Apparatus and method for accelerated display of ephemeral messages

• US 8,914,752 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2013
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Inventors: Spiegel, Evan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sugent, James F
• Application Number:
  US13/973,770
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863, 715/256, 455/466
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• 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

An electronic device comprises a display and an ephemeral message controller to present on the display an ephemeral message for a transitory period of time. A touch controller identifies haptic contact on the display during the transitory period of time. The ephemeral message controller terminates the ephemeral message in response to the haptic contact.

Claims

1. An ephemeral message controller with instructions executed by a processor to:

present on a display indicia of a set of ephemeral messages available for viewing;

present on the display a first ephemeral message of the set of ephemeral messages for a first transitory period of time defined by a timer, wherein the first ephemeral message is deleted when the first transitory period of time expires;

receive from a touch controller a haptic contact signal indicative of a gesture applied to the display during the first transitory period of time;

wherein the ephemeral message controller deletes the first ephemeral message in response to the haptic contact signal and proceeds to present on the display a second ephemeral message of the set of ephemeral messages for a second transitory period of time defined by the timer, wherein the ephemeral message controller deletes the second ephemeral message upon the expiration of the second transitory period of time;

wherein the second ephemeral message is deleted when the touch controller receives another haptic contact signal indicative of another gesture applied to the display during the second transitory period of time; and

wherein the ephemeral message controller initiates the timer upon the display of the first ephemeral message and the display of the second ephemeral message.

2. The ephemeral message controller of claim 1 wherein the ephemeral message controller displays an ephemeral message in response to persistent haptic contact on the display.

3. The ephemeral message controller of claim 1 wherein the transitory period of time is specified by a message sender.

4. The ephemeral message controller of claim 1 wherein the gesture is received without a prompt on the display.

5. The ephemeral message controller of claim 1 wherein the gesture is received in response to a prompt on the display.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, comprising instructions executed by a processor to:

present on a display indicia of a set of ephemeral messages available for viewing;

present on the display a first ephemeral message of the set of ephemeral messages for a first transitory period of time defined by a timer, wherein the first ephemeral message is deleted when the first transitory period expires;

receive a haptic contact signal indicative of a gesture applied to the display during the first transitory period of time;

delete the first ephemeral message in response to the gesture applied to the display during the first transitory period of time;

present a second ephemeral message from the set of ephemeral messages on the display in response to the gesture for a second transitory period of time defined by the timer, wherein the second ephemeral message is deleted when the second transitory period expires;

receive a second haptic contact signal indicative of a second gesture applied to the display during the second transitory period of time;

delete the second ephemeral message in response to the second gesture applied to the display during the second transitory period of time; and

initiate the timer upon the display of the first ephemeral message and the display of the second ephemeral message.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6 further comprising instructions executed by the processor to display the ephemeral message in response to persistent haptic contact on the display.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6 wherein the transitory period of time is specified by a message sender.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6 wherein the haptic contact is any gesture applied to any location on the display.