# US 10,313,503 B2 · Techniques to reconfigure messaging clients during contact information changes

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- Number: US 10,313,503 B2
- Document ID: US10313503B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/349,947
- Filed: 2016-11-11
- Published: 2018-05-17
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-11
- Assignees: Whatsapp Inc.
- Applicants: WhatsApp Inc.
- Inventors: Brian Acton; Jan Koum; Randall Sarafa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10313503B2

## CPC

- H04M 1/2757: by data transmission, e.g. downloading
- H04L 51/216: Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
- H04L 51/58: Message adaptation for wireless communication
- H04M 1/7243: with interactive means for internal management of messages
- H04M 3/42042: {Notifying the called party of information on the calling party (details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72)}
- H04M 3/42178: {by downloading data to substation equipment}
- H04M 7/0042: {where the data service is a text-based messaging service (H04M7/0054 takes precedence)}
- H04M 7/0045: {where the text-based messaging service is an instant messaging service}
- H04W 4/12: Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
- H04M 2203/554: Data synchronization
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

Techniques to reconfigure messaging clients during contact information changes are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a messaging component operative to receive a contact phone number update at a messaging client on the client device from a messaging system, the contact phone number update associated with a contact with the messaging client, the contact phone number update comprising a previous phone number and an updated phone number; determine an existing message thread for the messaging client identified based on the previous phone number; and send a user message to the contact via the messaging system using the updated phone number as a destination address; and a user interface component operative to display a contact phone number change notification in the existing message thread; and receive the user message for the contact. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving a contact phone number update at a messaging client on a client device from a messaging system, the contact phone number update associated with a contact participating in an existing message thread in the messaging client, the contact phone number update comprising a previous phone number and an updated phone number;
determining the existing message thread by determining if a participant in the message thread is identified by a phone number matching the previous phone number in the received contact phone number update;
displaying a contact phone number change notification in the existing message thread;
receiving a user message for the contact; and
sending the user message to the contact via the messaging system using the updated phone number as a destination address.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
updating the existing message thread to be identified based on the updated phone number;
receiving a contact message from the contact via the messaging system from a contact client device associated with the updated phone number; and
displaying the contact message in the existing message thread.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, the existing message thread comprising a group thread, further comprising:
updating group membership in the group thread from the previous phone number to the updated phone number.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a contact message from the contact via the messaging system from a contact client device associated with the updated phone number;
instantiating a replacement message thread for the existing message thread, wherein the existing message thread is identified based on the previous phone number, wherein the replacement message thread is identified based on the updated phone number; and
displaying the contact message in the replacement message thread.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising:
receiving a user selection of the existing message thread;
receiving a user reply command in association with the existing message thread; and
redirecting a user interface for the messaging client to the replacement message thread in response to the user reply command.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the user reply command is associated with an existing message in the existing message thread, further comprising:
representing at least a portion of the existing message in the user interface for the replacement message thread.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
updating an address book entry for the contact for an address book for the client device with the updated phone number.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising:
whitelisting a contact message from the contact for delivery to the messaging client on the client device based on the address book entry being updated with the updated phone number.

### Claim 9

An apparatus, comprising:
a processor circuit on a client device;
a network interface controller on the client device;
a messaging component operative on the processor circuit to:
receive a contact phone number update via the network interface controller at a messaging client on the client device from a messaging system, the contact phone number update associated with a contact participating in a message thread in the messaging client, the contact phone number update comprising a previous phone number and an updated phone number;
determine the existing message thread by determining if a participant in the message thread is identified by a phone number matching the previous phone number in the received phone number update; and
send a user message to the contact using the network interface controller via the messaging system using the updated phone number as a destination address; and
a user interface component operative on the processor circuit to:
display a contact phone number change notification in the existing message thread; and
receive the user message for the contact.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:
the messaging component operative to update the existing message thread to be identified based on the updated phone number; and receive a contact message from the contact via the messaging system from a contact client device associated with the updated phone number; and
the user interface component operative to display the contact message in the existing message thread.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, the existing message thread comprising a group thread, further comprising:
the messaging component operative to update group membership in the group thread from the previous phone number to the updated phone number.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:
the messaging component operative to receive a contact message from the contact via the messaging system from a contact client device associated with the updated phone number; and instantiate a replacement message thread for the existing message thread, wherein the existing message thread is identified based on the previous phone number, wherein the replacement message thread is identified based on the updated phone number; and
the user interface component operative to display the contact message in the replacement message thread.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:
the user interface component operative to receive a user selection of the existing message thread; receive a user reply command in association with the existing message thread; and redirect a user interface for the messaging client to the replacement message thread in response to the user reply command.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:
the messaging component operative to update an address book entry for the contact for an address book for the client device with the updated phone number.

### Claim 15

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:
receive a contact phone number update at a messaging client on a client device from a messaging system, the contact phone number update associated with a contact participating in an existing message thread in the messaging client, the contact phone number update comprising a previous phone number and an updated phone number;
determine the existing message thread by determining if a participant in the message thread is identified by a phone number matching the previous phone number in the received phone number update;
display a contact phone number change notification in the existing message thread;
receive a user message for the contact; and
send the user message to the contact via the messaging system using the updated phone number as a destination address.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:
update the existing message thread to be identified based on the updated phone number;
receive a contact message from the contact via the messaging system from a contact client device associated with the updated phone number; and
display the contact message in the existing message thread.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the existing message thread comprising a group thread, comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:
update group membership in the group thread from the previous phone number to the updated phone number.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:
receive a contact message from the contact via the messaging system from a contact client device associated with the updated phone number;
instantiate a replacement message thread for the existing message thread, wherein the existing message thread is identified based on the previous phone number, wherein the replacement message thread is identified based on the updated phone number; and
display the contact message in the replacement message thread.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:
receive a user selection of the existing message thread;
receive a user reply command in association with the existing message thread; and
redirect a user interface for the messaging client to the replacement message thread in response to the user reply command.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:
update an address book entry for the contact for an address book for the client device with the updated phone number.