JP7648045B2 - Method, system, and computer program for creating groups using specialized tags - Google Patents

Description

The following description relates to techniques for creating groups within a messaging platform.

Instant messenger, a common communication tool, is software that allows users to send and receive messages and data in real time. When a user registers a conversation partner on the messenger, they can exchange messages in real time with the people registered in the conversation list.

This type of messenger function is widely used not only on PCs but also in mobile environments such as mobile communication terminals.

For example, Patent Document 1 (published on September 30, 2002) discloses a mobile messenger service system and method for a mobile terminal that uses a wireless communication network and can provide a messenger service between mobile messengers installed on the mobile terminal.

As the use of instant messengers becomes more widespread, the functions they provide are becoming more diverse, and they now not only allow users to share various information and content such as photos, videos, files, contacts, locations, schedules, notifications, and polls, but also support linking with other services such as game and video services.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2002-0074304

Groups can be easily created by using group tags, which are specialized tags within existing messaging platforms.

A group generation method executed by a computer system, the computer system including at least one processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions contained in a memory, the group generation method including a step of grouping, by the at least one processor, users who selected messages including a specific tag from among messages included in a messaging platform into one group.

A group generation method executed by a computer system, the computer system including at least one processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions included in a memory, the group generation method including a step of displaying a message as a group generation message type by the at least one processor by generating a group subordinate to the messaging platform for a message including a specific tag among messages included in the messaging platform, and a step of controlling, by the at least one processor, when a selection for the message is input from a user of the computer system, so that the user is added as a member of the group.

A computer system is provided that includes at least one processor that is implemented to execute computer-readable instructions contained in a memory, the at least one processor including a message recognition unit that recognizes a message including a specific tag as a message received from an electronic device of a first user in a messaging platform, a group generation unit that generates a group object as a subgroup subordinate to the messaging platform based on the message, and a group management unit that adds the second user to a member of the subgroup when a selection input for the message is received from the electronic device of a second user in the messaging platform.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a network environment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the internal configuration of an electronic device and a server according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 illustrates example components that may be included in a server processor in one embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example method that may be performed by a server in one embodiment of the present invention. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of a user interface screen for explaining a process of creating a group using a group tag in an embodiment of the present invention. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of a user interface screen for explaining a process of creating a group using a group tag in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface screen for explaining a process of joining a group in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface screen for explaining a process of joining a group in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface screen for explaining a process of joining a group in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface screen for explaining a process of joining a group in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface screen for explaining a process of joining a group in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface screen for explaining a process of joining a group in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface screen for explaining a process of joining a group in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface screen for explaining a process of joining a group in one embodiment of the present invention.

<Summary of the Invention>
Provided is a group generation method executed by a computer system, the computer system including at least one processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions contained in a memory, the group generation method including a step of grouping, by the at least one processor, users who have selected messages including a specific tag from among messages included in a messaging platform into one group.

According to one aspect, the grouping step may include a step of recognizing, in the messaging platform, a message including the specific tag as a message received from an electronic device of a first user, a step of generating a group object as a subgroup subordinate to the messaging platform based on the message, and a step of adding the second user as a member of the subgroup when a selection input for the message is received from the electronic device of a second user in the messaging platform.

According to another aspect, the grouping step may include a step of recognizing a message including the specific tag as a message received from an electronic device of a first user in a messenger chat room, a step of generating a group object as a subgroup subordinate to the chat room based on the message, and a step of adding a second user to the subgroup when a selection input for the message is received from an electronic device of a second user included in the chat room.

In another aspect, the grouping step may include a step of recognizing messages including the specific tag as messages posted by a first user on a messenger timeline, a step of generating a group object as a subgroup subordinate to the timeline based on the messages, and a step of adding the second user to the subgroup when a selection input for the message is received from an electronic device of a second user on the timeline.

According to another aspect, the recognizing step may include recognizing a message type indicating a message that includes a tag specific to group generation among messages received from the first user's electronic device.

In another aspect, the generating step may include a step of generating a group object including identification information of the first user by assigning a unique ID to the message.

In another aspect, the generating step may further include maintaining the group object in association with an identification of the messaging platform.

According to another aspect, the generating step may include generating a group object having at least a portion of the message content of the message as a group name.

According to yet another aspect, the group generation method may further include a step of deleting the group object by the at least one processor after a predetermined time or a time set by the first user has elapsed.

A group generation method executed by a computer system, the computer system including at least one processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions included in a memory, the group generation method including a step of displaying a message as a group generation message type by the at least one processor by generating a group subordinate to the messaging platform for a message including a specific tag among messages included in the messaging platform, and a step of controlling, by the at least one processor, when a selection for the message is input from a user of the computer system, so that the user is added as a member of the group.

