Systems and methods for sorting unread messages in a group-based communication platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11489806-B2
Application number	US-202017133452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2020
Priority date	Dec 23, 2020
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

A method includes receiving a request to display sets of unread messages associated with a plurality of communication channels of a communication platform, wherein each set of unread messages is associated with a respective communication channel of the plurality of communication channels; receiving a selection to sort the sets of unread messages according to a user-defined sorting scheme for ordering display of the plurality of communication channels in the communication platform; and displaying the sets of unread messages sorted according to the user-defined sorting scheme.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving a request to display sets of unread messages associated with a plurality of communication channels of a communication platform, wherein a set of unread messages is associated with a respective communication channel of the plurality of communication channels, and wherein a communication channel of the plurality of communication channels comprises a data route used to exchange data between user computing devices of a defined group of users granted access to the communication channel;
receiving a selection to sort the sets of unread messages according to a user-defined sorting scheme for ordering display of the plurality of communication channels and for ordering display of unread messages of the sets of unread messages associated with the plurality of communication channels in the communication platform; and
displaying the unread messages of the sets of unread messages associated with the plurality of communication channels sorted according to the user-defined sorting scheme.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of communication channels are organized into a plurality of sections, the user-defined sorting scheme comprises a user-defined order of the plurality of sections, and the sets of unread messages are displayed according to the user-defined order of the plurality of sections such that first sets of unread messages for communication channels of a first section of the plurality of sections are displayed above second sets of unread messages for communication channels of a second section of the plurality of sections.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising receiving a second selection to display third sets of unread messages for a selected section and displaying the third sets of unread messages for the selected section sorted according to the user-defined sorting scheme for the selected section.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the unread messages of the sets of unread messages comprises displaying communication channel identifiers and grouping each set of unread messages with a corresponding communication channel identifier.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein additional communication channel identifiers associated with communication channels that do not have unread messages are not displayed in the display of the unread messages of the sets of unread messages.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein first unread messages associated with a first communication channel that has been muted are not included in the display of the unread messages of the sets of unread messages.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection to sort the sets of unread messages according to the user-defined sorting scheme is made via a menu that comprises a plurality of sorting schemes.

8. A group-based communication system comprising one or more processors, memory, and one or more programs stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:
receiving a request to display sets of unread messages associated with a plurality of communication channels of a communication platform, wherein a set of unread messages is associated with a respective communication channel of the plurality of communication channels, wherein a communication channel of the plurality of communication channels comprises a data route used to exchange data between user computing devices of a defined group of users granted access to the communication channel;
receiving a selection to sort the sets of unread messages according to a user-defined sorting scheme for ordering display of the plurality of communication channels and for ordering display of unread messages of the sets of unread messages associated with the plurality of communication channels in the communication platform; and
displaying the unread messages of the sets of unread messages associated with the plurality of communication channels sorted according to the user-defined sorting scheme.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of communication channels are organized into a plurality of sections, the user-defined sorting scheme comprises a user-defined order of the plurality of sections, and the sets of unread messages are displayed according to the user-defined order of the plurality of sections such that first sets of unread messages for communication channels of a first section of the plurality of sections are displayed above second sets of unread messages for communication channels of a second section of the plurality of sections.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising receiving a second selection to display third sets of unread messages for a selected section and displaying the third sets of unread messages for the selected section sorted according to the user-defined sorting scheme for the selected section.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein displaying the unread messages of the sets of unread messages comprises displaying communication channel identifiers and grouping each set of unread messages with a corresponding communication channel identifier.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein additional communication channel identifiers associated with communication channels that do not have unread messages are not displayed in the display of the unread messages of the sets of unread messages.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein first unread messages associated with a first communication channel that has been muted are not included in the display of the unread messages of the sets of unread messages.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the selection to sort the sets of unread messages according to the user-defined sorting scheme is made via a menu that comprises a plurality of sorting schemes.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to:
receive a request to display sets of unread messages associated with a plurality of communication channels of a communication platform, wherein a set of unread messages is associated with a respective communication channel of the plurality of communication channels, wherein a communication channel of the plurality of communication channels comprises a data route used to exchange data between user computing devices of a defined group of users granted access to the communication channel;
receive a selection to sort the sets of unread messages according to a user-defined sorting scheme for ordering display of the plurality of communication channels and for ordering display of unread messages of the sets of unread messages associated with the plurality of communication channels in the communication platform; and
display the unread messages of the sets of unread messages associated with the plurality of communication channels sorted according to the user-defined sorting scheme.

Assignees

• Slack Tech Llc
• Salesforce Inc

Inventors

• Kheyfets Phillip
• Rhazi Sufian
• Russell Jonathan
• Barnes James
• Nguyen Rosaleen
• Sultan Zachary

Classifications

• H04L51/42 Primary

  Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes · CPC title

• H04L51/214

  using selective forwarding · CPC title

• G06F3/0481

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

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