Systems and methods for integrating a chat function into an e-reader application

• US 10,218,652 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2015
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Purcell, Kimberly, Singh, Malavika
• Primary Examiner(s): Brahmachari, Mandrita
• Application Number:
  US14/821,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20160043974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

An e-reader communication platform for integrating a chat function into an e-reader application is provided. The e-reader communication platform includes a processor programmed to upload, to a first client device associated with a first user, an e-book. The processor is also programmed to transmit a first IP chat message to a second client device associated with a second user to form a chat group including the first and second users. The processor is further programmed to receive a second IP chat message from the user interface of the e-reader application on the first client device, and embed the second IP chat message into the e-book to produce an embedded IP chat message. The embedded IP chat message is overlaid on the user interface of the e-reader application. The processor is further programmed to facilitate display of the embedded IP chat message to the chat group within the e-reader application.

Claims

1. A method for integrating a chat function and person-to-person (P2P) payments into an e-reader application using an e-reader communication platform including at least one processor in communication with at least one memory, said method comprising:

facilitating downloading, on a first client device, the e-reader application, wherein the first client device is associated with a first user;

facilitating downloading, to the first client device, an e-book, wherein the e-book is accessed using the e-reader application;

facilitating downloading, on the first client device, an Internet Protocol (IP) communication service;

receiving a user selection of a command from within a user interface of the e-reader application stored on the first client device to transmit a first IP chat message, initiated on the first client device, to at least one other client device including a second client device associated with a second user to form a chat group including the first user and at least the second user using the IP communication service;

transmitting a link, within the first IP chat message, to the second client device to download the e-book onto the second client device from within the user interface of the e-reader application stored on the second client device;

receiving a second IP chat message initiated at one of the first client device and the second client device from within the user interface of the e-reader application stored on the one of the first client device and the second client device using the IP communication service;

embedding the second IP chat message into the e-book to produce an embedded IP chat message, wherein the embedded IP chat message is overlaid on the user interface of the e-reader application stored on the first client device;

facilitating display of the embedded IP chat message to each user in the chat group within a respective e-book on a respective client device within the user interface of the e-reader application stored on the respective client device;

transmitting a third IP chat message, initiated on one client device associated with a respective user in the chat group, to at least another client device associated with another user in the chat group;

receiving, in association with the third IP chat message, a request for a transfer of funds from a sender client device, the request identifying an amount of funds to be transferred and a recipient of the funds;

transmitting the request to a secure payment service (SPS), wherein the SPS is associated with a P2P payment system to facilitate the transfer of funds from a sender account associated with the respective user of the sender client device to a recipient account associated with the recipient; and

receiving, upon completion of the transfer of funds, a payment notification from the SPS for display on the sender client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving highlighting, from the first client device, of a passage of text within the e-book, wherein the embedded IP chat message is associated with the highlighting of the passage of text, and wherein the embedded IP chat message includes a comment;

facilitating display of the highlighting of the passage of the text to each user in the chat group;

receiving, from the second client device, a reply to the comment within the embedded IP chat message; and

facilitating display of the reply to each user of the chat group within the embedded IP chat message.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing a command menu on the user interface of the e-reader application, the command menu associated with the highlighting of the passage of text; and

receiving a selection of a group command from the first user device indicating that the first user desires that the highlighting be displayed to each member of the chat group.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a command menu on the user interface of the e-reader application, the command menu associated with the second IP chat message;

receiving selection of a private command from the first user device indicating the first user desires that the content of the second IP chat message only be visible to the first user; and

removing the embedded IP chat message from the e-book.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising embedding a note in the e-book, wherein the note is only visible on the first client device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient is the second user in the chat group, wherein the second user is a plurality of second users included in the chat group, and wherein the recipient is one or more of the plurality of second users.

7. An e-reader communication platform for integrating a chat function and person-to-person (P2P) payments into an e-reader application, comprising at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device, wherein said at least one processor is programmed to:

facilitate downloading, on a first client device, the e-reader application, wherein the first client device is associated with a first user;

facilitate downloading, to the first client device, an e-book, wherein the e-book is accessed using the e-reader application;

facilitate downloading, on the first client device, an Internet Protocol (IP) communication service;

receive a user selection of a command from within a user interface of the e-reader application stored on the first client device to transmit a first IP chat message, initiated on the first client device, to at least one other client device including a second client device associated with a second user to form a chat group including the first user and at least the second user using the IP communication service;

transmit a link, within the first IP chat message, to the second client device to download the e-book onto the second client device from within the user interface of the e-reader application stored on the second client device;

receive a second IP chat message initiated at one of the first client device and the second client device from within the user interface of the e-reader application stored on the one of the first client device and the second client device using the IP communication service;

embed the second IP chat message into the e-book to produce an embedded IP chat message, wherein the embedded IP chat message is overlaid on the user interface of the e-reader application stored on the first client device;

facilitate display of the embedded IP chat message to each user in the chat group within a respective e-book on a respective client device within the user interface of the e-reader application;

transmit a third IP chat message, initiated on one client device associated with a respective user in the chat group, to at least another client device associated with another user in the chat group;

receive, in association with the third IP chat message, a request for a transfer of funds from a sender client device, the request identifying an amount of funds to be transferred and a recipient of the funds;

transmit the request to a secure payment service (SPS), wherein the SPS is associated with a P2P payment system to facilitate the transfer of funds from a sender account associated with the respective user of the sender client device to a recipient account associated with the recipient; and

receive, upon completion of the transfer of funds, a payment notification from the SPS for display on the sender client device.

