Storage medium, communication terminal, and display method for enabling users to exchange messages

• US 10,097,492 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Tsuda, Munetaka, Iida, Yui, Kawamoto, Kouichi, Hara, Taiyo, Aoki, Ryoma, Oonishi, Naonori, Umehara, Akihiro, Kamei, Ginga, Hiruma, Hiroaki, Okada, Masayuki, Kakimoto, Yasuto, Yanagi, Arisa, Soma, Hayuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Baturay, Alicia
• Application Number:
  US14/746,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20160234149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 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 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

An exemplary group selection screen shows groups in which users share a message, so that any of the groups is selectable. In an avatar display area (Ar12) for each group, avatars (Av1) of not more than five users belonging to a group, who have recently posted a message, are displayed. An arrangement of the avatars (Av1) is determined based on a posting time and date of a latest message posted by each user represented by an avatar (Av1). In an avatar display area (Ar12), a message included in a balloon is displayed, which message has been posted by a user represented by a displayed avatar (Av1).

Claims

1. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to provide execution comprising:

causing a display to display a list of groups, each of the groups including users that share a message, the list showing message information for each of the groups, the message information indicating a message posted in a group, the message satisfying a predetermined condition, or indicating a user who has posted the message;

accepting a selection of one of the groups included in the list displayed on the display; and

causing, in response to the selection of a group, the display to display at least part of messages shared in the group;

wherein the causing of the display to display the list of groups comprises causing the display to simultaneously display the list of the groups and, for at least one of the displayed groups, a message that satisfies the predetermined condition and information indicative of a user who has posted the message in association with each other;

the computer is further caused to execute;

automatically switching, a display of messages shared in the at least one of the displayed groups in the order of posting of the messages shared in the at least one of the displayed groups, each of the messages shared in the at least one of the displayed groups being displayed in association with information indicative of the corresponding user who has posted the message; and

the computer is further caused to execute;

a display of avatars representing respective users who posted messages, the display of avatars changing positions using animation in response to posting of a new message.

2. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the causing of the display to display the list of groups comprises repeatedly updating the message information displayed on the display.

3. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 2, wherein:

the execution further comprises obtaining a posting notice that reports that a new message has been posted in one of the groups; and

the causing of the display to display the list of groups comprises updating, in response to obtaining of the posting notice, message information displayed relative to the group in which the new message has been posted.

4. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the causing of the display to display the list of groups comprises causing the display to display plural items of message information for each of the groups in an order of posting of messages corresponding to message information.

5. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 4, wherein the causing of the display to display the list of groups comprises causing the display to display plural items of message information for each of the groups, the plural items of message information being arranged in the order of posting of messages corresponding to message information.

6. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the information indicative of a user who has posted the message that satisfies the predetermined condition comprises an avatar representing the user.

7. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 6, wherein the causing of the display to display the list of groups comprises causing the display to display the message that satisfies the predetermined condition in a balloon corresponding to the avatar.

8. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 6, wherein the avatar is an animated image.

9. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 6, wherein the avatar is a three-dimensional image.

10. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 6, wherein the causing of the display to display the list of groups comprises changing the avatar according to a situation of message posting of a group corresponding to the avatar.

11. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the computer is further caused to execute:

automatically switching, a display of messages simultaneously for each the displayed groups.

12. A communication terminal, comprising:

a processing system, including a computer processor, the processing system being at least configured to;

cause a display to display a list of groups, each of the groups including users that share a message, the list showing message information for each of the groups, the message information indicating a message posted in a group, the message satisfying a predetermined condition, or indicating a user who has posted the message; and

accept a selection of one of the groups included in the list displayed on the display, the display control causing, in response to the selection of a group, the display to display at least part of messages shared in the group;

wherein causing of the display to display the list of groups comprises causing the display to simultaneously display the list of the groups and, for at least one of the displayed groups, a message that satisfies the predetermined condition and information indicative of a user who has posted the message in association with each other;

the processing system is further configured to automatically switch, a display of messages shared in the at least one of the displayed groups in the order of posting of the messages shared in the at least one of the displayed groups, each of the messages shared in the at least one of the displayed groups being displayed in association with information indicative of the corresponding user who has posted the message; and

the processing system is further configured to;

a display of avatars representing respective users who posted messages, the display of avatars changing positions using animation in response to posting of a new message.

13. The communication terminal according to claim 12, wherein

the processing system is further configured to:

automatically switching, a display of messages simultaneously for each the displayed groups.

14. A display method carried out by a communication terminal, the method comprising:

causing a display to display a list of groups, each of the groups including users that share a message, the list showing message information for each of the groups, the message information indicating a message posted in a group, the message satisfying a predetermined condition, or indicating a user who has posted the message;

accepting a selection of one of the groups included in the list displayed on the display; and

causing, in response to the selection of a group, the display to display at least part of messages shared in the group;

wherein the causing of the display to display the list of groups comprises causing the display to simultaneously display the list of the groups and, for at least one of the displayed groups, a message that satisfies the predetermined condition and information indicative of a user who has posted the message in association with each other; and

the method further comprises automatically switching, a display of messages shared in the at least one of the displayed groups in the order of posting of the messages shared in the at least one of the displayed groups, each of the messages shared in the at least one of the displayed groups being displayed in association with information indicative of the corresponding user who has posted the message; and

displaying avatars representing respective users who posted messages, the display of avatars changing positions using animation in response to the posting of a new message.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

automatically switching, a display of messages simultaneously for each the displayed groups.

16. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to provide execution comprising:

causing a display to display a list of groups, each of the groups including users that share an image, the list showing image information for each of the groups, the image information indicating an image posted in a group, the image satisfying a predetermined condition, or indicating a user who has posted the image;

accepting a selection of one of the groups included in the list displayed on the display; and

causing, in response to the selection of a group, the display to display at least part of images shared in the group;

wherein the causing of the display to display the list of groups comprises causing the display to simultaneously display the list of the groups and, for at least one of the displayed groups, an image that satisfies the predetermined condition and information indicative of a user who has posted the image in association with each other;

the computer is further caused to execute;

automatically switching, a display of images shared in the at least one of the displayed groups in the order of posting of the images shared in the at least one of the displayed groups, each of the images shared in the at least one of the displayed groups being displayed in association with information indicative of the corresponding user who has posted the image; and

the computer is further caused to execute;

a display of avatars representing respective users who posted messages, the display of avatars changing positions using animation in response to posting of a new message.

17. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16,

wherein the computer is further caused to execute:

automatically switching, a display of messages simultaneously for each the displayed groups.