Unified messaging platform and interface for providing inline replies

• US 10,216,709 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2015
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lane, Mira, Brasket, Michael, Waldman, Larry, Voss, Chad
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Cong-Lac
• Application Number:
  US14/801,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20160342571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 715273, 715752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• 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 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A unified messaging platform is described which provides a comprehensive environment for collaboration, file sharing, and project management. In aspects, the unified messaging platform is organized based on one or more teams or projects, where each team or project is further organized by customizable categories. A user interface is provided for ready access to information related to each category (e.g., communications, files, tasks, work product, etc.), which information is automatically and seamlessly synchronized across the platform such that each team member remains abreast of the current progress and status of a project. For instance, cooperation and collaboration are facilitated by features such as inline replies, which enable team members to comment on and reply to specific items within a single synchronized version of a message.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one hardware processing unit; and

at least one memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing unit, cause the system to;

receive a message, wherein the message includes first text content;

scan the message to identify a structure of the first text content, the structure identifying at least one element of the first text content, the one element having a location within the first text content;

receive an indication of a selection of the one element identified by the structure within the first text content of the message;

identify the location of the indication within the structure of the first text content based on the selection of the one element;

launch a reply interface for receiving reply text content via a new message input field at the identified location within the first text content based on the selection;

receive the reply text content into the reply interface at the location via the new message input field; and

send a reply to the message, wherein a reply comprises the reply text content integrated into the message at the location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the system to:

anchor the reply to the location within the structure of the first text content.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the system to:

identify an endpoint associated with a recipient of the reply; and

send the structure to the recipient.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the system to:

determine whether the endpoint is registered with a unified messaging application; and

in response to determining that the endpoint is not registered with the unified messaging application, transform the structure.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the system to:

determine whether the endpoint is registered with a unified messaging application; and

in response to determining that the endpoint is registered with the unified messaging application, display the reply text content at the location within the message in a user interface of the unified messaging application.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein identifying the endpoint further comprises identifying one or more of:

a device type for the endpoint;

a display type for the endpoint; and

one or more applications registered for the endpoint.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the system to:

determine that the endpoint is registered with a third party email messaging application; and

transform the structure for transmission to the third party email messaging application.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the system to:

determine that the endpoint is registered with an enterprise messaging application; and

transform the structure for transmission to the enterprise messaging application.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the system to:

reformat the structure as an image.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the system to:

translate the structure into a representation readable by a receiving application.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the message is an email message.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication at the location within the first text content of the message comprises one of:

hovering over the location within the first text content of the message; and

placing a cursor at the location within the first text content of the message.

13. A system comprising:

at least one hardware processing unit; and

at least one memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing unit, cause the system to;

receive a message, wherein the message includes first text content;

scan the message to identify a structure of the first text content, the structure identifying at least one element of the first text content, the one element having a location within the first text content;

receive an indication of a selection of the one element identified by the structure within the first text content of the message;

identify the location of the indication within the structure of the first text content based on the selection of the one element;

launch a reply interface for receiving reply text content via a new message input field at the identified location within the first text content based on the selection;

receive the reply text content into the reply interface at the location viathe new message input field; and

send a reply to the message, wherein a reply comprises the reply text content integrated into the message at the location.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the system to:

anchor the reply text content within the message at the location.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the system to:

determine whether the endpoint is registered with a unified messaging application; and

in response to determining that the endpoint is not registered with the unified messaging application, transform the structure.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the system to:

reformat the structure as an image.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the system to:

determine whether the endpoint is registered with a unified messaging application; and

in response to determining that the endpoint is registered with the unified messaging application, display the reply text content at the location within the message in a user interface of the unified messaging application.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the system to:

determine that the endpoint is registered with a third party email messaging application; and

transform the structure for transmission to the third party email messaging application.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the system to:

determine that the endpoint is registered with an enterprise messaging application; and

transform the structure for transmission to the enterprise messaging application.

20. A method of determining a presentation structure for sending an inline reply to a message, the method comprising:

receiving a message, wherein the message includes first text content;

scanning the message to identify a structure of the first text content, the structure identifying at least one element of the first text content, the one element having a location within the first text content;

receiving an indication of a selection of the one element identified by the structure within the first text content of the message;

identifying the location of the indication within the structure of the first text content based on the selection of the one element;

launching a reply interface for receiving reply text content via a new message input field at the identified location within the first text content based on the selection;

receiving the reply text content into the reply interface at the location via the new message input field; and

sending a reply to the message, wherein a reply comprises the reply text content integrated into the message at the location.