Method and Apparatus for Displaying Information During an Instant Messaging Session

• US 20100185960A1
• Filed: 03/17/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Alfke, Jens, Lemay, Stephen O., Christie, Gregory N., Westen, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A method and an apparatus are provided for controlling a graphical user interface to display information related to a communication session. Information relating to data produced by a first participant to the communication session is displayed on a first display unit, wherein the information produced by the first participant is displayed at a first position on the first display unit. Data is received from a second participant to the communication session, and information relating to the data received from the second participant is displayed on the first display unit, wherein the information received from the second participant is displayed at a second position on the first display unit. The first and second positions are horizontally spaced apart.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A graphical user interface for displaying information related to a communication session, comprising:

a first region adapted to display at least one message from a first participant to the instant messaging session; and

a second region adapted to display at least one message from a second participant to the instant messaging session, wherein the first and second regions are spatially distinct.

21. A graphical user interface, as set forth in claim 20, wherein the first and second regions are horizontally spaced apart.

22. A graphical user interface, as set forth in claim 21, wherein the first and second regions are permitted to at least partially overlap.

23. A graphical user interface, as set forth in claim 20, wherein the first region is adapted to display an icon associated with the first participant, and the second region is adapted to display an icon associated with the second participant.

24. A graphical user interface, as set forth in claim 20, wherein the first region is adapted to display text from the first participant in a speech balloon, wherein the speech balloon is in a left justified format.

25. A graphical user interface, as set forth in claim 24, wherein the first region is adapted to display the text in a left justified format.

26. A graphical user interface, as set forth in claim 20, wherein the second region is adapted to display text from the second participant in a speech balloons wherein the display text is in a left justified format and wherein the speech balloon is in a right justified format.

27. A graphical user interface, as set forth in claim 20, wherein the first region is adapted to display a thought bubble in response to receiving a signal from the first participant that a message is being prepared to be sent to the second participant.

28. A graphical user interface, as set forth in claim 27, wherein the first and second regions are adapted to display the messages received from the first and second participants vertically in the order in which they were received.

29. A graphical user interface, as set forth in claim 28, wherein the first and second regions are adapted to replace the thought bubble with a corresponding speech balloon when the speech balloon is received.

30-33. -33. (canceled)

34. A method for displaying information related to a communication session, comprising:

receiving information relating to data produced by a first participant to the communication session;

displaying a first speech balloon on a display unit; and

displaying the information received from the first participant at least partially within the first speech balloon.

35. A method, as set forth in claim 34, wherein displaying the first speech balloon further comprises determining a size of the first speech balloon as a function of the information received from the first participant.

36. A method, as set forth in claim 34, wherein displaying the first speech balloon further comprises determining a size of the speech balloon as a function of the amount of information received from the first participant.

37. A method, as set forth in claim 36, wherein displaying the first speech balloon further comprises adjusting side regions of the first speech balloon to correspond to the determined size of the first speech balloon.

38. A method, as set forth in claim 36, wherein displaying the first speech balloon further comprises adjusting top and bottom regions of the first speech balloon to correspond to the determined size of the first speech balloon.

39. A method, as set forth in claim 36, wherein displaying the first speech balloon further comprises adjusting side, top, and bottom regions of the first speech balloon to correspond to the determined size of the first speech balloon.

40. A method, as set forth in claim 34, wherein displaying a first speech balloon further comprises identifying the first participant as a function of information received from the first participant and displaying the first speech balloon using a first preselected color representative of the identity of the first participant.

42. A method, as set forth in claim 34, wherein displaying a first speech balloon further comprises identifying the first participant as a function of information received from the participant and displaying the first speech balloon at a location representative of the identity of the first participant.

44. A method, as set forth in claim 34, wherein displaying a first speech balloon further comprises identifying the first participant as a function of information received from the first participant and displaying a first icon representative of the first participant adjacent the first speech balloon.

58. A method, as set forth in claim 40, wherein using a first preselected color representative of the identity of the participant further comprises applying a first gradient to the first preselected color.

59. A method, as set forth in claim 58, further comprising:

receiving information relating to data produced by a second participant to the communication session;

displaying a second speech balloon on the display unit, the second speech balloon being related to the data produced by the second participant, wherein displaying the second speech balloon further comprises identifying the second participant as a function of information received from the second participant and displaying the second speech balloon using a second preselected color representative of the identity of the second participant; and

applying a second gradient to the second preselected color.

60. A method, as set forth in claim 59, wherein the first gradient begins at the left side of the first speech balloon, and the second gradient begins at the right side of the second speech balloon.

61. A method, as set forth in claim 44, further comprising:

receiving information relating to data produced by a second participant to the communication session;

displaying a second speech balloon on the display unit, wherein displaying a second speech balloon further comprises identifying the second participant as a function of information received from the second participant and displaying a second icon representative of the second participant adjacent the second speech balloon; and

displaying the information received from the second participant at least partially within the second speech balloon.

41. (canceled)

43. (canceled)

45-57. -57. (canceled)

62. A computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, performs a method for displaying information related to a communication session, comprising:

receiving information relating to data produced by a first participant to the communication session;

displaying a first speech region on a display unit using a first color, wherein the first speech region is displayed using a first color variation; and

displaying the information received from the first participant within the first speech region.

63. A computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, performs a method, as set forth in claim 62, further comprising:

displaying a second speech region on the display unit using a second color, wherein the second speech region is displayed using a second color variation; and

displaying the information received from the second participant within the second speech region.