# US 9,751,012 B2 · Techniques to interact with an application via messaging > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,751,012 B2 - Document ID: US9751012B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/376,593 - Filed: 2016-12-12 - Published: 2017-04-13 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2013-08-13 - Assignees: Facebook, Inc. - Applicants: Facebook, Inc. - Inventors: Oded Blayer; Ittai Golde; Ran Makavy; Amir Rosenfeld - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751012B2 ## CPC - A63F 13/87: Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat - A63F 13/42: by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle - A63F 13/795: for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list - H04L 51/046: Interoperability with other network applications or services - H04L 51/18: Commands or executable codes - A63F 2300/537: for exchanging game data using a messaging service, e.g. e-mail, SMS, MMS - A63F 2300/572: Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Techniques to interact with an application via messaging are described. An apparatus may comprise an application support component and a communication component. The application support component may be operative to generate an image representing a state of an application and to update the state of the application according to a text command. The communication component may be operative to transmit the image to a client device via a messaging system as an image attachment to a first message and to receive a second message from the client device via the messaging system, the second message comprising the text command. Other embodiments are described and claimed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method, comprising: transmitting, by a communication component executing on a processing unit, a representation of a state of an application to a messaging client on a client device over a first messaging channel via a messaging system; receiving, by the communication component, a message from the client device over the first messaging channel via the messaging system; determining, by the communication component, that a first portion of the message comprises a text command from a set of available commands for an application support component and a second portion of the message comprises text that does not comprise the text command from the set of available commands; sending the text command of the first portion to the application support component; and automatically forwarding, by the communication component, the second portion of the message to a messaging client on a second client device over the first messaging channel via the messaging system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, the representation of the state of the application comprising an image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, the image comprising a legend visually indicating the set of available commands. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, the image transmitted to the client device via the messaging system as an image attachment. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, the messaging system comprising one of a text-messaging system, an instant-messaging system, or a social-networking messaging system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising: receiving a second representation of a second state of the application from the application support component after sending the command to the application support component; and transmitting the second representation to the client device and the second client device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the second representation includes an indication of the command received from the client device. ### Claim 8 An apparatus, comprising: a processor circuit on a device; a communication network interface; and a communication component operative on the processor circuit to transmit, over the communication network interface, a representation of a state of an application to a messaging client on a client device over a first messaging channel via a messaging system, receive a message from the client device over the first messaging channel via the messaging system, determine that a first portion of the message comprises a text command from a set of available commands for an application support component and a second portion of the message comprises text that does not comprise the text command from the set of available commands, send the text command of the first portion to the application support component, and automatically forward the second portion of the message to a messaging client on a second client device over the first messaging channel via the messaging system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, the representation of the state of the application comprising an image. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, the image comprising a legend visually indicating the set of available commands. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, the image transmitted to the client device via the messaging system as an image attachment. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, the image comprising an indication of which client device sent the command. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, the communication component operative to receive a second representation of a second state of the application from the application support component after sending the command to the application support component, and to transmit the second representation to the client device and the second client device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second representation includes an indication of the command received from the client device. ### Claim 15 At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to: transmit a representation of a state of an application to a messaging client on a client device over a first messaging channel via a messaging system; receive a message from the client device over the first messaging channel via the messaging system; determine that a first portion of the message comprises a text command from a set of available commands for an application support component and a second portion of the message comprises text that does not comprise the text command from the set of available commands; send the text command of the first portion to the application support component; and automatically forward the second portion of the message to a messaging client on a second client device over the first messaging channel via the messaging system. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the representation of the state of the application comprising an image. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the image comprising a legend visually indicating the set of available commands. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the image comprising an indication of which client device sent the command. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause the system to: receive a second representation of a second state of the application from the application support component after sending the command to the application support component; and transmit the second representation to the client device and the second client device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the second representation includes an indication of the command received from the client device.