According to one aspect, the controlling step may include a step of controlling, if the user is not a member of the group, to add the user to the group in accordance with the selection, and a step of controlling, if the user is a member of the group, to remove the user from the group in accordance with the selection.

In another aspect, the controlling step may include a step of providing a group detail page based on group information corresponding to the message when a selection for the message is input from the user, and a step of controlling so that the user is added as a member of the group according to a request of the user on the group detail page.

According to another aspect, the messaging platform includes a menu for viewing all groups subordinate to the messaging platform, and the group generation method may further include a step of providing, by the at least one processor, a list of groups subordinate to the messaging platform in accordance with a request from the user in the menu, and, when a specific group is selected from the group list by the at least one processor, a step of providing a group detail page based on group information corresponding to the selected group, and a step of controlling, by the at least one processor, to add the user to a member of the selected group in accordance with a request from the user in the group detail page.

According to yet another aspect, the group generation method may further include a step of executing, by the at least one processor, additional functions including at least one of mention, message sending, chat room creation, and roulette for members of the group when a selection for the message is input with the user being added as a member of the group.

A computer program is provided that is recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium to cause the computer system to execute the group generation method.

A computer system is provided that includes at least one processor that is implemented to execute computer-readable instructions contained in a memory, the at least one processor including a message recognition unit that recognizes a message including a specific tag as a message received from an electronic device of a first user in a messaging platform, a group generation unit that generates a group object as a subgroup subordinate to the messaging platform based on the message, and a group management unit that adds the second user to a member of the subgroup when a selection input for the message is received from the electronic device of a second user in the messaging platform.

<Details of the Invention>
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to technology for creating groups within a messaging platform.

Embodiments including those specifically disclosed herein can easily create groups by using group tags, which are specialized tags, within existing messaging platforms such as Messenger chat rooms and timelines, thereby achieving significant advantages in terms of usability, convenience, efficiency, etc.

Figure 1 shows an example of a network environment in one embodiment of the present invention. The network environment in Figure 1 shows an example including multiple electronic devices 110, 120, 130, 140, multiple servers 150, 160, and a network 170. Figure 1 is merely an example for explaining the invention, and the number of electronic devices and servers is not limited to that shown in Figure 1.

The electronic devices 110, 120, 130, and 140 may be fixed terminals or mobile terminals realized by a computer system. Examples of the electronic devices 110, 120, 130, and 140 include smartphones, mobile phones, navigation systems, personal computers (PCs), notebook PCs, digital broadcasting terminals, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable multimedia players (PMPs), tablets, game consoles, wearable devices, internet of things (IoT) devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, and augmented reality (AR) devices. As an example, FIG. 1 shows a smartphone as an example of the electronic device 110, but in an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic device 110 may refer to one of a variety of physical computer systems that can communicate with other electronic devices 120, 130, 140 and/or servers 150, 160 via a network 170 using a substantially wireless or wired communication method.

The communication method is not limited, and may include not only a communication method using a communication network that the network 170 can include (for example, a mobile communication network, a wired Internet, a wireless Internet, a broadcast network, a satellite network, etc.), but also short-range wireless communication between devices. For example, the network 170 may include any one or more of a personal area network (PAN), a local area network (LAN), a campus area network (CAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a broadband network (BBN), the Internet, etc. Furthermore, the network 170 may include any one or more of a network topology including, but not limited to, a bus network, a star network, a ring network, a mesh network, a star-bus network, a tree or a hierarchical network, etc.

Each of the servers 150 and 160 may be realized by one or more computer devices that communicate with the multiple electronic devices 110, 120, 130, and 140 via the network 170 to provide instructions, codes, files, content, services, and the like. For example, the server 150 may be a system that provides a first service to the multiple electronic devices 110, 120, 130, and 140 connected via the network 170, and the server 160 may also be a system that provides a second service to the multiple electronic devices 110, 120, 130, and 140 connected via the network 170. As a more specific example, the server 150 may provide a service (e.g., a messenger service, etc.) targeted by an application, which is a computer program installed and executed in the multiple electronic devices 110, 120, 130, and 140, as a first service to the multiple electronic devices 110, 120, 130, and 140. As another example, the server 160 may provide, as a second service, a service of distributing files for installing and executing the above-mentioned application to multiple electronic devices 110, 120, 130, and 140.

