Generating and maintaining group messaging threads for ephemeral content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11206232-B2
Application number	US-201916653628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2019
Priority date	Jun 18, 2019
Publication date	Dec 21, 2021
Grant date	Dec 21, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems, non-transitory computer-readable media, and methods for generating and maintaining group messaging threads associated with ephemeral content. For instance, the disclosed systems can facilitate the creation of ephemeral content including a customizable group messaging graphical element associated with the ephemeral content the enables users to join a group messaging thread associated with the ephemeral content. In addition, the disclosed systems can generate user requests to join the group messaging thread based on user interaction with a group messaging graphical element within ephemeral content and can present the requests to the creator of the ephemeral content. Accordingly, in various embodiments, the disclosed systems can facilitate group messaging threads between creators of ephemeral content and users that view the ephemeral content via associated group messaging graphical elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, from a first client device associated with a first user, a first selection to include a group messaging graphical element within ephemeral content in a social networking feed;
identifying one or more criteria for removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content;
providing, based on the first selection, the group messaging graphical element to be displayed within the ephemeral content;
generating, by at least one processor, a group messaging thread associated with the group messaging graphical element posted in the social networking feed;
receiving, from a second client device associated with a second user, a second selection of the second user selecting the group messaging graphical element within the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed;
providing, to the first user via the first client device and in response to detecting the second selection, a notification of the second user requesting to join the group messaging thread associated with the ephemeral content; and
based on determining that the one or more criteria for removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content has been met, removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the first client device, user input selecting the second user for inclusion in the group messaging thread; and
wherein generating the group messaging thread occurs in response to receiving the user input selecting the second user for inclusion in the group messaging thread.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the group messaging thread comprises group message content separate from the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed;
the social networking feed comprises the ephemeral content; and
the social networking feed is separate from the group messaging thread.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing, based on the second selection, a request to the first client device to approve the second user for inclusion in the group messaging thread;
receiving, via the first client device, approval to add the second user to the group messaging thread;
providing, based on receiving the approval, the second user with access to the group messaging thread; and
providing, to the second client device, a notification that the second user has been authorized to join the group messaging thread.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the group messaging graphical element comprises a graphical element that overlays a portion of the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed; and
receiving the first selection comprises receiving, via the first client device associated with the first user, a selection of the group messaging graphical element from a plurality of graphical elements.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
modifying the group messaging graphical element to include an expiration time that triggers deletion of the group messaging thread; and
wherein the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed further comprises a countdown graphical element indicating the expiration time.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the first user is directly connected to the second user via a networking system; and
automatically providing the second user access to the group messaging thread based on the first user being directly connected to the second user.

8. The method of claim 1 :
wherein the one or more criteria comprise a maximum membership threshold designating a highest number of users permitted to join the group messaging thread; and
further comprising, in response to determining that the group messaging thread includes a number of members equal to the maximum membership threshold, removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining that the one or more criteria for removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content has been met by:
determining that the number of members in the group messaging thread is below the maximum membership threshold; and
in response to determining that the number of members in the group messaging thread is below the maximum membership threshold, re-adding the group messaging graphical element to the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the first client device, a third selection requesting generation of additional ephemeral content;
providing the group messaging graphical element as a selectable graphical element to the first client device during creation of additional ephemeral content;
receiving, from the first client device, a fourth selection to include the group messaging graphical element within the additional ephemeral content;
associating the additional ephemeral content with the group messaging thread based on including the group messaging graphical element within the additional ephemeral content; and
providing, based on the fourth selection, the group messaging graphical element to be displayed within the additional ephemeral content.

11. A system comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
receive, from a first client device associated with a first user, a first selection to include a group messaging graphical element within ephemeral content in a social networking feed;
identify one or more criteria for removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content;
provide, based on the first selection, the group messaging graphical element to be displayed within the ephemeral content;
generate a group messaging thread associated with the group messaging graphical element posted in the social networking feed;
receive, from a second client device associated with a second user, a second selection of the second user selecting the group messaging graphical element within the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed;
provide, to the first user via the first client device and in response to detecting the second selection, a notification of the second user requesting to join the group messaging thread associated with the ephemeral content; and
based on determining that the one or more criteria for removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content has been met, remove the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising additional instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
receive, from the first client device, user input selecting the second user for inclusion in the group messaging thread; and
wherein generating the group messaging thread is in response to receiving the user input selecting the second user for inclusion in the group messaging thread.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising additional instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
provide, based on the second selection, a request to the first client device to approve the second user for inclusion in the group messaging thread;
receive, via the first client device, approval to add the second user to the group messaging thread;
provide, based on receiving the app

Assignees

• Facebook Inc

Inventors

• Kapoor Mihika
• Cutler Blake
• Taylor Andrew James
• Kennedy Joseph
• Yeh Yo-Tzu

Classifications

• G06Q10/40

  Business processes related to social networking or social networking services · CPC title

• H04L51/043 Primary

  using or handling presence information · CPC title

• H04L51/216 Primary

  Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads · CPC title

• H04L51/52

  for supporting social networking services · CPC title

• H04W4/21

  for social networking applications · CPC title