Actions in a messaging system
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorsHarshvardhan Singh, Arun Rajappa, Jayawant Tewari, Abhisek Kumar Behera, Prashant Gupta, Apoorv Seth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A messaging system for effecting effect instant messaging communication sessions (chats) between users of the messaging system allows “actions” to be exchanged in chats. The actions are generated in an action database. A template-creating user can create a custom action template for generating actions, which is only available to certain users.
Claims20
A messaging system comprising:
- at least one processor configured to
- receive, from a template-creating user, template creation data for creating a custom action template and associated data identifying a subset of user identifiers associated with the messaging system;
- create and store the custom action template according to the template creation data, and associate the custom action template with the subset of the user identifiers so as to render the custom action template available to only users having an user identifier included in the subset of the user identifiers;
- display, to an action-generating user distinct from the template-creating user, a user interface including a plurality of selectable action generating elements for an instant messaging communication session, wherein each of the plurality of selectable action generating elements is associated with an action template and wherein the plurality of selectable action generating elements includes a selectable action generating element associated with the custom action template based on whether an identifier of the action-generating user is included in the subset of the user identifiers;
- and
- in response to receiving an instruction from the action-generating user selecting the selectable action generating element associated with the custom action template, generate an action according to the custom action template and make the action accessible to an action-receiving the user in the instant messaging communication session.
A method of creating action templates in a messaging system, the messaging system for effecting instant messaging communication sessions between users of the messaging system and having a user database holding user identifiers of the users, the method comprising, at the messaging system:
- receiving, from a template-creating user, template creation data for creating a custom action template and associated data identifying a subset of the user identifiers held in the user database of the messaging system;
- creating in template storage the custom action template according to the template creation data, the custom action template for generating an action in an action database of the messaging system;
- associating the custom action template with the subset of the user identifiers so as to render the custom action template available to only the users having an user identifier included in the subset of the user identifiers;
- displaying, to an action-generating user distinct from the template-creating user, a user interface including a plurality of selectable action generating elements for an instant messaging communication session, wherein each of the plurality of selectable action generating elements is associated with an action template and wherein the plurality of selectable action generating elements includes a selectable action generating element associated with the custom action template based on whether an identifier of the action-generating user is included in the subset of the user identifiers.
A computer program product for use in a messaging system, the messaging system having a user database configured to hold user identifiers of users, the computer program product comprising code stored on a computer-readable storage medium and configured, when executed in the messaging system, to implement operations of:
- receiving a user identifier of an action-generating user;
- accessing template storage holding a custom action template, wherein the custom action template is associated with a subset of the user identifiers such that the custom action template is available to only the users having an user identifier included in the subset of the user identifiers;
- determining that the received user identifier matches one of the subset of the user identifiers associated with the custom action template and, in response, causing a user interface element representing the custom action template to be displayed at a user device of the action-generating user;
- displaying, to the action-generating user distinct from a template-creating user, a user interface including a plurality of selectable action generating elements for an instant messaging communication session, wherein each of the plurality of selectable action generating elements is associated with an action template and wherein the plurality of selectable action generating elements includes a selectable action generating element associated with the custom action template based on whether an identifier of the action-generating user is included in the subset of the user identifiers;
- in response to an instruction from the action-generating user selecting the selectable action generating element associated with the custom action template, generating an action in an action database according to the custom action template;
- and
- transmitting a message to a user device of at least one action-receiving user to render data of the generated action accessible to the at least one action-receiving user in an instant messaging communication session effected by the messaging system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.