# US 2021/0243570 A1 · Communication apparatus configured to manage user identification queries and render user identification interfaces within a group-based communication system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0243570 A1 - Document ID: US20210243570A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/778,723 - Filed: 2020-01-31 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-31 - Assignees: Slack Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Slack Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Jason Klym; Venkatraju Venkatanaranappa; Michael Demmer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243570A1 ## CPC - H04L 12/1822: {Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission} - H04W 4/08: User group management - H04L 12/1859: {adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels} - H04L 12/1863: {comprising mechanisms for improved reliability, e.g. status reports (arrangements for detecting or preventing errors by carrying supervisory signal the return channel H04L1/16)} - H04L 67/568: Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching - H04L 67/75: Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display - H04L 51/216: Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads - H04L 63/104: {Grouping of entities} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a communications apparatus and associated methods configured for managing user identification queries. The communication apparatus is configured to receive a user identification query comprising a requesting user identifier and a target user identifier, compare the target user identifier to a user status cache associated with the requesting user identifier to determine a known status, an unknown status, or a pending status, and cause rendering of a known user identification interface or a limited user identification interface. In some embodiments, the communication apparatus is configured to transmit a client device hold instruction in response to determining the pending status for the target user identifier with respective to a given requesting user identifier. Various embodiments discussed herein mediate and resolve voluminous user identification queries through a specially configured group-based caching service and associated system architecture. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communication apparatus configured to manage user identification queries, the communication apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory having computer-coded instructions therein, wherein the computer-coded instructions are configured to, in execution with the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to: retrieve a user identification query associated with a group-based communication interface, the user identification query comprising a requesting user identifier and a target user identifier; compare the target user identifier to a user status cache associated with the requesting user identifier to determine one of a known status, an unknown status, or a pending status for the target user identifier; cause rendering of a known user identification interface to the group-based communication interface in response to determining the known status for the target user identifier; and cause rendering of a limited user identification interface to the group-based communication interface in response to determining the unknown status for the target user identifier. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer-coded instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to: transmit a client device hold instruction in response to determining the pending status for the target user identifier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer-coded instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to: compare the target user identifier to a group connection array associated with the requesting user identifier to determine a resolved known status or a resolved unknown status in response to determining the pending status for the target user identifier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The communication apparatus of claim 3, wherein the computer-coded instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to: update the user status cache associated with the requesting user identifier to replace the pending status for the target user identifier with the determined resolved known status or the resolved unknown status. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The communication apparatus of claim 3, wherein the computer-coded instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to: cause rendering of the known user identification interface to the group-based communication interface in response to determining the resolved known status for the target user identifier; and cause rendering of the limited user identification interface to the group-based communication interface in response to determining the resolved unknown status for the target user identifier. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer-coded instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to: retrieve a limited user identification object associated with the target user identifier from a group-based communication repository in response to determining the unknown status for the target user identifier; and cause rendering of the limited user identification interface to the group-based communication interface based on the limited user identification object. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer-coded instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to: retrieve a limited user identification object associated with the target user identifier from a group-based communication repository in response to determining the unknown status for the target user identifier; and transmit the limited user identification object to a client device for rendering, via a display of the client device, the limited user identification interface to the group-based communication interface based on the limited user identification object. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer-coded instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to: transmit a client device hold instruction to a client device associated with user identification query in response to determining the pending status for the target user identifier; compare the target user identifier to a group connection array associated with the requesting user identifier to determine a resolved known status or a resolved unknown status in response to determining the pending status for the target user identifier; retrieve a limited user identification object associated with the target user identifier from a group-based communication repository in response to determining the resolved unknown status for the target user identifier and following transmission of the client hold instruction; and transmit the limited user identification object to the client device for rendering, via a display of the client device, the limited user identification interface to the group-based communication interface based on the limited user identification object. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer-coded instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to: transmit a first client device hold instruction to a first client device associated with the requesting user identifier in response to determining the pending status for the target user identifier; retrieve a second user identification query associated with the group-based communication interface, the second user identification query comprising a second requesting user identifier and the target user identifier; transmit a second client device hold instruction to a second client device associated with the second requesting user identifier; compare the target user identifier to a group connection array associated with the requesting user identifier to determine a resolved known status or a resolved unknown status for the target user identifier; retrieve a limited user identification object associated with the target user identifier from a group-based communication repository in response to determining the resolved unknown status for the target user identifier; and transmit the limited user identification object to the first client device and to the second client device for rendering, via displays of the first client device and the second client device, the limited user identification interface to the group-based communication interface based on the limited user identification object. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The communication apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer-coded instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to: Update the user status cache to replace the pending status for the target user identifier with the determined resolved known status or the resolved unknown status. ### Claim 11 A computer implemented method for managing user identification queries, the method comprising: retrieving a user identification query associated with a group-based communication interface, the user identification query comprising a requesting user identifier and a target user identifier; and comparing the target user identifier to a user status cache associated with the requesting user identifier to determine one of a known status, an unknown status, or a pending status for the target user identifier. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer implemented method of claim 11, further comprising: causing rendering of a known user identification interface to the group-based communication interface in response to determining the known status for the target user identifier. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The computer implemented method of claim 11, further comprising: causing rendering of a limited user identification interface to the group-based communication interface in response to determining the unknown status for the target user identifier. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The computer implemented method of claim 11, further comprising: transmitting a client device hold instruction in response to determining the pending status for the target user identifier. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer implemented method of claim 14, further comprising: comparing the target user identifier to a group connection array associated with the requesting user identifier to determine a resolved known status or a resolved unknown status in response to determining the pending status for the target user identifier. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer implemented method of claim 15, further comprising: updating the user status cache associated with the requesting user identifier to replace the pending status for the target user identifier with the determined resolved known status or the resolved unknown status. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computer implemented method of claim 15, further comprising: rendering a known user identification interface to the group-based communication interface in response to determining the resolved known status for the target user identifier. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computer implemented method of claim 15, further comprising: rendering a limited user identification interface to the group-based communication interface in response to determining the resolved unknown status for the target user identifier. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The computer implemented method of claim 15, further comprising: retrieving a limited user identification object associated with the target user identifier from a group-based communication repository in response to determining the resolved unknown status for the target user identifier and following transmission of a client hold instruction; and transmitting the limited user identification object to a client device for rendering, via a display of the client device, a limited user identification interface to the group-based communication interface based on the limited user identification object. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The computer implemented method of claim 11, further comprising: transmitting a client device hold instruction to a first client device associated with the requesting user identifier in response to determining the pending status for the target user identifier; retrieving a second user identification query associated with the group-based communication interface, the second user identification query comprising a second requesting user identifier and the target user identifier; transmitting a second client device hold instruction to a second client device associated with the second requesting user identifier; comparing the target user identifier to a group connection array associated with the requesting user identifier to determine a resolved known status or a resolved unknown status for the target user identifier. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The computer implemented method of claim 20, further comprising: retrieving a limited user identification object associated with the target user identifier from a group-based communication repository in response to determining the resolved unknown status for the target user identifier; and transmitting the limited user identification object to the first client device and to the second client device for rendering, via displays of the first client device and the second client device, a limited user identification interface to the group-based communication interface based on the limited user identification object. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The computer implemented method of claim 20, further comprising: causing rendering, via displays of the first client device and the second client device, of a limited user identification interface to the group-based communication interface in response to determining the resolved unknown status for the target user identifier. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The computer implemented method of claim 20, further comprising: updating the user status cache to replace the pending status for the target user identifier with the determined resolved known status or the resolved unknown status.