Granted Patent B2

US 12,547,309 · App. 18/346,638 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Inventors: Nathan Kenneth Boyd (Los Angeles, CA); Christie Marie Heikkinen (Sherman Oaks, CA); David Phillip Taitz (Los Angeles, CA); Jeremy Baker Voss (Los Angeles, CA)

Assignee: Snap Inc.

G06F3/0488H04L51/00

Abstract

Claims (54)

1 . A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory component storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, configure the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

causing presentation of a content item in a viewing interface of an interaction application executing on a user device, the content item shared by a sending user via an interaction system, wherein the content item is a first content item in a story, the story comprising multiple content items to be presented in a sequence one after another within the viewing interface in a view state;

detecting a press and hold gesture applied to the viewing interface, while the first content item is presented therein, by a viewing user of the interaction system;

in response to the detection of the press and hold gesture,

causing a transition of the interaction application from the view state to a paused state, the interaction application remaining in the paused state until ending of the press and hold gesture, wherein the story is paused in the paused state such that the first content item remains presented within the viewing interface;

detecting a further gesture that causes the ending of the press and hold gesture;

identifying, from among a plurality of gesture types supported by the interaction application for the ending of the press and hold gesture, a gesture type of the further gesture, the plurality of gesture types comprising:

a release gesture that causes transitioning of the interaction application from the paused state to a reply state, the reply state activating a reply mechanism to enable the viewing user to generate a reply message to the sending user of the content item, and

a swiping gesture that causes transitioning of the interaction application from the paused state back to the view state; and

causing a further transition of the interaction application based on the gesture type of the further gesture.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the swiping gesture is a swipe down gesture applied to the viewing interface within which the content item is presented.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the content item is a video, the causing of the presentation of the content item comprising executing a playback of the video within the viewing interface, and the playback of the video within the viewing interface being paused in the paused state.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the reply mechanism comprises a reply interface to receive a further content item from the viewing user for communication to the sending user.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the reply interface comprises a camera function to enable the viewing user to capture image data as part of the further content item for communication to the sending user.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the image data comprises at least one of still image data or video image data.

7 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the reply interface comprises a text input function to enable the viewing user to generate text data as part of the further content item for communication to the sending user.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the reply mechanism comprises a reply interface including a plurality of interface components overlaid on the viewing interface.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the reply mechanism enables the viewing user to address the reply message to a further user of the interaction system, in addition to the sending user of the content item.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the activation of the reply mechanism comprises:

causing presentation of a user addition graphical element, the user addition graphical element identifying the further user of the interaction system and being user-selectable to address the reply message to the further user of the interaction system.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the user addition graphical element comprises an identifier of the further user and an add button, the add button being user-selectable to address the reply message to the further user of the interaction system.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the presentation of the user addition graphical element comprises:

detecting that the further user of the interaction system is tagged in the content item of the sending user; and

in response to detecting that the further user of the interaction system is tagged in the content item of the sending user, causing presentation of the user addition graphical element in a reply interface.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the reply mechanism enables the viewing user to generate a further content item and to include the further content item in the reply message, the operations further comprising: transmitting the reply message to the sending user via the interaction system.

14 . A method comprising:

causing presentation of a content item in a viewing interface of an interaction application executing on a user device, the content item shared by a sending user via an interaction system, wherein the content item is a first content item in a story, the story comprising multiple content items to be presented in a sequence one after another within the viewing interface in a view state;

detecting a press and hold gesture applied to the viewing interface, while the first content item is presented therein, by a viewing user of the interaction system;

in response to the detection of the press and hold gesture,

causing a transition of the interaction application from the view state to a paused state, the interaction application remaining in the paused state until ending of the press and hold gesture, wherein the story is paused in the paused state such that the first content item remains presented within the viewing interface;

detecting a further gesture that causes the ending of the press and hold gesture;

identifying, from among a plurality of gesture types supported by the interaction application for the ending of the press and hold gesture, a gesture type of the further gesture, the plurality of gesture types comprising:

a release gesture that causes transitioning of the interaction application from the paused state to a reply state, the reply state activating a reply mechanism to enable the viewing user to generate a reply message to the sending user of the content item, and

a swiping gesture that causes transitioning of the interaction application from the paused state back to the view state; and

causing a further transition of the interaction application based on the gesture type of the further gesture.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the content item is a video, the causing of the presentation of the content item comprising executing a playback of the video within the viewing interface, and the playback of the video within the viewing interface being paused in the paused state.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the reply mechanism enables the viewing user to address the reply message to a further user of the interaction system, in addition to the sending user of the content item.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the activation of the reply mechanism comprises: causing presentation of a user addition graphical element, the user addition graphical element identifying the further user of the interaction system and being user-selectable to address the reply message to the further user of the interaction system.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the user addition graphical element comprises an identifier of the further user and an add button, the add button being user-selectable to address the reply message to the further user of the interaction system.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the presentation of the user addition graphical element comprises:

detecting that the further user of the interaction system is tagged in the content item of the sending user; and

in response to detecting that the further user of the interaction system is tagged in the content item of the sending user, causing presentation of the user addition graphical element in a reply interface.

20 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions that when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform operations comprising:

causing presentation of a content item in a viewing interface of an interaction application executing on a user device, the content item shared by a sending user via an interaction system, wherein the content item is a first content item in a story, the story comprising multiple content items to be presented in a sequence one after another within the viewing interface in a view state;

detecting a press and hold gesture applied to the viewing interface, while the first content item is presented therein, by a viewing user of the interaction system;

in response to the detection of the press and hold gesture,

causing a transition of the interaction application from the view state to a paused state, the interaction application remaining in the paused state until ending of the press and hold gesture, wherein the story is paused in the paused state such that the first content item remains presented within the viewing interface;

detecting a further gesture that causes the ending of the press and hold gesture;

identifying, from among a plurality of gesture types supported by the interaction application for the ending of the press and hold gesture, a gesture type of the further gesture, the plurality of gesture types comprising:

a release gesture that causes transitioning of the interaction application from the paused state to a reply state, the reply state activating a reply mechanism to enable the viewing user to generate a reply message to the sending user of the content item, and

a swiping gesture that causes transitioning of the interaction application from the paused state back to the view state; and

causing a further transition of the interaction application based on the gesture type of the further gesture.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (113)