# US 2025/0165645 A1 · Obscuring elements based on browser focus

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- Number: US 2025/0165645 A1
- Document ID: US20250165645A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 19/033,828
- Filed: 2025-01-22
- Published: 2025-05-22
- Earliest claimed: 2022-07-06
- Assignees: Snap Inc.
- Applicants: Snap Inc.
- Inventors: Nathan Kenneth Boyd; Laurent Desserrey; Alex Edelsburg; Daniel Moreno; David Paliwoda; Jeremy Baker Voss
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250165645A1

## CPC

- G06F 21/6245: {Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes}
- H04L 51/04: Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
- H04L 51/043: using or handling presence information
- H04L 51/216: Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
- 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

Aspects of the present disclosure involve a system for hiding conversation elements. The system accesses a conversation interface of a messaging application on a web browser and presents the conversation interface in a window associated with the web browser. The conversation interface comprises a plurality of conversation elements. The system accesses a focus status of the window and, in response to determining that the focus status indicates that the window has lost focus, obscures a first subset of the plurality of conversation elements.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
in response to determining that focus status indicates that a window has lost focus, obscuring a first subset of a plurality of elements;
computing a duration between the focus status indicating that the window has lost focus and the focus status being in focus;
comparing the duration to a threshold duration; and
in response to determining that the duration transgresses the threshold duration, presenting an option to re-open an interface, wherein the first subset of the plurality of elements is revealed in response to selection of the option.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
accessing a conversation interface of a messaging application;
presenting the conversation interface in the window, the conversation interface comprising a plurality of conversation elements; and
accessing the focus status of the window.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
retrieving a universal resource locator (URL) of a messaging application;
downloading a markup language document corresponding to the messaging application; and
processing the markup language document to display a conversation interface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying a display attribute of a second subset of the plurality of elements, the second subset being different than the first subset.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the focus status changes from being in focus to losing focus in response to determining that a different window is being viewed.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the focus status changes from being in focus to losing focus in response to detecting user interaction with a portion of a display that excludes the window.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the focus status changes from being in focus to losing focus in response to determining that the window has been minimized or has been obscured by a different window.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the focus status is received from a web browser.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of elements include a chat region that includes one or more messages exchanged in a conversation, a chat input region for enabling a user to compose a message, a presence region that indicates an activity state of each of a plurality of friends, a friends region that lists the plurality of friends with whom the user has previously engaged in a conversation, and a phone call region for placing a phone call to a given friend.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the first subset of the plurality of elements includes the chat region and the presence region.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising modifying a display attribute of the chat input region.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein modifying the display attribute comprises reducing an opacity of the chat input region by a specified amount.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein obscuring the first subset of the plurality of elements comprises presenting an overlay on top of a chat region that includes one or more messages exchanged in a conversation, the overlay comprising a message indicting that a user of is no longer present.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the overlay comprises an avatar of the user.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
after obscuring the first subset of the plurality of elements, determining that the focus status of the window is in focus.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
in response to determining that the focus status of the window is in focus, detecting an interaction with a conversation interface; and
revealing the first subset of the plurality of elements in response to detecting the interaction with the conversation interface.

### Claim 17

A system comprising:
at least one processor configured to perform operations comprising:
in response to determining that focus status indicates that a window has lost focus, obscuring a first subset of a plurality of elements;
computing a duration between the focus status indicating that the window has lost focus and the focus status being in focus;
comparing the duration to a threshold duration; and
in response to determining that the duration transgresses the threshold duration, presenting an option to re-open an interface, wherein the first subset of the plurality of elements is revealed in response to selection of the option.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, the operations comprising:
retrieving a universal resource locator (URL) of a messaging application;
downloading a markup language document corresponding to the messaging application; and
processing the markup language document to display a conversation interface.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, the operations comprising:
accessing a conversation interface of a messaging application;
presenting the conversation interface in the window, the conversation interface comprising a plurality of conversation elements; and
accessing the focus status of the window.

### Claim 20

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that includes instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
in response to determining that focus status indicates that a window has lost focus, obscuring a first subset of a plurality of elements;
computing a duration between the focus status indicating that the window has lost focus and the focus status being in focus;
comparing the duration to a threshold duration; and
in response to determining that the duration transgresses the threshold duration, presenting an option to re-open an interface, wherein the first subset of the plurality of elements is revealed in response to selection of the option.