Systems and methods for message delivery to mobile devices supporting multiple users

• US 9,578,128 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Nerieri, Francesco, Manolache, Doru C
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder, Patrice
• Application Number:
  US13/844,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20140122624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

The disclosed technology covers messaging systems and methods, and computer program products embodying such systems and methods. A computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium with instructions executable by one or more processors to perform a method. The method may include receiving, at a message server configured to receive a plurality of messages for a plurality of computing devices, a first message intended for a first user profile. The first user profile and one or more other user profiles may exist on a single computing device. The method may also include receiving a first status update from the first computing device indicating that the first user profile is stopped or non-active, and postponing delivery of the first message to the first computing device, based on the first user profile being stopped or non-active. These and other aspects of messaging systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a first status update from a first computing device indicating that a first user profile is a non-active profile, wherein the first user profile and one or more other user profiles exist on the first computing device and a non-active profile is a profile that is not currently in use on the first computing device;

receiving, at a computing system configured to receive a plurality of messages for a plurality of computing devices, a first message of the plurality of messages being intended for the first user profile;

postponing, based on the first user profile being a non-active profile, delivery of the first message to the first computing device;

receiving a second status update from the computing device indicating that the first user profile is an active profile, wherein an active profile is a profile that is currently in use on the first computing device; and

pushing, in response to receiving the second status update, the first message to the first computing device.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first status update indicates that the first user profile is running in the background.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first status update indicates that the first user profile is stopped.

4. The computer program product of claim 3,

wherein the first status update further indicates that a second user profile is an active user profile on the first computing device, and

wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second message intended for the second user profile on the first computing device; and

pushing the second message to the first computing device, based on the second user profile being an active profile, while still postponing delivery of the first message.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the second status update further indicates that the second user profile is a non-active user profile on the first computing device.

6. The computer program product of claim 3, the method further comprising:

receiving, after receiving the first status update, a plurality of additional messages intended for the first user profile;

determining that the first user profile remains a non-active profile on the first computing device; and

postponing, based on the first user profile being a non-active profile, delivery of the plurality of additional messages to the first computing device.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, the method further comprising:

pushing, in response to receiving the second status update, the plurality of additional messages to the first computing device with the first message.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, the method further comprising receiving a plurality of additional status updates from the first computing device indicating the current states of the first user profile and the one or more other user profiles.

9. The messaging system of claim 1,

wherein the computing system is further configured to, based on the first status update indicating that first user profile is a non-active profile, collect a plurality of messages for the first user profile, and to postpone delivery of the plurality of messages at least until receipt of the second status update indicating that the first user profile is an active profile.

10. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the first user profile is unable to process the first message when the first user profile is a non-active profile.

11. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein no more than one of the first user profile and the one or more other user profiles may be an active profile in the first computing device at a single point in time.

12. A messaging system comprising:

a computing system configured to communicate with a plurality of mobile devices, including a first mobile device having two or more user profiles existing thereon, the computing system being configured to receive a plurality of messages, to identify a first message as being directed to a first user profile, and to determine that the first user profile exists on the first mobile device; and

a communication interface configured to receive a plurality of status updates from the plurality of mobile devices, including a first status update from the first mobile device, wherein the first status update indicates whether the first user profile is an active profile or a non-active profile, wherein an active profile is a profile that is currently in use on the first computing device and a non-active profile is a profile that is not currently in use on the first computing device;

wherein the computing system is further configured to

postpone, based on the first status update indicating that first user profile is a non-active profile, delivery of the first message at least until receipt of a second status update from the first mobile device indicating that the first user profile is an active profile, and

transmit, based on the first status update indicating that the first user profile is an active profile, the first message to the first mobile device.

13. A method comprising:

associating a first user profile and a second user profile with a computing device, wherein the first user profile has a first set of applications and preferences and the second user profile has a second set of applications and preferences, and wherein a first instance of a first application is in the first user profile and a second instance of the first application is in the second user profile;

receiving from the computing device a current status of the first user profile and the second user profile, the current status indicating whether the first user profile and the second user profile is an active profile or a non-active profile, wherein an active profile is a profile that is currently in use on the first computing device and a non-active profile is a profile that is not currently in use on the first computing device;

receiving a first message from an application server associated with the application, the first message identifying the first instance of the first application;

determining that the first instance of the first application corresponds to the first user profile;

postponing, based on the first user profile being a non-active profile, delivery of the first message to the computing device;

receiving, from the computing device, an update to the current status of the first user profile; and

scheduling, based on the updated current status of the first user profile indicating that the first user profile is an active profile, delivery of the first message to the computing device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a second message from the application server associated with the first application, the second message identifying the second instance of the first application;

determining that the second instance of the first application corresponds to the second user profile; and

scheduling, based on the second user profile being an active profile, delivery of the second message to the computing device, but not the first message.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a second message from the application server associated with the first application, the second message identifying the second instance of the first application;

determining that the second instance of the first application corresponds to the second user profile; and

transmitting, based on the second user profile being an active profile and the first user profile being a non-active profile, the second message to the computing device.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting the first message to the computing device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising including an indication with the transmission of the first message that the first message is intended for the first user profile.