Patent Publication Number: US-2015074208-A1

Title: Exposed group of recipients for text message

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Short messaging service (SMS) is a messaging service typically used by mobile devices, but can be used by any computer system with an SMS agent installed, to exchange text messages. The text messages may include text and/or multimedia, such as pictures, video, audio files, etc. SMS uses standardized communications protocols to exchange text messages. Text messaging may be the most widely used application in the world. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The embodiments are described in detail with reference to the examples shown in the following figures: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a system; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a device; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a method for creating an exposed group for a text message; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates another method for creating an exposed group for a text message; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a method for receiving a text message and displaying an exposed group; 
         FIGS. 6A-B  show examples of graphical user interfaces generated on a sending device; and 
         FIGS. 7A-C  show examples of graphical user interfaces generated on a receiving device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the principles of the embodiments are described by referring mainly to examples thereof. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It is apparent that the embodiments may be practiced without limitation to all the specific details. Also, the embodiments may be used together in various combinations. 
     A user may send an SMS text message to multiple recipients simultaneously. However, a recipient cannot determine if the text message was only sent to him or her or whether the text message was sent to a group of recipients. In many instances, a recipient may forward the message to another recipient in the group because the recipient did not know the other recipient was part of the group of recipients that was sent the message. 
     According to an embodiment, a sender of a text message may create an exposed group of recipients when creating a text message. The exposed group of recipients is a group of multiple recipients that are being sent the text message from the sender. The text message may be addressed to a plurality of recipients and the exposed group may include all the recipients or may include some of the recipients but not all of the recipients. The sender may select which recipients are included in the exposed group. The exposed group is included in the text message and sent to the recipients. A recipient of the text message can view all the recipients in the exposed group. A text message is a message that may include text and/or multimedia, such as pictures, video, audio files, etc. The text message may be an SMS text message or a text message of another protocol whereby the protocol does not include a mechanism for identifying a plurality of recipients of the text message at the receiving device. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a system  100  including a plurality of devices  40 - 43  connected via a network  105 . The devices  40 - 43  include a text messaging application  50   a - d  that can create, send, and receive text messages and can include an exposed group of recipients in a text message for a sending device and can identify and display an exposed group of recipients at a receiving device. A sending device is a device sending a text message. A receiving device is a device receiving a text message. Any of the devices  40 - 43  may be a sending or a receiving device. The devices  40 - 43  are computer devices and may include a mobile device, such as a cellular phone, laptop, etc., or a stationary device, such as a desktop personal computer or any other type of computer device that can execute a text messaging application.  FIG. 1  shows text messaging applications  50   a - d  in devices  40 - 43  respectively. Each text messaging application may create, send, receive and display text messages on the respective device. Also, the text messaging applications  50   a - d  may include exposed group modules  51   a - d  respectively. Each exposed group module may create and modify exposed groups, include exposed groups in text messages and display exposed groups. A recipient is an entity or user identified in the text message to receive the text message. A single text message may be sent to a plurality of recipients simultaneously. 
     The network  105  may include multiple switches, such as switch  114  and  116 - 118 . The network  105  may be a mobile network supporting mobile devices and services for mobile devices, include a text messaging service. The network  105  may include a mobile switching center (MSC)  130  that can route text messages from a sending device to one or more receiving devices. In one example, the device  41  is a sending device. The text messaging application  50   b  creates a text message based on input from a user to be sent to a plurality of recipients of the devices  40 ,  42 , and  43 , which are the receiving devices in this example. The text messaging application  50   b  creates the text message and it is addressed to the recipients for the devices  40 ,  42 , and  43 . The exposed group module  51   b  in the text messaging application  50   b  creates an exposed group identifying two or more of the recipients and includes the exposed group in the text message. The text message is sent via the network  105  to the recipients associated with the devices  40 ,  42 , and  43 . For example, the switch  114  receives the text message from the sending device  41  and forwards it to the MSC  130 . The MSC  130  routes the text message according to the recipients listed in the text message. The switches  116 - 118  for the locations for the devices  40 ,  42 , and  43  receive the text message and send it to the corresponding receiving device. The text messaging applications  50   a ,  50   c  and  50   d  of the receiving devices  40 ,  42 , and  43  display the text message and the exposed group modules  51   a ,  51   c , and  51   d  can display the exposed group of recipients. 
