Systems and methods for controlling group messaging

• US 8,073,474 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zumobi Incorporated (Aclate, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cooley, James W., Tucker, Neal E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MONG-THUY THI
• Application Number:
  US11/690,602
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/418, 709/205, 709/206, 715/751, 379/88.12
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

The present invention is directed to systems and methods for facilitating real-time instant messaging among a group of people. In one embodiment, the instant messages are clustered around a theme, such as a picture, a graphic or even bit mapped data. The common theme acts as a marker, and messages are accumulated around that marker for distribution to a group of people associated with that marker. In one embodiment, the messages are transient in nature and thus have no permanency in any database.

Claims

1. A method for distributing messages to a group of users, said method comprising:

attaching a message to a user selected marker at a first device, said attaching being under control of a first user at said first device;

associating with said marker addresses of one or more target users;

causing said marker, together with said attached message, to be digitally sent to an electronic network for delivery by said electronic network to all of said target users, each said target user being located at a respective device remote from said first device;

displaying a received marker to a user of a device at which a marker has been received indicating that said marker has been received;

under selective control of said user, making available to said user any message attached to said marker by a sending user;

at said marker receiving device, allowing said marker receiving user to create an answer message in association with said received marker; and

at said marker receiving device, using said marker, to control digitally sending said answer message to an electronic network for delivery by said electronic network to all of said target users in addition to said user at said first device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said marker is selected from the list of:

picture files, audio files, application files, bitmapped files, video files, graphics files.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein at least some of said markers have pre-associated therewith a group of target users.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein when said marker is an application, making said application available for controlling operation aspects of a receiving device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said message associated with said marker resides only temporarily on devices at which said message is received and wherein said messages does not reside anywhere else in said network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said marker causing comprises:

sending said marker and said attached message to a server and wherein said server copies said marker and said attached messages for distribution to said target users.

7. A system for message distribution, said system comprising:

a server accessible by a plurality of wireless devices,

said server storing at least one message from a wireless device, said message having associated therewith a marker selected by a message sender,

said server operative for controlling the communication of any marker received at said server from a particular one of said devices to a plurality of other devices identified in conjunction with said marker;

a plurality of devices for allowing a user of each said device to provide an answer to a message associated with said received marker;

control associated with each said device and responses, at least in part to said marker for delivering said answer to said server together with said marker;

wherein said server is further operative for distributing said answer to all of said identified users; and

a display at all of said devices operable upon receipt of a communicated marker thereto for indicating to a user of said device that a marker has been delivered, and for displaying to said user said message associated with said marker.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising:

means at each of said devices for removing from said device any received message after said answer message is delivered to said server.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said marker is selected from the list of:

picture files, audio files, application files, bitmapped files, video files, graphics files.

10. A method performed by a machine controllable code for use in mobile wireless device, said method comprising code operable for:

allowing a user of each said device to associate at least one outgoing message and at least one target address with a selected marker;

controlling delivery of a selected marker, together with a message and said associated address locations, to a server for subsequent delivery to said address location;

indicating to a user of said device that a marker has been delivered;

displaying any message associated with said marker to said user in response to a request from said user;

allowing a user to provide an answer to a message associated with a received marker; and

controlling under at least partial control of said marker delivery of said received marker, together with said answer message to said server for subsequent delivery to a marker sending device as well as all of said address locations.

11. The method code of claim 10 further comprising operable for:

removing from said device any received message after said answer message is delivered to said server.

12. The method code of claim 10 wherein said marker is selected from the list of:

picture files, audio files, application files, bitmapped files, video files, graphics files.

13. A system for message distribution, said system comprising:

an operating system for making available on a wireless device selectable markers;

said operating system further operable for allowing a user thereof to associate at least one message and at least one address location with a selected one of said markers; and

wherein said operating system is further operable for delivering to a remote server any marker having a message associated therewith, said remote server in turn operable under at least partial control of said marker for controlling the communication of any marker delivered thereto to other wireless devices in accordance with said associated address locations; and

wherein said wireless devices have displays for indicating to a user a received marker together with any message associated with said received message.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said markers are selected from the list of:

picture files, audio files, application files, bitmapped files, video files, graphics files.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein an operating system at a device in receipt of a marker is operable for allowing a user to provide an answer to a message associated with said received marker, said answer distributed to all said associated address locations.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said operating systems are operable for removing from said device any received message after said answer message is delivered to said server.