Figure 2 is a block diagram for explaining the internal configuration of an electronic device and a server in one embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 2, the internal configuration of electronic device 110 and the internal configuration of server 150 are explained as examples of electronic devices. In addition, other electronic devices 120, 130, 140 and server 160 may also have the same or similar internal configuration as electronic device 110 or server 150 described above.

The electronic device 110 and the server 150 may include memories 211, 221, processors 212, 222, communication modules 213, 223, and input/output interfaces 214, 224. The memories 211, 221 are non-transitory computer-readable recording media and may include persistent large-capacity storage devices such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), disk drives, solid state drives (SSDs), flash memories, etc. Here, persistent large-capacity storage devices such as ROMs, SSDs, flash memories, and disk drives may be included in the electronic device 110 and the server 150 as persistent storage devices separate from the memories 211, 221. In addition, the memories 211 and 221 may store an operating system and at least one program code (for example, a browser installed and executed in the electronic device 110, or code for an application installed in the electronic device 110 to provide a specific service). Such software components may be loaded from a computer-readable recording medium other than the memories 211 and 221. Such another computer-readable recording medium may include a computer-readable recording medium such as a floppy drive, a disk, a tape, a DVD/CD-ROM drive, or a memory card. In other embodiments, the software components may be loaded into the memories 211 and 221 through the communication modules 213 and 223, which are not computer-readable recording media. For example, at least one program may be loaded into the memories 211 and 221 based on a computer program (for example, the above-mentioned application) that is installed by a file provided via the network 170 by a developer or a file distribution system that distributes an installation file for the application (for example, the above-mentioned server 160).

The processors 212, 222 may be configured to process computer program instructions by performing basic arithmetic, logic, and input/output operations. The instructions may be provided to the processors 212, 222 by the memory 211, 221 or the communication module 213, 223. For example, the processors 212, 222 may be configured to execute instructions received according to program code recorded in a recording device such as the memory 211, 221.

The communication modules 213 and 223 may provide a function for the electronic device 110 and the server 150 to communicate with each other via the network 170, or may provide a function for the electronic device 110 and/or the server 150 to communicate with other electronic devices (for example, the electronic device 120) or other servers (for example, the server 160). As an example, a request generated by the processor 212 of the electronic device 110 according to a program code recorded in a recording device such as the memory 211 may be transmitted to the server 150 via the network 170 under the control of the communication module 213. Conversely, a control signal, instruction, content, file, etc. provided under the control of the processor 222 of the server 150 may be received by the electronic device 110 through the communication module 213 of the electronic device 110 via the communication module 223 and the network 170. For example, control signals, commands, content, files, etc. of the server 150 received through the communication module 213 may be transmitted to the processor 212 or memory 211, and the content, files, etc. may be recorded on a recording medium (the above-mentioned permanent recording device) that the electronic device 110 may further include.

The input/output interface 214 may be a means for interfacing with the input/output device 215. For example, the input device may include a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a camera, and the like, and the output device may include a display, a speaker, a haptic feedback device, and the like. As another example, the input/output interface 214 may be a means for interfacing with a device in which input and output functions are integrated into one, such as a touch screen. The input/output device 215 may be configured as one device together with the electronic device 110. In addition, the input/output interface 224 of the server 150 may be a means for interfacing with an input or output device (not shown) that may be connected to the server 150 or included in the server 150. As a more specific example, when the processor 212 of the electronic device 110 processes the instructions of the computer program loaded in the memory 211, a service screen or content configured using data provided by the server 150 or the electronic device 120 may be displayed on the display through the input/output interface 214.

In other embodiments, the electronic device 110 and the server 150 may include more components than those in FIG. 2. However, it is not necessary to clearly show most of the conventional components. For example, the electronic device 110 may be implemented to include at least some of the input/output devices 215 described above, and may further include other components such as a transceiver, a GPS (Global Positioning System) module, a camera, various sensors, a database, etc. As a more specific example, if the electronic device 110 is a smartphone, various components such as an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a camera module, various physical buttons, a button using a touch panel, an input/output port, a vibrator for vibration, etc., which are generally included in a smartphone, may be implemented to further include in the electronic device 110.

Below, we describe specific embodiments of a method and system for creating groups using specialized tags within a messaging platform.

Typically, tags using the symbol "#" are used to search for words or indicate the nature of a post, while tags using the symbol "@" are used for the mention function to name specific users.

In this embodiment, a specific symbol, for example the symbol "&", may be utilized as a tag specialized for a group (hereinafter referred to as a "group tag"), and group-centric convenience functions can be provided by utilizing group tags within various messaging platforms.

Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of components that may be included in a server processor in one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method that may be performed by a server in one embodiment of the present invention.

