System, method and program for managing chat sessions

• US 20070198647A1
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Moore, John, Lingafelt, Charles, Merrill, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,882,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

System, method and program product for managing a chat session. A server maintains an identity and list of member(s) of a group that can be added to a chat session, and a list of people authorized to request that the group of member(s) be added to the chat session. A person in a chat session at a workstation makes a request to add the group of member(s) to the chat session. In response, the workstation sends the request to the server. In response to the request, the server determines if the person is authorized to add the group to the chat session. If so, the server sends an invitation to the member(s) to join the chat session. If not, the server does not send an invitation to the member(s) to join the chat session. To make the request to add the group to the chat session, the person can enter in a chat session text field a character string that is a command to add the group to the chat session. A program at the workstation monitors the text field and determines that the character string is the command to add the group to the chat session.

Claims

1. A method for managing a chat session, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining at a server an identity and list of member(s) of a group that can be added to a chat session, and a list of people authorized to request that said group of member(s) be added to said chat session;

a person in a chat session at a workstation making a request to add said group of member(s) to said chat session, and in response, said workstation sending said request to said server;

in response to said request, said server determining if said person is authorized to add said group to said chat session, and if so, said server sending an invitation to said member(s) to join said chat session, and if not, said server not sending an invitation to said member(s) to join said chat session.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of said person in a chat session at a workstation making a request to add said group comprises the steps of:

said person entering in a chat session text field a character string that is a command to add said group to said chat session; and

a program at said workstation monitoring said text field and determining that said character string is said command to add said group to said chat session, and in response, sending a command to said server to add said group to said chat session.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said character string comprises an identity of said group surrounded by symbols which differentiate said character string from message text.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

said server obtaining from said member(s) a credential and determining if said credential is valid, and if so, joining said member(s) to said chat session.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein if said person is authorized to add said group to said chat session, and said server sends an invitation to said member(s) to join said chat session, further comprising the steps of:

said member(s) responding to said server with acceptance(s) to join said chat session; and

said server joining said member(s) to said chat session.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein if said person is authorized to add said group to said chat session, and said server sends an invitation to said member(s) to join said chat session, further comprising the step of said server joining said member(s) to said chat session.

7. A system for managing a chat session, said system comprising:

means for maintaining at a server an identity and list of member(s) of a group that can be added to a chat session, and a list of people authorized to request that said group of member(s) be added to said chat session;

means for enabling a person in a chat session at a workstation to make a request to add said group of member(s) to said chat session, and means within said workstation, responsive to said request, for sending said request to said server; and

said server including means, responsive to said request, for determining if said person is authorized to add said group to said chat session, and if so, sending an invitation to said member(s) to join said chat session, and if not, not sending an invitation to said member(s) to join said chat session.

8. A system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said means for enabling said person in a chat session at a workstation to make a request to add said group comprises:

means for enabling said person to enter in a chat session text field a character string that is a command to add said group to said chat session; and

a program at said workstation for monitoring said text field and determining that said character string is said command to add said group to said chat session, and in response, sending a command to said server to add said group to said chat session.

9. A system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said character string comprises an identity of said group surrounded by symbols which differentiate said character string from message text.

10. A system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said server further comprises means for obtaining from said member(s) a credential and determining if said credential is valid, and if so, joining said member(s) to said chat session.

11. A system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said server further comprises:

means, responsive to said person being authorized to add said group to said chat session, for sending an invitation to said member(s) to join said chat session; and

means, responsive to said member(s) responding to said server with acceptance(s) to join said chat session, for joining said member(s) to said chat session.

12. A system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said server further comprises means, responsive to said person being authorized to add said group to said chat session, for sending an invitation to said member(s) to join said chat session, and subsequently joining said member(s) to said chat session.

13. A computer program product for managing a chat session, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable media;

first program instructions to maintain at a server an identity and list of member(s) of a group that can be added to a chat session, and a list of people authorized to request that said group of member(s) be added to said chat session;

second program instructions, for execution within a workstation, to enable a person in a chat session at said workstation to make a request to add said group of member(s) to said chat session, and to respond to said request by initiating sending of said request to said server; and

third program instructions, for execution within said server, to respond to said request by determining if said person is authorized to add said group to said chat session, and if so, sending an invitation to said member(s) to join said chat session, and if not, not sending an invitation to said member(s) to join said chat session; and

wherein

said first, second and third program instructions are stored on said media in functional form.

14. A computer program product as set forth in claim 13 wherein said second program instructions comprise:

fourth program instructions to enable said person to enter in a chat session text field a character string that is a command to add said group to said chat session; and

fifth program instructions, for execution at said workstation, to monitor said text field and determine that said character string is said command to add said group to said chat session, and in response, initiate sending of a command to said server to add said group to said chat session; and

wherein

said fourth and fifth program instructions are stored on said media in functional form.

15. A computer program product as set forth in claim 13 wherein said character string comprises an identity of said group surrounded by symbols which differentiate said character string from message text.

16. A computer program product as set forth in claim 13 further comprising fourth program instructions, for execution within said server, to obtain from said member(s) a credential and determine if said credential is valid, and if so, join said member(s) to said chat session;

and wherein said fourth program instructions are stored on said media in functional form.

17. A computer program product as set forth in claim 13 further comprising:

fourth program instructions, for execution within said server, to respond to said person being authorized to add said group to said chat session, by sending an invitation to said member(s) to join said chat session; and

fifth program instructions, for execution within said server, to respond to said member(s) responding to said server with acceptance(s) to join said chat session, by joining said member(s) to said chat session; and

wherein

said fourth and fifth program instructions are stored on said media in functional form.

18. A computer program product as set forth in claim 13 further comprising fourth program instructions, for execution within said server, to respond to said person being authorized to add said group to said chat session, by sending an invitation to said member(s) to join said chat session, and subsequently joining said member(s) to said chat session.