CLAIM OF PRIORITY

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to U S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62/706,872, filed on September 15, 2020 and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 16/948,451, filed on September 18, 2020, each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to recording sounds with a messaging application.

BACKGROUND

[0003] The popularity of users interacting with other users online continues to grow. There are many ways for users to interact online with other users. Users can communicate with their friends using messaging applications and can play with other users online in multiplayer video games or perform other actions using various other applications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the figure number in which that element is first introduced. Some nonlimiting examples are illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which:

[0005] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a networked environment in which the present disclosure may be deployed, in accordance with some examples.

[0006] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a messaging system, in accordance with some examples, that has both client-side and server-side functionality. [0007] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a data structure as maintained in a database, in accordance with some examples.

[0008] FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a message, in accordance with some examples.

[0009] FIGS. 5-9 are diagrammatic representations of graphical user interfaces, in accordance with some examples.

[0010] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating example operations of the messaging application, according to example embodiments.

[0011] FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of a computer system within which a set of instructions may be executed for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, in accordance with some examples.

[0012] FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a software architecture within which examples may be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The description that follows includes systems, methods, techniques, instruction sequences, and computing machine program products that embody illustrative embodiments of the disclosure. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of various embodiments. It will be evident, however, to those skilled in the art, that embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In general, well-known instruction instances, protocols, structures, and techniques are not necessarily shown in detail.

[0014] Typically, users exchange messages with each other using messaging applications. Such applications allow users to select from a predefined list of images and avatars to send to one another. Users are increasingly communicating with each other using such images and avatars to convey their thoughts. However, finding the right images or avatars to convey a particular thought can be tedious and time consuming. Specifically, the user has to manually search using keywords for a particular image or avatar that conveys a given message. This requires navigating through multiple pages of information until the desired image or avatar is found. Given the complexity and amount of time it takes to find the right image or avatar, users become discouraged from communicating using the images or avatars, which results in a waste of resources or lack of use.

[0015] Even when an image or avatar of interest is eventually found, the images or avatars available through the messaging application are typically of generic form and may not accurately reflect a user’s thought. Such images or avatars can sometimes be enhanced with audio content that is prerecorded. However, such audio content is also of generic form and may not accurately convey the user’s message.

[0016] The disclosed embodiments improve the efficiency of using the electronic device by providing a system that allows a user to create a custom sound or audio clip and associate that sound or audio clip with an image that is shared with other users. When the receiving users access the image or images with which the sound has been associated, the recipients are presented with the images while the associated sound is played back. In some cases, the user who creates the custom sound can specify a privacy status for the sound to control whether the recipient users can share the sound they receive with other users and view additional information about the sound. One or more graphical elements representing the sound can be conditionally added, for example as stickers, to the image or images that are associated with the sound, based on the privacy status of the sound. If the sound is publicly available based on the privacy status, a recipient of the image that is associated with the sound is presented with the image or images that include the one or more graphical elements while the sound is played back.

[0017] Specifically, according to the disclosed embodiments, a messaging application implemented by one or more processors of a user device displays a sound capture screen that enables a user to record the sound. After the sound is recorded using the sound capture screen, the messaging application generates a visual element associated with the sound and receives selection of the visual element from a displayed list of visual elements representing different sounds. In response to receiving the selection of the visual element, the messaging application conditionally adds one or more graphics representing the sound to one or more images at a user selected position based on a privacy status of the sound. The messaging application plays the sound associated with the visual element together with displaying the one or more images.

[0018] In this way, the disclosed embodiments improve the efficiency of using the electronic device by reducing the number of screens and interfaces a user has to navigate through to find a graphical element to share with other users and sounds that are played with the graphical elements. This is done by allowing the user to record a desired sound and presenting a graphical user interface that from which the user can quickly and efficiently select the recorded sound to incorporate with one or more images (videos) that the user captured or will capture with a client device. This reduces the device resources (e.g., processor cycles, memory, and power usage) needed to accomplish a task with the device.

NETWORKED COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT

[0019] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example messaging system 100 for exchanging data (e.g., messages and associated content) over a network. The messaging system 100 includes multiple instances of a client device 102, each of which hosts a number of applications, including a messaging client 104 and other external applications 109 (e.g., third-party applications). Each messaging client 104 is communicatively coupled to other instances of the messaging client 104 (e.g., hosted on respective other client devices 102), a messaging server system 108 and external app(s) servers 110 via a network 112 (e.g., the Internet). A messaging client 104 can also communicate with locally -hosted third-party applications 109 using Applications Program Interfaces (APIs).

[0020] A messaging client 104 is able to communicate and exchange data with other messaging clients 104 and with the messaging server system 108 via the network 112. The data exchanged between messaging clients 104, and between a messaging client 104 and the messaging server system 108, includes functions (e.g., commands to invoke functions) as well as payload data (e.g., text, audio, video or other multimedia data).

[0021] The messaging server system 108 provides server-side functionality via the network 112 to a particular messaging client 104. While certain functions of the messaging system 100 are described herein as being performed by either a messaging client 104 or by the messaging server system 108, the location of certain functionality either within the messaging client 104 or the messaging server system 108 may be a design choice. For example, it may be technically preferable to initially deploy certain technology and functionality within the messaging server system 108 but to later migrate this technology and functionality to the messaging client 104 where a client device 102 has sufficient processing capacity.

[0022] The messaging server system 108 supports various services and operations that are provided to the messaging client 104. Such operations include transmitting data to, receiving data from, and processing data generated by the messaging client 104. This data may include message content, client device information, geolocation information, media augmentation and overlays, message content persistence conditions, social network information, and live event information, as examples. Data exchanges within the messaging system 100 are invoked and controlled through functions available via user interfaces (UIs) of the messaging client 104.

[0023] Turning now specifically to the messaging server system 108, an Application Program Interface (API) server 116 is coupled to, and provides a programmatic interface to, application servers 114. The application servers 114 are communicatively coupled to a database server 120, which facilitates access to a database 126 that stores data associated with messages processed by the application servers 114. Similarly, a web server 128 is coupled to the application servers 114, and provides web-based interfaces to the application servers 114. To this end, the web server 128 processes incoming network requests over the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and several other related protocols.

[0024] The Application Program Interface (API) server 116 receives and transmits message data (e.g., commands and message payloads) between the client device 102 and the application servers 114. Specifically, the Application Program Interface (API) server 116 provides a set of interfaces (e.g., routines and protocols) that can be called or queried by the messaging client 104 in order to invoke functionality of the application servers 114. The Application Program Interface (API) server 116 exposes various functions supported by the application servers 114, including account registration, login functionality, the sending of messages, via the application servers 114, from a particular messaging client 104 to another messaging client 104, the sending of media files (e.g., images or video) from a messaging client 104 to a messaging server 118, and for possible access by another messaging client 104, the settings of a collection of media data (e.g., story), the retrieval of a list of friends of a user of a client device 102, the retrieval of such collections, the retrieval of messages and content, the addition and deletion of entities (e.g., friends) to an entity graph (e.g., a social graph), the location of friends within a social graph, and opening an application event (e.g., relating to the messaging client 104).

[0025] The application servers 114 host a number of server applications and subsystems, including for example a messaging server 118, an image processing server 122, and a social network server 124. The messaging server 118 implements a number of message processing technologies and functions, particularly related to the aggregation and other processing of content (e.g., textual and multimedia content) included in messages received from multiple instances of the messaging client 104. As will be described in further detail, the text and media content from multiple sources may be aggregated into collections of content (e.g., called stories or galleries). These collections are then made available to the messaging client 104. Other processor- and memory-intensive processing of data may also be performed server-side by the messaging server 118, in view of the hardware requirements for such processing.

[0026] The application servers 114 also include an image processing server 122 that is dedicated to performing various image processing operations, typically with respect to images or video within the payload of a message sent from or received at the messaging server 118.

[0027] The social network server 124 supports various social networking functions and services and makes these functions and services available to the messaging server 118. To this end, the social network server 124 maintains and accesses an entity graph 308 (as shown in FIG. 3) within the database 126. Examples of functions and services supported by the social network server 124 include the identification of other users of the messaging system 100 with which a particular user has relationships or is “following,” and also the identification of other entities and interests of a particular user.

[0028] Returning to the messaging client 104, features and functions of an external resource (e.g., a third-party application 109 or applet) are made available to a user via an interface of the messaging client 104. The messaging client 104 receives a user selection of an option to launch or access features of an external resource (e.g., a third-party resource), such as external apps 109. The external resource may be a third-party application (external apps 109) installed on the client device 102 (e.g., a “native app”), or a small-scale version of the third-party application (e.g., an “applet”) that is hosted on the client device 102 or remote of the client device 102 (e.g., on third-party servers 110). The small-scale version of the third-party application includes a subset of features and functions of the third-party application (e.g., the full-scale, native version of the third-party standalone application) and is implemented using a markup-language document. In one example, the small-scale version of the third-party application (e.g., an “applet”) is a web-based, markup-language version of the third-party application and is embedded in the messaging client 104. In addition to using markup-language documents (e.g., a ,*ml file), an applet may incorporate a scripting language (e.g., a ,*js file or a json file) and a style sheet (e.g., a ,*ss file).