The server 150 according to the present embodiment serves as a platform for providing messaging services such as messenger and SNS (social network service). The server 150 may be configured with a group generation system realized by a computer. The server 150 provides messaging services to a plurality of electronic devices 110, 120, 130, and 140 as clients, and may provide the messaging services by connecting to a dedicated application installed on the electronic devices 110, 120, 130, and 140 or a web/mobile site related to the server 150. In particular, the server 150 may provide a convenient group-centric function by using a group tag within a messaging platform such as a messenger chat room or timeline.

The processor 222 of the server 150 may include a message recognition unit 310, a group generation unit 320, and a group management unit 330, as shown in FIG. 3, as components for executing the group generation method of FIG. 4. Depending on the embodiment, the components of the processor 222 may be selectively included or excluded from the processor 222. Also, depending on the embodiment, the components of the processor 222 may be separated or combined to express the functions of the processor 222.

Such processor 222 and components of processor 222 may control server 150 to execute steps 410 to 430 included in the group generation method of FIG. 4. For example, processor 222 and components of processor 222 may be implemented to execute instructions from operating system code and at least one program code included in memory 221.

Here, the components of the processor 222 may represent different functions executed by the processor 222 according to instructions provided by the program code recorded in the server 150. For example, the message recognition unit 310 may be used as a functional representation of the processor 222 that controls the server 150 according to the above-mentioned instructions so that the server 150 recognizes the message type of the message received from the electronic devices 110, 120, 130, 140.

The processor 222 may read necessary instructions from the memory 221, which has been loaded with instructions related to the control of the server 150. In this case, the read instructions may include instructions for controlling the processor 222 to execute steps 410 to 430 described below. Steps 410 to 430 described below may be executed in an order different from that shown in FIG. 4, and some of steps 410 to 430 may be omitted or additional processes may be included.

Referring to FIG. 4, in step 410, the message recognition unit 310 may recognize a message including a group tag from among messages received from the electronic device of the first user (for example, the electronic device 110). In the messaging service, various message types such as text, image, video, audio, stamp, etc. are predefined, and when the server 150 and the client send a message, information regarding the message type may be sent along with the message. A message type indicating a message including a specific symbol, for example, the symbol "&" (hereinafter referred to as a "group generated message type") may be added to the message types defined between the server 150 and the client. The message recognition unit 310 may recognize a message type indicating a type of message received from the first user in the messaging platform, and may recognize a group generated message type indicating a message including a group tag.

In step 420, when a message of the group generation message type is recognized, the group generation unit 320 may generate a group object including user information of the first user for the corresponding message. In this case, the group generation unit 320 may generate a group object by assigning a unique ID to the message of the group generation message type. The group generation unit 320 may set at least a part of the message content as a group name. For example, when "& Year-end Party" is received as a message of the group generation message type, the group name may be set to "Year-end Party". In addition, the group generation unit 320 may add an identifier of a group creator, i.e., a user who sent the message of the group generation message type (e.g., MID (Manufacturer Identification Code)) to the group. In addition, the group generation unit 320 may maintain the group object generated based on the message of the group generation message type in association with an identifier of a messaging platform where the corresponding message was received. For example, if a message of the group-generated message type is received in a messaging platform where messages are exchanged or shared, such as a Messenger chat room or timeline, it may be generated and maintained as a subgroup subordinate to the platform.

In step 430, when a selection input for the message of the group-generated message type sent by the first user is received from the electronic device of the second user (for example, the electronic device 120), the group management unit 330 may add the identifier of the second user (for example, MID, etc.) to the group object generated in step 420. In other words, when the second user clicks on the message of the group-generated message type sent by the first user in a messaging platform such as a chat room or timeline of Messenger, the second user may be added to the members of the group generated for the corresponding message. In addition, the group management unit 330 may manage the group object based on the message of the group-generated message type as a volatile object. For example, the group object may be maintained for a predetermined TTL (time to live) or a time set by the first user, and may be deleted when the corresponding time has elapsed. Since the group object is not a permanent object, it has an advantage that continuous resource addition is not required.

Therefore, in this embodiment, a group object can be easily generated in a messaging platform such as a Messenger chat room or timeline by using a message containing a group tag, and a user who sent a message containing a group tag and a user who clicked on a message containing a group tag can be grouped into one group.

Figures 5 and 6 show examples of user interface screens for explaining the process of creating a group using group tags in one embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 5-6 show a messenger chat room screen 500 as an example of a messaging platform, which may be a screen displayed on the display of the electronic device 110.

