Processing messages

• US 10,091,153 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2015
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Goto, Mayumi, Horiuchi, Yoshio, Matsumoto, Hirotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Mejia, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US14/701,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20160014066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 709206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

An apparatus for processing messages input from a plurality of clients. The apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to obtain a first message input from a first client, a second message input from a second client, and a user selection input from the second client. The user selection is of a first portion of the first message and indicates that the second message is a comment on the first portion of the first message. The apparatus also includes a control unit in communication with the acquisition unit. The control unit is configured to perform a first control action in response to the acquisition unit obtaining the first message, the second message, and the user selection. The first control action results in the first message, the second message, and a first link connecting the first portion of the first message and the second message being displayed on the plurality of clients.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing messages input from a plurality of clients, comprising:

a processor configured to obtain a first message input from a first client, further configured to obtain a second message input from a second client, wherein the second message is a comment on a first portion of the first message;

the processor configured to obtain, in response to a user of the second client selecting the portion of the first message, an association of the second message with a portion of the first message;

the processor also configured to display, to the plurality of clients and in response to the second message being input, at least one copy of the first message, and at least one copy of the second message;

the processor also configured to create, in response to obtaining the association of the second message with the portion of the first message, a link-destination-message value and a link-source-keyword value, wherein the link-destination-message value indicates that the second message is a link destination and the link-source-keyword value indicates that the first portion of the first message is a link target;

the processor also configured to store the link-destination-message value and link-source-keyword value in a message-information storage section; and

the processor also configured to display, to the plurality of clients and based on the link-destination-message value and link-source-keyword value, a first link that connects the at least one copy of the second message to the first portion of the at least one copy of the first message, wherein the link comprises;

a first link end, the location of which is determined by a location of the link target;

a second link end, the location of which is determined by a location of the link destination; and

a line connecting the first link end to the second link end;

wherein the first message and the second message are instant messages.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain a third message input from a third client, and is further configured to obtain a first user selection input from the third client, the first user selection being of a second portion of the first message and indicating that the third message is a comment on the second portion of the first message, and wherein the processor is further configured to perform, in response to the processor obtaining the first message, the second message, the third message, and the first user selection, a second control action resulting in the first message, the second message, the third message, the first link, and a second link connecting the second portion of the first message and the third message being displayed on the plurality of clients.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain a second user selection input from a fourth client, the second user selection being of the first portion of the first message and indicating that only the first portion of the first message and those messages that are responsive thereto should be displayed on the fourth client, and wherein the processor is further configured to perform, in response to processor obtaining the first message, the second message, the third message, the first user selection, and the second user selection, a third control action resulting in the first message, the second message, and the first link being displayed on the fourth client and further resulting in the third message and the second link not being displayed on the fourth client.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain a fourth message input from the second client, and is further configured to obtain a third user selection input from the second client, the third user selection being of a whole of the first message and indicating that the fourth message is a comment on the whole of the first message, and wherein, in response to the processor further obtaining the fourth message and the fourth comment, the third control action further results in the fourth message and a fourth link being displayed on the fourth client, the fourth link connecting the whole of the first message and the fourth message.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

the processor further configured to perform, in response to obtaining the first message, the second message, the third message, and the first user selection, a first notification action resulting in the second client outputting a notice indicating that the third message has been input.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second message being input from the second client is in response to, on a display of the second client, a first end of a first line being moved by a user to the first portion of the first message and a second end of the first line being moved by the user to the second message.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor resides on an instant messenger server in communication with the plurality of clients.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises a first word in the first message and wherein at a least a second word in the first message is not included in the first portion.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first message comprises a second portion that is not the same as the first portion.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second message comprises contextual-relationship information that is not graphically displayed in the second message, wherein the contextual-relationship information specifies that the second message is a comment on a first portion of the first message, and wherein the first link graphically displays the contextual-relationship information by means of the connection from the at least one copy of the second message to the first portion of the at least one copy of the first message.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first message and second message are input in an instant messaging chat room, and wherein the link specifies to the plurality of clients that the second message is a reply to the first message rather than to the entire chat room.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the first message is a keyword in the first message.