[0029] In response to receiving a user selection of the option to launch or access features of the external resource (external app 109), the messaging client 104 determines whether the selected external resource is a web-based external resource or a locally-installed external application. In some cases, external applications 109 that are locally installed on the client device 102 can be launched independently of and separately from the messaging client 104, such as by selecting an icon, corresponding to the external application 109, on a home screen of the client device 102. Small- scale versions of such external applications can be launched or accessed via the messaging client 104 and, in some examples, no or limited portions of the small-scale external application can be accessed outside of the messaging client 104. The small-scale external application can be launched by the messaging client 104 receiving, from a external app(s) server 110, a markup-language document associated with the small-scale external application and processing such a document.

[0030] In response to determining that the external resource is a locally- installed external application 109, the messaging client 104 instructs the client device 102 to launch the external application 109 by executing locally- stored code corresponding to the external application 109. In response to determining that the external resource is a web-based resource, the messaging client 104 communicates with the external app(s) servers 110 to obtain a markup-language document corresponding to the selected resource. The messaging client 104 then processes the obtained markup-language document to present the web-based external resource within a user interface of the messaging client 104.

[0031] The messaging client 104 can notify a user of the client device 102, or other users related to such a user (e.g., “friends”), of activity taking place in one or more external resources. For example, the messaging client 104 can provide participants in a conversation (e.g., a chat session) in the messaging client 104 with notifications relating to the current or recent use of an external resource by one or more members of a group of users. One or more users can be invited to join in an active external resource or to launch a recently-used but currently inactive (in the group of friends) external resource. The external resource can provide participants in a conversation, each using a respective messaging client messaging clients 104, with the ability to share an item, status, state, or location in an external resource with one or more members of a group of users into a chat session. The shared item may be an interactive chat card with which members of the chat can interact, for example, to launch the corresponding external resource, view specific information within the external resource, or take the member of the chat to a specific location or state within the external resource. Within a given external resource, response messages can be sent to users on the messaging client 104. The external resource can selectively include different media items in the responses, based on a current context of the external resource.

[0032] The messaging client 104 can present a list of the available external resources (e.g., third-party or external applications 109 or applets) to a user to launch or access a given external resource. This list can be presented in a context-sensitive menu. For example, the icons representing different ones of the external application 109 (or applets) can vary based on how the menu is launched by the user (e.g., from a conversation interface or from a non- conversation interface).

SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

[0033] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating further details regarding the messaging system 100, according to some examples. Specifically, the messaging system 100 is shown to comprise the messaging client 104 and the application servers 114. The messaging system 100 embodies a number of subsystems, which are supported on the client side by the messaging client 104 and on the sever side by the application servers 114. These subsystems include, for example, an ephemeral timer system 202, a collection management system 204, an augmentation system 208, a map system 210, a game system 212, and an external resource system 220. [0034] The ephemeral timer system 202 is responsible for enforcing the temporary or time-limited access to content by the messaging client 104 and the messaging server 118. The ephemeral timer system 202 incorporates a number of timers that, based on duration and display parameters associated with a message, or collection of messages (e.g., a story), selectively enable access (e.g., for presentation and display) to messages and associated content via the messaging client 104. Further details regarding the operation of the ephemeral timer system 202 are provided below.

[0035] The collection management system 204 is responsible for managing sets or collections of media (e.g., collections of text, image video, and audio data). A collection of content (e.g., messages, including images, video, text, and audio) may be organized into an “event gallery” or an “event story.”

Such a collection may be made available for a specified time period, such as the duration of an event to which the content relates. For example, content relating to a music concert may be made available as a “story” for the duration of that music concert. The collection management system 204 may also be responsible for publishing an icon that provides notification of the existence of a particular collection to the user interface of the messaging client 104.

[0036] The collection management system 204 furthermore includes a curation interface 206 that allows a collection manager to manage and curate a particular collection of content. For example, the curation interface 206 enables an event organizer to curate a collection of content relating to a specific event (e.g., delete inappropriate content or redundant messages). Additionally, the collection management system 204 employs machine vision (or image recognition technology) and content rules to automatically curate a content collection. In certain examples, compensation may be paid to a user for the inclusion of user-generated content into a collection. In such cases, the collection management system 204 operates to automatically make payments to such users for the use of their content.

[0037] The augmentation system 208 provides various functions that enable a user to augment (e.g., annotate or otherwise modify or edit) media content associated with a message. For example, the augmentation system 208 provides functions related to the generation and publishing of media overlays for messages processed by the messaging system 100. The augmentation system 208 operatively supplies a media overlay or augmentation (e.g., an image filter) to the messaging client 104 based on a geolocation of the client device 102. In another example, the augmentation system 208 operatively supplies a media overlay to the messaging client 104 based on other information, such as social network information of the user of the client device 102. A media overlay may include audio and visual content and visual effects. Examples of audio and visual content include pictures, texts, logos, animations, and sound effects. An example of a visual effect includes color overlaying. The audio and visual content or the visual effects can be applied to a media content item (e.g., a photo) at the client device 102. For example, the media overlay may include text or image that can be overlaid on top of a photograph taken by the client device 102. In another example, the media overlay includes an identification of a location overlay (e.g., Venice beach), a name of a live event, or a name of a merchant overlay (e.g., Beach Coffee House). In another example, the augmentation system 208 uses the geolocation of the client device 102 to identify a media overlay that includes the name of a merchant at the geolocation of the client device 102. The media overlay may include other indicia associated with the merchant. The media overlays may be stored in the database 126 and accessed through the database server 120.

[0038] In some examples, the augmentation system 208 provides a user- based publication platform that enables users to select a geolocation on a map and upload content associated with the selected geolocation. The user may also specify circumstances under which a particular media overlay should be offered to other users. The augmentation system 208 generates a media overlay that includes the uploaded content and associates the uploaded content with the selected geolocation.

[0039] In other examples, the augmentation system 208 provides a merchant-based publication platform that enables merchants to select a particular media overlay associated with a geolocation via a bidding process. For example, the augmentation system 208 associates the media overlay of the highest bidding merchant with a corresponding geolocation for a predefined amount of time.

[0040] The map system 210 provides various geographic location functions, and supports the presentation of map-based media content and messages by the messaging client 104. For example, the map system 210 enables the display of user icons or avatars (e.g., stored in profile data 316) on a map to indicate a current or past location of "friends" of a user, as well as media content (e.g., collections of messages including photographs and videos) generated by such friends, within the context of a map. For example, a message posted by a user to the messaging system 100 from a specific geographic location may be displayed within the context of a map at that particular location to “friends” of a specific user on a map interface of the messaging client 104. A user can furthermore share his or her location and status information (e.g., using an appropriate status avatar) with other users of the messaging system 100 via the messaging client 104, with this location and status information being similarly displayed within the context of a map interface of the messaging client 104 to selected users.

[0041] The game system 212 provides various gaming functions within the context of the messaging client 104. The messaging client 104 provides a game interface providing a list of available games (e.g., web-based games or web-based applications) that can be launched by a user within the context of the messaging client 104, and played with other users of the messaging system 100. The messaging system 100 further enables a particular user to invite other users to participate in the play of a specific game, by issuing invitations to such other users from the messaging client 104. The messaging client 104 also supports both voice and text messaging (e.g., chats) within the context of gameplay, provides a leaderboard for the games, and also supports the provision of in-game rewards (e.g., coins and items). [0042] The external resource system 220 provides an interface for the messaging client 104 to communicate with external app(s) servers 110 to launch or access external resources. Each external resource (apps) server 110 hosts, for example, a markup language (e.g., HTML5) based application or small-scale version of an external application (e.g., game, utility, payment, or ride-sharing application that is external to the messaging client 104). The messaging client 104 may launch a web-based resource (e.g., application) by accessing the HTML5 file from the external resource (apps) servers 110 associated with the web-based resource. In certain examples, applications hosted by external resource servers 110 are programmed in JavaScript leveraging a Software Development Kit (SDK) provided by the messaging server 118. The SDK includes Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) with functions that can be called or invoked by the web- based application. In certain examples, the messaging server 118 includes a JavaScript library that provides a given third-party resource access to certain user data of the messaging client 104. HTML5 is used as an example technology for programming games, but applications and resources programmed based on other technologies can be used.

[0043] In order to integrate the functions of the SDK into the web-based resource, the SDK is downloaded by an external resource (apps) server 110 from the messaging server 118 or is otherwise received by the external resource (apps) server 110. Once downloaded or received, the SDK is included as part of the application code of a web-based external resource. The code of the web-based resource can then call or invoke certain functions of the SDK to integrate features of the messaging client 104 into the web-based resource.

[0044] The SDK stored on the messaging server 118 effectively provides the bridge between an external resource (e.g., third-party or external applications 109 or applets and the messaging client 104). This provides the user with a seamless experience of communicating with other users on the messaging client 104, while also preserving the look and feel of the messaging client 104. To bridge communications between an external resource and a messaging client 104, in certain examples, the SDK facilitates communication between external resource servers 110 and the messaging client 104. In certain examples, a WebViewJavaScriptBridge running on a client device 102 establishes two one-way communication channels between a external resource and the messaging client 104. Messages are sent between the external resource and the messaging client 104 via these communication channels asynchronously. Each SDK function invocation is sent as a message and callback. Each SDK function is implemented by constructing a unique callback identifier and sending a message with that callback identifier.