Referring to FIG. 5, the electronic device 110 is the electronic device of a first user who is a group creator. When the first user inputs a message 501 including a tag specific to the group, for example, the symbol "&", on the chat room screen 500 and then inputs a transmission request, the electronic device 110 may transmit the message 501 including the group tag to the server 150. In this case, the electronic device 110 may call a message transmission API and process and transmit the message 501 including the group tag as a message of group generation message type.

When the server 150 receives a message 501 of the group creation message type in a chat room, the server 150 may assign a unique group ID and create a group object. The server 150 may manage the ID of the group object as a separate object or add it to an existing object corresponding to the message. Group information of the group object may include a group name, a group ID, a member list, and a creation time. The group name may be set to the message content created along with a group tag. For example, if a message "& year-end party" is received, the group name may be set to "year-end party". In addition, the initial member list may include the MID of the first user who is the group creator. The server 150 may add group information for the group object to chat room information, and may manage the group object in association with the chat room as a subgroup within the chat room.

When the electronic device 110 completes the generation of a group object based on a message 501 including a group tag, the electronic device 110 may process the message 501 as a message 502 in the form of a link indicating a group generation message type and display it on the chat room screen 500. The electronic device 110 may display the message 502 in the form of a link on the chat room screen 500 and simultaneously temporarily display a notification 503 due to the group generation.

The electronic device 110 may display the message 502 in the form of a link as a predefined actionable message. As an example, the electronic device 110 may display the message 502 in the form of a link as a message that can be added/removed from a group by a click event, or can perform various functions such as mentioning, sending a message, creating a chat room, a roulette, etc.

The interface of message 502 displayed on chat room screen 500 may be determined according to the action defined for message 501 of group-created message type. For example, if a note function such as a memo is defined for message 501 of group-created message type, it may be displayed as message 602 with an interface that includes a link to the note function, as shown in FIG. 6.

The server 150 may discard the group information of the group object after a certain period of time has elapsed by managing the group object based on the message 501 of the group creation message type as a volatile object.

When the group information of a group object is deleted from the server 150 after a certain period of time has passed, the electronic device 110 may apply a policy in which a message 502 is displayed on the chat room screen 500 but no action is supported.

In the past, even if a detailed group was needed for a specific goal in a group chat room of a messenger, sharing with all members in the group chat room had to be maintained or a new chat room had to be created that included only the specific members. For example, when planning a year-end party in a group chat room that included 10 people, if only 5 specific people were to participate, the chat room would be messy because the non-participating members were also in the chat room. Furthermore, if only the 5 participants out of the 10 people created a new chat room, the chat room would be maintained even after the party was held, occupying storage space. Here, since the newly created chat room was completely independent of the previous chat room, the 5 non-participants could not grasp the contents of the conversation in the subgroup, and if they later joined the subgroup, they had to share the contents from the beginning. This can be said to be a problem that occurs due to the method of generating "independent groups" rather than the method of generating "subgroups" that was the requirement.

In this embodiment, volatile subgroups can be easily created by using group tags within chat rooms.

Figures 7 to 14 show examples of user interface screens for explaining the process of joining a subgroup in a chat room in one embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 7 to 14 show a messenger chat room screen 700, which may be a screen displayed on the display of the electronic device 120.

As an example, the electronic device 120 may be the electronic device of a second user who is a group participant, and the group joining process of the second user may be realized with a one-depth interface.

Referring to FIG. 7, the electronic device 120 may display a message 702 of the group-generated message type sent by the first user on the chat room screen 700. When the second user selects (e.g., touches or clicks) the message 702 of the group-generated message type from among the dialogue messages on the chat room screen 700, the electronic device 120 may transmit the second user's selection input for the message 702 of the group-generated message type to the server 150.

The server 150 may add or remove the MID of the second user based on the group information corresponding to the message 702 of the group creation message type according to the selection input of the second user, depending on whether the second user is present in the member list of the group information.

If the second user is not a member of the group corresponding to the message 702 of the group-generated message type, the server 150 may add the MID of the second user to the member list of the group according to the selection input of the second user. At this time, the electronic device 120 may display a notification 704 indicating that the second user will be added as a member of the group corresponding to the message 702 of the group-generated message type in response to the selection input of the second user.

If the second user is a member of the group corresponding to the message 702 of the group-generated message type, the server 150 may delete the MID of the second user from the member list of the group in accordance with the selection input of the second user. In response to the selection input of the second user, the electronic device 120 may display a notification 805 indicating that the second user will be deleted from the group corresponding to the message 702 of the group-generated message type, as shown in FIG. 8.