       FIG. 2  shows a block diagram of a device that may be used for any of the devices  40 - 43 . The device  200  is shown comprising hardware elements that may be electrically coupled via a bus  224 . The hardware elements may include a processor  202 , an input device  204  (e.g., keyboard, touchscreen, etc.), and an output device  202  (e.g., display, speaker, etc.). The device  200  may also include storage devices, such as memory  218  and a non-volatile storage device  212  (e.g., solid state storage, hard disk, etc.). The storage device  212  and memory  218  are examples of non-transitory computer readable storage media that may store machine readable instructions. For example, at runtime, the memory  218  may store an operating system  220  and a text messaging application  222  with an exposed group module. The text messaging application  222  can be one of the text messaging applications shown in  FIG. 1 . Other applications may be stored in the memory  218  as well. The non-volatile storage device  212  may also store data and the application  222 . The computer system  200  may additionally include a network interface  214 , which may be wireless and/or a wired network interface. The application  222 , operating system  220  and other software may be comprised of machine readable instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage media. 
     It should be appreciated that the computer system  200  may have numerous variations from that described above. For example, customized hardware might also be used and/or particular elements might be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software, such as applets), or both. 
       FIG. 3  shows an example of a method  300  of creating an exposed group of recipients for a text message. The methods  300  and  400  may be performed by a sending device, which may include any of the devices  40 - 43  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . For example, the text messaging applications shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  may perform the methods. 
     At  301 , a text message to be sent to a plurality of recipients is created. For example, a user executes the text messaging application on the device to compose a new text message. The text message is addressed to the plurality of recipients. The text message may include text and/or multimedia. 
     At  302 , an exposed group of recipients from the plurality of recipients is determined. For example, the user selects one or more of the plurality of recipients to include in the exposed group. 
     At  303 , the exposed group is included in the text message, and the text message is sent to the plurality of recipients, for example, in response to a user clicking a send button generated by the text messaging application. A receiving device receiving the text message may display the text message. Also, the text messaging application in the receiving device may identify the exposed group of recipients in the text message and display the recipients. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an example of a method  400  for determining an exposed group of recipients. The method  400  may be performed by the text messaging application shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The method  400  may be performed for  302  for the method  300 . 
     At  401 , a determination is made as to whether sending of a text message is invoked. For example, a user creates a text message and addresses the text message to one or more recipients. The user may click on a send button on a graphical user interface created by the text messaging application to invoke sending of the text message. The text messaging application determines whether the user clicked send to invoke sending of the text message. 
     At  402 , if the sending of the text message is invoked, a determination is made as to whether the text message is addressed to a plurality of recipients. For example, a user may enter more than one recipient in a “TO” field in the text message prior to clicking the send button. If more than one recipient is identified in the “TO” field, then the text messaging application determines the text message is addressed to a plurality of recipients. 
     At  403 , if the text message is addressed to a plurality of recipients, a graphical user interface may be generated that allows a user to select one or more of the plurality of recipients for an exposed group. For example, a list of the plurality of recipients is presented to the user via a display and the user may select one or more of the plurality of recipients for the exposed group. The user, for example, selects some or all of the plurality of recipients for the exposed group. 
     At  404 , the recipients for the exposed group are determined from the user selection. 
     At  405 , the recipients for the exposed group are included in the text message. In one example, the recipients are included in the body of the text message. The body may include text entered by the user. The recipients for the exposed group may be appended to the text entered by the user. The recipients for the exposed group may be preceded and followed by delimiters to distinguish the recipients from the text in the message. For example, the delimited recipients may be included in the body as //recipient1, recipient2// at the end of the text message. “recipient1” and “recipient2” are user IDs for the recipients in the exposed group and // are examples of delimiters that may be used. “recipient1” and “recipient2” may be cellular telephone numbers of the recipients. The exposed group of recipients are sent with the text message to the plurality of recipients. At the receiving devices of the plurality of recipients, the exposed group may be displayed. 
