IP Library Granted Patent US 11,888,631
Granted Patent B2
US 11,888,631 · App. 17/588,615 · Granted Jan 30, 2024

Document management in a communication platform

Inventors: Michael Hahn (San Francisco, CA); Sohom Paul (Sugar Land, TX)
Assignee: Salesforce, Inc.
H04L12/1818G06F3/0482G06F3/0486G06F16/93
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,888,631
App. No.
17/588,615
Granted
Jan 30, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques for providing a dynamic and modifiable sidebar of a user interface of a communication platform are discussed herein. The sidebar includes affordances of virtual spaces that are associated with a particular user account, such that a virtual space is accessible via a respective affordance. In examples, a section of the sidebar can be modifiable by the user, such as to enable the user to personalize the sidebar. The virtual spaces can include collaborative documents that are created and managed by the communication platform. In examples, the communication platform receives interaction data associated with an interaction of a first user with a collaborative document and identifies a second user associated with the collaborative document. Based in part on the interaction data, the communication platform causes a notification to be presented in a sidebar of user interface associated with the second user, to inform the second user of the update.

Claims (65)

1. A method, implemented at least in part by one or more computing devices of a communication platform, the method comprising:

receiving, via a first user interface associated with a first user account of the communication platform, interaction data associated with an interaction with a document by a first user associated with the first user account, wherein the interaction includes at least one of a modification of the document or a message posted within the communication platform that references the document;

identifying a second user account associated with a second user of the communication platform that is associated with the document, wherein the second user is different from the first user and the first user and the second user are members of the document; and

in response to identifying the second user account, causing display of a notification associated with an affordance associated with the document in a sidebar of a second user interface associated with the second user account, wherein the notification is based at least in part on the interaction data and the sidebar includes one or more virtual spaces in which the second user account is a member.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interaction data comprises a request to associate an object associated with a virtual space of the communication platform with the document, the method further comprising:

receiving, in association with the second user account, an indication of selection of the affordance; and

causing display, via the second user interface, of the object in the document.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the interaction comprises a drag and drop action, by the first user, of the object from the virtual space to a second affordance associated with the document, the second affordance being associated with a second sidebar of the first user interface.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the affordance is a first affordance, the notification is a first notification, the method further comprising:

determining that an object associated with the document comprises a task that is associated with the second user; and

causing display, in the sidebar of the second user interface, of a second affordance associated with the object, wherein the second affordance is presented in association with the document in the sidebar.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification is a first notification, the method further comprising:

receiving, from a third user account of a third user that is associated with the document, the message or a second message transmitted in association with the document; and

in response to receiving the message or the second message,

causing display of a first instance of the message or the second message in association with a first messaging interface associated with the document;

causing display of a second notification associated with the affordance in the sidebar of the second user interface, the second notification providing an indication of an update to the document based on the message or the second message; and

causing display of a second instance of the message or the second message in association with a second messaging interface of a virtual space associated with the document.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the document is associated with a virtual space in which the first user and the second user are members, the method further comprising:

prior to displaying the notification, determining a frequency that the second user accesses the document in association with the virtual space; and

based on a determination that the frequency meets or exceeds a threshold frequency, causing display of the affordance associated with the document in the sidebar of the second user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

prior to receiving the interaction data, receiving, via the second user interface, a request to associate the document with the sidebar, wherein an association of the document with the sidebar causes the affordance associated with the document to persist in the sidebar; and

in response to receiving the request, causing display of the affordance in the sidebar.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

identifying a virtual space associated with the document,

wherein causing display of the affordance in the sidebar comprises causing display of the affordance in association with the virtual space.

9. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

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

receiving, via a first user interface associated with a first user account of a communication platform, interaction data associated with an interaction with a document by a first user associated with the first user account, wherein the interaction includes at least one of a modification of the document or a message posted within the communication platform that references the document;

identifying a second user account associated with a second user of the communication platform that is associated with the document, wherein the second user is different from the first user and the first user and the second user are members of the document; and

in response to identifying the second user account, causing display of a notification associated with an affordance associated with the document in a sidebar of a second user interface associated with the second user account, wherein the notification is based at least in part on the interaction data and the sidebar includes one or more virtual spaces in which the second user account is a member.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the interaction data comprises a request to associate an object associated with a virtual space of the communication platform with the document, the operations further comprising:

receiving, in association with the second user account, an indication of selection of the affordance; and

causing display, via the second user interface, of the object in the document.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the interaction comprises a drag and drop action, by the first user, of the object from the virtual space to a second affordance associated with the document, the second affordance being associated with a second sidebar of the first user interface.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the affordance is a first affordance, the notification is a first notification, the operations further comprising:

determining that an object associated with the document comprises a task that is associated with the second user; and

causing display, in the sidebar of the second user interface, of a second affordance associated with the object, wherein the second affordance is presented in association with the document in the sidebar.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the notification is a first notification, the operations further comprising:

receiving, from a third user account of a third user that is associated with the document, the message or a second message transmitted in association with the document; and

in response to receiving the message or the second message,

causing display of a first instance of the message or the second message in association with a first messaging interface associated with the document;

causing display of a second notification associated with the affordance in the sidebar of the second user interface, the second notification providing an indication of an update to the document based on the message or the second message; and

causing display of a second instance of the message or the second message in association with a second messaging interface of a virtual space associated with the document.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the document is associated with a virtual space in which the first user and the second user are members, the operations further comprising:

prior to displaying the notification, determining a frequency that the second user accesses the document in association with the virtual space; and

based on a determination that the frequency meets or exceeds a threshold frequency, causing display of the affordance associated with the document in the sidebar of the second user interface.

15. The system of claim 9 , the operations further comprising:

prior to receiving the interaction data, receiving, via the second user interface, a request to associate the document with the sidebar, wherein an association of the document with the sidebar causes the affordance associated with the document to persist in the sidebar; and

in response to receiving the request, causing display of the affordance in the sidebar.

16. The system of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:

identifying a virtual space associated with the document,

wherein causing display of the affordance in the sidebar comprises causing display of the affordance in association with the virtual space.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via a first user interface associated with a first user account of a communication platform, interaction data associated with an interaction with a document by a first user associated with the first user account, wherein the interaction includes at least one of a modification of the document or a message posted within the communication platform that references the document;

identifying a second user account associated with a second user of the communication platform that is associated with the document, wherein the second user is different from the first user and the first user and the second user are members of the document; and

in response to identifying the second user account, causing display of a notification associated with an affordance associated with the document in a sidebar of a second user interface associated with the second user account, wherein the notification is based at least in part on the interaction data and the sidebar includes one or more virtual spaces in which the second user account is a member.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the interaction data comprises a request to associate an object associated with a virtual space of the communication platform with the document, the operations further comprising:

receiving, in association with the second user account, an indication of selection of the affordance; and

causing display, via the second user interface, of the object in the document.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18 , wherein the interaction comprises a drag and drop action, by the first user, of the object from the virtual space to a second affordance associated with the document, the second affordance being associated with a second sidebar of the first user interface.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the affordance is a first affordance, the notification is a first notification, the operations further comprising:

determining that an object associated with the document comprises a task that is associated with the second user; and

causing display, in the sidebar of the second user interface, of a second affordance associated with the object, wherein the second affordance is presented in association with the document in the sidebar.

Assignments (3)
MERGER Recorded Nov 21, 2022
From: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: SALESFORCE.COM, INC.
Reel/Frame 061972/0569 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 21, 2022
From: SALESFORCE.COM, INC.
To: SALESFORCE, INC.
Reel/Frame 061972/0769 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 24, 2022
From: HAHN, MICHAEL; PAUL, SOHOM
To: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 059391/0460 →
Continuity (1)
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