# US 11,444,902 B2 · Surfacing media conversations and interactive functionality within a message viewer of a messaging system

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- Number: US 11,444,902 B2
- Document ID: US11444902B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/072,489
- Filed: 2020-10-16
- Published: 2022-04-21
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2020-10-16
- Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
- Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
- Inventors: Ravin Sachdeva; Santosh Kumar; Izis de Melo Moreira; Luiz Gustavo Bustamante Magalhaes; Ashutosh Kumar; Xuemin Liu; Humberto Lezama Guadarrama; Yue Ma; Amy Huyen Phuoc Nguyen; Iuliana Chiriac; Fernando Ruben Martinez Ovelar
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11444902B2

## CPC

- H04L 51/216: Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
- G06Q 10/107: Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
- H04L 51/04: Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
- H04L 51/224: providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
- H04L 51/52: for supporting social networking services
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A messaging system identifies a received message as a notification message from a conversation system in a media application. The messaging system obtains rendering information to render a current state of the conversation thread represented by the message. The message system renders the current state of the followed conversation thread, with actuators that provide interactive functionality allowing the user to interact with the conversation thread, in the message viewer of the user's messaging system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer system, comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computer system to:
generate a message viewer of a messaging system, the message viewer configured to render messages associated with a user received by the messaging system;
detect a notification message, from a conversation system, the notification message including a conversation thread identifier that identifies a conversation thread in the conversation system and being indicative of a change to a state of the conversation thread at the conversation system;
based on detection of a user selection input, select the notification message and obtain rendering information for rendering a current state of the conversation thread with a set of actuators that are actuatable to perform conversation system functionality relative to the conversation thread;
render, in the message viewer of the messaging system, a representation of a conversation view showing the current state of the conversation thread, with the set of actuators, based on the rendering information;
detect user actuation of an actuator in the set of actuators rendered in the message viewer;
send, to the conversation system based on the conversation thread identifier, an indication of the user actuation;
receive, from the conversation system, an updated state of the conversation thread, updated based on the user actuation; and
render the updated state of the conversation thread in the message viewer of the messaging system.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer system of claim 1 wherein the messaging system comprises a web application email server accessible by a client computing system through a browser and wherein the instructions cause the computer system to:
generate the rendering information to render the current state of the conversation thread.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer system of claim 1 wherein
the messaging system comprises:
an email client system; and
the instructions cause the computer system to:
access an alternative representation generator in a message service to obtain the rendering information.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The computer system of claim 3 wherein the alternative representation generator comprises a JSON string generator in a message service that generates a JSON string indicative of the rendering information and wherein the instructions cause the computer system to render the current state of the conversation thread, with the set of actuators, in a reading pane of an inbox of the email client system based on the JSON string.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The computer system of claim 1 wherein the conversation system comprises a media system that generates a media feed that includes the conversation thread and wherein the instructions cause the computer system to render the current state of the conversation thread with a set of media feed actuators which, when actuated in the media feed in the media system, cause the conversation system to perform thread interaction functionality.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The computer system of claim 1 wherein the instructions cause the computer system to generate the representation of the conversation view with a switch view actuator which is actuatable to switch to a static view showing the notification message.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The computer system of claim 1 wherein the messaging system comprises an email system and the notification message comprises a notification email message, the instructions cause the computer system to detect the notification email message by detecting the conversation thread identifier, in a header of the notification email message, indicative of the conversation thread in the conversation system.

### Claim 8

A computer implemented method, comprising:
detecting a notification message, from a conversation system, in a messaging system, the notification message including a conversation thread identifier that identifies a conversation thread in the conversation system and being indicative of a change to a state of the conversation thread at the conversation system;
obtaining rendering information for rendering a current state of the conversation thread with a set of actuators that are actuatable to perform conversation system functionality relative to the conversation thread;
rendering a conversation view in a message viewer of the messaging system based on the rendering information, the conversation view showing the current state of the conversation thread with the set of actuators;
detecting user actuation of an actuator in the set of actuators rendered in the message viewer;
sending, to the conversation system based on the conversation thread identifier, an indication of the user actuation;
receiving, from the conversation system, an updated state of the conversation thread, updated based on the user actuation; and
rendering the updated state of the conversation thread in the message viewer of the messaging system.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The computer implemented method of claim 8 and further comprising:
sending the indication of the user actuation to the conversation system to update the state of the conversation thread, to the updated state of the conversation thread, based on the user actuation.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The computer implemented method of claim 8 wherein the messaging system comprises a web application email server and a thread component corresponding to the conversation system and wherein obtaining rendering information comprises:
accessing the thread component to obtain the rendering information to render the current state of the conversation thread.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The computer implemented method of claim 8 wherein the messaging system comprises an email client system and wherein obtaining rendering information comprises:
accessing an alternative representation generator in a message service to obtain the rendering information to render the current state of the conversation thread.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The computer implemented method of claim 11 wherein the alternative representation generator comprises a JSON string generator that generates a JSON string indicative of the rendering information and wherein rendering comprises:
rendering the current state of the conversation thread, with the set of actuators, in a reading pane of an inbox of the email client system based on the JSON string.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The computer implemented method of claim 8 wherein the conversation system comprises a media system that generates a media feed with the conversation thread and wherein rendering the current state of the conversation thread, with the set of actuators, comprises:
rendering, as the set of actuators, a set of media feed actuators which, when actuated, cause the conversation system to perform thread interaction functionality.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The computer implemented method of claim 13 wherein rendering the set of media feed actuators comprises:
rendering a text box that is actuatable to receive a comment and post the comment to the conversation thread; and
rendering a sentiment actuator that is actuatable to post a sentiment to the conversation thread.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The computer implemented method of claim 8 wherein rendering the conversation view with the set of actuators comprises:
rendering a switch view actuator which is actuatable to switch to a static messaging system view showing the notification message.

### Claim 16 (depends on 8)

The computer implemented method of claim 8 wherein rendering comprises:
determining whether a reply message has been sent in the messaging system in reply to the notification message; and
if so, rendering the notification message, with a switch view actuator which is actuatable to switch to the conversation view.

### Claim 17

An electronic mail (email) computer system, comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein the instructions, when executed, provide:
a conversation message identifier configured to detect a notification email message, from a conversation system, in an inbox of an email system, the notification email message including a conversation thread identifier that identifies a conversation thread in the conversation system and being indicative of a change to a state of the conversation thread at the conversation system, the email system configured to detect a user selection input selecting the notification email message;
a rendering information component configured to obtain rendering information for rendering a current state of the conversation thread with a set of actuators that are actuatable to perform conversation system functionality relative to the conversation thread; and
an interactive functionality component configured to:
render a conversation view showing the current state of the conversation thread, with the set of actuators, in a reading pane of the inbox of the email system, based on the rendering information;
detect user actuation of an actuator in the set of actuators rendered in the reading pane;
send, to the conversation system based on the conversation thread identifier, an indication of the user actuation;
receive, from the conversation system, an updated state of the conversation thread, updated based on the user actuation; and
render the updated state of the conversation thread in the reading pane.