[0045] By using the SDK, not all information from the messaging client 104 is shared with external resource servers 110. The SDK limits which information is shared based on the needs of the external resource. In certain examples, each external resource server 110 provides an HTML5 file corresponding to the web-based external resource to the messaging server 118. The messaging server 118 can add a visual representation (such as a box art or other graphic) of the web-based external resource in the messaging client 104. Once the user selects the visual representation or instructs the messaging client 104 through a GUI of the messaging client 104 to access features of the web-based external resource, the messaging client 104 obtains the HTML5 file and instantiates the resources necessary to access the features of the web-based external resource.

[0046] The messaging client 104 presents a graphical user interface (e.g., a landing page or title screen) for an external resource. During, before, or after presenting the landing page or title screen, the messaging client 104 determines whether the launched external resource has been previously authorized to access user data of the messaging client 104. In response to determining that the launched external resource has been previously authorized to access user data of the messaging client 104, the messaging client 104 presents another graphical user interface of the external resource that includes functions and features of the external resource. In response to determining that the launched external resource has not been previously authorized to access user data of the messaging client 104, after a threshold period of time (e.g., 3 seconds) of displaying the landing page or title screen of the external resource, the messaging client 104 slides up (e.g., animates a menu as surfacing from a bottom of the screen to a middle of or other portion of the screen) a menu for authorizing the external resource to access the user data. The menu identifies the type of user data that the external resource will be authorized to use. In response to receiving a user selection of an accept option, the messaging client 104 adds the external resource to a list of authorized external resources and allows the external resource to access user data from the messaging client 104. In some examples, the external resource is authorized by the messaging client 104 to access the user data in accordance with an OAuth 2 framework.

[0047] The messaging client 104 controls the type of user data that is shared with external resources based on the type of external resource being authorized. For example, external resources that include full-scale external applications (e.g., a third-party or external application 109) are provided with access to a first type of user data (e.g., only two-dimensional avatars of users with or without different avatar characteristics). As another example, external resources that include small-scale versions of external applications (e.g., web-based versions of third-party applications) are provided with access to a second type of user data (e.g., payment information, two- dimensional avatars of users, three-dimensional avatars of users, and avatars with various avatar characteristics). Avatar characteristics include different ways to customize a look and feel of an avatar, such as different poses, facial features, clothing, and so forth.

[0048] In some embodiments, the messaging client 104 presents an interface that allows a user to create custom sound clips, such as by recording up to 60 seconds of sound. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the messaging client 104 presents a graphical user interface 500 with a sound menu 530 in response to the user selecting the music icon 520. In some cases, the music icon 520 is initially presented as an overlaid menu on top of a real-time video feed 510 or previously captured video or image content. The overlaid menu allows the user to select from various augmented reality items and customizations to modify the real-time video feed or previously captured video or image content.

[0049] In response to receiving the user selection of the music icon 520, the menu 530 slides up the display to overlay at least half of the screen from the bottom. The menu 530 includes one or more sound clips provided by various artists or third-parties that the user can choose from. Selection of any given one of the sound clips that are displayed, causes the sound clip from the artist corresponding to the selected sound clip to be played back. The user can drag a thumbnail image representing the selected sound clip to the realtime video feed 510 or previously captured video or image content to incorporate the selected sound clip to the real-time video feed 510 or previously captured video or image content. In this way, when the user views the real-time video feed 510 or previously captured video or image content, the sound is automatically played back. Also, if the user shares the real-time video feed 510 or previously captured video or image content into which the thumbnail image is incorporated with a second user (e.g., a friend), the selected sound is automatically played back to the second user while the second user views the real-time video feed 510 or previously captured video or image content that has been shared.

[0050] In some embodiments, the menu 530 includes a create sound option 532. The create sound option 532 allows the user to record a custom sound. In response to receiving a user selection of the create sound option 532, the messaging client 104 navigates the user to another user interface 600 (FIG. 6). Specifically, the messaging client 104 activates an image capture device (e.g., camera) of the client device 102 and starts receiving a real-time video feed from the image capture device. The messaging client 104 blurs or dims the received real-time video feed and presents the blurred or dimmed video feed as image content 610. The messaging client 104 presents a sound recording option 640 as an overlaid icon on top of the image content 610. [0051] To start recording a given sound, the messaging client 104 receives a user selection (a first input) of the sound recording option 640. In response to receiving the user selection of the sound recording option 640, the messaging client 104 adjusts an attribute of the screen to indicate to the user that sound is being recorded based on audio content captured by the microphone of the client device 102. For example, the messaging client 104 displays a border 620 around all or a designated portion of the screen. As another example, the messaging client 104 starts slowly increasing and decreasing brightness of the screen to indicate that sound is being recorded.

[0052] The messaging client 104 starts storing audio content captured by the microphone in response to receiving the first input that selects the sound recording option 640. While the audio content is being stored, a progress bar 642 is presented within or associated with the sound recording option 640. The progress bar 642 continuously progresses and increases in size to fill up the portion of the display that presents the sound recording option 640. For example, the sound recording option 640 may be a circle and the progress bar 642 may slowly fill the circle with a certain color or set of randomized colors. The progress bar 642 may be of any suitable shape and size to fill the sound recording option 640. In some cases, the amount of time it takes for the progress bar 642 to completely fill the sound recording option 640 may depend on and vary based on the maximum allowable length or duration of the sound that is being recorded. For example, the messaging client 104 may set a 60 second limit for recording individual sound clips. In such cases, the progress bar 642 starts slowly filling in the sound recording option 640 in response to receiving the first input that selects the sound recording option 640 and may finish filling in the sound recording option 640 after 60 seconds. In some cases, the progress bar 642 may be a circular line that starts at one position inside or outside of the sound recording option 640 and terminates at another position inside or outside of the sound recording option 640 after being advanced around the circular sound recording option 640. In some cases, the terminating position may be the same as the starting position, in which case, the circular line forms a complete ring around the outside or inside the sound recording option 640 after the designated maximum time allowable for recording sounds (e.g., 60 seconds). The circular line may be of a different color or style than the sound recording option 640. Once the progress bar 642 reaches the terminating position or the ending position (e.g., when the progress bar 642 completely fills in the sound recording option 640 or when a complete ring is formed around or inside the sound recording option 640), the audio content stops being captured and recorded and the sound clip is automatically stored including the last 60 seconds of audio that was captured.

[0053] The messaging client 104 presents a waveform 630 that represents visually the sound or audio content captured by the microphone. In one example, the messaging client 104 begins animating the waveform 630 after receiving the first input that selects the sound recording option 640. This visually informs the user that the audio content is currently being received and captured by the microphone of the client device 102. The color properties and attributes of the waveform 630 may be the same as or different from the color properties and attributes of the progress bar 642. The color properties and attributes of the waveform 630 and the progress bar 642 may be the same as or different from the color properties and attributes of the border 620.

[0054] The messaging client 104, while recording the audio content captured by the microphone, may receive a second input that selects the sound recording option 640 again. In one example, the first input may be provided by a user’s finger pressing and holding the sound recording option 640 and the second input may be a release of the finger from the sound recording option 640. In response to receiving the second input, the messaging client 104 terminates recording the audio content captured by the microphone. The second input may be received before the progress bar 642 advances to the ending position (e.g., before the progress bar 642 completely fills up the sound recording option 640).

[0055] After the messaging client 104 completes capturing the sound clip (e.g., either automatically when the progress bar 642 reaches the ending position or when the second input that selects the sound recording option 640 is received), the messaging client 104 presents a screen 700 (FIG. 7) that includes various options associated with the sound clip. The options include a sound name option 710, a sound privacy status selection option 720, an attribution information option 740, and a sound clip adjustment option 730. The sound clip continuously loops in the background while the screen 700 with the various options is presented. The sound clip that continuously loops in the background may change to be shorter in duration as the user interacts with the sound clip adjustment option 730 to trim the start and end position of the sound clip.

[0056] The sound name option 710 may be a text box that allows the user to specify a name or title for the recorded sound. In some implementations, the sound name option 710 allows a user to upload or select a thumbnail image to represent the recorded sound. The messaging client 104 determines whether the name input by the user violates one or more restrictions (e.g., if the name includes abusive or offensive language). In such circumstances, the messaging client 104 prompts the user to specify an alternate name in the sound name option 710.

[0057] The sound privacy status selection option 720 may be a toggle switch that allows the user to toggle ON/OFF whether the sound is private or public. In response to setting the option 720 to public indicating that the recorded sound is publicly available, the attribution information option 740 is presented. The attribution information option 740 may be a text box that allows the user to specify the name of the creator of the sound. In some examples, the attribution information option 740 allows the user to select an avatar that represents the creator of the recorded sound. The attribution information option 740 may remain hidden if the sound privacy status selection option 720 is set to a private status. By default, the sound privacy status selection option 720 is set to the private setting.

