# US 12,113,764 B2 · Automated management of ephemeral message collections > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,113,764 B2 - Document ID: US12113764B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/933,366 - Filed: 2020-07-20 - Published: 2021-01-07 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2014-10-02 - Assignees: Snap Inc. - Applicants: Snap Inc. - Inventors: Nicholas Allen; Donald Giovannini; Chiayi Lin; Robert Murphy; Evan Spiegel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12113764B2 ## CPC - G06Q 10/40: Business processes related to social networking or social networking services - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials - G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text - G06F 3/04886: by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus - G06F 16/162: {Delete operations (erasing in storage systems G06F3/0652)} - G06F 16/215: Improving data quality; Data cleansing, e.g. de-duplication, removing invalid entries or correcting typographical errors - G06F 16/2365: {Ensuring data consistency and integrity} - G06F 21/62: Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules - G06F 40/169: Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes - H04L 51/10: Multimedia information - H04L 51/42: Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes - H04L 51/52: for supporting social networking services - H04L 67/568: Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching - 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 - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A server has a processor and a memory storing instructions executed by the processor to maintain an ephemeral gallery of ephemeral messages. An ephemeral message is posted to the ephemeral gallery. The ephemeral message has an associated message duration parameter and a gallery participation parameter. An ephemeral message is removed from the ephemeral gallery in response to the identification of an expired gallery participation parameter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A server system for a network-based messaging platform, the server system comprising: one or more computer processor devices; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processor devices, configure the server system to perform operations comprising: receiving from a user device associated with a user of the messaging platform a message to be made available for online viewing via the messaging platform; automatically assigning to said message a default ephemeral lifetime that indicates a default time interval subsequent to posting for which said message is to remain available; automatically assigning to said message a default display duration that indicates a default time interval for which said message is to be displayed during online viewing thereof; posting said message to a personal story of the user, the personal story being a message collection comprising a plurality of messages posted by the user to be available for online viewing, said message being included in the personal story with the assigned default ephemeral lifetime and with the assigned default display duration; responsive to receiving an online view request with respect to the personal story from a requesting device, causing sequential display of the plurality of messages in the personal story one at a time and one after another in a predefined display sequence in which the plurality of ephemeral messages are automatically arranged in chronological order of respective post times, such that a most recently posted message is positioned last in the display sequence, the sequential display including: displaying the said message for the default display duration; and at expiry of the default display duration, automatically commencing display of an immediately subsequent message in the display sequence; and responsive to expiry of the default ephemeral lifetime of said message after posting thereof to the personal story, automatically removing said message from the personal story, so that said message is excluded from subsequent online viewing of the personal story responsive to online view requests. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The server system of claim 1, wherein the instructions configure the server system to make the personal story unavailable for online viewing upon expiration of a respective ephemeral lifetime of that one of the plurality of messages which was posted to the personal story most recently. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The server system of claim 1, wherein the instructions configure the server system to post to a message collection management interface indicia of activity with respect to the personal story. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The server system of claim 3, wherein the indicia includes indicia of time elapsed since posting of a last message to the personal story, the last message being that one of the plurality of messages which was posted most recently. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The server system of claim 3, wherein the indicia includes graphical indicia of the amount of time remaining for the personal story. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The server system of claim 3, wherein the indicia includes indicia of the number of online views requested for the personal story. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The server system of claim 1, wherein said message comprises visual media content on which is overlaid user-generated augmentations. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The server system of claim 1, wherein said message comprises visual media content on which is overlaid user-generated annotations. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The server system of claim 8, wherein the instructions configure the server system to accept destinations for messages upon reception thereof, said message being included in the personal story responsive to user-selection of the personal story as a destination for said message. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The server system of claim 9, wherein the destinations available for selection comprise, in addition to the personal story, a list of designated individuals. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: at a server system for a network-based messaging platform, performing automated operations comprising: receiving from a user device associated with a user of the messaging platform a message to be made available for online viewing via the messaging platform; automatically assigning to said message a default ephemeral lifetime that indicates a default time interval subsequent to posting for which said message is to remain available; automatically assigning to said message a default display duration that indicates a default time interval for which said message is to be displayed during online viewing thereof; posting said message to a personal story of the user, the personal story being a message collection comprising a plurality of messages posted by the user to be available for online viewing, said message being included in the personal story with the assigned default ephemeral lifetime and with the assigned default display duration; responsive to receiving an online view request with respect to the personal story from a requesting device, causing sequential display of the plurality of messages in the personal story one at a time and one after another in a predefined display sequence in which the plurality of ephemeral messages are automatically arranged in chronological order of respective post times, such that a most recently posted message is positioned last in the display sequence, the sequential display including: displaying the said message for the default display duration; and at expiry of the default display duration, automatically commencing display of an immediately subsequent message in the display sequence; and responsive to expiry of the default ephemeral lifetime of said message after posting thereof to the personal story, automatically removing said message from the personal story, so that said message is excluded from subsequent online viewing of the personal story responsive to online view requests. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically making the personal story unavailable for online viewing upon expiration of a respective ephemeral lifetime of that one of the plurality of messages which was posted to the personal story most recently. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising posting to a message collection management interface indicia of activity with respect to the personal story. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the indicia includes indicia of time elapsed since posting of a last message to the personal story, the last message being that one of the plurality of messages which was posted most recently. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the indicia includes graphical indicia of the amount of time remaining for the personal story. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the indicia includes indicia of the number of online views requested for the personal story. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein said message comprises visual media content on which is overlaid user-generated augmentations. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein said message comprises visual media content on which is overlaid user-generated annotations. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: accepting user input indicating respective destinations for messages upon reception thereof, said message being included in the personal story responsive to user-selection of the personal story as a destination for said message. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the destinations available for selection comprise, in addition to the personal story, a list of designated individuals. ### Claim 21 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for causing one or more computer processor devices, when executing the instructions, to perform operations comprising: at a server system for a network-based messaging platform, performing automated operations comprising: receiving from a user device associated with a user of the messaging platform a message to be made available for online viewing via the messaging platform; automatically assigning to said message a default ephemeral lifetime that indicates a default time interval subsequent to posting for which said message is to remain available; automatically assigning to said message a default display duration that indicates a default time interval for which said message is to be displayed during online viewing thereof; posting said message to a personal story of the user, the personal story being a message collection comprising a plurality of messages posted by the user to be available for online viewing, said message being included in the personal story with the assigned default ephemeral lifetime and with the assigned default display duration; responsive to receiving an online view request with respect to the personal story from a requesting device, causing sequential display of the plurality of messages in the personal story one at a time and one after another in a predefined display sequence in which the plurality of ephemeral messages are automatically arranged in chronological order of respective post times, such that a most recently posted message is positioned last in the display sequence, the sequential display including: displaying the said message for the default display duration; and at expiry of the default display duration, automatically commencing display of an immediately subsequent message in the display sequence; and responsive to expiry of the default ephemeral lifetime of said message after posting thereof to the personal story, automatically removing said message from the personal story, so that said message is excluded from subsequent online viewing of the personal story responsive to online view requests.