Multi Mode Message Reply Interface

• US 20120124483A1
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zuckerberg, Mark E., Hamlin, Drew W., Bosworth, Andrew G.
• Application Number:
  US13/284,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20120124483A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• 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:

presenting one or more messages of a conversation thread in a message interface;

presenting a mode selection element in the message interface, the mode selection element configured to switch a text entry element between a first message mode and a second message mode; and

receiving message text input by a user into the text entry element, the text entry element configured to accept message text for updating the conversation thread,

wherein in the first message mode a keyboard return input sends the message text in the text entry element as a message, and

wherein in the second message mode the keyboard return input operates as a carriage return that opens an additional line of text in the text entry element.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a message reply element in the message interface, the message reply element configured to send the message text in the text entry region as a message responsive to a user selection of the message reply element.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the message reply element is hidden in the first message mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting one or more messages of a conversation thread in the message interface comprises:

presenting a plurality of conversation threads;

receiving a selection of a conversation thread from the plurality of conversation threads; and

presenting one or more messages of the selected conversation thread in the message interface responsive to the selection of the conversation thread.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding the message text to the conversation thread as a new message; and

presenting the new message in the message interface as part of the conversation thread.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversation thread is presented in a first region of the message interface and the text entry element is presented in a second region of the message interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversation thread is associated with a plurality of participants and includes a collection of messages previously sent between the plurality of participants.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the conversation thread includes two or more participants.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the conversation thread includes three or more participants.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for generating a message interface, the message interface comprising:

one or more messages of a conversation thread;

a text entry element configured to accept message text for updating the conversation thread; and

a mode selection element to switch the text entry region between a first message mode and a second message mode,

wherein in the first message mode a keyboard return input sends the message text in the text entry element as a message, and

wherein in the second message mode the keyboard return input operates as a carriage return that opens an additional line of text in the text entry element.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the message interface further comprises an message reply element to send the message text in the text entry element as a message.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the message reply element is hidden in the first message mode.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the conversation thread is presented in a first region of the message interface and the text entry element is presented in a second region of the message interface.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the conversation thread is associated with a plurality of participants and includes a collection of messages previously sent between the plurality of participants.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the conversation thread includes two or more participants.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the conversation thread includes three or more participants.