[0058] In some implementations, the messaging client 104 determines whether the user has previously created public sounds. Specifically, the messaging client 104 determines if the user has ever set the option 720 to the public setting for any previous sound the user recorded. If not and in response to determining that the user has set the option 720 to the public setting for the very first time, the messaging client 104 presents a dialog box. The dialog box informs the user that the public setting allows other users of the messaging client 104 to use the sound clip for image or video content that they capture with their own client devices 102. Once the user dismisses the dialog box, the attribution information option 740 is presented and the privacy setting is set to public for the sound clip.

[0059] As explained in more detail below, a private sound setting allows the user who created the sound to incorporate the sound into an image or video (e.g., by dragging a thumbnail (one or more graphics) representing the sound into the image or video). A set of illustrative thumbnails that represent sound clips are discussed in connection with FIG. 9. The incorporated sound replaces an audio track of the image or video. Once the user selects an option to share an image or video with which the private sound was associated, the image or video is sent to one or more other users. When the recipient users view the image or video, the associated sound clip is presented together with the image or video. The recipient users are not presented with the thumbnail image that has been dragged into the image or video to associate the sound clip with the image or video. The recipient users are prevented from sharing the sound clip or the image or video that includes the sound clip with other users (e.g., friends of friends). In some examples, a recipient user can select an option to share an image or video that includes an associated private sound clip with another friend. In response to selection of the option to share the image or video with another friend, only the image or video content is sent to the other friend without sending the private sound clip. When the other friend views the image or video, no sound is presented or played back because the sound clip was originally set to the private status.

[0060] A public setting for a sound clip allows recipient users to continue sharing the sound clip with other users. As an example, a first user drags a thumbnail image representing the sound clip onto an image or video. The first user can place the thumbnail image anywhere on the image or video or at one or more predetermined positions. Once the thumbnail image is added to the image or video, the sound clip associated with the thumbnail image replaces the audio of the video or automatically plays for a duration of the sound clip while a single image that includes the thumbnail image is presented. The image or video that includes the thumbnail image is shared by the first user with a second user. The second user selects an option to view the image or video and, in response, the image or video is presented to the second user with the thumbnail image at the position selected by the first user and while the sound clip is played back. The second user can select an option to save the sound clip associated with the thumbnail image. The second user can then add the thumbnail image to another video or image captured by a client device 102 of the second user to cause the sound clip associated with the thumbnail image to be played back when the image or video is accessed or displayed. The second user can then share the image or video captured by the second user to which the thumbnail image was added with a third user. The third user may be a friend of the second user and may or may not also be a friend of the first user.

[0061] The sound clip adjustment option 730 allows the user to trim the sound clip that was recorded. For example, the sound clip may be 60 seconds in length. The user may move vertical bars 731 and 732 of sound clip adjustment option 730 to adjust the start time and end time of the sound clip to reduce the length of the sound clip. For example, the user may move the left bar 731 towards the right by 10 seconds to cause the first ten seconds of the sound clip to be deleted and to have the sound clip start at the 10 second mark past the original start time. Similarly, the user may move the right bar 732 towards the left by five seconds to cause the last five seconds of the sound clip to be deleted and to have the sound clip end five second earlier.

As a result, a total of 15 seconds is trimmed from a 60 second sound clip.

The trimmed sound clip is stored and associated with the options 710, 720 and 740.

[0062] The messaging client 104 receives a user selection of a save option (not shown) from the screen 700. In response, the messaging client 104 saves the sound clip with the various options that the user has selected and set. In some embodiments, the messaging client 104 navigates the user to screen 800 (FIG. 8) in which a menu of sounds is presented overlaid on a real-time video feed or previously captured image that is displayed. The menu of sounds 810 includes a new tab that is labeled “My Sounds” that lists one or more sounds that the user created or that the user has saved from other sounds that the user received in image or video content from another user. The tab labeled “My Sounds” may only be presented in the menu 530 (FIG. 5) after at least one sound clip is created or saved by the user.

[0063] The list of sounds displayed in the menu of sounds 810 includes visual elements (e.g., icons or thumbnails) that represent each sound. The visual elements include the assigned name or title of the sound, an avatar representing the creator of the sound, or one or more graphics that represent the sound. In some cases, the visual elements include small waveforms that become animated when the user selects a play option to preview the sound clip associated with the respective visual element. The menu of sounds 810 includes a create sound option 820. Selection of the create sound option 820 navigates the user to screen 600 to allow the user to create a new custom sound clip.

[0064] In some embodiments, the menu of sounds 810 visually distinguishes private sounds from public sounds. For example, a first visual element 830 may be in displayed with a first display format (e.g., a first visual property, such as in color with a globe icon) in response to the messaging client 104 determining that the sound clip associated with the first visual element 830 is a public sound. A second visual element 840 may be in displayed with a second display format (e.g., a second visual property, such as in a grayed out manner with a lock icon) in response to the messaging client 104 determining that the sound clip associated with the second visual element 840 is a private sound. In some embodiments, the messaging client 104 determines that a given sound clip violates copyright protection (e.g., by running a background music scan on the sound clip to determine whether it matches music by other artists). The background music scan is performed by uploading the sound clip to a server from the client device 102. The server runs the sound clip through a process that generates a fingerprint for the sound clip. The fingerprint is provided to another server that determines whether the fingerprint matches a copyright track. If so, the other server returns an indication that the fingerprint of the sound clip violates copyright protection. In such cases, the messaging client 104 presents a visual element 850 indicating that the sound clip has been removed and prevents selection of the visual element 850 to incorporate the sound clip with an image or video.

[0065] The messaging client 104 may receive input from the user that taps or selects a given one of the visual elements from the menu of sounds 810. in response, the messaging client 104 retrieves a thumbnail or one or more graphics that represent the selected sound clip. The messaging client 104 determines whether the selected sound clip is public or private. In response to determining that the sound clip is a public sound clip, the messaging client 104 allows the user to selectively place the retrieved thumbnail or one or more graphics on the image or video 510 to associate the sound clip with the image or video 510. The user can then share the image or video 510 with the associated sound clip and the thumbnail or one or more graphics with other users of the messaging client 104.

[0066] For example, as shown in FIG. 9, various thumbnails or one or more graphics 900 are presented as stickers that the user can position over the image or video 510. A first graphic 910 may be a sticker that includes an album cover representing the sound clip and a title of the sound clip. The first graphic 910 may be rectangular in shape and have a black or dark background. A second graphic 920 may be a sticker placed on a video 950 that includes an album cover representing the sound clip, an animated waveform, and a title of the sound clip. The second graphic 920 may be rectangular in shape and have a light or white background. The animated waveform continuously is animated after being placed on top of the video 950 to represent the sound as coming from the sound clip rather than the audio of the video 950. A third graphic 930 may be a sticker that includes an album cover representing the sound clip, an animated waveform, and a title of the sound clip. The third graphic 930 may be oval or circular in shape. A fourth graphic 940 may be a sticker that includes a name or title 944 of the sound clip, attribution information 946, such as an avatar of the creator of the sound clip or name of the creator, an animated waveform 942, and a title of the sound clip. The fourth graphic 940 may be oval or circular in shape.

[0067] In response to determining that the sound clip is a private sound clip, the messaging client 104 associates the sound clip with the image or video 510 and does not present the thumbnail or one or more graphics on the image or video 510. This allows the user to share the image or video 510 with other users without allowing the other users to re-share or save the sound clip that is private. The other users also do not see the thumbnail or one or more graphics that are associated with the sound clip that is being played back while the other users view or access the image or video that they received.

[0068] The messaging client 104 may receive input from the user that presses an holds a given visual element from the menu of sounds 810. In response, the messaging client 104 presents a menu of options associated with the sound clip of the given visual element. The menu of options may include an edit option that navigates the user back to the screen 700 to modify attributes associated with the sound clip. In some embodiments, the screen 700, when navigated to by selection of the edit option, does not include the sound clip adjustment option 730 as the sound clip can no longer be trimmed after being saved.

[0069] The menu of options may also include a delete option to remove the sound clip. The menu of options may include a share option. The share option allows the user to specify one or more recipients of the sound clip associated with the selected given visual element. The share option allows the user to share only the sound clip associated with the given visual element without adding the sound clip to an image or video that is shared. The recipient of the sound clip can then incorporate the received sound using a thumbnail or one or more graphics associated with the sound clip with image or video content captured by the client device 102 of the recipient. In some implementations, the share option is only presented for sound clips with privacy setting set to public.

DATA ARCHITECTURE [0070] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating data structures 300, which may be stored in the database 126 of the messaging server system 108, according to certain examples. While the content of the database 126 is shown to comprise a number of tables, it will be appreciated that the data could be stored in other types of data structures (e.g., as an object-oriented database).

[0071] The database 126 includes message data stored within a message table 302. This message data includes, for any particular one message, at least message sender data, message recipient (or receiver) data, and a payload. Further details regarding information that may be included in a message, and included within the message data stored in the message table 302, is described below with reference to FIG. 4.

