Methods and apparatuses for managing external approval provisioning and external messaging communication requests in a group-based communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11265282-B2
Application number	US-202016821514-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2020
Priority date	Mar 17, 2020
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a group-based communication system that is configured to more efficiently manage resource sharing requests. In particular, in some embodiments, the group-based communication system is configured to enable admin users to use an external service, such as an external approval provisioning service, that is separate and distinct from the group-based communication system to manage group-based communication resource sharing requests. In other embodiments, the group-based communication system is configured to allow communication with external users and to trigger new user onboarding protocols through the ingestion of external user directories associated with a sponsor user.

First claim

We claim:

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method of transmitting a group-based communication system message to an external user of a group-based communication system, the method comprising:
presenting, to a sending user via a user interface of a group-based communication system client on a sending user client device, a recipient entry field configured to receive one or more internal user identifiers associated with the group-based communication system and one or more external user identifiers;
receiving, from the sending user and via the recipient entry field of the user interface, an external user identifier of the one or more external user identifiers associated with the external user and message data of the group-based communication system message;
receiving, from the sending user and via the recipient entry field of the user interface, an internal user identifier of the one or more internal user identifiers associated with an internal user,
wherein the internal user is a user of the group-based communication system,
wherein the external user identifier is external to the group-based communication system;
causing transmission of the message data to the internal user via the group-based communication system for display by the group-based communication system client on a receiving user client device;
causing transmission of the message data to an external messaging resource address associated with the external user identifier and an invite request interface; and
responsive to engagement, by the external user, of the invite request interface, providing access to the external user to interact within the group-based communication system.

2. The media of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
after receiving a partial entry by the sending user of the external user identifier and prior to receiving the external user identifier, providing, to the sending user, at least one suggested external user identifier matching the partial entry and at least one suggested internal user identifier matching the partial entry.

3. The media of claim 2 , wherein the at least one suggested external user identifier is based on a previously ingested user contacts list associated with the sending user.

4. The media of claim 1 , wherein the external user identifier is an email address of the external user.

5. The media of claim 1 , wherein the external user is external to a group-based communication organization of the sending user.

6. The media of claim 1 , wherein the external user is external to a group-based communication workspace of the sending user.

7. A method of transmitting a group-based communication system message to an external user of a group-based communication system, the method comprising:
presenting, to a sending user via a user interface of a group-based communication system client on a sending user client device, a recipient entry field configured to receive one or more internal user identifiers associated with the group-based communication system and one or more external user identifiers;
receiving, from the sending user and via the recipient entry field of the user interface, an external user identifier of the one or more external user identifiers associated with the external user and message data of the group-based communication system message;
receiving, from the sending user and via the recipient entry field of the user interface, an internal user identifier of the one or more internal user identifiers associated with an internal user,
wherein the internal user is a user of the group-based communication system,
wherein the external user identifier is external to the group-based communication system;
causing transmission of the message data to the internal user via the group-based communication system for display by the group-based communication system client on a receiving user client device;
causing transmission of the message data to an external messaging resource address associated with the external user identifier and an invite request interface; and
responsive to engagement, by the external user, of the invite request interface, providing access to the external user to interact within the group-based communication system.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
after receiving a partial entry by the sending user of the external user identifier and prior to receiving the external user identifier, providing, to the sending user, at least one suggested external user identifier matching the partial entry and at least one suggested internal user identifier matching the partial entry.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one suggested external user identifier is based on a previously ingested user contacts list associated with the sending user.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the external user identifier is an email address of the external user.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the external user is external to a group-based communication system organization of the sending user.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the external user is external to a group-based communication workspace of the sending user.

13. A system for transmitting a group-based communication system message to an external user of a group-based communication system, comprising:
a group-based communication system server;
a receiving user client device; and
a sending user client device programmed to:
present, to a sending user via a user interface of a group-based communication system client, a recipient entry field configured to receive one or more internal user identifiers associated with the group-based communication system and one or more external user identifiers;
receive, from the sending user and via the recipient entry field of the user interface, an external user identifier of the one or more external user identifiers associated with the external user and message data of the group-based communication system message;
receive, from the sending user and via the recipient entry field of the user interface, an internal user identifier associated with an internal user,
wherein the internal user is a user of the group-based communication system,
wherein the external user identifier is external to the group-based communication system;
cause transmission of the message data to the internal user via the group-based communication system for display by the group-based communication system client on the receiving user client device;
cause transmission of the message data, via the group-based communication system server, to an external messaging resource address associated with the external user identifier and an invite request interface; and
responsive to engagement, by the external user, of the invite request interface, providing access to the external user to interact within the group-based communication system.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the sending user client device is further programmed to:
after receiving a partial entry by the sending user of the external user identifier and prior to receiving the external user identifier, providing, to the sending user, at least one suggested external user identifier matching the partial entry and at least one suggested internal user identifier matching the partial entry.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one suggested external user identifier is based on a previously ingested user contacts list associated with the sending user.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the external user identifier is

Assignees

• Slack Tech Inc
• Slack Tech Llc

Inventors

• Jamison Britton
• Venkatesh Smruthi
• Barnes James
• Morris Ryan

Classifications

• H04L51/56 Primary

  Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM] · CPC title

• G06Q10/107

  Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] · CPC title

• H04L67/146

  Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding · CPC title

• H04L51/212

  using filtering or selective blocking · CPC title

• H04L63/104 Primary

  Grouping of entities · CPC title