System and method for managing an instant messaging conversation

• US 20070180040A1
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Steven, Etgen, Michael, Schwartz, Renee
• Granted Patent: US 8,001,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• 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

Abstract

The invention is a computer implemented system and process for managing a threaded instant messaging conversation. The process comprises establishing an interactive messaging session for exchanging a conversation element; assigning a thread identifier to the conversation element; appending the thread identifier to the conversation element; and displaying the conversation element in a user interface based on the thread identifier.

Claims

1. A computer implemented process for managing a threaded instant messaging conversation, the process comprising:

establishing an interactive messaging session for exchanging a conversation element;

assigning a thread identifier to the conversation element;

appending the thread identifier to the conversation element; and

displaying the conversation element in a user interface based on the thread identifier.

2. The computer implemented process of claim 1 further comprising creating a new thread from the conversation element.

3. The computer implemented process of claim 1 further comprising copying a conversation element to a separate file.

4. The computer implemented process of claim 3 wherein the separate file is an email message.

5. The computer implemented process of claim 1 wherein conversation elements are displayed in separate windows based on the thread identifier.

6. The computer implemented process of claim 1 wherein conversation elements are displayed in separate sub-windows based on the thread identifier.

7. The computer implemented process of claim 1 wherein conversation elements are displayed in separate regions of the same window based on the thread identifier.

8. An apparatus for managing an instant messaging conversation, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory connected to the processor;

an output device connected to the processor;

an instant messaging program in the memory operable to cause the processor to establish an interactive messaging session for exchanging a conversation element; and

an instant messaging thread manager program in the memory operable to cause the processor to assign a thread identifier to the conversation element, to append the thread identifier to the conversation element, and to display the conversation element on the output device based on the thread identifier.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the instant messaging thread manager program is further operable to cause the processor to create a new thread from the conversation element.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 further wherein the instant messaging thread manager program is further operable to cause the processor to copy the conversation element to a separate file.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the separate file is an email message.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein conversation elements are displayed in separate windows based on the thread identifier.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein conversation elements are displayed in separate sub-windows based on the thread identifier.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein conversation elements are displayed in separate regions of the same window based on the thread identifier.

15. A computer-readable memory having a computer program for performing a method of managing an instant messaging conversation, the method comprising:

establishing an interactive messaging session for exchanging a conversation element;

assigning a thread identifier to the conversation element;

appending the thread identifier to the conversation element; and

displaying the conversation element in a user interface based on the thread identifier.

16. The computer-readable memory of claim 15 wherein the method further comprises creating a new thread from the conversation element.

17. The computer-readable memory of claim 15 wherein the method further comprises copying a conversation element to a separate file.

18. The computer-readable memory of claim 17 wherein the separate file is an email message.

19. The computer-readable memory of claim 15 wherein conversation elements are displayed in separate windows based on the thread identifier.

20. The computer-readable memory of claim 15 wherein conversation elements are displayed in separate regions of the same window based on the thread identifier.