Rescinding messages in a messaging system with multiple messaging channels

• US 9,380,012 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• 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 M
• Application Number:
  US14/195,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20140181231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 message recipient;

delivering a first copy of the message to the message recipient via a first messaging channel and delivering a second copy of the message to the message recipient via a second messaging channel that is different than the first messaging channel;

receiving a reply to the first copy of the message from the message recipient via the first messaging channel; and

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

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

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

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first messaging channel is one of a web-chat channel, an email channel, or a mobile chat channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second messaging channel is one of a web-chat channel, an email channel, or a mobile chat channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second copy of the message delivered via the second messaging channel is rescinded subject to the second messaging channel being a rescindable messaging channel.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a message addressed to a message recipient;

delivering a first copy of the message to the message recipient via a first messaging channel and delivering a second copy of the message to the message recipient via a second messaging channel that is different than the first messaging channel;

receiving an indication that the message recipient accessed the first copy of the message delivered via the first messaging channel; and

responsive to receiving the indication that the message recipient accessed the first copy of the message delivered via the first messaging channel, rescinding the second copy of the message delivered via the second messaging channel.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein rescinding comprises deleting the second copy of the message delivered via the second messaging channel.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein rescinding comprises marking the second copy of the message delivered via the second messaging channel as having been read.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first messaging channel is one of a web-chat channel, an email channel, or a mobile chat channel.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the second messaging channel is one of a web-chat channel, an email channel, or a mobile chat channel.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the second copy of the message delivered via the second messaging channel is rescinded subject to the second messaging channel being a rescindable messaging channel.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer program code, the code when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a message addressed to a message recipient;

delivering a first copy of the message to the message recipient via a first messaging channel and delivering a second copy of the message to the message recipient via a second messaging channel that is different than the first messaging channel;

receiving an indication that the message recipient accessed the first copy of the message delivered via the first messaging channel; and

responsive to receiving the indication that the message recipient accessed the first copy of the message delivered via the first messaging channel, rescinding the second copy of the message delivered via the second messaging channel.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein rescinding comprises deleting the second copy of the message delivered via the second messaging channel.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein rescinding comprises marking the second copy of the message delivered via the second messaging channel as having been read.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first messaging channel is one of a web-chat channel, an email channel, or a mobile chat channel.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the second messaging channel is one of a web-chat channel, an email channel, or a mobile chat channel.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the second copy of the message delivered via the second messaging channel is rescinded subject to the second messaging channel being a rescindable messaging channel.