Apparatus and method for maintaining a message thread with opt-in permanence for entries

• US 9,742,713 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2014
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Inventors: Spiegel, Evan, Sehn, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): BIAGINI, CHRISTOPHER D
• Application Number:
  US14/274,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20140359032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 709206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

A server has a processor and a memory storing a message thread module with instructions executed by the processor to maintain a message thread between users of client devices. Message thread state changes are queued at the server. The message thread is revised based upon the message thread state changes to form shared message thread state. The shared message thread state is stored. The shared message thread state is supplied in response to a request for the message thread from a user.

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 users of client devices by

serving a message thread with a new text entry to a client device in response to a request for the message thread from a user;

collecting message thread state change from the client device, wherein the message thread state change represents an indication to automatically delete the new text entry of the message thread after the duration of a transitory display period on the client device unless an indication of a gesture applied to a display screen presenting the new text entry of the message thread is received from the client device during the transitory display period, wherein the transitory display period is a single digit number of seconds, and absence of the indication of the gesture causes the indication to automatically delete the new text entry such that the new text entry is only viewed once for the single digit number of seconds;

queuing the message thread state change at the server along with additional message thread state changes associated with the collecting operation performed for additional users and corresponding additional client devices associated with the message thread;

revising the message thread based upon the message thread state change and the additional message thread state changes to form shared message thread state, wherein revising includes asynchronous batch mode processing in response to a satisfied synchronization condition;

storing persistently the shared message thread state until a next synchronization event; and

supplying the shared message thread state in response to a request for the message thread from a user that occurs after the next synchronization event and supplying the message thread with the new text entry in response to a request for the message thread from a user that occurs before the next synchronization event.

2. The server of claim 1 wherein queuing is performed in response to a user exit from a message thread.

3. The server of claim 1 wherein the message thread module includes instructions executed by the processor to delete the new text entry from a thread associated with a sender after the new text entry is viewed by the user.

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

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

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

7. The server of claim 4 wherein the parameter indicates that a sender and the user persisted the new text entry.

8. The server of claim 1 wherein the message thread module includes instructions executed by the processor to restore the new text entry in a message thread associated with a sender of the new text entry on a display associated with the sender if the server receives an indication that the user applied a gesture to the display screen associated with the user during the transitory display period.

9. A method implemented by a server with a processor and a memory storing instructions executed by the processor to maintain a first message thread and a second message thread between a first user and a second user by:

directing, by the server, a second client device to display a text entry of the second message thread for a duration of a transitory display period, wherein the text entry is from the first user and is presented on a second display screen associated with the second client device of the second user, and wherein the first user generates the text entry with a first indication to preserve the text entry in the first message thread, wherein the first indication is a first gesture applied to a first display screen of a first client device associated with the first user that is received by the server as the first indication;

automatically deleting at the server the text entry of the second message thread for the second user after the duration of the transitory display period unless a second indication of a second gesture applied to the second display screen presenting the text entry of the message thread on the second client device associated with the second user is received at the server during the transitory display period, in which case the text entry of the message thread is maintained by the server for the second message thread and the server provides feedback to the first user that the text entry of the second message thread is preserved;

modifying, at the direction of the server, the text entry of the first message thread associated with the first user on the first display screen associated with the first user if the server receives the second indication that the second user applied the second gesture to the second display screen associated with the second user during the transitory display period, wherein modifying includes the server providing first indicia indicating that only the first user provided the first indication, and that there was no second indication and therefore only the first user preserved the text entry or second indicia in response to the first indication and the second indication to indicate that both the first user and the second user preserved the text entry; and

asynchronous batch mode processing of state change associated with the first message thread and the second message.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the transitory display period is a single digit number of seconds.