When a selection is entered for a message 702 of the group-created message type, the electronic device 120 may read the group information from the server 150 using the group ID via the API and directly determine whether the second user is a current group member.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, on the chat room screen 700, the addition or removal of group members can be processed by a single selection input by a group participant for a message 702 of the group-created message type.

As another example, the electronic device 120 may implement the group joining process for the second user with a two-depth interface.

Referring to FIG. 9, when the second user selects (e.g., touches or clicks) a message 702 of the group-generated message type on the chat room screen 700, the electronic device 120 may transmit the second user's selection input for the message 702 of the group-generated message type to the server 150. The server 150 may transmit group information corresponding to the message 702 of the group-generated message type to the electronic device 120 according to the second user's selection input, and the electronic device 120 may provide a details page 910 of the group corresponding to the message 702 of the group-generated message type based on the group information.

The details page 910 may include a group name 911, a participation UI 912 for adding/removing from the group, a member list 913, a list of additional functions 914 such as mentions, message sending, chat room creation, roulette, etc., and a comment service area 915.

The join UI 912 may be a button for adding the second user to the group if the second user is not a member of the group corresponding to the message 702 of the group-generated message type, and may switch to a button for removing the second user from the group if the second user is a member of the group corresponding to the message 702 of the group-generated message type.

The additional function list 914 may include all functions that can be used by group members and that can be executed by a click event on a message 702 of the group-generated message type. In the case of the mention function, it is possible to mention all group members with a single mention, and the message sending function also makes it possible to send a message to group members all at once. In the case of the chat room function, a chat room including group members may be generated, and the roulette function may randomly select one or more members from the group.

In the case of the mention function, when the symbol "@" is entered in a chat room, a list of users included in the chat room is provided. At this time, the members of the group corresponding to the message 702 of the group generation message type may be provided together in group units (referred to as "& group"). For example, when the symbol "@" is entered in the chat room screen 700, the & group may be displayed together in a list of users selectable for mention on the chat room screen 700. At this time, when the & group is selected and a message is sent, the mention may be applied collectively to all members included in the & group.

The comment service area 915 may include a comment input function for a group that corresponds to a message 702 of the group-created message type, a list of comments created by group members, etc.

The second user may select a message 702 of the group-generated message type on the chat room screen 700, then move to the details page 910 and use the participation UI 912 to join as a group member, or leave the group if already a group member.

As shown in FIG. 9, on the chat room screen 700, group members can be added or removed via the group details page 910 corresponding to the message 702 of the group creation message type.

Furthermore, the electronic device 120 can access subgroups created within a chat room by utilizing a menu included in the chat room.

Referring to FIG. 10, the chat room screen 700 may include a menu list 1020 of functions available within the chat room. In this case, the menu list 1020 may include a group UI 1021 that allows access to subgroups created within the chat room.

When the second user selects the group UI 1021 from the menu list 1020 of the chat room screen 700, the electronic device 120 may provide a group list screen 1030 on which the second user can view all of the groups created in the chat room. The group list screen 1030 may include a list 1031 of all of the groups created in the chat room.

The electronic device 120 may provide a details page of the group selected by the second user from the overall group list 1031. As shown in FIG. 11, when the second user selects the "Year-End Party" group from the overall group list 1031, which is a group that corresponds to the message 702 of the group-generated message type, the electronic device 120 may provide a details page 910 of the corresponding group.

As shown in FIG. 10, the menu list 1020 of the chat room screen 700 includes a group UI 1021, and the second user can view all the groups created in the chat room by moving to the group list screen 1030 via the group UI 1021. As shown in FIG. 11, the second user can select a specific group from the overall group list 1031 on the group list screen 1030, and communicate whether or not he or she wishes to join the group via the details page 910 of the selected group.

As another example, referring to FIG. 12, when a second user is added as a member of a group corresponding to a message 702 of a group-created message type, which is one of the groups in the chat room screen 700, and selects the message 702 again, the electronic device 120 may provide a list of additional functions 1240 such as mention, message sending, chat room creation, roulette, etc., by overlaying it on the chat room screen 700. The list of additional functions 1240 is a function that can be utilized by group members, and may include all functions that can be executed by a click event on the message 702 of a group-created message type.

The additional function list 1240 may be provided to all users who have been added as group members, but as another example, the additional function list 1240 may be provided only to the group creator who created the group.

As another example, referring to FIG. 13, when the second user is added as a member of a group corresponding to the message 702 of the group-generated message type in the chat room screen 700 and selects the message 702 again, the electronic device 120 may provide a sub-chat room screen 1350, which is a chat room including a sub-group generated in the corresponding chat room, as an overlay on the chat room screen 700. In other words, when the second user is added as a group member and selects the message 702 of the group-generated message type in the chat room screen 700, a sub-chat room may be generated. When planning a year-end party in a group chat room including 10 people, if only three specific people are to participate, a sub-chat room may be generated for only the three participants to distinguish the conversation.

