Method and system for social media cooperation protocol

• US 9,252,976 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Olsen, Joseph M., Dunn, Zachary James
• Primary Examiner(s): SHINGLES, KRISTIE D
• Application Number:
  US13/714,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20130304830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Methods and systems for social media cooperation, via allowing inter-social network communications between users of different networks is provided. The inter-social network communications may be facilitated by sending inter-social network communications in a format determined by a protocol that is used by the social networks agreeing to allow inter-social network communications.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

enabling, at a first social network platform implemented using the database system, communications channels between the first social network platform and a plurality of social network platforms external to the first social network platform, the communications channels permitting communications according to a protocol between the first social network platform and the external social network platforms, the communications comprising application programming interface (API) requests from the first social network platform to the external social network platforms, each social network platform being maintained on behalf of a respective social network provider;

retrieving, by the first social network platform, by sending a plurality of first API requests to the external social network platforms, a plurality of social media messages from the external social network platforms, the social media messages capable of being stored as data objects in at least one database of the database system;

providing, by the first social network platform, the social media messages to a user device associated with a user of the first social network platform, the social media messages configured to be processed by the user device to present the social media messages in a message stream of a user interface displayable on a display of the user device;

receiving, at the first social network platform, an indication from the user device of first user input selecting a first one of the social media messages;

identifying, by the first social network platform, one of the external social network platforms from which the first social media message was retrieved;

determining, by the first social network platform, a plurality of message actions according to the identified external social network platform, the determined message actions being social media-related actions provided by the identified external social network platform;

providing, by the first social network platform, information identifying the determined message actions to the user device, the information configured to be processed by the user device to present the determined message actions in an actionable menu of the user interface;

receiving, at the first social network platform, an indication from the user device of second user input selecting at least one of the determined message actions; and

requesting, by the first social network platform, by sending at least one second API request to the identified social network platform, performance of the selected at least one message action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected at least one message action is one of:

a view post, a wall post, a reply to the selected first social media message, an archive action, a hide action, a direct message, a reply with comment, an add label action, a favorite action, or a follow request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected first social media message configured to be processed by the user device to present the selected first social media message as a pop-up window overlaying the message stream, the pop-up window comprising a thread of previous social media messages associated with the selected first social media messages.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the first social network platform, an indication from the user device of third user input selecting a second determined message action, the selected second message action being a different message action than the selected at least one message action; and

requesting, by the first social network platform, by sending at least one second API request to the identified external social network platform, performance of the selected second message action.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of social media messages are assigned to one or more users of the first social network platform, wherein the first social media message is assigned to the user of the first social network platform.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the first social network platform, an indication from the user device of a request to assign the first social media message to a second user;

determining, by the first social network platform, that the second user has access to the identified external social network, the determination based on the second user having at least one shared communication channel as the user; and

assigning, by the first social network platform, the first social media message to the second user.

7. A database system configurable to:

enable, at a first social network platform implemented using the database system, communications channels between the first social network platform and a plurality of social network platforms external to the first social network platform, the communications channels permitting communications according to a protocol between the first social network platform and the external social network platforms, the communications comprising application programming interface (API) requests from the first social network platform to the external social network platforms, each social network platform being maintained on behalf of a respective social network provider;

retrieve, by the first social network platform, by sending a plurality of first API requests to the external social network platforms, a plurality of social media messages from the external social network platforms, the social media messages capable of being stored as data objects in at least one database of the database system;

provide, by the first social network platform, the social media messages to a user device associated with a user of the first social network platform, the social media messages configured to be processed by the user device to present the social media messages in a message stream of a user interface displayable on a display of the user device;

receive, at the first social network platform, an indication from the user device of first user input selecting a first one of the social media messages;

identify, by the first social network platform, one of the external social network platforms from which the first social media message was retrieved;

determine, by the first social network platform, a plurality of message actions according to the identified external social network platform, the determined message actions being social media-related actions provided by the identified external social network platform;

provide, by the first social network platform, information identifying the determined message actions to the user device, the information configured to be processed by the user device to present the determined message actions in an actionable menu of the user interface;

receive, at the first social network platform, an indication from the user device of second user input selecting at least one of the determined message actions; and

request, by the first social network platform, by sending at least one second API request to the identified external social network platform, performance of the selected at least one message action.