     In the example described above, the text messaging application may determine if the sending of text message is invoked and then automatically generates a graphical user interface that allows a user to select recipients for the exposed group assuming the text message is addressed to a plurality of recipients. In another example, the text messaging application may generate a “Create Exposed Group” button on a graphical user interface {umlaut over (r)} the text messaging application determines that the text message is addressed to a plurality of recipients. The user may click on the “Create Exposed Group” button to select recipients for the exposed group if the user desires to create an exposed group. Then, the user may select the recipients for the exposed group prior to clicking a “Send” button to invoke sending of the text message. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates an example of method  500  for identifying an exposed group of recipients for a text message. The method  500  may be performed by a text messaging application at a receiving device, such as any of the text messaging applications shown in  FIG. 1  or  2 . 
     At  501 , a text message is received at a receiving device. For example, any of the devices  40 - 43  shown in  FIG. 1  may be receiving devices. 
     At  502 , a determination is made as to whether an exposed group of recipients is included in the text message. For example, the text messaging application in the receiving device parses the body of be text message for predetermined delimiters. If the delimiters are identified, then the text messaging application determines the text message includes the exposed group. 
     At  503 , if the text message is determined to include the exposed group, the exposed group is displayed to the user. For example, the text messaging application may identify the recipients co-located with the delimiters. The text messaging application may display the recipients. For example, if the recipients are identified by a telephone number, the text messaging application may display the telephone numbers or may perform a lookup on a contact list stored in the receiving device to determine if the telephone number is associated with another user ID, such as a name. If another user ID is identified by the lookup, that user ID may be displayed. 
     In another example, the user may scroll through the body of the text message to determine if the exposed group is in the text message. If the exposed group is in the text message, the user can view the exposed group in the body. In yet another example, the text messaging application may mask the exposed group in the body of the text message so the user cannot view the exposed group when viewing the body of the text message. In this example, the user may be presented with an option to view the exposed group. 
       FIGS. 6A-B  show examples of graphical user interfaces that may be created by the text messaging application on a sending device, which may include any of the devices  4043  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
       FIG. 6A  shows the body of the text message  601  including text entered by the user. In this example, the text message is addressed to recipients  1 - 3 . The text messaging application determines the text message is addressed to a plurality of recipients and includes a “Create Exposed Group” button on the graphical user interface. 
       FIG. 6B  shows a graphical user interface that allows the user to select recipients for the exposed group. In this example, recipient1 and recipient3 are selected. This graphical user interface may be generated in response to the user selecting the “Create Exposed Group” button shown in  FIG. 6A  or may be generate automatically, without the user having to select a “Create Exposed Group” button, in response to determining the text message is addressed to a plurality of recipients and in response to the user invoking the sending of the text message. 
       FIGS. 7A-C  show examples of graphical user interfaces that may be created by the text messaging application on a receiving device, which may include any of the devices  40 - 43  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     The exposed group of recipients may be included in the body of the text message.  FIG. 7A  shows an example whereby the exposed group of recipients is included in the body and is viewable by the user in the display.  FIG. 7B  shows an example, whereby the exposed group of recipients is masked so it cannot be viewed with the rest of the text in the body. In this example, a “View Exposed Group” button may be selected to view the recipients in the exposed group.  FIG. 7C  shows the recipients in the exposed group, which may be displayed in response to selection of the “View Exposed Group” button. 
     In  FIG. 7A , the user select a “Reply” button to reply just to the sender or a “Reply All” button to reply to the sender and all the recipients in the exposed group or may be presented with an option to select the sender and/or one or more of the recipients in the exposed group.  FIG. 7C  shows an example whereby a user may select the sender and/or one or more of the recipients for replying to a received text message. 
     While the embodiments have been described with reference to examples, various modifications to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed embodiments.