As another example, referring to FIG. 14, when the second user is added to a member of a group corresponding to a message 702 of a group-generated message type in the chat room screen 700 and inputs a tag specialized for mention, for example, the symbol "@" 1401, the electronic device 120 may display a user list 1460 selectable for mention on the chat room screen 700. The user list 1460 may include each user included in the chat room as well as an & group (e.g., "& year-end party") indicating a group generated in the message 702 of a group-generated message type. When the second user sends a message with the & group selected from the user list 1460, the electronic device 120 may apply the mention to all members included in the & group at once.

The user interfaces described with reference to Figures 5 to 14 are merely illustrative and should not be construed as being limiting, and the UX and UI associated with groups within a messaging platform may be modified as desired, taking into consideration the group creation/joining method and additional functions that may be added.

In the above, a specific embodiment has been described using a messenger chat room as an example of a messaging platform, but the present invention is not limited thereto and can be applied to all platforms in which messages are exchanged or shared, such as a messenger timeline. For example, when a first user inputs a message including a group tag, for example, a symbol "&", as a posting or comment that can be posted on a messenger timeline, the server 150 may create a group object and then post the message including the group tag as a message in the form of a link indicating the group object. When a second user clicks on a message including a group tag among postings or comments posted on the timeline, the server 150 may add the corresponding user to a group member. After at least one user is added to a group member, various additional functions such as mentioning, sending a message, creating a chat room, and a roulette may be performed by utilizing a message including a group tag according to a purpose. In the case of a messenger timeline, an interface similar to the UX/UI described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 14 may be realized in relation to a group in the timeline.

Thus, according to an embodiment of the present invention, groups can be easily created by utilizing group tags within a messaging platform. Groups can be created using group tags within a messenger chat room or timeline, and users who have shown interest in the group tag within the chat room or timeline can be grouped into one group.

The above-described devices may be realized by hardware components, software components, and/or a combination of hardware and software components. For example, the devices and components described in the embodiments may be realized using one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers, such as a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic unit (PLU), a microprocessor, or various devices capable of executing and responding to instructions. The processing device may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications that run on the OS. The processing device may also respond to the execution of the software and access, record, manipulate, process, and generate data. For ease of understanding, one processing device may be described as being used, but one skilled in the art will understand that the processing device may include multiple processing elements and/or multiple types of processing elements. For example, a processing unit may include multiple processors or one processor and one controller. Other processing configurations, such as parallel processors, are also possible.

The software may include computer programs, codes, instructions, or a combination of one or more of these, and may configure or instruct the processing device to operate as desired, either independently or collectively. The software and/or data may be embodied in any type of machine, component, physical device, computer storage medium, or device to be interpreted by or provide instructions or data to the processing device. The software may be distributed and stored or executed in a distributed manner on computer systems connected by a network. The software and data may be stored on one or more computer-readable storage media.

The method according to the embodiment may be realized in the form of program instructions executable by various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. Here, the medium may be one that continuously records the computer-executable program, or one that temporarily records it for execution or download. The medium may be one of various recording means or storage means in the form of a single or multiple hardware combined, and is not limited to a medium directly connected to a certain computer system, but may be one that is distributed over a network. Examples of the medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and ROMs, RAMs, flash memories, etc., configured to record program instructions. Other examples of the medium include recording media or storage media managed by application stores that distribute applications, or sites, servers, etc. that supply or distribute various other software.

Although the embodiments have been described above based on limited embodiments and drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made from the above description. For example, the described techniques may be performed in an order different from that described, and/or the components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. may be combined or combined in a manner different from that described, or may be counterbalanced or replaced by other components or equivalents, and still achieve suitable results.

Therefore, different embodiments that are equivalent to the scope of the claims are within the scope of the attached claims.

The present invention further solves the following problems:

You can create subgroups by using group tags in Messenger chat rooms or timelines.

You can group users who have shown interest in a group tag into one group in a Messenger chat room or timeline.

