IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,425,260
Granted Patent B2
US 12,425,260 · App. 18/223,897 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Methods and apparatuses for determining a user status avatar for rendering within a group-based communication interface

Inventors: Roland Schemers (Woodside, CA); James McPhail (Alameda, CA); Lydia Han (San Francisco, CA); San Oo (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Salesforce, Inc.
H04L12/1831G06Q50/01H04L12/1818H04L51/043H04L67/54
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,425,260
App. No.
18/223,897
Granted
Sep 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products for programmatically determining a user status avatar that is configured for transmitting as renderable within a group-based communication interface of a group-based communication system.

Claims (58)

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media that store computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method for determining user status within a group-based communication system, the method comprising:

retrieving user activity data corresponding to a user, the user activity data comprising:

user interaction data of the user associated with the group-based communication system; and

one or more external data objects including external engagement data of the user from one or more external sources distinct from the group-based communication system;

identifying a user status indicator from a plurality of user status indicators based on the user activity data,

wherein individual ones of the plurality of user status indicators are associated with a default predefined status period that is specified by a default group-based communication system setting and that defines a respective expiration time; and

responsive to identifying the user status indicator, causing display of the user status indicator in a user interface associated with the group-based communication system, the user status indicator comprising presence information of the user determined based on the user activity data,

wherein visibility of the user status indicator is limited to a portion of a plurality of users of the group-based communication system based on a user-indicated privacy level for the user status indicator;

wherein different types of user status indicators available to the user have different user-indicated privacy levels such that a first type of user status indicator of the different types of user status indicators has a first privacy level causing the first type of user status indicator to only be accessible and viewable by a first set of users and a second type of user status indicator of the different types of user status indicators has a second privacy level causing the second type of user status indicator to only be accessible and viewable by a second set of users that is different than the first set of users.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein one or more user status indicators of the plurality of user status indicators are associated with a respective predefined status duration indicative of an expiry time for the one or more user status indicators, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to receiving a replacement user status selection from the user, replacing the user status indicator with a user-selected replacement user status indicator; and

causing display of the user-selected replacement user status indicator in the user interface, wherein the user-selected replacement user status indicator is associated with a replacement status duration indicative of a replacement expiry time for the user-selected replacement user status indicator.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of user status indicators comprises:

an available user status indicator indicating that the user is available;

an out of office user status indicator indicating that the user is out of an office; and

an in a meeting user status indicator indicating that the user is attending a meeting.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , further comprising:

causing display of an additional user status indicator with the user status indicator.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the user status indicator comprises an icon and a text description.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5 , wherein the user status indicator is displayed in association with a user picture associated with the user.

7. A method for determining user status within a group-based communication system, the method comprising:

retrieving user activity data corresponding to a user, the user activity data comprising:

user interaction data of the user associated with the group-based communication system; and

one or more external data objects including external engagement data of the user from one or more external sources distinct from the group-based communication system;

identifying a user status indicator from a plurality of user status indicators based on the user activity data,

wherein individual ones of the plurality of user status indicators are associated with a default predefined status period that is specified by a default group-based communication system setting and that defines a respective expiration time; and

responsive to identifying the user status indicator, causing display of the user status indicator in a user interface associated with the group-based communication system, the user status indicator comprising presence information of the user determined based on the user activity data,

wherein the user status indicator is associated with a predefined status duration indicative of an expiry time for the user status indicator;

wherein different types of user status indicators available to the user have different user-indicated privacy levels such that a first type of user status indicator of the different types of user status indicators has a first privacy level causing the first type of user status indicator to only be accessible and viewable by a first set of users and a second type of user status indicator of the different types of user status indicators has a second privacy level causing the second type of user status indicator to only be accessible and viewable by a second set of users that is different than the first set of users.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein visibility of the user status indicator is limited to a portion of a plurality of users of the group-based communication system based on a user-indicated privacy level for the user status indicator.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving, from the user, a selection of a user-selected status duration indicative of an updated expiry time for the user status indicator; and

replacing the predefined status duration with the user-selected status duration indicative of the updated expiry time for the user status indicator responsive to the selection from the user.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

responsive to expiration of the predefined status duration, replacing the user status indicator with a default replacement user status indicator; and

causing display of the default replacement user status indicator in the user interface associated with the group-based communication system.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

responsive to receiving a replacement user status selection from the user, replacing the default replacement user status indicator with a user-selected replacement user status indicator; and

causing display of the user-selected replacement user status indicator in the user interface associated with the group-based communication system.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the user status indicator is set automatically by the group-based communication system based on the user activity data.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the predefined status duration is set automatically by the group-based communication system based at least in part on the user activity data.

14. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that store computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform a method for determining user status within a group-based communication system, the method comprising:

retrieving user activity data corresponding to a user, the user activity data comprising:

user interaction data of the user associated with the group-based communication system; and

one or more external data objects including external engagement data of the user from one or more external sources distinct from the group-based communication system;

identifying a user status indicator from a plurality of user status indicators based on the user activity data,

wherein individual ones of the plurality of user status indicators are associated with a default predefined status period that is specified by a default group-based communication system setting and that defines a respective expiration time;

responsive to identifying the user status indicator, causing display of the user status indicator in a user interface associated with the group-based communication system, the user status indicator comprising presence information of the user determined based on the user activity data; and

responsive to receiving a replacement user status selection from the user, causing display of a replacement user status indicator in the user interface, wherein the replacement user status indicator is associated with a replacement status duration indicative of an expiry time for the replacement user status indicator;

wherein different types of user status indicators available to the user have different user-indicated privacy levels such that a first type of user status indicator of the different types of user status indicators has a first privacy level causing the first type of user status indicator to only be accessible and viewable by a first set of users and a second type of user status indicator of the different types of user status indicators has a second privacy level causing the second type of user status indicator to only be accessible and viewable by a second set of users that is different than the first set of users.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein one or more user status indicators of the plurality of user status indicators are associated with a respective predefined status duration indicative of a predefined expiry time for the one or more user status indicators.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein visibility of the user status indicator is limited to a portion of a plurality of users of the group-based communication system based on a user-indicated privacy level for the user status indicator.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the user interaction data comprises an indication of a presence of the user.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more external data objects comprise an indication of a calendar event from an external calendar application.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more external data objects comprise an indication of an email communication from an external email application.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein different user status indicators are authorized to have different user-indicated privacy levels.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2024
From: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: SALESFORCE, INC.
Reel/Frame 068737/0167 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 19, 2023
From: SCHEMERS, ROLAND; MCPHAIL, JAMES; HAN, LYDIA; OO, SAN
To: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 064316/0884 →
MERGER Recorded Jul 19, 2023
From: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 064316/0970 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17722864 · Apr 18, 2022
Continuation 17129102 · Dec 21, 2020
Continuation 16263691 · Jan 31, 2019
Related Publication 20230370296A1 · Nov 16, 2023
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