Systems and methods for presenting messages in a communications system

• US 10,225,229 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2017
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Monica
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Imad
• Application Number:
  US15/434,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20170163467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

The various embodiments described herein include methods, devices, and systems for relaying messages in a communications system. In one aspect, a method is performed at an electronic device. The method includes: (1) obtaining a plurality of messages, including one or more target messages authored by a particular user account; (2) obtaining a determination as to whether the messages includes at least one priority message authored by the particular user account; and (3) in accordance with a determination that the messages includes at least one priority message authored by the particular user account, displaying a user interface including: (a) at least a subset of the one or more target messages; (b) the at least one priority message; and (c) feedback for the at least one priority message, the feedback indicating a popularity of the at least one priority message.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device having one or more processors, a display, and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors;

obtaining a plurality of messages in a communication system, the plurality of messages including one or more target messages authored by a particular user account associated with the electronic device;

obtaining a determination as to whether the plurality of messages includes at least one priority message authored by the particular user account, the at least one priority message having an advertising content type distinct from a second content type of the one or more target messages; and

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of messages includes at least one priority message authored by the particular user account, displaying on the display a user interface for the communication system, including;

displaying within the user interface at least a subset of the one or more target messages authored by the particular user account;

displaying within the user interface the at least one priority message authored by the particular user account, including displaying the at least one priority message with a first display attribute that differs from second display attributes of the one or more target messages; and

displaying within the user interface feedback for the at least one priority message, the feedback indicating a popularity of the at least one priority message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second set of one or more messages in the communication system, wherein the second set of messages are identified based at least in part on a focus specification of the particular user account; and

displaying the second set of messages in the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the user interface includes:

displaying the at least one priority message in a first display area of the user interface; and

displaying the at least a subset of one or more target messages in a second display area of the user interface, distinct from the first display area.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a user selection of a particular message displayed in the user interface; and

in response to the detected user selection of the particular message, displaying feedback results corresponding to the particular message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback for the at least one priority message indicate a measure of spam votes received by the at least one priority message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one display attribute of the at least one priority message is based on the feedback for the least one priority message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one priority message comprises an advertising message.

8. A computer system of a communication system, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

obtaining a plurality of messages in a communication system, the plurality of messages including one or more target messages authored by a particular user account associated with the electronic device;

obtaining a determination as to whether the plurality of messages includes at least one priority message authored by the particular user account, the at least one priority message having an advertising content type distinct from a second content type of the one or more target messages; and

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of messages includes at least one priority message authored by the particular user account, displaying on the display a user interface for the communication system, including;

displaying within the user interface at least a subset of the one or more target messages authored by the particular user account;

displaying within the user interface the at least one priority message authored by the particular user account, including displaying the at least one priority message with a first display attribute that differs from second display attributes of the one or more target messages; and

displaying within the user interface feedback for the at least one priority message, the feedback indicating a popularity of the at least one priority message.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

identifying a second set of one or more messages in the communication system, wherein the second set of messages are identified based at least in part on a focus specification of the particular user account; and

displaying the second set of messages in the user interface.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein displaying the user interface includes:

displaying the at least one priority message in a first display area of the user interface; and

displaying the at least a subset of one or more target messages in a second display area of the user interface, distinct from the first display area.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

detecting a user selection of a particular message displayed in the user interface; and

in response to the detected user selection of the particular message, displaying feedback results corresponding to the particular message.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein at least one display attribute of the at least one priority message is based on the feedback for the least one priority message.

13. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the at least one priority message comprises an advertising message.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the feedback for the at least one priority message indicate a measure of spam votes received by the at least one priority message.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of a computer system having a display, the one or more programs including instructions for:

obtaining a plurality of messages in a communication system, the plurality of messages including one or more target messages authored by a particular user account associated with the electronic device;

obtaining a determination as to whether the plurality of messages includes at least one priority message authored by the particular user account, the at least one priority message having an advertising content type distinct from a second content type of the one or more target messages; and

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of messages includes at least one priority message authored by the particular user account, displaying on the display a user interface for the communication system, including;

displaying within the user interface at least a subset of the one or more target messages authored by the particular user account;

displaying within the user interface the at least one priority message authored by the particular user account, including displaying the at least one priority message with a first display attribute that differs from second display attributes of the one or more target messages; and

displaying within the user interface feedback for the at least one priority message, the feedback indicating a popularity of the at least one priority message.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

identifying a second set of one or more messages in the communication system, wherein the second set of messages are identified based at least in part on a focus specification of the particular user account; and

displaying the second set of messages in the user interface.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein displaying the user interface includes:

displaying the at least one priority message in a first display area of the user interface; and

displaying the at least a subset of one or more target messages in a second display area of the user interface, distinct from the first display area.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

detecting a user selection of a particular message displayed in the user interface; and

in response to the detected user selection of the particular message, displaying feedback results corresponding to the particular message.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein at least one display attribute of the at least one priority message is based on the feedback for the least one priority message.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one priority message comprises an advertising message.