GROUP CONVERSATION BETWEEN A PLURALITY OF PARTICIPANTS

• US 20120331405A1
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Eidelson, Benjamin David, Marra, Gregory Matthew, Prado, Jason B., Gilbert, Fred Peter, Kim, Ye-Jeong, Soni, Punit Singh, Kemp, Aaron David, Nanavati, Sharvil, Sharkey, Jonathan Gordon, Acharya, Anish, Liu, Sean Yaoxing, Ferrell, William C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,984,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A system and method for presenting a group conversation on an electronic device of a user, via displaying, on a graphical user interface of the device, a group of contacts with which the user can communicate, the group of contacts comprising one or more individual contacts and one or more social circles which define a preset collection of contacts associated with one another. User input is received via the graphical user interface, the user input specifying a selection of participants from the group of contacts for a group conversation. The group conversation provides for sharing communication messages among the participants. A conversation window is presented on the graphical user interface. The conversation window displays a collection of contact icons with each contact icon respectively corresponding to one of the selected participants of the group conversation, and a conversation thread with the shared communication messages.

Claims

1. A method for presenting a group conversation on an electronic device of a user, the method comprising:

displaying, on a graphical user interface of the electronic device, a group of contacts with which the user can communicate, the group of contacts comprising one or more individual contacts and one or more social circles which define a preset collection of contacts associated with one another;

receiving user input via the graphical user interface, the user input specifying a selection of participants from the group of contacts for a group conversation, wherein the group conversation provides for sharing communication messages among the participants; and

presenting a conversation window on the graphical user interface based on the received user input, wherein the conversation window displays a collection of contact icons with each contact icon respectively corresponding to one of the selected participants of the group conversation, and a conversation thread with the shared communication messages.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a communication message for inclusion in the group conversation from the user via the graphical user interface; and

updating the conversation window to display the communication message within the conversation thread.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the group conversation is initiated by the displaying, receiving and presenting steps.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the group conversation is in progress with existing participants prior to the displaying step, and wherein participants are added to the group conversation by the displaying, receiving and presenting steps, the method further comprising:

receiving a request from the user via the graphical user interface prior to the displaying step, the request for adding participants to the group conversation, wherein the selection of participants corresponds to the added participants, and wherein the conversation window displays the collection of contact icons with each contact icon respectively corresponding to one of the existing participants or the added participants.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the group conversation is coordinated between the participants using a server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the group conversation corresponds to peer-to-peer communication between the participants, and wherein the group conversation coordinated by electronic devices of the participants.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared communication messages comprise at least one of comments, replies, status updates, digital photos, digital videos and activity messages associated with the participants.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared communication messages comprise at least one of mobile device messages, email messages and instant messages.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an invitation message to each of the selected participants; and

receiving a confirmation indication from at least one of the selected participants,

wherein the conversation window displays the collection of contact icons to respectively correspond to the at least one of the selected participants.

10. A system for presenting a group conversation on an electronic device of a user, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising;

displaying, on a graphical user interface of the electronic device, a group of contacts with which the user can communicate, the group of contacts comprising one or more individual contacts and one or more social circles which define a preset collection of contacts associated with one another;

receiving first user input via the graphical user interface, the first user input specifying a selection of participants from the group of contacts for a group conversation, wherein the group conversation provides for sharing communication messages among the participants;

receiving second user input via the graphical user interface, the second user input comprising a communication message for inclusion in the group conversation; and

presenting a conversation window on the graphical user interface based on the received first and second user input, wherein the conversation window displays a collection of contact icons with each contact icon respectively corresponding to one of the selected participants of the group conversation, and a conversation thread which includes the communication message.

11. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

displaying, on a graphical user interface of an electronic device of a user, a group of contacts with which the user can communicate, the group of contacts comprising one or more individual contacts and one or more social circles which define a preset collection of contacts associated with one another;

receiving user input via the graphical user interface, the user input specifying a selection of participants from the group of contacts for a group conversation, wherein the group conversation provides for sharing communication messages among the participants;

presenting a conversation window on the graphical user interface based on the received user input, wherein the conversation window displays a collection of contact icons with each contact icon respectively corresponding to one of the selected participants of the group conversation, and a conversation thread with the shared communication messages;

receiving a communication message for inclusion in the group conversation from the user via the graphical user interface; and

updating the conversation window to display the communication message within the conversation thread.

12. A method for assigning contacts to a social circle for a user of an electronic device, the social circle defining a preset collection of contacts associated with one another, the method comprising:

receiving first user input via a graphical user interface on the electronic device, the first user input requesting identification of a plurality of participants of a group conversation which the user is participating in, wherein the group conversation provides for sharing communication messages among the plurality of participants;

displaying, for each of the plurality of participants, a contact icon and identification information corresponding to the participant on the graphical user interface;

receiving second user input via the graphical user interface, the second user input requesting that the plurality of participants be assigned to the social circle; and

assigning the plurality of participants to the social circle.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting an indication to each of the plurality of participants, the indication informing each of the plurality of participants of membership in the social circle.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting an invitation message to each of the plurality of participants; and

receiving a confirmation indication from at least one of the plurality of participants,

wherein the assigning step comprises assigning the at least one of the plurality of participants to the social circle in response to receiving the confirmation indication.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the assigning step comprises creating a new social circle and assigning the plurality of contacts to the new social circle.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the social circle was previously created, and the assigning step comprises adding the plurality of participants to the social circle.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the group conversation is coordinated between the participants using a server.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the group conversation corresponds to peer-to-peer communication between the participants, and wherein the group conversation is coordinated by electronic devices of the participants.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the shared communication messages comprise at least one of comments, replies, status updates, digital photos, digital videos and activity messages associated with the participants.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the shared communication messages comprise at least one of mobile device messages, email messages and instant messages.

21. A system for assigning contacts to a social circle for a user of an electronic device, the social circle defining a preset collection of contacts associated with one another, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving first user input via a graphical user interface of the electronic device, the first user input requesting identification of a plurality of participants of a group conversation which the user is participating in, wherein the group conversation provides for sharing communication messages among the plurality of participants;

displaying, for each of the plurality of participants, a contact icon and identification information corresponding to the participant on the graphical user interface;

receiving second user input via the graphical user interface, the second user input requesting that the plurality of participants be assigned to the social circle;

assigning the plurality of participants to the social circle; and

transmitting an indication to each of the plurality of participants, the indication informing each of the plurality of participants of membership in the social circle.

22. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving first user input via a graphical user interface of an electronic device of a user, the first user input requesting identification of a plurality of participants of a group conversation which the user is participating in, wherein the group conversation provides for sharing communication messages among the plurality of participants;

displaying, for each of the plurality of participants, a contact icon and identification information corresponding to the participant on the graphical user interface;

receiving second user input via the graphical user interface, the second user input requesting that the plurality of participants be assigned to a social circle, the social circle defining a preset collection of contacts associated with one another;

transmitting an invitation message to each of the plurality of participants;

receiving a confirmation indication from at least one of the plurality of participants; and

assigning the at least one of the plurality of participants to the social circle in response to receiving the confirmation indication.