Automated message recall from a sender's device

• US 9,503,401 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• 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: Donohue, Michael B., Reed, Erik James
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCray, Clarence
• Application Number:
  US14/170,345
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and methods are provided for supporting automated recall of a message (e.g., a chat message) from an originator'"'"'s device, or at least media that accompanied the message. An original message may convey one or more media files that are temporarily stored on a system or apparatus that hosts the communication application used to create, send, and receive messages. The media files may be lost in transit because of failure of a system component, failure of a storage device, purging of the files before they are retrieved by a recipient, or for some other reason. When the recipient'"'"'s device receives an error in response to an attempt to retrieve the media file(s), it automatically initiates a recall request that is returned to the originating device. If the message and media are still available on the device, an abbreviated version of the message is re-sent, with the media.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a media message from an originating device, the media message comprising;

text, a message key, and a media file;

receiving a request for the media file from a destination device;

in response to the request for the media file, transmitting to the destination device an error message when the media file cannot be delivered to the destination device;

receiving a recall request including the message key from the destination device;

transmitting the recall request to the originating device;

receiving an abbreviated version of the media message from the originating device, wherein the abbreviated version of the media message includes the message key and omits the text; and

delivering the media file to the destination device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the media message further comprises a thumbnail image of content of the media file; and

the abbreviated version of the media message omits the thumbnail image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request for the media file comprises:

delivering to the destination device;

the text of the media message; and

a link to the media file; and

receiving from the destination device a signal indicating activation of the link.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein delivering the media file to the destination device comprises:

transmitting to the destination device a new link to the media file; and

receiving from the destination device a new signal indicating activation of the new link.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after transmitting the recall request to the originating device:

re-receiving the media file from the originating device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the media file separate from the text and for only a predetermined temporary period of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the error message is one of:

HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol) error 404;

HTTP error 410; and

HTTP error 503.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the error message indicates an error external to the destination device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the media message is recalled without interaction with a user of the destination device or a user of the originating device.

10. A method comprising, at a first device:

composing a media message comprising;

a media file, a message key, and text;

uploading the media file to a system hosting the exchange of media messages between multiple devices, including the first device;

receiving from the system a first link identifying the uploaded media file within the system;

adding the first link to the media message;

transmitting the media message to the system, except for the media file;

receiving from the system a message recall including the message key;

re-uploading the media file to the system;

receiving from the system a second link identifying the re-uploaded media file within the system; and

transmitting a condensed version of the media message to the system, the condensed version of the media message comprising the message key and the second link but not the text.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the media message further comprises a thumbnail image of content of the media file; and

the condensed version of the media message omits the thumbnail image.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

searching the first device for the media message, based on the message key; and

returning an error if the media message is not found.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the message recall includes an identifier of the media file.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

searching the first device for the media file, based on the identifier; and

returning an error if the media file is not found.

15. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to;

receive a media message from an originating communication device, the media message comprising;

text, a message key, and a media file;

receive a request for the media file from a destination device;

in response to the request for the media file, transmit to the destination device an error message when the media file cannot be delivered to the destination device;

receive a recall request including the message key from the destination device;

transmit the recall request to the originating communication device;

receive an abbreviated version of the media message from the originating communication device, wherein the abbreviated version of the media message includes the message key and omits the text; and

deliver the media file to the destination device.

16. A system comprising:

a media server comprising a first processor and storing first instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the media server to receive from an originating device external to the system;

at a first time, a media file transmitted by the originating device for delivery to a destination device; and

after at least one failure to deliver the media file to the destination device, the media file transmitted by the originating device in response to a message recall initiated by the destination device; and

a chat server comprising a second processor and storing second instructions that, when executed by the second processor, cause the chat server to;

receive a chat message comprising a message key, text and a first link to the media file from the originating device for delivery to the destination device in conjunction with the media file;

deliver the chat message to the destination device;

receive from the destination device, after said at least one failure, the message recall, the message recall including the message key;

deliver the message recall to the originating device;

receive an abbreviated version of the chat message from the originating device in response to the message recall, the abbreviated version of the chat message comprising the message key, a second link to the media file and omitting the text; and

deliver the abbreviated version of the chat message to the destination device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the media server further stores instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the media server to:

receive a first signal indicating activation of the first link; and

respond to the first signal with an error message indicating the at least one failure.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the media server further stores instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the media server to:

receive a second signal indicating activation of the second link; and

respond to the second signal by transmitting the media file to the destination device.