[0072] An entity table 306 stores entity data, and is linked (e.g., referentially) to an entity graph 308 and profile data 316. Entities for which records are maintained within the entity table 306 may include individuals, corporate entities, organizations, objects, places, events, and so forth. Regardless of entity type, any entity regarding which the messaging server system 108 stores data may be a recognized entity. Each entity is provided with a unique identifier, as well as an entity type identifier (not shown). [0073] The entity graph 308 stores information regarding relationships and associations between entities. Such relationships may be social, professional (e.g., work at a common corporation or organization) interested-based or activity-based, merely for example.

[0074] The profile data 316 stores multiple types of profile data about a particular entity. The profile data 316 may be selectively used and presented to other users of the messaging system 100, based on privacy settings specified by a particular entity. Where the entity is an individual, the profile data 316 includes, for example, a user name, telephone number, address, settings (e.g., notification and privacy settings), as well as a user-selected avatar representation (or collection of such avatar representations). A particular user may then selectively include one or more of these avatar representations within the content of messages communicated via the messaging system 100, and on map interfaces displayed by messaging clients 104 to other users. The collection of avatar representations may include “status avatars,” which present a graphical representation of a status or activity that the user may select to communicate at a particular time.

[0075] Where the entity is a group, the profile data 316 for the group may similarly include one or more avatar representations associated with the group, in addition to the group name, members, and various settings (e.g., notifications) for the relevant group.

[0076] The database 126 also stores augmentation data, such as overlays or filters, in an augmentation table 310. The augmentation data is associated with and applied to videos (for which data is stored in a video table 304) and images (for which data is stored in an image table 312).

[0077] Filters, in one example, are overlays that are displayed as overlaid on an image or video during presentation to a recipient user. Filters may be of various types, including user-selected filters from a set of filters presented to a sending user by the messaging client 104 when the sending user is composing a message. Other types of filters include geolocation filters (also known as geo-filters), which may be presented to a sending user based on geographic location. For example, geolocation filters specific to a neighborhood or special location may be presented within a user interface by the messaging client 104, based on geolocation information determined by a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit of the client device 102.

[0078] Another type of filter is a data filter, which may be selectively presented to a sending user by the messaging client 104, based on other inputs or information gathered by the client device 102 during the message creation process. Examples of data filters include current temperature at a specific location, a current speed at which a sending user is traveling, battery life for a client device 102, or the current time.

[0079] Other augmentation data that may be stored within the image table 312 includes augmented reality content items (e.g., corresponding to applying Lenses or augmented reality experiences). An augmented reality content item may be a real-time special effect and sound that may be added to an image or a video.

[0080] As described above, augmentation data includes augmented reality content items, overlays, image transformations, AR images, and similar terms that refer to modifications that may be applied to image data (e.g., videos or images). This includes real-time modifications, which modify an image as it is captured using device sensors (e.g., one or multiple cameras) of a client device 102 and then displayed on a screen of the client device 102 with the modifications. This also includes modifications to stored content, such as video clips in a gallery that may be modified. For example, in a client device 102 with access to multiple augmented reality content items, a user can use a single video clip with multiple augmented reality content items to see how the different augmented reality content items will modify the stored clip. For example, multiple augmented reality content items that apply different pseudorandom movement models can be applied to the same content by selecting different augmented reality content items for the content. Similarly, real-time video capture may be used with an illustrated modification to show how video images currently being captured by sensors of a client device 102 would modify the captured data. Such data may simply be displayed on the screen and not stored in memory, or the content captured by the device sensors may be recorded and stored in memory with or without the modifications (or both). In some systems, a preview feature can show how different augmented reality content items will look within different windows in a display at the same time. This can, for example, enable multiple windows with different pseudorandom animations to be viewed on a display at the same time.

[0081] Data and various systems using augmented reality content items or other such transform systems to modify content using this data can thus involve detection of objects (e.g., faces, hands, bodies, cats, dogs, surfaces, objects, etc.), tracking of such objects as they leave, enter, and move around the field of view in video frames, and the modification or transformation of such objects as they are tracked. In various examples, different methods for achieving such transformations may be used. Some examples may involve generating a three-dimensional mesh model of the object or objects, and using transformations and animated textures of the model within the video to achieve the transformation. In other examples, tracking of points on an object may be used to place an image or texture (which may be two dimensional or three dimensional) at the tracked position. In still further examples, neural network analysis of video frames may be used to place images, models, or textures in content (e.g., images or frames of video). Augmented reality content items thus refer both to the images, models, and textures used to create transformations in content, as well as to additional modeling and analysis information needed to achieve such transformations with object detection, tracking, and placement.

[0082] Real-time video processing can be performed with any kind of video data (e.g., video streams, video files, etc.) saved in a memory of a computerized system of any kind. For example, a user can load video files and save them in a memory of a device, or can generate a video stream using sensors of the device. Additionally, any objects can be processed using a computer animation model, such as a human's face and parts of a human body, animals, or non-living things such as chairs, cars, or other objects.

[0083] In some examples, when a particular modification is selected along with content to be transformed, elements to be transformed are identified by the computing device, and then detected and tracked if they are present in the frames of the video. The elements of the object are modified according to the request for modification, thus transforming the frames of the video stream. Transformation of frames of a video stream can be performed by different methods for different kinds of transformation. For example, for transformations of frames mostly referring to changing forms of object’s elements, characteristic points for each element of an object are calculated (e.g., using an Active Shape Model (ASM) or other known methods). Then, a mesh based on the characteristic points is generated for each of the at least one element of the object. This mesh is used in the following stage of tracking the elements of the object in the video stream. In the process of tracking, the mentioned mesh for each element is aligned with a position of each element. Then, additional points are generated on the mesh. A first set of first points is generated for each element based on a request for modification, and a set of second points is generated for each element based on the set of first points and the request for modification. Then, the frames of the video stream can be transformed by modifying the elements of the object on the basis of the sets of first and second points and the mesh. In such method, a background of the modified object can be changed or distorted as well by tracking and modifying the background.

[0084] In some examples, transformations changing some areas of an object using its elements can be performed by calculating characteristic points for each element of an object and generating a mesh based on the calculated characteristic points. Points are generated on the mesh, and then various areas based on the points are generated. The elements of the object are then tracked by aligning the area for each element with a position for each of the at least one element, and properties of the areas can be modified based on the request for modification, thus transforming the frames of the video stream. Depending on the specific request for modification, properties of the mentioned areas can be transformed in different ways. Such modifications may involve changing color of areas; removing at least some part of areas from the frames of the video stream; including one or more new objects into areas which are based on a request for modification; and modifying or distorting the elements of an area or object. In various examples, any combination of such modifications or other similar modifications may be used. For certain models to be animated, some characteristic points can be selected as control points to be used in determining the entire state-space of options for the model animation.

[0085] In some examples of a computer animation model to transform image data using face detection, the face is detected on an image with use of a specific face detection algorithm (e.g., Viola-Jones). Then, an Active Shape Model (ASM) algorithm is applied to the face region of an image to detect facial feature reference points. [0086] Other methods and algorithms suitable for face detection can be used. For example, in some examples, features are located using a landmark, which represents a distinguishable point present in most of the images under consideration. For facial landmarks, for example, the location of the left eye pupil may be used. If an initial landmark is not identifiable (e.g., if a person has an eyepatch), secondary landmarks may be used. Such landmark identification procedures may be used for any such objects. In some examples, a set of landmarks forms a shape. Shapes can be represented as vectors using the coordinates of the points in the shape. One shape is aligned to another with a similarity transform (allowing translation, scaling, and rotation) that minimizes the average Euclidean distance between shape points. The mean shape is the mean of the aligned training shapes.

[0087] In some examples, a search for landmarks from the mean shape aligned to the position and size of the face determined by a global face detector is started. Such a search then repeats the steps of suggesting a tentative shape by adjusting the locations of shape points by template matching of the image texture around each point and then conforming the tentative shape to a global shape model until convergence occurs. In some systems, individual template matches are unreliable, and the shape model pools the results of the weak template matches to form a stronger overall classifier. The entire search is repeated at each level in an image pyramid, from coarse to fine resolution.

[0088] A transformation system can capture an image or video stream on a client device (e.g., the client device 102) and perform complex image manipulations locally on the client device 102 while maintaining a suitable user experience, computation time, and power consumption. The complex image manipulations may include size and shape changes, emotion transfers (e.g., changing a face from a frown to a smile), state transfers (e.g., aging a subject, reducing apparent age, changing gender), style transfers, graphical element application, and any other suitable image or video manipulation implemented by a convolutional neural network that has been configured to execute efficiently on the client device 102. [0089] In some examples, a computer animation model to transform image data can be used by a system where a user may capture an image or video stream of the user (e.g., a selfie) using a client device 102 having a neural network operating as part of a messaging client 104 operating on the client device 102. The transformation system operating within the messaging client 104 determines the presence of a face within the image or video stream and provides modification icons associated with a computer animation model to transform image data, or the computer animation model can be present as associated with an interface described herein. The modification icons include changes that may be the basis for modifying the user’s face within the image or video stream as part of the modification operation. Once a modification icon is selected, the transformation system initiates a process to convert the image of the user to reflect the selected modification icon (e.g., generate a smiling face on the user). A modified image or video stream may be presented in a graphical user interface displayed on the client device 102 as soon as the image or video stream is captured, and a specified modification is selected. The transformation system may implement a complex convolutional neural network on a portion of the image or video stream to generate and apply the selected modification. That is, the user may capture the image or video stream and be presented with a modified result in real-time or near real-time once a modification icon has been selected. Further, the modification may be persistent while the video stream is being captured, and the selected modification icon remains toggled. Machine-taught neural networks may be used to enable such modifications.

