Content channels for electronic messaging

• US 8,438,234 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kunz, Michael C., Schackwitz, Michael D., Galen, Ari D., Anthony, Colin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ibrahim, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US13/416,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20120173648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Techniques are described to provide content channels for electronic messaging. In an implementation, a content channel may be configured to contain multiple content portions having various types of content for delivery to one or more clients. The content channel may be associated with an electronic message such as an email or instant message. The content channel and updates to the content channel may be pushed to the clients as electronic messages in an electronic messaging environment. The clients may expose a user interface having one or more portions that are arranged to present and provide interaction with the content channel. The content channel may be pinned within a designated portion of the user interface to enable repeated access to the content channel via the designated portion.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating a content channel configured to integrate multiple content portions of different types and define arrangement of the multiple content portions one to another, the content channel authored as a page that contains the multiple content portions and is distributable as an electronic message to designated recipients;

forming the electronic message including the content channel for communication to the designated recipients; and

distributing the electronic message including the content channel to the designated recipients such that the content channel appears as an item within messaging inboxes of the designated recipients with a visual indicator to identify the item as a content channel, the electronic message having data sufficient to enable client devices used by the designated recipients to receive the electronic message to;

ascertain that the electronic message includes the content channel;

render the multiple content portions as arranged by the content channel in a message display portion of a respective messaging user interface; and

automatically obtain updates made to one or more of the multiple content portions of the content channel.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting updates made to one or more of the multiple content portions of the content channel; and

pushing the updates to the designated recipients to enable the client devices used by the designated recipients to output the content channel with updated content portions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple content portions include at least one interactive portion operable by the designated recipients to make updates to the content channel and cause the updates to be pushed to other recipients.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing the electronic message comprises sending the content channel as an email to one or more of the designated recipients.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing the electronic message comprises sending the content channel as an instant message to one or more of the designated recipients.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated recipients comprises a group of contacts established by the user in connection with the social networking service as a distribution list for the content channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple content portions integrated to create the content channel include one or more of text, images, video, feeds, a message board, a blog, an applet, or script.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating occurs responsive to user selections of the multiple content portions to include in the content channel via a user interface for creation of content channels exposed by a service provider.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the content channel is configured as a mark-up language page that is distributed to each of the designated recipients.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein electronic message includes content for the content channel that is distributed individually to each of the designated recipients.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic message includes a notification for the content channel that enables each of the designated recipients to individually access and download content for the content channel.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein content channel is further configured to include a distribution list of the designated recipients and permissions for interaction of the designated recipients with the content channel.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the content channel is distributed to the designated recipients via the electronic message without posting information regarding the content channel on a publicly accessible website.

14. A messaging device comprising:

one or more processors and memory; and

one or more modules stored in the memory and executable via the one or more processors to;

obtain a content channel associated with an electronic message distributed to a messaging account associated with a messaging application and configured to include message content portions and interactive mark-up language content portions;

visually identify the association of the electronic message with the content channel within a list of messages displayed via a user interface for the messaging application using an icon designated to identify content channels; and

responsive to selection of the electronic message via the list of messages, render the content channel including the message content portions and interactive mark-up language content portions in a message display area of the user interface for the messaging application.

15. The messaging device of claim 14, wherein the icon is selectable to subscribe to the content channel to cause updates made to the content channel to be automatically communicated to the messaging device.

16. The messaging device of claim 14, wherein the icon is selectable to pin the content channel as an item in a content channel list of the messaging user interface for the messaging account.

17. The messaging device of claim 14, wherein the content channel is included with the electronic message distributed to the messaging account.

18. One or more computer-readable storage devices comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more devices of a messaging system, cause the one or more devices to:

configure a content channel to integrate multiple content portions of different types including one or more interactive mark-up language content portions and define arrangement of the multiple content portions one to another; and

distribute the content channel as an electronic message to a group of designated recipients, the electronic message having data sufficient to enable client devices used by the designated recipients to receive the electronic message to;

ascertain that the electronic message includes the content channel;

visually identify inclusion of the content channel in the electronic message within a list of messages displayed via a user interface for a messaging application using an icon designated to identify content channels; and

responsive to selection of the electronic message via the list of messages, render the content channel including the one or more interactive mark-up language content portions in a message display area of the user interface for the messaging application.

19. One or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more devices to:

detect updates made to one or more of the multiple content portions of the content channel; and

push the updates to the designated recipients to enable the client devices used by the designated recipients to output the updated content portions.

20. One or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 18, wherein the icon is selectable to pin the content channel as an item in a content channel list of the user interface for the messaging application.