Rescinding messages in a messaging system with multiple messaging channels

• US 8,706,824 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2011
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davenport, Benjamin Peter, Deng, Peter Xiu, Perlow, Jonathan David, Zhang, Lucy Congyun, Gertzfield, Ben
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woo, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/205,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20130041956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

A messaging system facilitates communication between users through various messaging channels. The messaging system supports multiple communication channels and includes a messaging module that automatically selects one or more of the messaging channels for delivering a message to a recipient of the message using, for example, a set of policy rules or a trained model. The messaging module may also provide, in a user interface for sending and receiving messages, a visual indication of the selected messaging channel to the sender of the message to provide the user with transparency about how the message will be delivered. Additionally, the message may be delivered via multiple messaging channels, where the messaging module may rescind messages from some of the messaging channels upon receiving a reply from the recipient of the message or other confirmation that the recipient has seen the message via one of the communication channels.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a message addressed to a user of a messaging system;

delivering a plurality of copies of the message to the user via a plurality of messaging channels that include a first messaging channel and a second messaging channel, each copy delivered via a different messaging channel of the plurality of messaging channels, the second messaging channel being either a rescindable messaging channel or a non-rescindable messaging channel;

receiving a reply to the message from the user via the first messaging channel of the plurality of messaging channels; and

responsive to receiving the reply via the first messaging channel, rescinding the copy of the message delivered to the second messaging channel subject to the second messaging channel being the rescindable messaging channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein rescinding comprises deleting the copy of the message delivered to the second messaging channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein rescinding comprises marking the copy of the message delivered to the second messaging channel as having been read.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging channels comprise at least one of web-chat, email, and mobile chat channels.

5. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a message addressed to a user of a messaging system;

delivering a plurality of copies of the message to the user via a plurality of messaging channels that include a first messaging channel and a second messaging channel, each copy delivered via a different messaging channel of the plurality of messaging channels, the second messaging channel being either a rescindable messaging channel or a non-rescindable messaging channel;

receiving an indication of the user reading one of the copies delivered to first messaging channel of the messaging channels; and

responsive to receiving the indication, rescinding another one of the copies of the message delivered to the second messaging channel subject to the second messaging channel being the rescindable messaging channel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein rescinding comprises deleting the another one of the copies of the message delivered to the second messaging channel.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein rescinding comprises marking the another one of the copies of the message delivered to the second messaging channel as having been read.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of messaging channels comprise at least one of web-chat, email, and mobile chat channels.

9. A system, comprising:

a computer-readable medium storing instructions for;

receiving a message addressed to a user of a messaging system;

delivering a plurality of copies of the message to the user via a plurality of messaging channels that include a first messaging channel and a second messaging channel, each copy delivered via a different messaging channel of the plurality of messaging channels, the second messaging channel being either a rescindable messaging channel or a non-rescindable messaging channel;

receiving a reply to the message from the user via the first messaging channel of the plurality of messaging channels; and

responsive to receiving the reply via the first messaging channel, rescinding the copy of the message delivered to the second messaging channel subject to the second messaging channel being the rescindable messaging channel; and

a processor to execute the instructions.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein rescinding comprises deleting the copy of the message delivered to the second messaging channel.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein rescinding comprises marking the copy of the message delivered to the second messaging channel as having been read.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the messaging channels comprise at least one of web-chat, email, and mobile chat channels.