Method and apparatus for managing messages in a messaging session

• US 20040260771A1
• Filed: 06/19/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Waters, Timothy Moffett, Seaman, James Wesley, Gusler, Carl Phillip, Hamilton, Rick Allen II
• Granted Patent: US 7,337,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing messages. In response to a request by an invitee to add a third party to a messaging session with a number of parties, a stealth invite is sent to the third party. If the stealth invite is accepted, messages sent to and received from the parties are sent to the third party without the number of parties knowing of a presence of the third party in the messaging session. The addition of the third party is not announced or indicated to the other parties. The third party also is unable to send messages to the other parties, but may in some cases send messages to the invitee. A recording feature allows a party to automatically record all messages that the party can see. This feature is initiated at the beginning of a messaging session and can be set as a default.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for managing messages, the method comprising:

responsive to a request by an invitee to add a third party to a messaging session with a number of parties, sending a stealth invite to the third party; and

responsive to receiving an acceptance of the stealth invite, sending messages sent to and received from the number of parties to the third party without the number of parties knowing of a presence of the third party in the messaging session.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

allowing the third party to send messages only to a user sending the invitation.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to initiation of the messaging session, determining whether a default has been set; and

responsive to the default being set, recording all messages sent and received during the messaging session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of parties is one party.

5. The method of clam 1, wherein the third party is unable to send message in the messaging session.

6. A method in a data processing system for presenting messages, the method comprising:

receiving an invitation to join a messaging session in an undetected mode; and

responsive to accepting the invitation, displaying a window in which messages from other parties in the messaging session are presented in a read only fashion such that the user is unable to enter user input to send messages to the other parties.

7. A method in a data processing system for handling messages during a messaging session for a messaging program, the method comprising:

responsive to initiation of a new messaging session for the messaging program, determining whether a default has been set to automatically record messages; and

responsive to the default being set, recording all messages sent and received during the new session in a file.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the recording step comprises:

opening the file, wherein the file remains open until the new messaging session is terminated; and

storing the recorded messages in a location.

9. A data processing system for managing messages, the data processing system comprising:

first sending means, responsive to a request by an invitee to add a third party to a messaging session with a number of parties, for sending a stealth invite to the third party; and

second sending means, responsive to receiving an acceptance of the stealth invite, for sending messages sent to and received from the number of parties to the third party without the number of parties knowing of a presence of the third party in the messaging session.

10. The data processing system of claim 9 further comprising:

allowing means for allowing the third party to send messages only to a user sending the invitation.

11. The data processing system of claim 9 further comprising:

determining means, responsive to initiation of the messaging session, for determining whether a default has been set; and

recording means, responsive to the default being set, for recording all messages sent and received during the messaging session.

12. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the number of parties is one party.

13. The data processing system of clam 9, wherein the third party is unable to send messages in the messaging session.

14. A data processing system for presenting messages, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving an invitation to join a messaging session in a undetected mode; and

displaying means, responsive to accepting the invitation, for displaying a window in which messages from other parties in the messaging session are presented in a read only fashion such that user is unable to enter user input to send messages to the other parties.

15. A data processing system for handling messages during a messaging session for a messaging program, the data processing system comprising:

determining means, responsive to initiation of a new messaging session for the messaging program, for determining whether a default has been set to automatically record messages; and

recording means, responsive to the default being set, for recording all messages sent and received during the new session in a file.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the recording means comprises:

opening means for opening the file, wherein the file remains open until the new messaging session is terminated; and

storing means for storing the recorded messages in a location.

17. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to send a stealth invite to the third party in response to a request by an invitee to add a third party to a messaging session with a number of parties and send messages sent to and received from the number of parties to the third party without the number of parties knowing of a presence of the third party in the messaging session in response to receiving an acceptance of the stealth invite.

18. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to receive an invitation to join a messaging session in an undetected mode and display a window in which messages from other parties in the messaging session are presented in a read only fashion such that user is unable to enter user input to send messages to the other parties and in response to accepting the invitation.

19. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for managing messages, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions, responsive to a request by an invitee to add a third party to a messaging session with a number of parties, for sending a stealth invite to the third party; and

second instructions, responsive to receiving an acceptance of the stealth invite, for sending messages sent to and received from the number of parties to the third party without the number of parties knowing of a presence of the third party in the messaging session.

20. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for presenting messages, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving an invitation to join a messaging session in a undetected mode; and

second instructions, responsive to accepting the invitation, for displaying a window in which messages from other parties in the messaging session are presented in a read only fashion such that user is unable to enter user input to send messages to the other parties.