[0090] The graphical user interface, presenting the modification performed by the transformation system, may supply the user with additional interaction options. Such options may be based on the interface used to initiate the content capture and selection of a particular computer animation model (e.g., initiation from a content creator user interface). In various examples, a modification may be persistent after an initial selection of a modification icon. The user may toggle the modification on or off by tapping or otherwise selecting the face being modified by the transformation system and store it for later viewing or browse to other areas of the imaging application. Where multiple faces are modified by the transformation system, the user may toggle the modification on or off globally by tapping or selecting a single face modified and displayed within a graphical user interface. In some examples, individual faces, among a group of multiple faces, may be individually modified, or such modifications may be individually toggled by tapping or selecting the individual face or a series of individual faces displayed within the graphical user interface.

[0091] A story table 314 stores data regarding collections of messages and associated image, video, or audio data, which are compiled into a collection (e.g., a story or a gallery). The creation of a particular collection may be initiated by a particular user (e.g., each user for which a record is maintained in the entity table 306). A user may create a “personal story” in the form of a collection of content that has been created and sent/broadcast by that user.

To this end, the user interface of the messaging client 104 may include an icon that is user-selectable to enable a sending user to add specific content to his or her personal story.

[0092] A collection may also constitute a “live story,” which is a collection of content from multiple users that is created manually, automatically, or using a combination of manual and automatic techniques. For example, a “live story” may constitute a curated stream of user-submitted content from various locations and events. Users whose client devices have location services enabled and are at a common location event at a particular time may, for example, be presented with an option, via a user interface of the messaging client 104, to contribute content to a particular live story. The live story may be identified to the user by the messaging client 104, based on his or her location. The end result is a “live story” told from a community perspective.

[0093] A further type of content collection is known as a “location story,” which enables a user whose client device 102 is located within a specific geographic location (e.g., on a college or university campus) to contribute to a particular collection. In some examples, a contribution to a location story may require a second degree of authentication to verify that the end user belongs to a specific organization or other entity (e.g., is a student on the university campus).

[0094] As mentioned above, the video table 304 stores video data that, in one example, is associated with messages for which records are maintained within the message table 302. Similarly, the image table 312 stores image data associated with messages for which message data is stored in the entity table 306. The entity table 306 may associate various augmentations from the augmentation table 310 with various images and videos stored in the image table 312 and the video table 304.

[0095] An external resource authorization table stores a list of all third- party resources (e.g., external applications, small-scale versions of external applications, such as web-based external applications, and web-based gaming applications) that have been authorized to access user data of the messaging client 104. The external resource authorization table also stores a timer for each authorized external resource that is reset or refreshed each time the corresponding external resource is used. Namely, the timer represents frequency or recency of use for each external resource. Whenever a user of the messaging client 104 launches or accesses a feature of the external resource, the timer for the external resource is reset or refreshed. In some cases, when the timer for a given external resource reaches a threshold value (e.g., 90 days), the corresponding external resource is automatically de-authorized (e.g., the authorization for the external resource to access the user data is revoked until the user re-authorizes the external resource to access the user data of the messaging client 104). The external resource authorization table may also store associations between user identifiers provided by the messaging client 104 and corresponding user account information generated using a standalone version of an external application. The user identifiers are used by the messaging client 104 to retrieve user account information generated with one version of an external application to incorporate or merge into another version of the external application.

DATA COMMUNICATIONS ARCHITECTURE [0096] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of a message 400, according to some examples, generated by a messaging client 104 for communication to a further messaging client 104 or the messaging server 118. The content of a particular message 400 is used to populate the message table 302 stored within the database 126, accessible by the messaging server 118. Similarly, the content of a message 400 is stored in memory as “intransit” or “in-flight” data of the client device 102 or the application servers 114. A message 400 is shown to include the following example components:

• message identifier 402: a unique identifier that identifies the message 400.

• message text payload 404: text, to be generated by a user via a user interface of the client device 102, and that is included in the message 400.

• message image payload 406: image data, captured by a camera component of a client device 102 or retrieved from a memory component of a client device 102, and that is included in the message 400. Image data for a sent or received message 400 may be stored in the image table 312.

• message video payload 408: video data, captured by a camera component or retrieved from a memory component of the client device 102, and that is included in the message 400. Video data for a sent or received message 400 may be stored in the video table 304.

• message audio payload 410: audio data, captured by a microphone or retrieved from a memory component of the client device 102, and that is included in the message 400.

• message augmentation data 412: augmentation data (e.g., filters, stickers, or other annotations or enhancements) that represents augmentations to be applied to message image payload 406, message video payload 408, or message audio payload 410 of the message 400. Augmentation data for a sent or received message 400 may be stored in the augmentation table 310. • message duration parameter 414: parameter value indicating, in seconds, the amount of time for which content of the message (e.g., the message image payload 406, message video payload 408, message audio payload 410) is to be presented or made accessible to a user via the messaging client 104.

• message geolocation parameter 416: geolocation data (e.g., latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates) associated with the content payload of the message. Multiple message geolocation parameter 416 values may be included in the payload, each of these parameter values being associated with respect to content items included in the content (e.g., a specific image within the message image payload 406, or a specific video in the message video payload 408).

• message story identifier 418: identifier values identifying one or more content collections (e.g., “stories” identified in the story table 314) with which a particular content item in the message image payload 406 of the message 400 is associated. For example, multiple images within the message image payload 406 may each be associated with multiple content collections using identifier values.

• message tag 420: each message 400 may be tagged with multiple tags, each of which is indicative of the subject matter of content included in the message payload. For example, where a particular image included in the message image payload 406 depicts an animal (e.g., a lion), a tag value may be included within the message tag 420 that is indicative of the relevant animal. Tag values may be generated manually, based on user input, or may be automatically generated using, for example, image recognition.

• message sender identifier 422: an identifier (e.g., a messaging system identifier, email address, or device identifier) indicative of a user of the client device 102 on which the message 400 was generated and from which the message 400 was sent. • message receiver identifier 424: an identifier (e.g., a messaging system identifier, email address, or device identifier) indicative of a user of the client device 102 to which the message 400 is addressed.

[0097] The contents (e.g., values) of the various components of message 400 may be pointers to locations in tables within which content data values are stored. For example, an image value in the message image payload 406 may be a pointer to (or address of) a location within an image table 312. Similarly, values within the message video payload 408 may point to data stored within a video table 304, values stored within the message augmentation data 412 may point to data stored in an augmentation table 310, values stored within the message story identifier 418 may point to data stored in a story table 314, and values stored within the message sender identifier 422 and the message receiver identifier 424 may point to user records stored within an entity table 306.

[0098] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating example operations of the messaging client 104 in performing process 1000, according to example embodiments. The process 1000 may be embodied in computer-readable instructions for execution by one or more processors such that the operations of the process 1000 may be performed in part or in whole by the functional components of the client device 102; accordingly, the process 1000 is described below by way of example with reference thereto. However, in other embodiments at least some of the operations of the process 1000 may be deployed on various other hardware configurations, such as on application servers 114. The operations in the process 1000 can be performed in any order, in parallel, or may be entirely skipped and omitted [0099] At operation 1001, the client device 102 displays, by a messaging application, a sound capture screen that enables a user to record a sound. For example, the messaging client 104 presents the user with screen 600 that includes a sound recording option 640 that enables the user to record a sound.

[0100] At operation 1002, the client device 102 generates a visual element associated with the sound. For example, after the sound is recorded, the messaging client 104 presents a menu of sounds 810 (FIG. 8) that includes a visual element, such as a thumbnail or icon, representing the sound.

[0101] At operation 1003, the client device 102 receives selection of the visual element form a displayed list of visual elements representing different sounds. For example, the messaging client 104 receives a user selection of a visual element 830 from the menu of sounds 810. In some cases, all of the stored or recorded sounds have identical visual elements displayed that indicate they are user generated sounds. The visual elements may be displayed with different visual properties based on whether the corresponding sound clips are private, public, or violate guidelines, such as copyright protection.

[0102] At operation 1004, the client device 102 conditionally adds one or more graphics representing the sound to one or more images at a user selected position based on a privacy status of the sound. For example, the messaging client 104 determines whether the sound clip associated with the selected visual element is private or public. If the sound clip has a public privacy status, the messaging client 104 presents a graphic or thumbnail sticker representing the sound clip and allows the user to position the graphic or thumbnail over a user selected portion of the image or video. If the sound clip has a private privacy status, the messaging client 104 associates the sound clip with the image or video and does not incorporate the graphic or thumbnail with the image or video. In such cases, the sound clip replaces the sound of the video or is associated with the image such that the sound clip is played when the image or video is displayed to a given user or user with whom the image or video is shared.

[0103] At operation 1004, the client device 102 plays the sound associated with the visual element together with displaying the one or more images.

