Techniques for communicating entity references in a messaging thread

Abstract

Techniques for communicating entity references in messaging groups are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a client messaging component operative to receive a message at a recipient client device from a messaging system, the recipient client device associated with a recipient user account, the message comprising an entity reference, the message addressed to a message thread; and extract an augmentation element for the entity reference from the message; and a user interface component operative to display the augmentation element in a message thread display for the message thread on the recipient client device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 receiving, at a messaging system, a message from a sending client device in a messaging thread comprising the sending client device and one or more receiving client devices;   determining that the message includes an entity reference referencing an entity;   generating an augmented message in association with the messaging thread by augmenting the entity reference such that the augmented message comprises at least one control empowering interaction with the entity; and   sending the augmented message to the sending client device, to the one or more receiving client devices, or to both the sending client device and the one or more receiving client devices.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that the entity reference is associated with social-networking information and generating the augmented message based on the social-networking information.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the entity reference corresponds to an article entity and the augmented message comprising an article preview for the article entity;   the entity reference corresponds to a media entity and the augmented message comprising a media preview for the media entity;   the entity reference corresponds to a location entity and the augmented message comprising a location page preview, a map view, or both;   or any combination thereof.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , the entity reference corresponding to a user entity, the augmented message comprising one or more user information items, the one or more user information items comprising one or more of a user name for the user entity, a user nickname for the user entity, a profile item for the user entity, a user page item for the user entity, a user relationship indicator for the user entity, a user connection for the user entity, and a user association for the user entity. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one control comprises one or more of a group-invitation control, a contact-add control, a friend-add control, a message-composition control, a view-profile control, an audio call control, a nickname-editing control, and a reply-to control. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , the entity reference corresponding to an entity not associated with the messaging thread, further comprising sending a notification to the entity. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , the entity reference corresponding to at least one of the one or more receiving client devices, further comprising increasing a messaging coefficient between the at least one of the one or more receiving client devices. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to:
 receive, at a messaging system, a message from a sending client device in a messaging thread comprising the sending client device and one or more receiving client devices;   determine that the message includes an entity reference referencing an entity;   generate an augmented message in association with the messaging thread by augmenting the entity reference such that the augmented message comprises at least one control empowering interaction with the entity; and   send the augmented message to the sending client device, to the one or more receiving client devices, or to both the sending client device and the one or more receiving client devices.   
     
     
         9 . The medium of  claim 8 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to determine that the entity reference is associated with social-networking information and generating the augmented message based on the social-networking information. 
     
     
         10 . The medium of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the entity reference corresponds to an article entity and the augmented message comprising an article preview for the article entity;   the entity reference corresponds to a media entity and the augmented message comprising a media preview for the media entity;   the entity reference corresponds to a location entity and the augmented message comprising a location page preview, a map view, or both;   or any combination thereof.   
     
     
         11 . The medium of  claim 8 , the entity reference corresponding to a user entity, the augmented message comprising one or more user information items, the one or more user information items comprising one or more of a user name for the user entity, a user nickname for the user entity, a profile item for the user entity, a user page item for the user entity, a user relationship indicator for the user entity, a user connection for the user entity, and a user association for the user entity. 
     
     
         12 . The medium of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one control comprises one or more of a group-invitation control, a contact-add control, a friend-add control, a message-composition control, a view-profile control, an audio call control, a nickname-editing control, and a reply-to control. 
     
     
         13 . The medium of  claim 8 , the entity reference corresponding to an entity not associated with the messaging thread, the medium further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to send a notification to the entity. 
     
     
         14 . The medium of  claim 8 , the entity reference corresponding to at least one of the one or more receiving client devices, the medium further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to increase a messaging coefficient between the at least one of the one or more receiving client devices. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus comprising:
 a non-transitory computer-readable medium;   a hardware processor circuit;   message management logic executable on the processor circuit and configured to cause the processor circuit to:
 receive, at a messaging system, a message from a sending client device in a messaging thread comprising the sending client device and one or more receiving client devices; 
 determine that the message includes an entity reference referencing an entity; 
 generate an augmented message in association with the messaging thread by augmenting the entity reference such that the augmented message comprises at least one control empowering interaction with the entity; and 
 send the augmented message to the sending client device, to the one or more receiving client devices, or to both the sending client device and the one or more receiving client devices. 
   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the message management logic is further configured to cause the processor circuit to determine that the entity reference is associated with social-networking information and generating the augmented message based on the social-networking information. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , the entity reference corresponding to a user entity, the augmented message comprising one or more user information items, the one or more user information items comprising one or more of a user name for the user entity, a user nickname for the user entity, a profile item for the user entity, a user page item for the user entity, a user relationship indicator for the user entity, a user connection for the user entity, and a user association for the user entity. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one control comprises one or more of a group-invitation control, a contact-add control, a friend-add control, a message-composition control, a view-profile control, an audio call control, a nickname-editing control, and a reply-to control. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , the entity reference corresponding to an entity not associated with the messaging thread, wherein the message management logic is further configured to cause the processor circuit to send a notification to the entity. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , the entity reference corresponding to at least one of the one or more receiving client devices, wherein the message management logic is further configured to cause the processor circuit to increase a messaging coefficient between the at least one of the one or more receiving client devices.