IM Conversation Counter and Indicator

• US 20080092063A1
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carbone, Kenneth, Canfield, James, Colburn, David, Willis, Gregory, Van Lenten, Thomas, Myers, Linda
• Granted Patent: US 7,877,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A user interface that enables user perception of status regarding communications that leverage an instant messaging platform may be rendered on a display. The user interface includes an instant messaging application user interface that enables perception and selection of instant messages for an instant messaging user, and a status indicator that provides a perceivable indication to the user of statistics regarding concurrent instant messaging sessions.

Claims

1. An electronic device configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause operations including rendering of a user interface that enables perception of information regarding communications sessions, the user interface comprising:

interface labels representative of personal messaging communication sessions of a first personal messaging user, each interface label representing a personal messaging communication session, the interface labels including;

an active session interface label representative of an active communication session between the first personal messaging user and another personal messaging user; and

one or more subdued session interface labels, each subdued session interface label representative of a subdued communication session between the first personal messaging user and another personal messaging user;

a communication session display area that displays content from the active communication session; and

a status display area that enables perception of a number of personal messaging communication sessions of the first personal messaging user that include at least one unacknowledged message, the number accounting for personal messaging communication sessions that are associated with the one or more subdued session interface labels.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the status display area displays a number making perceivable the number of personal messaging communication sessions of the first personal messaging user that include at least one unacknowledged message.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the status display area includes a numeric representation that makes perceivable the number of personal messaging communication sessions of the first personal messaging user that include at least one unacknowledged message.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the number of personal messaging communication sessions of the first personal messaging user that include at least one unacknowledged message accounts for personal messaging communication sessions that are associated with the active session interface label.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the personal messaging communication sessions that are associated with the active session interface label and that are associated with the one or more subdued session interface labels include distinct and concurrent instant messaging communication sessions.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein content from each of the subdued communication sessions is hidden from display.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the status display area includes a second number making perceivable a total number of personal messaging communication sessions for the first personal messaging user, the second number accounting for personal messaging communication sessions that are associated with the active session interface label and that are associated with the one or more subdued session interface labels.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the status display area includes a second number making perceivable a number of new personal messaging communication sessions for the first personal messaging user, the second number accounting for personal messaging communication sessions that are associated with the active session interface label and that are associated with the one or more subdued session interface labels.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the new personal messaging communication sessions for the first personal messaging user include personal messaging communication sessions in which the first personal messaging user has not sent any messages.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the new personal messaging communication sessions for the first personal messaging user include personal messaging communication sessions in which the first personal messaging user has not displayed content from the personal messaging communication sessions in the communication session display area.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the status display area includes a second number making perceivable a number of new senders from whom at least one unacknowledged message has been received and a third number making perceivable a number of old senders from whom at least one unacknowledged message has been received, the second and third numbers accounting for personal messaging communication sessions that are associated with the active session interface label and that are associated with the one or more subdued session interface labels.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the status display area includes a second number making perceivable a total number of new messages, the second number accounting for personal messaging communication sessions that are associated with the active session interface label and that are associated with the one or more subdued session interface labels.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising a perceivable status indicator for each interface label, each perceivable status indicator indicating whether or not the corresponding personal messaging communication session has at least one new message, wherein:

at least one perceivable status indicator is hidden from the first personal messaging user and at least one perceivable status indicator is visible to the first personal messaging user, and

the number making perceivable the number of personal messaging communication sessions of the first personal messaging user that include at least one unacknowledged message accounts for the personal messaging communication sessions associated with a visible perceivable status indicator and the personal messaging communication sessions associated with a hidden perceivable status indicator.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the active session interface label and the one or more subdued session interface labels are rendered proximate to the communication session display area.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 wherein the active session interface label and the one or more subdued session interface labels are rendered in a user interface window with the communication session display area.

16. A method of rendering of a user interface that enables perception of information regarding communications sessions, the user interface comprising:

rendering a display of interface labels representative of personal messaging communication sessions of a first personal messaging user, each interface label representing a personal messaging communication session, the interface labels including;

an active session interface label representative of an active communication session between the first personal messaging user and another personal messaging user; and

one or more subdued session interface labels, each subdued session interface label representative of a subdued communication session between the first personal messaging user and another personal messaging user;

rendering a display of a communication session display area that displays content from the active communication session; and

rendering a display of a status display area that enables perception of a number of personal messaging communication sessions of the first personal messaging user that include at least one unacknowledged message, the number accounting for personal messaging communication sessions that are associated with the one or more subdued session interface labels.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein rendering the display of the status display area includes rendering a display of a second number making perceivable a total number of personal messaging communication sessions for the first personal messaging user, the second number accounting for personal messaging communication sessions that are associated with the active session interface label and that are associated with the one or more subdued session interface labels.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein rendering the display of the status display area includes rendering a display of a second number making perceivable a number of new personal messaging communication sessions for the first personal messaging user, the second number accounting for personal messaging communication sessions that are associated with the active session interface label and that are associated with the one or more subdued session interface labels.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the new personal messaging communication sessions for the first personal messaging user include personal messaging communication sessions in which the first personal messaging user has not sent any messages.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the new personal messaging communication sessions for the first personal messaging user include personal messaging communication sessions in which the first personal messaging user has not displayed content from the personal messaging communication sessions in the communication session display area.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein rendering the display of the status display area includes rendering a display of a second number making perceivable a number of new senders from whom at least one unacknowledged message has been received and a third number making perceivable a number of old senders from whom at least one unacknowledged message has been received, the second and third numbers accounting for personal messaging communication sessions that are associated with the active session interface label and that are associated with the one or more subdued session interface labels.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein rendering the display of the status display area includes rendering a display of a second number making perceivable a total number of new messages, the second number accounting for personal messaging communication sessions that are associated with the active session interface label and that are associated with the one or more subdued session interface labels.

23. The method of claim 16 further comprising rendering a display of a perceivable status indicator for each interface label, each perceivable status indicator indicating whether or not the corresponding personal messaging communication session has at least one new message, wherein:

at least one perceivable status indicator is hidden from the first personal messaging user and at least one perceivable status indicator is visible to the first personal messaging user, and

the number making perceivable the number of personal messaging communication sessions of the first personal messaging user that include at least one unacknowledged message accounts for the personal messaging communication sessions associated with a visible perceivable status indicator and the personal messaging communication sessions associated with a hidden perceivable status indicator.

24. At least one computer-readable medium storing one or more computer programs including instructions that, when executed, perform operations comprising:

rendering a display of interface labels representative of personal messaging communication sessions of a first personal messaging user, each interface label representing a personal messaging communication session, the interface labels including;

an active session interface label representative of an active communication session between the first personal messaging user and another personal messaging user; and

one or more subdued session interface labels, each subdued session interface label representative of a subdued communication session between the first personal messaging user and another personal messaging user;

rendering a display of a communication session display area that displays content from the active communication session; and

rendering a display of a status display area that enables perception of a number of personal messaging communication sessions of the first personal messaging user that include at least one unacknowledged message, the number accounting for personal messaging communication sessions that are associated with the one or more subdued session interface labels.

25. A method of providing status of personal messaging communication sessions, the method comprising:

monitoring multiple distinct and concurrent personal messaging communication sessions of a personal messaging user for unacknowledged messages;

based on monitoring the distinct and concurrent personal messaging communication sessions, determining a total number of the distinct and concurrent personal messaging communication sessions that include at least one unacknowledged message; and

enabling display of the determined total number of the distinct and concurrent personal messaging communication sessions that include at least one unacknowledged message.