Embedded programs and interfaces for chat conversations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10404636-B2
Application number	US-201715624637-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2017
Priority date	Jun 15, 2017
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

Implementations relate to embedded programs and interfaces for chat conversations. In some implementations, a method includes initiating an embedded application in association with a chat interface displayed by a messaging application that executes at least in part on a first user device. The chat interface displays messages originating from other user devices participating in a chat conversation over a network and associated with chat users. An indication is received over the network that one or more particular devices of the other user devices have connected to an embedded session associated with the embedded application. In response, chat identities associated with particular users of the particular user devices are provided from the messaging application to the embedded application. The particular users are designated as member users of the embedded session, and the embedded application is updated based on data received from particular user devices of the embedded session.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method to provide an embedded application in association with a messaging application, the computer-implemented method comprising:
initiating a first embedded application on a first user device in association with a first chat interface displayed by a first messaging application that executes at least in part on the first user device, wherein the first chat interface is configured to receive first user input from a first user and display messages originating from a plurality of other user devices participating in a chat conversation over a network, wherein the plurality of other user devices are associated with a plurality of chat users;
receiving an indication over the network indicating that the plurality of other user devices are connected to an embedded session associated with the first embedded application;
obtaining an embedded session identifier for the embedded session that is associated with a chat session identifier of the chat conversation, wherein the first user and the plurality of chat users are included in a set of member users of the embedded session and are associated with the embedded session identifier, and wherein the first embedded application is updated based on data received from the plurality of other user devices of the embedded session; and
causing an association of a subset of the set of member users with a sub-session created within the embedded session, wherein member users in the subset are enabled to interact with each other within the sub-session, and other member users outside the subset cannot interact with each other within the sub-session.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the first embedded application receives first user input at an embedded interface displayed as part of the first chat interface, wherein the first user input provides selection of an interface element in the embedded interface, and wherein the first embedded application is updated in response to the first user input.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of other user devices of the embedded session executes a respective embedded application that provides a respective embedded interface associated with a respective chat interface displayed on the respective other user device, and wherein the first embedded application is updated based on the data received from at least one of the plurality of other user devices of the embedded session, wherein the data includes other user input received by at least one of the respective embedded interfaces from at least one of the member users of the embedded session.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
obtaining output data from the first embedded application to be displayed in the first chat interface; and
in response to obtaining the output data, causing a prompt to be displayed by the first user device, wherein the prompt includes a user-selectable control to consent to display of the output data in the first chat interface.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising anonymizing one or more chat identities associated with the plurality of chat users in the embedded session to create anonymized chat identities, and providing the anonymized chat identities to the first embedded application.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to the first user device disconnecting from the network, caching a state of the first embedded application in storage, and in response to the first user device reconnecting to the network after the disconnecting, synchronizing the first embedded application with the embedded session using the cached state of the first embedded application.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining one or more characteristics of at least one of the plurality of other user devices; and
providing the one or more characteristics to the first embedded application, wherein the one or more characteristics include at least one of:
a geographic location of at least one of the plurality of other user devices;
and
an available data bandwidth over the network for at least one of the plurality of other user devices,

wherein the one or more characteristics are used by the first embedded application to at least one of: determine output information to be displayed by the first user device, and cause a modification of transmission of input data to the first user device from one or more other devices over the network.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to initiating the first embedded application:
detecting, on the first user device, that a second user device of the plurality of other user devices has initiated the embedded session associated with the first embedded application;
detecting a first chat message input to the chat conversation by the first user via the first chat interface;
determining whether the first chat message is associated with the first embedded application based on content of the first chat message; and
in response to determining that the first chat message is associated with the first embedded application, causing display of a join element in the first chat interface that provides a user-selectable option to connect to the embedded session,
wherein the initiating the first embedded application on the first user device is performed in response to receiving selection of the join element by user input.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 further comprising outputting a notification to the chat conversation in response to one or more particular types of events that occur in the embedded session, wherein the one or more particular types of events include events that occur in the first embedded application and include at least one of:
initiation of playback of a media item;
ceasing of the playback of the media item;
a change in the playback of the media item based on at least one of the first user input and the other user input;
a game event occurring in a game of the embedded session;
an update to the game based on at least one of the first user input and the other user input; and
an update to a shared content document based on at least one of the first user input and the other user input.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising outputting a notification to the chat conversation in response to receiving server event information indicating that one or more events have occurred on a server, and providing the server event information to the first embedded application to display on the first user device.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 further comprising:
receiving updates to the first embedded application from a server that manages the embedded session, wherein the updates are based on the other user input from the plurality of chat users, the other user input provided to the server.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining a suggestion event in the embedded session based on receiving at least one of: second user input received from the first user in the first chat interface, embedded event information from the first embedded application, and server event information from a server coupled to the network;
obtaining one or more suggested response items based on the suggestion event; and
causing to be displayed the one or more suggested response items by the first user device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 further comprising:
receiving third user input indicative of a selected suggested response item from

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Google Llc

Inventors

• Rodriguez Adam
• Chen Rendong
• Lei Florbela
• Horn Thomas
• Matsumoto Masumi
• Zhu Bin
• Launay Yohan
• Goeij Dillon
• Zhang Xiaowen Karen
• Leow Tze Wei Ian
• Chuang Chen-Ting

Classifications

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• H04L51/02

  using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages · CPC title

• H04L65/60

  Network streaming of media packets · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• H04L51/046 Primary

  Interoperability with other network applications or services · CPC title