Persistent conversations

• US 9,338,403 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Eidelson, Benjamin David, Sarafa, Randall, Kamat, Mayur, Singh, Ujjwal, Pawlowski, Peter, Fulcher, Richard, Ng, Peter, Millar, Evan Stephen, Robinson, Rhett
• Primary Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US13/748,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20140204173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 715/758
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/155 involving storage of or access to video conference sessions tracking arrangements for later retrieval of a computer conference content or participants activities H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer readable media for persistent conversations are described. In some implementations, a method can include receiving a communication message sent from a first user to at least one other user, and generating a persistent conversation object having a conversation content section and conversation state information. The method can also include storing the communication message in the conversation content section of the persistent conversation object, and forwarding the communication message to the at least one other user. The method can further include updating the conversation state information to reflect the receiving, storing and forwarding of the communication message.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a communication message sent from a first user to a plurality of other users, wherein the communication message includes one or more of a text message, an image file, an audio file, a video file, a phone call, a fax, a one-to-one audio/video conference and a multi-way audio/video conference;

generating a persistent conversation object representing a conversation and having a conversation content section and conversation state information, wherein the state information includes an indication of whether history tracking is enabled, a level corresponding to the first user and each of the plurality of other users indicating a point in the conversation where each corresponding user last had focus on the conversation, and a focus state for each corresponding user;

storing the communication message in the conversation content section of the persistent conversation object;

forwarding the communication message to the plurality of other users;

updating the conversation state information to reflect a level in the conversation at which the first user and each of the plurality of other users was last focused on the conversation, the level being determined based on when a conversation client application was open and had visibility on a display of a user device corresponding to one of the first user and the plurality of other users;

providing a rendering of the conversation content section and the conversation state information including the level in the conversation at which the first user and each of the plurality of other users was last focused on the conversation.

2. A method comprising:

receiving a communication message sent from a first user to a plurality of other users;

generating a persistent conversation object representing a conversation and having a conversation content section and conversation state information;

storing the communication message in the conversation content section of the persistent conversation object;

forwarding the communication message to the plurality of other users;

updating the conversation state information to reflect a level in the conversation at which each user was last focused on the conversation;

providing a rendering of the conversation content section and the conversation state information including the level in the conversation at which the first user and each of the plurality of other users were last focused on the conversation, the level being determined based on when a conversation client application was open and had visibility on a display of a user device corresponding to the first user and each of the plurality of other users.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the communication message includes one or more of a text message, an image file, an audio file, a video file, a phone call, a fax, a one-to-one audio/video conference and a multi-way audio/video conference.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the state information includes an indication of whether history tracking is enabled.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the state information includes a focus state for each user.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing for display a user interface including at least a portion of the conversation content, an avatar representing each user participating in the conversation and a visual indication of conversation state information.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising updating the avatar appearance based on the focus state of the user corresponding to the avatar.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising rendering, in a display of the conversation content, each avatar at a watermark point of the user associated with the avatar.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the visual indication includes an indication of whether history tracking is enabled.

10. A system comprising:

one or more computers configured to perform operations including;

receiving a communication message sent from a first user to a plurality of other users;

generating a persistent conversation object representing a conversation and having a conversation content section and conversation state information;

storing the communication message in the conversation content section of the persistent conversation object;

forwarding the communication message to the plurality of other users;

updating the conversation state information to reflect a level in the conversation at which each user was last focused on the conversation;

providing a rendering of the conversation content section and the conversation state information including the level in the conversation at which the first user and each of the plurality of other users were last focused on the conversation, the level being determined based on when a conversation client application was open and had visibility on a display of a user device corresponding to the first user and each of the plurality of other users.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication message includes one or more of a text message, an image file, an audio file, a video file, a phone call, a fax, a one-to-one audio/video conference and a multi-way audio/video conference.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the state information includes an indication of whether history tracking is enabled.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the state information includes a focus state for each user.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further include:

providing for display a user interface including at least a portion of the conversation content, an avatar representing each user participating in the conversation and a visual indication of conversation state information.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further include updating the avatar appearance based on the focus state of the user corresponding to the avatar.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further include rendering, in a display of the conversation content, each avatar at a watermark point of the user associated with the avatar.