Apparatus and Method for Maintaining a Message Thread with Opt-In Permanence for Entries

• US 20140359024A1
• Filed: 05/30/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Inventors: Spiegel, Evan
• Granted Patent: US 9,705,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

A server includes a message thread module with instructions executed by a processor to maintain a message thread between a first user and a second user. Each entry of the message thread is deleted after a display period unless an indication regarding the entry is received during the display period.

Claims

1. A server, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing a message thread module with instructions executed by the processor to maintain a message thread between a first user and a second user by

directing a client device to display a text entry of the message thread for a duration of a transitory display period,

automatically deleting at the server the text entry of the message thread after the duration of the transitory display period unless an indication of a gesture applied to a display screen presenting the text entry of the message thread is received during the transitory display period, in which case the text entry of the message thread is maintained by the server and the server provides feedback to a counter-party of the message thread that the text entry of the message thread is preserved.

4. The server of claim 1 wherein the message thread module includes instructions executed by the processor to alter a parameter associated with the text entry of the message thread in response to the indication.

5. The server of claim 4 wherein the parameter is a font parameter associated with the text entry of the message thread.

6. The server of claim 4 wherein the parameter is a supplemental indicator associated with the text entry of the message thread.

7. The server of claim 4 wherein the parameter indicates that the first user and the second user persisted the text entry of the message thread.

8. The server of claim 1 wherein the display period is configurable.

9. The server of claim 1 wherein the message thread module includes instructions executed by the processor to display the text entry of the message thread to the first user who generates the text entry of the message thread without an indication of a gesture applied to a display screen associated with the first user until the text entry of the message thread is consumed by the second user who receives the text entry of the message thread, after which the text entry of the message thread is deleted from the thread associated with the first user.

10. The server of claim 1 wherein the message thread module includes instructions executed by the processor to restore the text entry of the message thread associated with the first user if the second user provides an indication of a gesture applied to the display screen associated with the second user during the display period.

11. The server of claim 1 wherein the message thread module includes instructions executed by the processor to display the text entry of the message thread to the first user who generates the text entry of the message thread with an indication of a gesture applied to the display screen associated with the first user until the entry is consumed by the second user who receives the text entry of the message thread, after which a parameter associated with the text entry of the message thread is altered in the thread associated with the first user to indicate whether the second user provided an indication of a gesture to a display screen associated with the second user during the display period.

12. The server of claim 1 wherein the message thread module includes instructions executed by the processor to:

display, to the second user, the text entry of the message thread from farm the first user who generates the text entry of the message thread without an indication of a gesture to the text entry of the message;

wait for an indication of a gesture to a display screen associated with the second user during the display period;

delete the text entry of the message thread from the thread associated with the second user if an indication of a gesture to the display screen associated with the second user is not received during the display period; and

form a persisted text entry of the message thread in the thread associated with the second user if an indication of a gesture to the display screen associated with the second user is received during the display period.

13. The server of claim 12 wherein the persisted text entry of the message thread indicates that the first user did not persist the entry.

14. The server of claim 1 wherein the message thread module includes instructions executed by the processor to:

display, to the second user, a text entry of the message thread from the first user who generates the text entry of the message thread with an indication of a gesture to the text entry of the message thread;

wait for an indication of a gesture to the display screen associated with the second user during the display period;

delete the text entry of the message thread associated with the second user if an indication of a gesture to the display screen associated with the second user is not received during the display period; and

form a persisted text entry of the message thread associated with the second user if an indication of a gesture to the display screen associated with the second user is received during the display period.

15. The server of claim 14 wherein the persisted text entry of the message thread indicates that the first user also persisted the entry.

16. The server of claim 14 wherein the message thread module includes instructions executed by the processor to alter the text entry of the message thread associated with the first user to indicate that the second user did not persist the entry.

17. The server of claim 1 wherein the message thread module includes instructions executed by the processor to:

display the message thread to the first user;

receive an indication of a gesture to the display screen associated with the first user of a deleted entry; and

alter the corresponding text entry of the message thread in the message thread of the second user, if necessary, to indicate that the first user has deleted the entry.

18. The server of claim 1 wherein the message thread module includes instructions executed by the processor to prevent the first user and the second user from copying an entry.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)