Software application manager for messaging applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12177273-B2
Application number	US-202318528429-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2023
Priority date	Jul 28, 2017
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

Among other things, embodiments of the present disclosure improve the functionality of electronic messaging systems by enabling users in an electronic chat conversation to run applications together. In some embodiments, when one user in a chat launches an application, an icon or other visual representation of the application appears in a portion of the chat window (e.g., in a “chat dock”) for other users in the chat to access.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from a first computing device of a first user engaged in a group conversation with a respective computing device of one or more other respective users, an electronic communication containing a request to launch a software application into the group conversation;
in response to the request to launch the software application, creating a software application session for the software application and associating the software application session with each respective computing device of each respective user in the group conversation;
transmitting a respective electronic communication containing information regarding the software application session to each respective computing device of each respective user in the group conversation;
determining that the first user is engaged in the software application session via the first computing device, and that a second user in the group conversation is engaged in the software application session via a second computing device; and
causing display of a first interface element on a third computing device of a third user in the group conversation, the first interface element being user-selectable to observe the software application session.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
in response to the request to launch the software application, causing display of an icon representing the software application within a docking window on a respective display screen of each respective computing device of the one or more other respective users.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the docking window is separate from a conversation thread corresponding to the group conversation; and
the docking window overlays the conversation thread.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the operations further comprise:
in response to determining that the first user is engaged in the software application session:
causing display of the icon to visually change within the docking window.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the docking window is configured to be displayed when at least one software application is open with respect to the group conversation, and to otherwise be hidden from display.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise:
in response to detecting that all software applications open with respect to the group conversation have been terminated, causing the docking window to be removed from display on the respective display screen of each respective computing device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the determining that the second user is engaged in the software application session comprises:
receiving, from the second computing device, an electronic communication containing a request to launch the software application.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
transmitting an electronic communication containing information regarding the software application to the second computing device that contains executable code for the second computing device to execute locally to run the software application.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving from the third computing device an electronic communication contamifig a request to observe the software application session, the electronic communication being generated in response to selection of the first interface element by the third user.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
after receiving the electronic communication from the third computing device:
transmitting an electronic communication containing representations of actions taken within the software application session, by one or more of the first user and the second user, to the third computing device.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
after receiving the electronic communication from the third computing device:
causing display of an interface element on the first computing device, the interface element indicating that the third user is observing the software application session.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
creating the software application session includes verifying that the first user has permission to create the software application session.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving, from the first computing device, an electronic communication containing a request to terminate the software application session; and
terminating the software application session in response to the request to terminate the software application session.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
terminating the software application session includes verifying that the first user has permission to terminate the software application session.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the electronic communication containing information regarding the software application session transmitted to the first computing device contains executable code for the first computing device to execute locally to run the software application.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
transmitting state updates and synchronization information to one or more of the first computing device and the second computing device engaged in the software application session.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein:
the state updates and synchronization information includes an update to a visible state of the software application for one or more of the first computing device and the second computing device.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein:
the state updates include a first visible state update associated with the first user and a second visible state update associated with the second user.

19. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, from a first computing device of a first user engaged in a group conversation with a respective computing device of one or more other respective users, an electronic communication containing a request to launch a software application into the group conversation;
in response to the request to launch the software application, creating a software application session for the software application and associating the software application session with each respective computing device of each respective user in the group conversation;
transmitting a respective electronic communication containing information regarding the software application session to each respective computing device of each respective user in the group conversation;
determining that the first user is engaged in the software application session via the first computing device, and that a second user in the group conversation is engaged in the software application session via a second computing device; and
causing display of a first interface element on a third computing device of a third user in the group conversation, the first interface element being user-selectable to observe the software application session.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from a first computing device of a first user engaged in a group conversation with a respective computing device of one

Assignees

• Snap Inc

Inventors

• Eirinberg Dylan Shane
• Son Aaron Daniel
• Wu William

Classifications

• H04L67/131

  Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality · CPC title

• H04L51/04

  Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] · CPC title

• H04L67/34

  involving the movement of software or configuration parameters  (network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416) · CPC title

• H04L67/1095

  Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes · CPC title

• H04L63/102

  Entity profiles · CPC title