US 11,637,798 B2Granted

Controlled display of related message threads

AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC

InventorAmer Aref Hassan

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The techniques disclosed herein provide a system that can identify two or more independently managed message threads and modify a user interface to enable a common user of the threads to view messages of both threads. For instance, if a user is participating in a first chat session that is displayed within a first message thread, the system can identify other threads that are related to the first thread. The related threads can be identified by a user input or by a query performed by a system. In some embodiments, the system can only search for threads that have at least one common user to the first thread. The system can provide this display of two related threads while linking the threads but not merging the messages of the threads. A data structure can be maintained to control the display of each thread.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for identifying and displaying related message threads of a communication system, the method comprising:

receiving communication data comprising a first thread having a first set of messages associated with a first user group;
receiving an indication identifying a second thread from a plurality of threads each associated with individual user groups, wherein the indication is provided by a user that has permissions to read and write messages with the first thread and the second thread, wherein the indication is provided by receiving a user input at a graphical element, wherein the second thread comprises a second set of messages associated with a second user group, wherein the user is a common member of the first user group and the second user group;
responsive to the identification of the second thread from the plurality of threads, causing an update to a data structure to maintain a link relationship between the first thread and the second thread, wherein the link relationship is configured to control a display of the first thread and the second thread;
receiving a selection of the first thread for display of at least a portion of the first set of messages;
in response to receiving a selection of the first thread for display of at least a portion of the first set of messages, analyzing the data structure to verify the link relationship between the first thread and the second thread;
and
in response to verifying the link relationship between the first thread and the second thread, causing a client computing device of the user to concurrently display one or more messages of the second set of messages of the second thread with at least a portion of the first set of messages of the first thread.

4 more elements

A computing device for coordinating customized message threads for a plurality of users, comprising:

one or more processing units;
and
a computer-readable storage medium having encoded thereon computer-executable instructions to cause the one or more processing units to:
receive communication data comprising a first thread having a first set of messages associated with a first user group, wherein the first set of messages of the first thread are displayed on a user interface rendered on a client computing device of a user;
receiving an indication identifying a second thread from a plurality of threads each associated with individual user groups, wherein the indication is provided by a user that has permissions to read and write messages with the first thread and the second thread, wherein the indication is provided by receiving a user input at a graphical element, wherein the second thread comprises a second set of messages associated with a second user group, wherein the user is a common member of the first user group and the second user group;
responsive to the identification of the second thread from the plurality of threads, cause an update to a data structure to maintain a link relationship between the first thread and the second thread, wherein the link relationship is configured to control a display of the first thread and the second thread;
receive a selection of the first thread for display of at least a portion of the first set of messages;
in response to receiving a selection of the first thread for display of at least a portion of the first set of messages, analyze the data structure to verify the link relationship between the first thread and the second thread;
and
in response to verifying the link relationship between the first thread and the second thread, cause the client computing device of the user to concurrently display one or more messages of the second set of messages of the second thread with at least a portion of the first set of messages of the first thread, while maintaining storage of the first set of messages of the first thread in a first container separate from storage of the second set of messages of the second thread in a second container.

7 more elements

One or more computer-readable storage media having encoded thereon computer-executable instructions to cause the one or more processing units of a system to:

receive communication data comprising a first thread having a first set of messages associated with a first user group, wherein the first set of messages of the first thread are displayed on a user interface rendered on a client computing device of a user;
receiving an indication identifying a second thread from a plurality of threads each associated with individual user groups, wherein the indication is provided by a user that has permissions to read and write messages with the first thread and the second thread, wherein the indication is provided by receiving a user input at a graphical element, wherein the second thread comprises a second set of messages associated with a second user group, wherein the user is a common member of the first user group and the second user group;
responsive to the identification of the second thread from the plurality of threads, cause an update to a data structure to maintain a link relationship between the first thread and the second thread, wherein the link relationship is configured to control a display of the first thread and the second thread;
receiving a selection of the first thread for display of at least a portion of the first set of messages;
in response to receiving a selection of the first thread for display of at least a portion of the first set of messages, analyzing the data structure to verify the link relationship between the first thread and the second thread;
and
in response to verifying the link relationship between the first thread and the second thread, cause the client computing device of the user to concurrently display one or more messages of the second set of messages of the second thread with at least a portion of the first set of messages of the first thread.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/333,004Filed 27 May 2021
Published: US 2022/0385609 A11 Dec 2022
Granted: 25 Apr 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

G06Q 10/00
Administration
H04L 51/216
Monitoring or handling of messages: handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
G06F 3/0482
Based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like…:…
G06Q 10/10
Administration; Management: office automation; Time management