METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INITIATING AND MANAGING CHAT SESSIONS

• US 20110055735A1
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wood, Justin, Westen, Peter T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,843,834 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 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Method and apparatus for initiating and managing a chat session are described herein. According to one embodiment, user activities with respect to the data processing system are monitored, including user activities that are unrelated to chat services. In response to a request to initiate a chat session between a local user and a remote user, a first chat service account is selected from a list of chat service accounts associated with the remote user based on the monitored user activities. A chat session is initiated using the selected first chat service account of the remote user and a second chat service account selected for the local user. Certain information is displayed within a chat window indicating that the chat session is conducted between the first and second chat service accounts. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method performed by a machine for initiating a chat session, the method comprising:

monitoring user activities with respect to the data processing system, including user activities that are unrelated to chat services;

in response to a request to initiate a chat session between a local user and a remote user, selecting a first chat service account from a list of a plurality chat service accounts associated with the remote user based on the monitored user activities;

initiating a chat session using the selected first chat service account of the remote user and a second chat service account selected for the local user; and

displaying information within a chat window indicating that the chat session is conducted between the first and second chat service accounts.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the second chat service account from a list of a plurality of chat service accounts associated with the local user based on the monitored user activities, wherein the second chat service account is selected to be most compatible with the first chat service account.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first chat service account and the second chat service account are associated with an identical chat service provider.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a communication session to a mobile phone of the remote user ended within a predetermined period of time prior to the request received; and

sending content of the chat session to the mobile phone of the remote user over an SMS (short message service) communications channel if a communication session to the mobile phone of the remote user ended within the predetermined period of time.

5. A machine-readable storage medium storing machine-executable instructions which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method performed within a machine for initiating a chat session, the method comprising:

monitoring user activities with respect to the data processing system, including user activities that are unrelated to chat services;

in response to a request to initiate a chat session between a local user and a remote user, selecting a first chat service account from a list of a plurality chat service accounts associated with the remote user based on the monitored user activities;

initiating a chat session using the selected first chat service account of the remote user and a second chat service account selected for the local user; and

displaying information within a chat window indicating that the chat session is conducted between the first and second chat service accounts.

6. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises selecting the second chat service account from a list of a plurality of chat service accounts associated with the local user based on the monitored user activities, wherein the second chat service account is selected to be most compatible with the first chat service account.

7. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the first chat service account and the second chat service account are associated with an identical chat service provider.

8. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether a communication session to a mobile phone of the remote user ended within a predetermined period of time prior to the request received; and

sending content of the chat session to the mobile phone of the remote user over an SMS (short message service) communications channel if a communication session to the mobile phone of the remote user ended within the predetermined period of time.

9. A machine-implemented method performed by a machine for initiating a chat session, the method comprising:

in response to a request to add a remote user to a chat room by selecting a first chat service account of the remote user, determining whether the first chat service account is compatible with a chat service provider hosting the chat room;

automatically selecting a second chat service account from a list of a plurality of chat service accounts associated with the remote user, if the first chat service account is incompatible with the chat service provider;

sending an invitation to the remote user via the second chat service account to invite the remote user to participate in the chat room; and

displaying an identifier of the second chat service account within a chat window associated with the chat room.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying the list of the chat service accounts associated with the remote user, including the first chat service account; and

allowing a local user to drag and drop a graphical representation of the first chat service account into the chat room for the purpose of selecting the first chat service account to send the invitation to invite the remote user to join the chat room.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying a list of a plurality of chat service accounts associated with the local user to allow the local user to select one of the chat service accounts for chatting.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the lists of chat service accounts are displayed in a menu having a TO section and a FROM section, and wherein the list of chat service accounts of the remote user is displayed in the TO section and the list of chat service accounts of the local user is displayed in the FROM section.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the second chat service account is associated with the chat service provider of the chat room, and wherein the first chat service account is associated with another chat service provider.

14. A machine-readable storage medium storing machine-executable instructions which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method performed within a machine for initiating a chat session, the method comprising:

in response to a request to add a remote user to a chat room by selecting a first chat service account of the remote user, determining whether the first chat service account is compatible with a chat service provider hosting the chat room;

automatically selecting a second chat service account from a list of a plurality of chat service accounts associated with the remote user, if the first chat service account is incompatible with the chat service provider;

sending an invitation to the remote user via the second chat service account to invite the remote user to participate in the chat room; and

displaying an identifier of the second chat service account within a chat window associated with the chat room.

15. A machine-implemented method performed by a machine for initiating a chat session, the method comprising:

initiating a chat session between a local user and a remote user, each of the local user and the remote user has multiple chat service accounts associated with one or more chat service providers;

in response to a request to enable a predetermined chat feature within the chat session that is not supported by at least one chat service account used to initiate the chat session, automatically selecting an alternative chat service account from the multiple chat service accounts associated with the same owner of the at least one chat service account that does not support the predetermined feature;

transitioning the chat session to be used with the selected alternative chat service account; and

enabling the predetermined feature within the chat session.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying information within a chat window of the chat session indicating that the alternative chat service account is being used in the chat session.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein whether a particular chat service account supports the predetermined feature is determined based on whether software and/or hardware of a device associated with the particular chat service account is capable of supporting the predetermined feature.

18. A machine-readable storage medium storing machine-executable instructions which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method performed within a machine for initiating a chat session, the method comprising:

initiating a chat session between a local user and a remote user, each of the local user and the remote user has multiple chat service accounts associated with one or more chat service providers;

in response to a request to enable a predetermined chat feature within the chat session that is not supported by at least one chat service account used to initiate the chat session, automatically selecting an alternative chat service account from the multiple chat service accounts associated with the same owner of the at least one chat service account that does not support the predetermined feature;

transitioning the chat session to be used with the selected alternative chat service account; and

enabling the predetermined feature within the chat session.

19. A machine-implemented method performed by a machine for initiating a chat session, the method comprising:

in response to request for starting a group video chat among a plurality of members, determining whether each member has a chat service account under the same chat service provider that supports the group video chat;

initiating multiple group video chats among the members if not all members have a chat service account under the same chat service provider, wherein each member has at least one chat service account to participate at least one of the multiple group video chat; and

after the multiple group video chats started, merging the multiple group video chats into one group video chat by direct communications among the members without involving a chat server that initiates the multiple group video chats.

20. A machine-implemented method performed by a machine for initiating a chat session, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a first host member of a group chat session indicating that the first host member is exiting the group chat session;

in response to the request, negotiating among remaining members of the group chat session to identify and select a second host member to continue hosting the group chat session;

transitioning the group chat session to be hosted by the second host member without terminating the group chat session; and

displaying information within a chat window of the group chat session indicating that the group chat session is now hosted by the second host member.