MACHINE ARCHITECTURE

[0104] FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic representation of the machine 1100 within which instructions 1108 (e.g., software, a program, an application, an applet, an app, or other executable code) for causing the machine 1100 to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein may be executed. For example, the instructions 1108 may cause the machine 1100 to execute any one or more of the methods described herein. The instructions 1108 transform the general, non-programmed machine 1100 into a particular machine 1100 programmed to carry out the described and illustrated functions in the manner described. The machine 1100 may operate as a standalone device or may be coupled (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine 1100 may operate in the capacity of a server machine or a client machine in a server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine 1100 may comprise, but not be limited to, a server computer, a client computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a netbook, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an entertainment media system, a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a mobile device, a wearable device (e.g., a smartwatch), a smart home device (e.g., a smart appliance), other smart devices, a web appliance, a network router, a network switch, a network bridge, or any machine capable of executing the instructions 1108, sequentially or otherwise, that specify actions to be taken by the machine 1100. Further, while only a single machine 1100 is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include a collection of machines that individually or jointly execute the instructions 1108 to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. The machine 1100, for example, may comprise the client device 102 or any one of a number of server devices forming part of the messaging server system 108. In some examples, the machine 1100 may also comprise both client and server systems, with certain operations of a particular method or algorithm being performed on the server-side and with certain operations of the particular method or algorithm being performed on the client-side.

[0105] The machine 1100 may include processors 1102, memory 1104, and input/output (I/O) components 1138, which may be configured to communicate with each other via a bus 1140. In an example, the processors 1102 (e.g., a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) Processor, a Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) Processor, a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Radio- Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC), another processor, or any suitable combination thereof) may include, for example, a processor 1106 and a processor 1110 that execute the instructions 1108. The term "processor" is intended to include multi-core processors that may comprise two or more independent processors (sometimes referred to as “cores”) that may execute instructions contemporaneously. Although FIG. 11 shows multiple processors 1102, the machine 1100 may include a single processor with a single-core, a single processor with multiple cores (e.g., a multi-core processor), multiple processors with a single core, multiple processors with multiples cores, or any combination thereof.

[0106] The memory 1104 includes a main memory 1112, a static memory 1114, and a storage unit 1116, all accessible to the processors 1102 via the bus 1140. The main memory 1104, the static memory 1114, and the storage unit 1116 store the instructions 1108 embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The instructions 1108 may also reside, completely or partially, within the main memory 1112, within the static memory 1114, within machine-readable medium 1118 within the storage unit 1116, within at least one of the processors 1102 (e.g., within the processor’s cache memory), or any suitable combination thereof, during execution thereof by the machine 1100.

[0107] The I/O components 1138 may include a wide variety of components to receive input, provide output, produce output, transmit information, exchange information, capture measurements, and so on. The specific I/O components 1138 that are included in a particular machine will depend on the type of machine. For example, portable machines such as mobile phones may include a touch input device or other such input mechanisms, while a headless server machine will likely not include such a touch input device. It will be appreciated that the I/O components 1138 may include many other components that are not shown in FIG. 11. In various examples, the I/O components 1138 may include user output components 1124 and user input components 1126. The user output components 1124 may include visual components (e.g., a display such as a plasma display panel (PDP), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a projector, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), acoustic components (e.g., speakers), haptic components (e.g., a vibratory motor, resistance mechanisms), other signal generators, and so forth. The user input components 1126 may include alphanumeric input components (e.g., a keyboard, a touch screen configured to receive alphanumeric input, a photo- optical keyboard, or other alphanumeric input components), point-based input components (e.g., a mouse, a touchpad, a trackball, a joystick, a motion sensor, or another pointing instrument), tactile input components (e.g., a physical button, a touch screen that provides location and force of touches or touch gestures, or other tactile input components), audio input components (e.g., a microphone), and the like.

[0108] In further examples, the I/O components 1138 may include biometric components 1128, motion components 1130, environmental components 1132, or position components 1134, among a wide array of other components. For example, the biometric components 1128 include components to detect expressions (e.g., hand expressions, facial expressions, vocal expressions, body gestures, or eye-tracking), measure biosignals (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, perspiration, or brain waves), identify a person (e.g., voice identification, retinal identification, facial identification, fingerprint identification, or electroencephalogram-based identification), and the like. The motion components 1130 include acceleration sensor components (e.g., accelerometer), gravitation sensor components, rotation sensor components (e.g., gyroscope).

[0109] The environmental components 1132 include, for example, one or cameras (with still image/photograph and video capabilities), illumination sensor components (e.g., photometer), temperature sensor components (e.g., one or more thermometers that detect ambient temperature), humidity sensor components, pressure sensor components (e.g., barometer), acoustic sensor components (e.g., one or more microphones that detect background noise), proximity sensor components (e.g., infrared sensors that detect nearby objects), gas sensors (e.g., gas detection sensors to detection concentrations of hazardous gases for safety or to measure pollutants in the atmosphere), or other components that may provide indications, measurements, or signals corresponding to a surrounding physical environment.

[0110] With respect to cameras, the client device 102 may have a camera system comprising, for example, front cameras on a front surface of the client device 102 and rear cameras on a rear surface of the client device 102. The front cameras may, for example, be used to capture still images and video of a user of the client device 102 (e.g., “selfies”), which may then be augmented with augmentation data (e.g., filters) described above. The rear cameras may, for example, be used to capture still images and videos in a more traditional camera mode, with these images similarly being augmented with augmentation data. In addition to front and rear cameras, the client device 102 may also include a 360° camera for capturing 360° photographs and videos.

[0111] Further, the camera system of a client device 102 may include dual rear cameras (e.g., a primary camera as well as a depth-sensing camera), or even triple, quad or penta rear camera configurations on the front and rear sides of the client device 102. These multiple cameras systems may include a wide camera, an ultra-wide camera, a telephoto camera, a macro camera, and a depth sensor, for example.

[0112] The position components 1134 include location sensor components (e.g., a GPS receiver component), altitude sensor components (e.g., altimeters or barometers that detect air pressure from which altitude may be derived), orientation sensor components (e.g., magnetometers), and the like.

[0113] Communication may be implemented using a wide variety of technologies. The VO components 1138 further include communication components 1136 operable to couple the machine 1100 to a network 1120 or devices 1122 via respective coupling or connections. For example, the communication components 1136 may include a network interface component or another suitable device to interface with the network 1120. In further examples, the communication components 1136 may include wired communication components, wireless communication components, cellular communication components, Near Field Communication (NFC) components, Bluetooth ^® components (e.g.,

Bluetooth ^® Low Energy), Wi-Fi ^® components, and other communication components to provide communication via other modalities. The devices 1122 may be another machine or any of a wide variety of peripheral devices (e g., a peripheral device coupled via a USB).

[0114] Moreover, the communication components 1136 may detect identifiers or include components operable to detect identifiers. For example, the communication components 1136 may include Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag reader components, NFC smart tag detection components, optical reader components (e.g., an optical sensor to detect one-dimensional bar codes such as Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code, multi -dimensional bar codes such as Quick Response (QR) code,

Aztec code, Data Matrix, Dataglyph, MaxiCode, PDF417, Ultra Code, UCC RSS-2D bar code, and other optical codes), or acoustic detection components (e.g., microphones to identify tagged audio signals). In addition, a variety of information may be derived via the communication components 1136, such as location via Internet Protocol (IP) geolocation, location via Wi-Fi® signal triangulation, location via detecting an NFC beacon signal that may indicate a particular location, and so forth.

[0115] The various memories (e.g., main memory 1112, static memory 1114, and memory of the processors 1102) and storage unit 1116 may store one or more sets of instructions and data structures (e.g., software) embodying or used by any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. These instructions (e.g., the instructions 1108), when executed by processors 1102, cause various operations to implement the disclosed examples.

[0116] The instructions 1108 may be transmitted or received over the network 1120, using a transmission medium, via a network interface device (e.g., a network interface component included in the communication components 1136) and using any one of several well-known transfer protocols (e.g., hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)). Similarly, the instructions 1108 may be transmitted or received using a transmission medium via a coupling (e.g., a peer-to-peer coupling) to the devices 1122.

[0117] SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE

[0118] FIG. 12 is a block diagram 1200 illustrating a software architecture 1204, which can be installed on any one or more of the devices described herein. The software architecture 1204 is supported by hardware such as a machine 1202 that includes processors 1220, memory 1226, and I/O components 1238. In this example, the software architecture 1204 can be conceptualized as a stack of layers, where each layer provides a particular functionality. The software architecture 1204 includes layers such as an operating system 1212, libraries 1210, frameworks 1208, and applications 1206. Operationally, the applications 1206 invoke API calls 1250 through the software stack and receive messages 1252 in response to the API calls 1250.

[0119] The operating system 1212 manages hardware resources and provides common services. The operating system 1212 includes, for example, a kernel 1214, services 1216, and drivers 1222. The kernel 1214 acts as an abstraction layer between the hardware and the other software layers. For example, the kernel 1214 provides memory management, processor management (e.g., scheduling), component management, networking, and security settings, among other functionality. The services 1216 can provide other common services for the other software layers. The drivers 1222 are responsible for controlling or interfacing with the underlying hardware. For instance, the drivers 1222 can include display drivers, camera drivers, BLUETOOTH® or BLUETOOTH® Low Energy drivers, flash memory drivers, serial communication drivers (e.g., USB drivers), WI-FI® drivers, audio drivers, power management drivers, and so forth.