222: Processor 310: Message recognition unit 320: Group generation unit 330: Group management unit

Claims (19)

1. A group generation method executed by a computer system, comprising:
The computer system includes at least one processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions contained in a memory;
The group generation method includes:
grouping, by the at least one processor, users who selected messages including a specific tag from among messages included in the messaging platform into one group;
Including,
The grouping step includes:
if the user is not a member of the group, controlling the user to be added to the group as a member according to the selection; and
If the user is a member of the group, controlling the user to be removed from the group in accordance with the selection.
A group generation method including: The grouping step includes:
Recognizing, in the messaging platform, a message including the specific tag as a message received from an electronic device of a first user;
2. The group generating method of claim 1, further comprising: generating a group object as a subgroup subordinate to the messaging platform based on the message; and adding the second user to the subgroup when a selection input for the message is received from an electronic device of the second user in the messaging platform. The grouping step includes:
Recognizing a message including the specific tag as a message received from an electronic device of a first user in a chat room of a messenger;
2. The group generating method of claim 1, further comprising: generating a group object as a subgroup subordinate to the chat room based on the message; and adding a second user to the subgroup when a selection input for the message is received from an electronic device of a second user included in the chat room. The grouping step includes:
Recognizing a message including the specific tag among messages posted by a first user on a messenger timeline;
The group generating method of claim 1 , further comprising: generating a group object as a subgroup subordinate to the timeline based on the message; and adding the second user to the subgroup when a selection input for the message is received from an electronic device of the second user on the timeline. The step of recognizing comprises:
The method of claim 2 , further comprising: recognizing a message type indicating a message including a tag specific to group creation among messages received from the electronic device of the first user. The generating step includes:
The method of claim 2 , further comprising: generating a group object including identification information of the first user by assigning a unique ID to the message. The generating step includes:
The method of claim 6 further comprising: maintaining the group object in association with an identity of the messaging platform. The generating step includes:
The group generating method according to claim 2 , further comprising: generating a group object having at least a part of the message content of the message as a group name. The group generation method includes:
The method of claim 2 , further comprising: deleting the group object by the at least one processor after a predetermined time or a time set by the first user has elapsed. 1. A group generation method executed by a computer system, comprising:
The computer system includes at least one processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions contained in a memory;
The group generation method includes:
a step of displaying a message including a specific tag among messages included in the messaging platform as a group-generated message type by generating a group subordinate to the messaging platform by the at least one processor; and a step of controlling, by the at least one processor, when a selection for the message is input from a user of the computer system, so that the user is added as a member of the group.
Including,
The controlling step includes:
if the user is not a member of the group, controlling the user to be added to the group as a member according to the selection; and
If the user is a member of the group, controlling the user to be removed from the group in accordance with the selection.
A group generation method including: The controlling step includes:
11. The group generating method of claim 10, further comprising: when the user inputs a selection for the message, providing a group detail page based on group information corresponding to the message; and controlling so that the user is added as a member of the group according to a request of the user on the group detail page. the messaging platform includes a menu for viewing an entire group subordinate to the messaging platform;
The group generation method includes:
providing, by said at least one processor, a list of groups subordinate to said messaging platform in response to said user request in said menu;
11. The group generating method of claim 10, further comprising: when a specific group is selected from the group list by the at least one processor, providing a group detail page based on group information corresponding to the selected group; and controlling, by the at least one processor, to add the user to the selected group as a member in accordance with a request by the user on the group detail page. The group generation method includes:
The method of claim 10, further comprising: executing, by the at least one processor, additional functions including at least one of mentioning, sending a message, creating a chat room, and playing a roulette on members of the group when a selection for the message is input with the user added as a member of the group. A computer program causing a computer system to execute the group generating method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 . 1. A computer system comprising:
at least one processor implemented to execute computer readable instructions contained in a memory;
The at least one processor
a message recognition unit for recognizing a message including a specific tag as a message received from an electronic device of a first user in the messaging platform;
a group generating unit that generates a group object as a subgroup subordinate to the messaging platform based on the message; and a group managing unit that adds the second user to a member of the subgroup when a selection input for the message is received from an electronic device of a second user in the messaging platform ,
The group management unit
If the second user is not a member of the subgroup, control is performed so that the second user is added to the subgroup according to the selection input; and
If the second user corresponds to a member of the subgroup, the computer system controls to remove the second user from the members of the subgroup in accordance with the selection input. The message recognition unit includes:
16. The computer system of claim 15 , further comprising: recognizing a message type indicative of a message received from the first user's electronic device that includes a tag specific to group creation. The group generation unit
The computer system according to claim 15 , further comprising: generating a group object including identification information of the first user by assigning a unique ID to the message. The group generation unit
16. The computer system according to claim 15 , further comprising: creating a group object in which at least a part of the message content of the message is set as a group name. The group management unit
16. The computer system of claim 15 , further comprising: deleting the group object after a predefined time period or a time period set by the first user has elapsed.

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