User initiated invite for automatic conference participation by invitee

• US 8,396,461 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2011
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Slack Technologies, Inc. (Salesforce.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Soderstrom, Gustav, Hayashi, Nathanael Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fahnert, Marisol
• Application Number:
  US13/297,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20120066326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/413, 455516-519, 455/445, 455/463, 455/435.1, 455/458, 4555591-5562, 455/432.1, 455/433, 455/435, 370/230, 370/430.1, 370/331, 370/260, 370/312, 37920201-20701
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5009 Adding a party to an existing conference conducting a computer conference, e.g. admission detection H04L12/1822
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

A mobile device, system, and method are directed towards enabling a user, virtually on the fly, to invite another user to participate in an on-line conferencing session, by providing a link that automatically enables the other user to participate in the conferencing session. In one embodiment, the conferencing session is a text messaging conference session, such as one that might employ instant messaging, or the like. In one embodiment, a user may request a conferencing session to be established, by sending a request to a server device. The request may, include an identifier of an invitee with whom the first user wishes to communicate. The server determines a unique link for the invitee and session, and sends the invitee an invite message with their unique link. Selecting the unique link enables the invitee to automatically access and to participate in the conferencing session with the first user.

Claims

1. A network device, comprising:

a memory for storing executable instructions; and

a processor that is arranged to execute the instructions to perform actions, including;

receiving, from an inviting client device, a request to generate a plurality of invitations for a plurality of other client devices to join a session;

sending an invite message to each of the plurality of other client devices, the invite message including a unique link that is determined from an identifier that is unique to each client device in the plurality of other client devices;

as requests to join the session are received from client devices that select the unique link, along with the unique identifier and an identifier of the requesting client device;

automatically allowing a requesting client device to join the session when it is determined that the unique identifier is based on the identifier of the requesting client device, and

for each joining client device after a first joining client device, providing access to a history log of conversations between client devices participating in the session.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is a hash of a combination of a session identifier and the identifier of the requesting client device.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein determining that the unique identifier is based on the identifier of the requesting client device further comprises combining a session identifier for the session with the identifier of the requesting client device and comparing the combination to the unique identifier.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor performs actions, further comprising:

when it is determined that the unique identifier is invalid for the requesting client device, sending at least one of an alert or a notice indicating that an improper activity is detected.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein the link is configured such that when selected automatically enabling a valid requesting client device to access and participate in the session.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the requesting device is unique to the requesting device.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of other client devices joins the session, later leaves the session, and subsequently rejoins the session.

8. A non-transitory computer storage device having executable instructions stored thereon, such that when executed by a computing device, performs actions, comprising:

receiving, from an inviting client device, a request to generate a plurality of invitations for a plurality of other client devices to join a session;

sending an invite message to each of the plurality of other client devices, the invite message including a unique link that is determined from n an identifier that is unique to each client device in the plurality of other client devices;

for each request to join the session that is received from a requesting client device that selects the unique link along with the unique identifier and an identifier of the requesting client device, automatically allowing the requesting client device to join the session when it is determined that the unique identifier is based on the identifier of the requesting client device, and

for at least one requesting client device that joins the session after a first joining client device, providing access to a history log of conversations between client devices participating in the session.

9. The non-transitory computer storage device of claim 8, wherein the unique identifier is a hash of a combination of a session identifier and the identifier of the requesting client device.

10. The non-transitory computer storage device of claim 8, wherein determining that the unique identifier is based on the identifier of the requesting client device further comprises combining a session identifier for the session with the identifier of the requesting client device and comparing the combination to the unique identifier.

11. The non-transitory computer storage device of claim 8, wherein the instructions perform actions, further comprising:

when it is determined that the unique identifier is invalid for the requesting client device, sending at least one of an alert or a notice indicating that an improper activity is detected.

12. The non-transitory computer storage device of claim 8, wherein the link is configured such that when selected automatically enabling a valid requesting client device to access and participate in the session.

13. The non-transitory computer storage device of claim 8, wherein the identifier of the requesting device is unique to the requesting device.

14. The non-transitory computer storage device of claim 8, wherein the invite message is sent to each of the plurality of other client devices using a messaging protocol.

15. The non-transitory computer storage device of claim 8, wherein the link is configured using a wireless application protocol.

16. A system, comprising:

a plurality of computing devices, each computing device having memory and a central processing unit, and wherein at least a first computing device is configured to manage messages, and wherein one or more of the other computing devices in the plurality are configured to perform actions, comprising;

receiving, from an inviting client device, a request to generate a plurality of invitations for a plurality of other client devices to join a session;

employing the first computing device to send an invite message to each of the plurality of other client devices, the invite message including a unique link based on that is determined from an identifier that is unique to each client device in the plurality of other client devices;

for each received request to join the session that is received from a requesting client device that selects the unique link along with the unique identifier and an identifier of the requesting client device, automatically allowing the requesting client device to join the session when it is determined that the unique identifier is based on the identifier of the requesting client device, and

for at least one requesting client device that joins the session after a first joining client device, providing access to a history log of conversations between client devices participating in the session.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the unique identifier is a hash of a combination of a session identifier and the identifier of the requesting client device.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein determining that the unique identifier is based on the identifier of the requesting client device further comprises combining a session identifier for the session with the identifier of the requesting client device and comparing the combination to the unique identifier.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions perform actions, further comprising:

when it is determined that the unique identifier is invalid for the requesting client device, sending at least one of an alert or a notice indicating that an improper activity is detected.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the history log comprises threaded conversations between client devices active in the session.