Simultaneous Instant Messaging In Single Window

• US 20090254616A1
• Filed: 04/08/2008
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Elizabeth I., Cheung, Dennis Takchi, Ittah, Gad, Shah, Nikita, Dharmarajan, Baskaran, Khan, Mohammad Rafiushan
• Granted Patent: US 8,762,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

Providing integrated multi-session instant messaging in a single instant messaging window. A user interface has an instant messaging window for displaying a plurality of conversation panes representative of concurrent instant messaging sessions between a local user and a plurality of remote users. Each conversation pane represents one of the messaging sessions. A plurality of message components correspond to the conversations panes so that each message component corresponds to one conversation pane. Each message component is arranged in the corresponding conversation pane and displays text from an instant message. The conversation display area displays at least two of the conversation panes linearly along the height of the window so that the message components arranged in the at least two conversation panes are simultaneously viewable.

Claims

1. A method for providing integrated multi-session instant messaging in a single instant messaging window, said messaging window having a window height and a window width, said method comprising:

receiving instant messages associated with a plurality of concurrent instant messaging sessions between a local user and a plurality of remote users, wherein each messaging session is between the local user and at least one of the remote users;

generating, for each of the plurality of concurrent instant messaging sessions, a distinct corresponding conversation pane, each conversation pane having a message component for displaying text from at least one of the received instant messages associated with the corresponding messaging session;

defining a conversation display area in the messaging window as a function of the window height and the window width;

associating a set of the conversation panes with the conversation display area, said set having a specific number of conversation panes, wherein the conversation panes of said set are aligned along the height of the messaging window so that the message components of the conversation panes of said set are simultaneously viewable in the conversation display area of the messaging window.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising

receiving a request from the user to change the set of conversation panes associated with the conversation display area;

and

responsive to receiving said request, associating another set of the conversation panes with the conversation display area, said other set of conversation panes being different from the set of conversation panes to be changed, said conversation panes of said other set being aligned along the height of the messaging window so that the message components of the conversation panes of said other set are simultaneously viewable in the conversation display area of messaging window.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said defining includes assigning one pane height to each of the conversation panes, wherein said pane height is fixed relative to the window height.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said defining includes determining a one pane width as a function of the window width and assigning the determined pane width to each of the conversation panes.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the instant messaging window is a web browser window.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the instant messaging window is an application window, said application being an instant messaging application installed on a computing device associated with the local user.

2. The method of claim 2 wherein the specific number of conversation panes in said set is the lesser of the number of concurrent instant messaging sessions and a pre-determined maximum number of conversation panes.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the maximum number of conversation panes is specified by the user.

9. A user interface implemented within computer executable instructions stored on a computer readable storage medium, said user interface comprising:

an instant messaging window displaying a conversation display area within said messaging window, said messaging window having a window height and a window width;

a plurality of conversation panes representative of concurrent instant messaging sessions between a local user and a plurality of remote users, wherein each conversation pane represents one of the messaging sessions and each messaging session is between the local user and at least one of the remote users;

a plurality of message components being arranged in the plurality of conversation panes, each message component being arranged in one corresponding conversation pane and each message component displaying text from an instant message exchanged between the local user and one of the remote users during the message session represented by the corresponding conversation pane;

wherein said conversation display area displays at least two of the conversation panes linearly along the height of the window so that the message components arranged in the at least two conversation panes are simultaneously viewable.

10. The user interface of claim 9 further comprising a conversation pane selection component when the number of conversation panes exceeds a pre-determined number of conversation panes that the conversation display area is configured to display, said conversation selection component for receiving a request from the local user to display at least one conversation pane that is different from the conversation panes being displayed by the conversation display area.

11. The user interface of claim 10 wherein the conversation pane selection component includes a scrollbar.

12. The user interface of claim 9 further comprising a new window selection component for receiving a request from the local user for a new window to be generated that displays a selected conversation pane.

13. The user interface of claim 9 further comprising a mode selection component for receiving a request from the local user for the instant messaging window to replace the conversation display area with one of the following display areas:

a contacts display area, an exchange display area, a full display area.

14. The user interface of claim 13 wherein the contacts display area displays a contact list associated with the local user, said contact list identifying one or more remote users.

15. The user interface of claim 13 wherein the exchange display area displays:

at least two of the conversation panes linearly along the height of the window; and

an input component corresponding to a selected one of the at least two conversation panes, said input component for receiving data from the local user for communicating via an instant message to the remote user of the messaging session represented by said selected conversation pane;

wherein the messaging and input components of the selected conversation pane and at least a portion of the messaging component of the other conversation pane are simultaneously viewable in the exchange display area.

16. The user interface of claim 13 wherein the full display area displays:

a plurality of identifying components corresponding to the plurality of conversation panes, each identifying component corresponding to one of the conversation panes, and each identifying component displaying information identifying the remote user of the messaging session represented by the corresponding conversation pane;

the message component corresponding to a selected conversation pane; and

an input component corresponding to the selected conversation pane, said input component for receiving data from the local user for communicating via an instant message to the remote user of the messaging session represented by said selected conversation pane,

wherein said plurality of identifying components, said message component, and said input component are simultaneously viewable in the full display area.

17. The user interface of claim 14 further comprising a plurality of identifying components being arranged in the plurality of conversation panes, each identifying component being arranged in one corresponding conversation pane and each identifying component displaying information identifying the remote user of the messaging session represented by the corresponding conversation pane.

18. A method for providing integrated multi-session instant messaging in a single instant messaging window, said messaging window having a window height and a window width, said method comprising:

receiving instant messages associated with a plurality of concurrent instant messaging sessions between a local user and a plurality of remote users, wherein each messaging session is between the local user and at least one of the remote users;

generating, for each of the plurality of messaging sessions, a distinct corresponding conversation pane, each conversation pane having a message component for displaying text from at least one of the received instant messages associated with the corresponding messaging session;

identifying a conversation pane corresponding to a selected one of the messaging sessions;

associating an input component with the identified conversation pane, said input component for receiving data from the local user for communicating to the remote user of the selected messaging session via an instant message; and

defining a conversation display area within the messaging window wherein the identified conversation pane and at least one other conversation pane are aligned in the conversation display area along the height of the messaging window so that the messaging and input components of the identified conversation pane and at least a portion of the messaging component of the other conversation pane are simultaneously viewable in the conversation display area of the messaging window.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the instant messaging window is a web browser window.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the instant messaging window is an application window, said application being an instant messaging application installed on a computing device associated with the local user.