8. The e-reader communication platform of claim 7, wherein said at least one processor is further programmed to:

receive highlighting, from the first client device, of a passage of text within the e-book, wherein the embedded IP chat message is associated with the highlighting of the passage of text, and wherein the embedded IP chat message includes a comment;

facilitate display of the highlighting of the passage of the text to each user in the chat group;

receive, from the second client device, a reply to the comment within the embedded IP chat message; and

facilitate display of the reply to each user of the chat group within the embedded IP chat message.

9. The e-reader communication platform of claim 8, wherein said at least one processor is further programmed to:

provide a command menu on the user interface of the e-reader application, the command menu associated with the highlighting of the passage of text; and

receive a selection of a group command from the first user device indicating that the first user desires that the highlighting be displayed to each member of the chat group.

10. The e-reader communication platform of claim 8, wherein said at least one processor is further programmed to embed a note in the e-book, wherein the note is only visible on the first client device.

11. The e-reader communication platform of claim 7, wherein said at least one processor is further programmed to:

provide a command menu on the user interface of the e-reader application, the command menu associated with the second IP chat message;

receive selection of a private command from the first user device indicating the first user desires that the content of the second IP chat message only be visible to the first user; and

remove the embedded IP chat message from the e-book.

12. The e-reader communication platform of claim 7, wherein the recipient is the second user in the chat group, wherein the second user is a plurality of second users included in the chat group, and wherein the recipient is one or more of the plurality of second users.

13. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by an e-reader communication platform including at least one processor in communication with at least one memory, the computer-executable instructions cause the e-reader communication platform to:

facilitate downloading, on a first client device, the e-reader application, wherein the first client device is associated with a first user;

facilitate downloading, to the first client device, an e-book, wherein the e-book is accessed using the e-reader application;

facilitate downloading, on the first client device, an Internet Protocol (IP) communication service;

receive a user selection of a command from within a user interface of the e-reader application stored on the first client device to transmit a first IP chat message, initiated on the first client device, to at least one other client device including a second client device associated with a second user to form a chat group including the first user and at least the second user using the IP communication service;

transmit a link, within the first IP chat message, to the second client device to download the e-book onto the second client device from within the user interface of the e-reader application stored on the second client device;

receive a second IP chat message initiated at one of the first client device and the second client device from within the user interface of the e-reader application stored on the one of the first client device and the second client device using the IP communication service;

embed the second IP chat message into the e-book to produce an embedded IP chat message, wherein the embedded IP chat message is overlaid on the user interface of the e-reader application stored on the first client device;

facilitate display of the embedded IP chat message to each user in the chat group within a respective e-book on a respective client device within the user interface of the e-reader application;

transmit a third IP chat message, initiated on one client device associated with a respective user in the chat group, to at least another client device associated with another user in the chat group;

receive, in association with the third IP chat message, a request for a transfer of funds from a sender client device, the request identifying an amount of funds to be transferred and a recipient of the funds;

transmit the request to a secure payment service (SPS), wherein the SPS is associated with a P2P payment system to facilitate the transfer of funds from a sender account associated with the respective user of the sender client device to a recipient account associated with the recipient; and

receive, upon completion of the transfer of funds, a payment notification from the SPS for display on the sender client device.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein said computer-readable instructions further cause the e-reader communication platform to:

receive highlighting, from the first client device, of a passage of text within the e-book, wherein the embedded IP chat message is associated with the highlighting of the passage of text, and wherein the embedded IP chat message includes a comment;

facilitate display of the highlighting of the passage of the text to each user in the chat group;

receive, from the second client device, a reply to the comment within the embedded IP chat message; and

facilitate display of the reply to each user of the chat group within the embedded IP chat message.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein said computer-readable instructions further cause the e-reader communication platform to:

provide a command menu on the user interface of the e-reader application, the command menu associated with the highlighting of the passage of text; and

receive a selection of a group command from the first user device indicating that the first user desires that the highlighting be displayed to each member of the chat group.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein said computer-readable instructions further cause the e-reader communication platform to:

provide a command menu on the user interface of the e-reader application, the command menu associated with the second IP chat message;

receive selection of a private command from the first user device indicating the first user desires that the content of the second IP chat message only be visible to the first user;

remove the embedded IP chat message from the e-book; and

embed a note in the e-book, wherein the note is only visible on the first client device.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the recipient is the second user in the chat group, wherein the second user is a plurality of second users included in the chat group, and wherein the recipient is one or more of the plurality of second users.