# US 12,003,476 B2 · Command based communication

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- Number: US 12,003,476 B2
- Document ID: US12003476B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/842,336
- Filed: 2022-06-16
- Published: 2023-12-21
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2022-06-16
- Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
- Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
- Inventors: Amer Aref Hassan; Eric Edmond Thomasian; Zhen Zhu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003476B2

## CPC

- H04L 51/216: Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
- H04L 51/48: Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
- G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence)
- H04L 51/18: Commands or executable codes
- H04L 51/42: Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
- H04L 65/403: Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15)
- H04L 51/02: using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A method and system for providing a command-based communication are disclosed, comprising identifying a target user from a user database based on parsed entries subsequent to an action command in a compose field of a group thread, receiving a user selection of one of two operation modes in which the system operates, including a fork mode and a notification mode, and responsive to the user selection selecting the fork mode, creating and transmitting a fork communication thread between the user and a second user, the fork communication thread diverging from the group thread.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for providing a command-based communication, comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to control the system to perform operations comprising:
detecting an action command included in a compose field of a group thread of a first user, wherein the action command indicates a function to be performed by the system;
responsive to detecting the action command in the compose field, parsing entries from the compose field subsequent to the action command;
identifying, based on the parsed entries from the compose field, a target user associated with the action command from a user database;
causing the target user and two operational modes in which the system operates to be displayed to the first user;
receiving, from the first user, a user selection of one of the two operational modes and a selection of the target user as a second user, wherein the two operation modes include a fork mode and a notification mode;
responsive to the user selection selecting the fork mode, entering the fork mode by creating a fork communication thread between the first and second users, wherein the fork communication thread diverging is a private thread separate from the group thread, including:
receiving a message entered via the compose field;
extracting contents of the group thread;
packaging the extracted contents and the message received via the compose field into the fork communication thread having members including the first user and the second user; and
transmitting the fork communication thread to the second user; and
responsive to the user selection selecting the notification mode, entering the notification mode by creating a message in the group thread from the first user, including:
receiving a message entered via the compose field;
transmitting the message to the group thread; and
causing a notification to the second user of selection as the second user for the transmitted message.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1,
wherein parsing entries from the compose field subsequent to the action command includes identifying one or more characters succeeding the action command in the compose field,
wherein identifying the target user from the user database includes identifying one or more users having a first one or more characters matching the identified one or more characters succeeding the action command, and
wherein the operations include:
causing, based upon one or more rules in a user selection mode, a set of the identified one or more users to be displayed to the first user; and
receiving, from the first user, a selected one of the set of the identified one or more users as the second user.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1,
wherein creating the fork communication thread comprises creating a new message in an existing fork communication thread between the first and second users, and
wherein transmitting the fork communication thread to the second user comprises causing the fork communication thread to be displayed to the first and second users.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1,
wherein the group thread is of a group communication stream, and
wherein the fork communication thread between the first and second users is separate from a group view of the group communication stream and is not viewable by members of the group communication stream outside of the first and second users.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the operations include:
causing the target user and a control element to be displayed to the first user, the control element corresponding to the target user and indicating a desired one of the two operational modes,
wherein receiving, from the first user, the user selection of the one of two operational modes in which the system operates includes receiving selection of the control element corresponding to the target user, wherein receiving selection of the control element includes receiving the user selection selecting the fork mode and the target user as the second user.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5,
wherein the control element includes a notification including a description of a selection action to select the control element, and
wherein receiving the user selection of the fork mode includes receiving the selection action by the first user in response to the notification including the description of the selection action.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1,
wherein the group thread is a message thread of a unified communication session between a plurality of participants including the first user, and
wherein the fork communication thread is between the first and second users.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7,
wherein the fork communication thread includes an email thread between the first and second users.

