INSTANT MESSENGER CONVERSATION TOPIC TABS

• US 20090313334A1
• Filed: 06/12/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nigam, Meena, Seacat, Lisa A.
• Application Number:
  US12/137,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20090313334A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

A method and system provides for separating conversation topics within a user'"'"'s chat by tabs. Authorized users may organize and control access to IM conversations organized by topics. An existing instant messaging user with access to an instant messaging conversation may tag one or more portions of the instant messaging conversation as their tagged conversation topics. Existing instant messaging users may control access to the tagged conversation topics by inviting one or more new instant messaging users to selectively participate in the tagged conversation topics and not the instant messaging conversation in its entirety.

Claims

1. A method for organizing and controlling access to instant messaging conversations organized by topics, comprising:

an existing instant messaging user, of a plurality of existing instant messaging users with access to an instant messaging conversation, tagging one or more portions of the instant messaging conversation as one or more tagged conversation topics of the existing instant messaging user;

one or more of the plurality of existing instant messaging users controlling access to the one or more tagged conversation topics available to one or more new instant messaging users by selecting in which of the one or more tagged conversation topics of the instant messaging conversation the one or more new instant messaging users can participate;

inviting the one or more new instant messaging users to participate in the selected one or more tagged conversation topics and not the entire instant messaging conversation; and

displaying the selected one or more tagged conversation topics of the instant messaging conversation to the one or more new instant messaging users in a single window and not displaying non-selected topics of the one or more tagged conversation topics of the instant messaging conversation to the one or more new instant messaging users in the single window.