Organizing Messages Into Conversation Threads

• US 20120124147A1
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamlin, Drew W., Hsiao, Daniel, Zuckerberg, Mark E., Bosworth, Andrew G., Seligstein, Joel Benjamin, Bayer, Ross David
• Granted Patent: US 9,219,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/025 Extracting rules from data
• 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 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols

Abstract

A messaging system that organizes and presents messages to users of the messaging system. The messaging system includes a mailbox module that receives messages and generates conversation threads from the messages. Messages received from different electronic message channels may be aggregated into a common conversation thread. The conversation threads are also organized in a message interface and then presented to a user of the messaging system. The messaging system may include a social networking system that stores social information about users, which can be used to organize the conversation threads. Other features include a multi mode message interface, and a method for adding contextual information to messages.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first message via a first electronic message channel, the first message associated with a set of users of a messaging system;

adding the first message to a conversation thread that is associated with the set of users and includes a collection of messages sent between the set of users;

receiving a second message via a second electronic message channel that is different than the first electronic message channel, the second message also associated with the set of users;

adding the second message to the conversation thread associated with the set of users; and

presenting the conversation thread for display to a user of the set of users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of users includes two or more users of the messaging system and the conversation thread is associated with the two or more users.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of users includes three or more users of the messaging system and the conversation thread is associated with the three or more users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversation thread associated with the set of users includes a collection of all messages sent between the set of users via the messaging system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversation thread associated with the set of users includes a collection of less than all messages sent between the set of users via the messaging system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second messages are both sent by a single user of the set of users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second messages are sent by different users of the set of users.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the first electronic message to a conversation thread comprises:

identifying the set of users of the messaging system associated with the first message;

identifying, from a plurality of conversation threads, the conversation thread that is associated with the set of users and includes a plurality of messages sent between the set of users; and

adding the first message to the identified conversation thread.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message channel is email and the second message channel is not email.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the conversation thread comprises:

presenting content of the first message in association with an indication of the first electronic message channel; and

presenting content of the second message in association with an indication of the second electronic message channel.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the conversation thread comprises:

presenting content of the first message in association with a profile picture of a user of the plurality of users that sent the first message; and

presenting content of the second message in association with a profile picture of a user of the plurality of users that sent the second message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the conversation thread comprises presenting a plurality of messages of the conversation thread in chronological order for display to a user of the set of users.