Systems and methods for relaying messages in a communications system based on user interactions

• US 9,876,754 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2017
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Monica
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Imad
• Application Number:
  US15/434,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20170163594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

The various embodiments described herein include methods, devices, and systems for relaying messages in a communications system. In one aspect, a method is performed at a server. The method includes: (1) obtaining a plurality of incoming messages, including at least one target message and at least one priority message from a first user of the communication system; (2) obtaining a one or more interests of a second user; (3) selecting the target message based at least in part on the one or more interests of the second user; (4) sending the target message to a client device of the second user; (5) after sending the target message, receiving a notification from the client device indicating that the second user has interacted with the target message; and (6) in response to receiving the notification from the client device, sending to the client device the priority message.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of relaying messages to users of a communication system, comprising:

at a server having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors;

obtaining a plurality of incoming real-time messages, including a target message from a first user of the communication system and a plurality of priority messages from the first user;

obtaining one or more interests of a second user of the communication system;

selecting the target message from among the plurality of incoming real-time messages based at least in part on the one or more interests of the second user;

sending the target message to a client device of the second user;

after sending the target message to the client device, receiving an indication from the client device that the second user has interacted with the target message;

in response to receiving the indication from the client device, sending to the client device a first priority message and a second priority message from the plurality of priority messages, wherein the first priority message and the second priority message have distinct topics.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interests of the second user are obtained from a focus specification of the second user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication from the client device indicates that the second user has performed one or more of:

voting on the target message;

requesting to track the target message; and

selecting a user-handle of the first user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the first priority message from among the plurality of incoming real-time messages based at least in part on the one or more interests of the second user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of priority message comprise a plurality of advertising messages.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of real-time incoming messages comprises one or more message streams.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the second user a request to track at least one of:

the first user and a message from the first user; and

wherein the target message is selected based in part on the tracking request from the second user.

8. A server, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs comprising instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the server to perform operations comprising;

obtaining a plurality of incoming real-time messages, including a target message from a first user of the communication system and a plurality of priority messages from the first user;

obtaining one or more interests of a second user of the communication system;

selecting the target message from among the plurality of incoming real-time messages based at least in part on the one or more interests of the second user;

sending the target message to a client device of the second user;

after sending the target message to the client device, receiving an indication from the client device that the second user has interacted with the target message;

in response to receiving the indication from the client device, sending to the client device a first priority message and a second priority message from the plurality of priority messages, wherein the first priority message and the second priority message have distinct topics.

9. The server of claim 8, wherein the one or more interests of the second user are obtained from a focus specification of the second user.

10. The server of claim 8, wherein the indication from the client device indicates that the second user has performed one or more of:

voting on the target message;

requesting to track the target message; and

selecting a user-handle of the first user.

11. The server of claim 8, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for selecting the first priority message from among the plurality of incoming real-time messages based at least in part on the one or more interests of the second user.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of priority message comprise a plurality of advertising messages.

13. The server of claim 8, wherein the plurality of incoming real-time messages comprises one or more message streams.

14. The server of claim 8, wherein the one or more programs further comprises instructions for receiving from the second user a request to track at least one of:

the first user and a message from the first user; and

wherein the target message is selected based in part on the tracking request from the second user.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs comprising instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of a server, cause the server to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a plurality of incoming real-time messages, including a target message from a first user of the communication system and a plurality of priority messages from the first user;

obtaining one or more interests of a second user of the communication system;

selecting the target message from among the plurality of incoming real-time messages based at least in part on the one or more interests of the second user;

sending the target message to a client device of the second user;

after sending the target message to the client device, receiving an indication from the client device that the second user has interacted with the target message;

in response to receiving the indication from the client device, sending to the client device a first priority message and a second priority message from the plurality of priority messages, wherein the first priority message and the second priority message have distinct topics.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more interests of the second user are obtained from a focus specification of the second user.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the indication from the client device indicates that the second user has performed one or more of:

voting on the target message;

requesting to track the target message; and

selecting a user-handle of the first user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for selecting the first priority message from among the plurality of incoming real-time messages based at least in part on the one or more interests of the second user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of priority message comprise a plurality of advertising messages.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more programs further comprises instructions for receiving from the second user a request to track at least one of:

the first user and a message from the first user; and

wherein the target message is selected based in part on the tracking request from the second user.