Apparatus and method for quickly sending messages

• US 10,326,718 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2018
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Inventors: McNiece, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Minh Chau
• Application Number:
  US16/108,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20180367481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: 709206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

A communication apparatus is configured to provide for quickly sending a message to a recipient. For instance, embodiments can be configured so that text, an image, or other content can be copied from a received message and sent via use of a copy and send command to actuate the formation of a message for sending. After selecting such a command, a message may be formed in a format of a preselecting messaging protocol (e.g. instant messaging, text messaging, etc.) that includes the copied content. In some embodiments, the sending of the message having the copied content may occur automatically in a predefined messaging format to a predefined addressee or group of predefined addressees after selecting a copy and send command so that no further input from a user is needed to effect the generation and sending of a message to the addressee(s).

Claims

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a first communication device having hardware, the hardware comprising at least one processor communicatively connected to non-transitory memory;

content data in a message within a series of messages exchanged between users of a communication service displayed in a graphical user interface that is displayed on a display unit in response to receipt of input to effect selection of the content data being selectable via the first communication device;

a generated message in a pre-selected messaging format having the selected content data copied within the message in response to actuation of a copy and send command being generatable by the first communication device; and

the generated message in the pre-selected messaging format being automatically sendable by the first communication device such that, after actuation of the copy and send command, no further user input is needed to actuate generation and sending of the generated message prior to the generated message being sent by the first communication device.

2. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the generated message is generated such that the generated message is automatically addressed to a pre-selected addressee in response to actuation of the copy and send command.

3. The communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pre-selected messaging format of the generated message is defined by the graphical user interface from which the content data is selected and the selected content data is an entirety of content in the generated message.

4. The communication apparatus of claim 3, wherein the pre-selected addressee for the generated message is an address of at least one user associated with an open conversation display within the graphical user interface displaying the selected content data.

5. The communication apparatus of claim 4, wherein the content data comprises at least one of text and graphical data.

6. The communication apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

a messaging support node communicatively connectable to the first communication device such that the generated message is deliverable to a communication terminal associated with an addressee of the message via the messaging support node.

7. The communication apparatus of claim 6, comprising:

the communication terminal communicatively connectable to the messaging support node so that authentication data is sendable to the messaging support node.

8. The communication apparatus of claim 7, wherein the generated message is sendable from the messaging support node to the communication terminal after the messaging support node receives the authentication data and verifies that the authentication data associates the communication terminal with the addressee of the message.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium having code stored thereon, the code defining a method of quickly sending at least one message that is performable by a communication terminal that runs the code, the method comprising:

selecting content data in a message within a series of messages exchanged between users of a communication service displayed in a graphical user interface that is displayed on a display unit in response to selection input;

actuating a copy and send command after in response to receipt of a copy and send command input after the selecting of the content data occurs;

generating, by the communication terminal, a generated message in a pre-selected messaging format having the content data copied within the generated message in response to actuation of the copy and send command; and

automatically sending, by the communication terminal, the generated message after actuation of the copy and send command such that no further user input is needed to actuate the sending of the generated message and such that no further input is providable for editing the generated message prior to the generated message being sent.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the pre-selected messaging format of the generated message is defined by the graphical user interface from which the content data is selected and the selected content data is an entirety of content in the generated message.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the pre-selected addressee for the generated message is an address of at least one user associated with an open conversation display within the graphical user interface displaying the selected content data via the display unit.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the content data comprises at least one of text and graphical data.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the generated message is sent to a messaging support node for delivery to at least one addressee of the generated message.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the generated message is generated such that the generated message is automatically addressed to a pre-selected addressee by the communication terminal in response to actuation of the copy and send command.

15. A communication terminal, comprising:

hardware, the hardware comprising a processor communicatively connected to non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium having an application stored thereon that defines a copy and send command such that the communication terminal is configured to automatically generate a generated message and send the generated message having copied content within the generated message in response to actuation of the copy and send command that occurs while displayed content data is selected, the copied content within the generated message being a copy of the content data and the generated message being automatically sent such that no further user input is needed to actuate the sending of the message.

16. The communication terminal of claim 15, wherein the generated message is generated in a pre-selected messaging format for sending to a messaging support node for delivery of the generated message to at least one other communication terminal associated with at least one addressee of the generated message.

17. The communication terminal of claim 16, wherein the pre-selected messaging format of the message is defined by the graphical user interface from which the content data is selected;

and

the generated message is automatically sendable in response to the actuation of the copy and send command such that no further input is providable for editing the generated message prior to the generated message being sent.

18. The communication terminal of claim 17, wherein the addressee of the generated message is a pre-selected addressee associated with an open conversation displayed within the graphical user interface displaying the selected content data.

19. The communication terminal of claim 15, wherein the copied content data is content data selected from content of a message within a series of messages exchanged between users of a communication service displayed in a graphical user interface that is displayed on a display unit.

20. The communication terminal of claim 19, wherein the display unit is a display unit of the communication terminal that is connected to the processor.