8. The database system of claim 7, wherein the selected at least one message action is one of:

a view post, a wall post, a reply to the selected first social media message, an archive action, a hide action, a direct message, a reply with comment, an add label action, a favorite action, or a follow request.

9. The database system of claim 7, wherein the selected first social media message configured to be processed by the user device to present the selected first social media message as a pop-up window overlaying the message stream, the pop-up window comprising a thread of previous social media messages associated with the selected first social media messages.

10. The database system of claim 7, the database further configurable to:

receive, at the first social network platform, an indication from the user device of third user input selecting a second determined message action, the selected second message action being a different message action than the selected at least one message action; and

request, by the first social network platform, by sending at least one second API request to the identified external social network platform, performance of the selected second message action.

11. The database system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of social media messages are assigned to one or more users of the first social network platform, wherein the first social media message is assigned to the user of the first social network platform.

12. The database system of claim 7, the database further configured to:

receive, at the first social network platform, an indication from the user device of a request to assign the first social media message to a second user;

determine, by the first social network platform, that the second user has access to the identified external social network, the determination based on the second user having at least one shared communication channel as the user; and

assign, by the first social network platform, the first social media message to the second user.

13. A computer program product comprising program code to be executed by at least one processor when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium the program code comprising instructions configured to cause:

enabling, at a first social network platform implemented using a database system, communications channels between the first social network platform and a plurality of social network platforms external to the first social network platform, the communications channels permitting communications according to a protocol between the first social network platform and the external social network platforms, the communications comprising application programming interface (API) requests from the first social network platform to the external social network platforms, each social network platform being maintained on behalf of a respective social network provider;

retrieving, by the first social network platform, by sending a plurality of first API requests to the external social network platforms, a plurality of social media messages from the external social network platforms, the social media messages capable of being stored as data objects in at least one database of the database system;

providing, by the first social network platform, the social media messages to a user device associated with a user of the first social network platform, the social media messages configured to be processed by the user device to present the social media messages in a message stream of a user interface displayable on a display of the user device;

receiving, at the first social network platform, an indication from the user device of first user input selecting a first one of the social media messages;

identifying, by the first social network platform, one of the external social network platforms from which the first social media message was retrieved;

determining, by the first social network platform, a plurality of message actions according to the identified external social network platform, the determined message actions being social media-related actions provided by the identified external social network platform;

providing, by the first social network platform, information identifying the determined message actions to the user device, the information configured to be processed by the user device to present the determined message actions in an actionable menu of the user interface;

receiving, at the first social network platform, an indication from the user device of second user input selecting at least one of the determined message actions; and

requesting, by the first social network platform, by sending at least one second API request to the identified external social network platform, performance of the selected at least one message action.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the selected at least one message action is one of:

a view post, a wall post, a reply to the selected first social media message, an archive action, a hide action, a direct message, a reply with comment, an add label action, a favorite action, or a follow request.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the selected first social media message configured to be processed by the user device to present the selected first social media message as a pop-up window overlaying the message stream, the pop-up window comprising a thread of previous social media messages associated with the selected first social media messages.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, the method to be performed further comprising:

receiving, at the first social network platform, an indication from the user device of third user input selecting a second determined message action, the selected second message action being a different message action than the selected at least one message action; and

requesting, by the first social network platform, by sending at least one second API request to the identified external social network platform, performance of the selected second message action.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the plurality of social media messages are assigned to one or more users of the first social network platform, wherein the first social media message is assigned to the user of the first social network platform.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, the method to be performed further comprising:

receiving, at the first social network platform, an indication from the user device of a request to assign the first social media message to a second user;

determining, by the first social network platform, that the second user has access to the identified external social network, the determination based on the second user having at least one shared communication channel as the user; and

assigning, by the first social network platform, the first social media message to the second user.