METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DISPLAYING AN EPHEMERAL CONTENT MESSAGE

• US 20180241871A1
• Filed: 09/15/2017
• Published: 08/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WhatsApp LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: WhatsApp LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Inventors: Sarafa, Randall, Fooksman, Eugene, Acton, Brian, Koum, Jan, Donohue, Michael B., Deets, JR., Charles Donald, Borzov, Anton, Kret, Ehren Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 10,778,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0827 involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths network architectures or network communication protocols using different networks H04L63/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0844 with user authentication or key authentication, e.g. ElGamal, MTI, MQV-Menezes-Qu-Vanstone protocol or Diffie-Hellman protocols using implicitly-certified keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 : Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 : Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 : using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments relate to techniques for displaying and interacting with ephemeral content messages in a communication service. Ephemeral content, transmitted as a message in order to preserve end-to-end encryption, may be tagged with an identifier designating the message as an ephemeral content message. A receiving client may recognize the flag and display the content of the message as ephemeral content. The update may include a link to the content that expires under certain conditions. While the link is active, the link may be selected to enter a full-screen presentation of the ephemeral content. Different media types may be associated with different types of full-screen presentations. Displayed ephemeral content from different users may be ranked based on an interest score and displayed in the ranked order. Ephemeral content may be displayed in a user interface on separate tabs.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an end-to-end encrypted message from a sending user account, the message containing encrypted ephemeral content;

decrypting the ephemeral content, the decrypted ephemeral content comprising a thumbnail version of content and a link to the content;

identifying a flag in the message designating the message as an ephemeral content message; and

in response to identifying the flag, displaying the thumbnail version of the content as ephemeral content associated with the sending user account.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the thumbnail version of the content; and

if the link is active, retrieving the content from a remote source and displaying a full-screen presentation of the ephemeral content, or

if the link is not active, continuing to display the thumbnail version of the content but refraining from retrieving the content from the remote source.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising marking the link inactive upon displaying the full-screen presentation of the ephemeral content.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein different media types are associated with different types of full-screen presentations.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by a receiving user account a plurality of ephemeral content messages from a plurality of users;

ranking the plurality of ephemeral content messages based on respective interest scores, the interest scores calculated based on one or more of;

a recency of the respective ephemeral content message,

whether a previous ephemeral content message associated with a sending user account that originated the respective ephemeral content message was viewed by the receiving user account within a predetermined amount of time,

a percentage of previous ephemeral content messages from the sending user account that were viewed by the receiving user account within a predetermined amount of time, or

whether previous ephemeral content messages from the sending user account were viewed on a regular basis; and

displaying the plurality of ephemeral content messages in an order according to the ranking

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message further comprises a decryption key for decrypting the content, and further comprising decrypting the status update to retrieve the decryption key, and applying the decryption key to access the content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the thumbnail version of the content is displayed in an interface of a communication application, the thumbnail version being displayed in a portion of the interface dedicated to displaying ephemeral content.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing:

instructions configured to cause one or more processors to receive an end-to-end encrypted message from a sending user account, the message containing encrypted ephemeral content;

instructions configured to cause one or more processors to decrypt the ephemeral content, the decrypted ephemeral content comprising a thumbnail version of content and a link to the content;

instructions configured to cause one or more processors to identify a flag in the message designating the message as an ephemeral content message; and

instructions configured to cause one or more processors to, in response to identifying the flag, display the thumbnail version of the content as a status associated with the sending user account.

9. The medium of claim 8, further storing:

instructions configured to cause one or more processors to receive a selection of the thumbnail version of the content; and

instructions configured to cause one or more processors to, if the link is active, retrieve the content from a remote source and displaying a full-screen presentation of the ephemeral content, or if the link is not active, continue to display the thumbnail version of the content but refraining from retrieving the content from the remote source.

10. The medium of claim 9, further storing instructions configured to cause one or more processors to mark the link inactive upon displaying the full-screen presentation of the ephemeral content.

11. The medium of claim 9, wherein different media types are associated with different types of full-screen presentations.

12. The medium of claim 8, further storing:

instructions configured to cause one or more processors to receive, by a receiving user account a plurality of ephemeral content messages from a plurality of users;

instructions configured to cause one or more processors to rank the plurality of status updates based on respective interest scores, the interest scores calculated based on one or more of;

a recency of the respective ephemeral content message,

whether a previous ephemeral content message associated with a sending user account that originated the respective ephemeral content message was viewed by the receiving user account within a predetermined amount of time,

a percentage of previous ephemeral content messages from the sending user account that were viewed by the receiving user account within a predetermined amount of time, or

whether previous ephemeral content messages from the sending user account were viewed on a regular basis; and

instructions configured to cause one or more processors to display the plurality of ephemeral content messages in an order according to the ranking

13. The medium of claim 8, wherein the message further comprises a decryption key for decrypting the content, and further comprising decrypting the status update to retrieve the decryption key, and applying the decryption key to access the content.

14. The medium of claim 8, wherein the thumbnail version of the content is displayed in an interface of a communication application, the thumbnail version being displayed in a portion of the interface dedicated to displaying ephemeral content.

15. An apparatus comprising:

network interface logic, implemented at least partly in hardware, configured to receive an end-to-end encrypted message from a sending user account, the message containing encrypted ephemeral content;

decryption logic, implemented at least partly in hardware, configured to decrypt the ephemeral content, the decrypted ephemeral content comprising a thumbnail version of content and a link to the content;

update identification logic, implemented at least partly in hardware, configured to identify a flag in the message designating the message as an ephemeral content message; and

display logic, implemented at least partly in hardware, configured to, in response to identifying the flag, display the thumbnail version of the content as ephemeral content associated with the sending user account.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising content display logic, implemented at least partly in hardware, configured to receive a selection of the thumbnail version of the content, and if the link is active, retrieve the content from a remote source and displaying a full-screen presentation of the ephemeral content, or if the link is not active, continue to display the thumbnail version of the content but refraining from retrieving the content from the remote source.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, the content display logic further configured to mark the link inactive upon displaying the full-screen presentation of the ephemeral content.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein different media types are associated with different types of full-screen presentations.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the network interface logic is further configured to receive, by a receiving user account a plurality of ephemeral content messages from a plurality of users, and further comprising ranking logic, implemented at least partly in hardware, configured to rank the plurality of status updates based on respective interest score and display the plurality of ephemeral content messages in an order according to the ranking, the interest scores calculated based on one or more of:

a recency of the respective ephemeral content message,

whether a previous ephemeral content message associated with a sending user account that originated the respective ephemeral content message was viewed by the receiving user account within a predetermined amount of time,

a percentage of previous ephemeral content messages from the sending user account that were viewed by the receiving user account within a predetermined amount of time, or

whether previous ephemeral content messages from the sending user account were viewed on a regular basis.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the message further comprises a decryption key for decrypting the content, and further comprising decrypting the ephemeral content message to retrieve the decryption key, and applying the decryption key to access the content.