System and Method for Managing Threadsd in a Network Chat Environment

• US 20070255791A1
• Filed: 04/19/2005
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Bodlaender, Maarten, Schellingerhout, Nico
• Application Number:
  US11/568,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255791A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

A system and method is provided for managing conversation threads 520 in a chat room 505 operating in a network chat environment. A chat controller 120 provides an exchange of information in the form of a plurality of chat lines between a plurality of chat clients registered with a chat room 505. A thread management controller 130 determines one or more associations between the chat lines and identifies one or more threads 520 corresponding to the associations. The thread management controller 130 further assigns each of the chat lines to one of the threads 520.

Claims

1. A system for providing thread management in a network chat environment, comprising:

a chat controller (120) operable to provide an exchange of information in the form of a plurality of chat lines between a plurality of chat clients registered with a chat room (505); and

a thread management controller (130) operable to determine one or more associations between the plurality of chat lines, identify one or more threads (520) corresponding to the one or more associations and assign each of the plurality of chat lines to one of the one or more threads (520).

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a chat server (150) connected via a distributed computing network (50) to the plurality of chat clients, said chat controller (120) and said thread management controller 130 being implemented on said chat server (150).

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a computer (10) associated with one of the plurality of chat clients, said chat controller (14) and said thread management controller (19) being implemented on said computer (10).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said network chat environment comprises an interactive television system (300), said chat room (505) being related to a television program (322), and further comprising:

a broadcast server (320) operable to broadcast said television program (322), said chat controller (326) and said thread management controller (328) being implemented on said broadcast server (320); and

a receiver (330) associated with one of the plurality of chat clients, said receiver (330) being operable to receive said television program (322) and said plurality of chat lines, said receiver (330) being further operable to display said television program (322) and said plurality of chat lines on a display device (310).

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a display (20) associated with a select one of said plurality of chat clients, each of said threads (520) being displayed on said display (20); and

a user interface associated with said select chat client, said user interface being operable to receive input from said select chat client, said input selecting one of said threads (520) for display on said display (20).

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said thread management controller (130) is further operable to associate each of said plurality of chat clients with one of said threads (520) and provide to each of said chat clients ones of said chat lines assigned to said associated thread (520).

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said thread management controller (130) is operable to determine said one or more associations between said plurality of chat lines based on a probability of relating between consecutive ones of said plurality of chat lines.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the probability of relating is measured by a time interval in which a new one of the plurality of chat lines is sent with respect to a previous one of the plurality of chat lines.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said thread management controller (130) is operable to determine said one or more associations between said plurality of chat lines based on a keyword match between said plurality of chat lines.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said thread management controller (130) is operable to determine said one or more associations between said plurality of chat lines based on a user interaction between two of said plurality of chat clients.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said thread management controller (130) is operable to determine said one or more associations between said plurality of chat lines based on commonality of authorship between said plurality of chat lines.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said thread management controller (130) is operable to determine said one or more associations between said plurality of chat lines based on a grammar analysis of said plurality of chat lines.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said thread management controller (130) is further operable to provide a respective name for each of said one or more threads (520).

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each said respective name is assigned by at least one of the plurality of chat clients.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein each said respective name is assigned by said thread management controller (130) using keywords in said plurality of chat lines.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said thread management controller (130) is further operable to receive as input a select one of said respective names from one of said chat clients to create a new chat room (505), said thread management controller (130) being further operable to automatically invite said chat clients associated with said thread (520) having said select name to said new chat room (505).

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said thread management controller (130) is further operable to provide chat line references usable by said plurality of chat clients to refer to each of said plurality of chat lines.

18. A method for managing threads (520) in a network chat environment, comprising:

receiving a plurality of chat lines from a plurality of chat clients registered with a chat room (505);

determining one or more associations between the plurality of chat lines;

identifying one or more threads (520) corresponding to the one or more associations; and

assigning each of the plurality of chat lines to one of the one or more threads (520).

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving input from a select one of said plurality of chat clients, said input selecting one of said threads (520); and

displaying at least said selected thread (520) to said select chat client.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

associating each of said plurality of chat clients with one of said threads (520); and

providing to each of said chat clients ones of said chat lines assigned to said associated thread (520).

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said determining comprises determining a probability of relating between consecutive ones of said plurality of chat lines.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said determining the probability of relating further comprises measuring a time interval in which a new one of the plurality of chat lines is sent with respect to a previous one of the plurality of chat lines.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein said determining further comprises performing a keyword match between said plurality of chat lines.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein said determining further comprises analyzing a user interaction between two of said plurality of chat clients.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein said determining further comprises determining a commonality of authorship between said plurality of chat lines.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein said determining further comprises performing a grammar analysis of said plurality of chat lines.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a respective name for each of said one or more threads (520).

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said providing further comprises assigning each said respective name by at least one of the plurality of chat clients.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said providing further comprises assigning each said respective name using keywords in said plurality of chat lines.

30. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing chat line references usable by said plurality of chat clients to refer to each of said plurality of chat lines.

31. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions to perform a method for managing threads (520) in a network chat environment, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of chat lines from a plurality of chat clients registered with a chat room (505);

determining one or more associations between the plurality of chat lines;

identifying one or more threads (520) corresponding to the one or more associations; and

assigning each of the plurality of chat lines to one of the one or more threads (520).

32. A computer programmed to execute a process for managing threads (520) in a network chat environment, the process comprising:

receiving a plurality of chat lines from a plurality of chat clients registered with a chat room (505);

determining one or more associations between the plurality of chat lines;

identifying one or more threads (520) corresponding to the one or more associations; and

assigning each of the plurality of chat lines to one of the one or more threads.