### Claim 9

A system for providing a command-based communication, comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to control the system to perform operations comprising:
identifying, responsive to entries subsequent to an action command in a compose field of a group thread of a first user and based on the entries subsequent to the action command, a target user from a user database;
causing the target user and a control element to be displayed to the first user, the control element corresponding to the target user and indicating a desire to transition an operation mode from a notification mode associated with the action command to a fork mode;
receiving, from the first user, a user selection of one of two operation modes in which the system operates and a selection of the target user as a second user, wherein the two operation modes include a fork mode and a notification mode; and
responsive to the user selection selecting the fork mode, entering the fork mode by creating a fork communication thread between the first and second users, wherein the fork communication thread is a private thread separate from the group thread, including:
receiving a message entered via the compose field;
extracting contents of the group thread;
packaging the extracted contents and the message received via the compose field into the fork communication thread having members including the first user and the second user; and
transmitting the fork communication thread to the second user.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the operations include:
responsive to the user selection selecting the notification mode, entering the notification mode by creating a message in the group thread from the first user, including:
receiving a message entered via the compose field;
transmitting the message to the group thread; and
causing a notification to the second user of selection as the second user for the transmitted message.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the operations include:
detecting the action command in a compose field of a communication platform of the first user, wherein the action command indicates a function to be performed by the system;
responsive to detecting the action command in the compose field, parsing entries from the compose field subsequent to the action command to identify one or more characters succeeding the action command;
wherein identifying the target user from the user database includes identifying one or more target users having a first one or more characters matching the identified one or more characters succeeding the action command;
providing, based upon one or more rules in a user selection mode, a set of the identified one or more target users to the first user; and
receiving, from the first user, a selected one of the set of the identified one or more target users as the second user.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9,
wherein the control element includes a notification including a description of a selection action to select the control element, and
wherein receiving the user selection of the fork mode includes receiving the selection action by the first user in response to the notification including the description of the selection action.

### Claim 13

A method for providing a command-based communication, comprising:
detecting an action command included in a compose field of a group thread of a first user, wherein the action command indicates a function to be performed by a system;
responsive to detecting the action command in the compose field, parsing entries from the compose field subsequent to the action command;
identifying, based on the parsed entries from the compose field, a target user associated with the action command from a user database;
causing the target user and two operation modes in which the system operates to be displayed to the first user;
receiving, from the first user, a user selection of one of the two operation modes and a selection of the target user as a second user, wherein the two operation modes include a fork mode and a notification mode;
wherein the fork mode comprises, responsive to the user selection selecting the fork mode, entering the fork mode by creating a fork communication thread between the first and second users, the fork communication thread diverging from the group thread, including:
receiving a message entered via the compose field;
extracting contents of the group thread;
packaging the extracted contents and the message received via the compose field into the fork communication thread having members including the first user and the second user; and
transmitting the fork communication thread to the second user; and
wherein the notification mode comprises, responsive to the user selection selecting the notification mode, entering the notification mode by creating a message in the group thread from the first user, including:
receiving a message entered via the compose field;
transmitting the message to the group thread; and
causing a notification to the second user of selection as the second user for the transmitted message.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13,
wherein parsing entries from the compose field subsequent to the action command includes identifying one or more characters succeeding the action command in the compose field,
wherein identifying the target user from the user database includes identifying one or more users having a first one or more characters matching the identified one or more characters succeeding the action command, and
wherein the method includes:
causing, based upon one or more rules in a user selection mode, a set of the identified one or more users to be displayed to the first user; and
receiving, from the first user, a selected one of the set of the identified one or more users as the second user.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13,
wherein creating the fork communication thread comprises creating a new message in an existing fork communication thread between the first and second users, and
wherein transmitting the fork communication thread to the second user comprises causing the fork communication thread to be displayed to the first and second users.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13,
wherein the group thread is of a group communication stream, and
wherein the fork communication thread between the first and second users is separate from a group view of the group communication stream and is not viewable by members of the group communication stream outside of the first and second users.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, comprising:
causing the target user and a control element to be displayed to the first user, the control element corresponding to the target user and indicating a desired one of the two operations modes,
wherein receiving, from the first user, the user selection of the one of two operation modes in which the system operates includes receiving selection of the control element corresponding to the target user, wherein receiving selection of the control element includes receiving the user selection selecting the fork mode and the target user as the second user.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17,
wherein the control element includes a notification including a description of a selection action to select the control element, and
wherein receiving the user selection of the fork mode includes receiving the selection action by the first user in response to the notification including the description of the selection action.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein causing the two operational modes to be displayed to the first user comprises causing a group icon and a fork icon to be displayed to the first user.