 2021
From: FACEBOOK, INC.
To: META PLATFORMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 058961/0436 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2020
From: PICKETT, CAMERON JAMES; LARSON, PATRICK ANDREW; ANDREWS, RUSSELL WILLIAM
To: FACEBOOK, INC.
Reel/Frame 053937/0372 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16290275 · Mar 1, 2019
Continuation 14727452 · Jun 1, 2015
Related Publication 20210014185A1 · Jan 14, 2021