[0120] The libraries 1210 provide a common low-level infrastructure used by the applications 1206. The libraries 1210 can include system libraries 1218 (e.g., C standard library) that provide functions such as memory allocation functions, string manipulation functions, mathematic functions, and the like. In addition, the libraries 1210 can include API libraries 1224 such as media libraries (e.g., libraries to support presentation and manipulation of various media formats such as Moving Picture Experts Group-4 (MPEG4), Advanced Video Coding (H.264 or AVC), Moving Picture Experts Group Layer-3 (MP3), Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR) audio codec, Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG or JPG), or Portable Network Graphics (PNG)), graphics libraries (e.g., an OpenGL framework used to render in two dimensions (2D) and three dimensions (3D) in a graphic content on a display), database libraries (e.g., SQLite to provide various relational database functions), web libraries (e.g., WebKit to provide web browsing functionality), and the like. The libraries 1210 can also include a wide variety of other libraries 1228 to provide many other APIs to the applications 1206.

[0121] The frameworks 1208 provide a common high-level infrastructure that is used by the applications 1206. For example, the frameworks 1208 provide various graphical user interface (GUI) functions, high-level resource management, and high-level location services. The frameworks 1208 can provide a broad spectrum of other APIs that can be used by the applications 1206, some of which may be specific to a particular operating system or platform.

[0122] In an example, the applications 1206 may include a home application 1236, a contacts application 1230, a browser application 1232, a book reader application 1234, a location application 1242, a media application 1244, a messaging application 1246, a game application 1248, and a broad assortment of other applications such as a external application 1240. The applications 1206 are programs that execute functions defined in the programs. Various programming languages can be employed to create one or more of the applications 1206, structured in a variety of manners, such as object-oriented programming languages (e.g., Objective-C, Java, or C++) or procedural programming languages (e.g., C or assembly language). In a specific example, the external application 1240 (e.g., an application developed using the ANDROID™ or 10 S™ software development kit (SDK) by an entity other than the vendor of the particular platform) may be mobile software running on a mobile operating system such as IOS™,

ANDROID™, WINDOWS® Phone, or another mobile operating system. In this example, the external application 1240 can invoke the API calls 1250 provided by the operating system 1212 to facilitate functionality described herein.

[0123] GLOSSARY

[0124] "Carrier signal" refers to any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by the machine, and includes digital or analog communications signals or other intangible media to facilitate communication of such instructions. Instructions may be transmitted or received over a network using a transmission medium via a network interface device.

[0125] "Client device" refers to any machine that interfaces to a communications network to obtain resources from one or more server systems or other client devices. A client device may be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, desktop computer, laptop, portable digital assistants (PDAs), smartphones, tablets, ultrabooks, netbooks, laptops, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, game consoles, set-top boxes, or any other communication device that a user may use to access a network.

[0126] "Communication network" refers to one or more portions of a network that may be an ad hoc network, an intranet, an extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless WAN (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), the Internet, a portion of the Internet, a portion of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a plain old telephone service (POTS) network, a cellular telephone network, a wireless network, a Wi-Fi® network, another type of network, or a combination of two or more such networks. For example, a network or a portion of a network may include a wireless or cellular network and the coupling may be a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) connection, a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) connection, or other types of cellular or wireless coupling. In this example, the coupling may implement any of a variety of types of data transfer technology, such as Single Carrier Radio Transmission Technology (lxRTT), Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO) technology, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology, Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) technology, third Generation Partnership Project (3 GPP) including 3G, fourth generation wireless (4G) networks, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, others defined by various standard-setting organizations, other long-range protocols, or other data transfer technology.

[0127] "Component" refers to a device, physical entity, or logic having boundaries defined by function or subroutine calls, branch points, APIs, or other technologies that provide for the partitioning or modularization of particular processing or control functions. Components may be combined via their interfaces with other components to carry out a machine process. A component may be a packaged functional hardware unit designed for use with other components and a part of a program that usually performs a particular function of related functions.

[0128] Components may constitute either software components (e.g., code embodied on a machine-readable medium) or hardware components. A "hardware component" is a tangible unit capable of performing certain operations and may be configured or arranged in a certain physical manner. In various example embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone computer system, a client computer system, or a server computer system) or one or more hardware components of a computer system (e.g., a processor or a group of processors) may be configured by software (e.g., an application or application portion) as a hardware component that operates to perform certain operations as described herein. [0129] A hardware component may also be implemented mechanically, electronically, or any suitable combination thereof. For example, a hardware component may include dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured to perform certain operations. A hardware component may be a special-purpose processor, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). A hardware component may also include programmable logic or circuitiy that is temporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. For example, a hardware component may include software executed by a general-purpose processor or other programmable processor. Once configured by such software, hardware components become specific machines (or specific components of a machine) uniquely tailored to perform the configured functions and are no longer general-purpose processors. It will be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware component mechanically, in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry, or in temporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software), may be driven by cost and time considerations. Accordingly, the phrase "hardware component" (or "hardware-implemented component") should be understood to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner or to perform certain operations described herein.

[0130] Considering embodiments in which hardware components are temporarily configured (e.g., programmed), each of the hardware components need not be configured or instantiated at any one instance in time. For example, where a hardware component comprises a general- purpose processor configured by software to become a special-purpose processor, the general-purpose processor may be configured as respectively different special-purpose processors (e.g., comprising different hardware components) at different times. Software accordingly configures a particular processor or processors, for example, to constitute a particular hardware component at one instance of time and to constitute a different hardware component at a different instance of time. [0131] Hardware components can provide information to, and receive information from, other hardware components. Accordingly, the described hardware components may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Where multiple hardware components exist contemporaneously, communications may be achieved through signal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuits and buses) between or among two or more of the hardware components. In embodiments in which multiple hardware components are configured or instantiated at different times, communications between such hardware components may be achieved, for example, through the storage and retrieval of information in memory structures to which the multiple hardware components have access. For example, one hardware component may perform an operation and store the output of that operation in a memory device to which it is communicatively coupled. A further hardware component may then, at a later time, access the memory device to retrieve and process the stored output. Hardware components may also initiate communications with input or output devices, and can operate on a resource (e.g., a collection of information).

[0132] The various operations of example methods described herein may be performed, at least partially, by one or more processors that are temporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured to perform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanently configured, such processors may constitute processor-implemented components that operate to perform one or more operations or functions described herein. As used herein, "processor-implemented component" refers to a hardware component implemented using one or more processors. Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least partially processor-implemented, with a particular processor or processors being an example of hardware. For example, at least some of the operations of a method may be performed by one or more processors 1102 or processor-implemented components. Moreover, the one or more processors may also operate to support performance of the relevant operations in a "cloud computing" environment or as a "software as a service" (SaaS). For example, at least some of the operations may be performed by a group of computers (as examples of machines including processors), with these operations being accessible via a network (e.g., the Internet) and via one or more appropriate interfaces (e.g., an API). The performance of certain of the operations may be distributed among the processors, not only residing within a single machine, but deployed across a number of machines. In some example embodiments, the processors or processor-implemented components may be located in a single geographic location (e.g., within a home environment, an office environment, or a server farm). In other example embodiments, the processors or processor- implemented components may be distributed across a number of geographic locations.

[0133] "Computer-readable storage medium" refers to both machine- storage media and transmission media. Thus, the terms include both storage devices/media and carrier waves/modulated data signals. The terms “machine-readable medium,” “computer-readable medium” and “device- readable medium” mean the same thing and may be used interchangeably in this disclosure.

[0134] "Ephemeral message" refers to a message that is accessible for a time-limited duration. An ephemeral message may be a text, an image, a video and the like. The access time for the ephemeral message may be set by the message sender. Alternatively, the access time may be a default setting or a setting specified by the recipient. Regardless of the setting technique, the message is transitory.

[0135] "Machine storage medium" refers to a single or multiple storage devices and media (e g., a centralized or distributed database, and associated caches and servers) that store executable instructions, routines and data. The term shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, and optical and magnetic media, including memory internal or external to processors. Specific examples of machine-storage media, computer-storage media and device-storage media include non-volatile memory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), FPGA, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks The terms "machine-storage medium," "device-storage medium," "computer-storage medium" mean the same thing and may be used interchangeably in this disclosure. The terms "machine-storage media," "computer-storage media," and "device-storage media" specifically exclude carrier waves, modulated data signals, and other such media, at least some of which are covered under the term "signal medium."

[0136] "Non-transitory computer-readable storage medium" refers to a tangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying the instructions for execution by a machine.

[0137] "Signal medium" refers to any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying the instructions for execution by a machine and includes digital or analog communications signals or other intangible media to facilitate communication of software or data. The term "signal medium" shall be taken to include any form of a modulated data signal, carrier wave, and so forth. The term "modulated data signal" means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a matter as to encode information in the signal. The terms "transmission medium" and "signal medium" mean the same thing and may be used interchangeably in this disclosure.

[0138] Changes and modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. These and other changes or modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure, as expressed in the following claims.