IM Conversation Management

• US 20110119599A1
• Filed: 01/25/2011
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Wormald, Christopher R., Kuhl, Lawrence Edward, Klassen, Gerhard Dietrich, Dunk, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 8,539,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/758
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing IM conversations is provided. In response to idle time and, preferably, read message status, particular current conversations are removed from a list of current conversations. The removed conversations may be moved to an archive which may be automatically maintained in response to size constraints. An archive interface is facilitated to review conversations, save all or portions thereof, delete, etc. The archived conversations are preferably associated with the contact for the conversation to show a history of conversations.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communications device, the method comprising:

maintaining a first list of at least one IM conversation in a graphical user interface (GUI) for engaging in a plurality of IM conversations;

monitoring conversation activity for the IM conversations in the first list;

automatically removing a particular IM conversation from the first list in response to the conversation activity monitored;

archiving the particular IM conversation to an IM conversation archive for making the particular IM conversation accessible via the GUI;

providing a second list of at least one archived IM conversation in said GUI separate from said first list for accessing archived conversations of the Mil conversation archive; and

removing at least one IM conversation from the second list.

2. The method of claim 1, the at least one IM conversation being automatically removed from the second list in response to a size limit for the archive.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the automatically removing one or more archived IM conversations from the second list is prioritized according to one or more of the following criteria:

oldest, largest, least reviewed, least frequented.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the size limit corresponds to either total space consumed or total number of archived IM conversations.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing a prompt prior to automatically removing one or more archived IM conversations from the second list.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising enabling the size limit to be user configurable.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling all or one or more portions of the archived IM conversations to be saved to a persistent store.

8. The method of claim 7, the at least one IM conversation being removed upon being saved to the persistent store.

9. The method of claim 1, the particular IM conversation being automatically removed from the first list after an idle period of conversation activity.

10. The method of claim 9, the particular IM conversation being automatically removed from the first list only if all messages of the particular IM conversation are read.

11. The method of claim 1, the particular IM conversation being automatically removed from the first list only if all messages of the particular IM conversation are read.

12. The method of claim 1, the removing comprising deleting an oldest conversation first.

13. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions for operating a communications device, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

maintaining a first list of at least one IM conversation in a graphical user interface (GUI) for engaging in a plurality of IM conversations;

monitoring conversation activity for the IM conversations in the first list;

automatically removing a particular IM conversation from the first list in response to the conversation activity monitored;

archiving the particular IM conversation to an IM conversation archive for making the particular IM conversation accessible via the GUI;

providing a second list of at least one archived IM conversation in said GUI separate from said first list for accessing archived conversations of the IM conversation archive; and

removing at least one IM conversation from the second list.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, the at least one IM conversation being automatically removed from the second list in response to a size limit for the archive.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the automatically removing one or more archived IM conversations from the second list is prioritized according to one or more of the following criteria:

oldest, largest, least reviewed, least frequented.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the size limit corresponds to either total space consumed or total number of archived IM conversations.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions for providing a prompt prior to automatically removing one or more archived IM conversations from the second list.

18. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for enabling the size limit to be user configurable.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions for enabling all or one or more portions of the archived IM conversations to be saved to a persistent store.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, the at least one IM conversation being removed upon being saved to the persistent store.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, the particular IM conversation being automatically removed from the first list after an idle period of conversation activity.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 21, the particular IM conversation being automatically removed from the first list only if all messages of the particular IM conversation are read.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, the particular IM conversation being automatically removed from the first list only if all messages of the particular IM conversation are read.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, the removing comprising instructions for deleting an oldest conversation first.

25. A communications device comprising a processor and memory, the memory comprising computer executable instructions for operating the communications device, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

maintaining a first list of at least one IM conversation in a graphical user interface (GUI) for engaging in a plurality of IM conversations;

monitoring conversation activity for the IM conversations in the first list;

automatically removing a particular IM conversation from the first list in response to the conversation activity monitored;

archiving the particular IM conversation to an IM conversation archive for making the particular IM conversation accessible via the GUI;

providing a second list of at least one archived IM conversation in said GUI separate from said first list for accessing archived conversations of the IM conversation archive; and

removing at least one IM conversation from the second list.

26. The communications device of claim 25, the at least one IM conversation being automatically removed from the second list in response to a size limit for the archive.

27. The communications device of claim 26, wherein the automatically removing one or more archived IM conversations from the second list is prioritized according to one or more of the following criteria:

oldest, largest, least reviewed, least frequented.

28. The communications device of claim 26, wherein the size limit corresponds to either total space consumed or total number of archived IM conversations.

29. The communications device of claim 26, further comprising instructions for providing a prompt prior to automatically removing one or more archived IM conversations from the second list.

30. The communications device according to claim 26, further comprising instructions for enabling the size limit to be user configurable.

31. The communications device of claim 25, further comprising instructions for enabling all or one or more portions of the archived IM conversations to be saved to a persistent store.

32. The communications device of claim 31, the at least one IM conversation being removed upon being saved to the persistent store.

33. The communications device of claim 25, the particular IM conversation being automatically removed from the first list after an idle period of conversation activity.

34. The communications device of claim 33, the particular IM conversation being automatically removed from the first list only if all messages of the particular IM conversation are read.

35. The communications device of claim 25, the particular IM conversation being automatically removed from the first list only if all messages of the particular IM conversation are read.

36. The communications device of claim 25, the removing comprising instructions for deleting an oldest conversation first.