APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANAGING MESSAGES

• US 20110145236A1
• Filed: 12/16/2009
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kosugi, Akihiro, Hayashida, Norimasa, Sobue, Tatsuya, Sato, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 9,531,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2852 Metropolitan area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

In a client, an input receiver receives utterance data inputted through the client and utterance data inputted through a different client and received by a receiver, and then stores the utterance data in a past log storage as a past log. When the input receiver receives new utterance data, a reference information generator determines preceding utterance data referred to by the new utterance data, from the past log, generates reference information indicating a reference relationship, and then stores the reference information in a reference information storage. Then, a transmitter transmits the new utterance data and the reference information to the different client, and a display controller displays the utterance data stored as the past log, the new utterance data, and an indicator based on the reference information.

Claims

1. An apparatus that manages a group of a plurality of messages inputted by a plurality of users, the apparatus comprising:

an acquiring unit that acquires a message;

a storage unit that stores a plurality of messages acquired in the past by the acquiring unit; and

a generating unit that generates reference information based on a result of analysis on a first message that is newly acquired by the acquiring unit, the reference information indicating a reference relationship between the first message and a second message that is one of the plurality of messages stored in the storage unit and is referred to by the first message.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generating unit determines the second message by searching, on the basis of the result of the analysis on the first message, the plurality of messages stored in the storage unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the generating unit determines, as the second message, a message including a word related to a word included in the first message, among the plurality of messages stored in the storage unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the generating unit displays at least one message obtained by searching the plurality of messages stored in the storage unit on the basis of the result of the analysis on the first message, and then determines, as the second message, one message chosen by a user from among the at least one message.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generating unit generates the reference information including identification information on the second message obtained on the basis of the result of the analysis on the first message.

6. An apparatus that displays a message inputted through the apparatus and a message inputted through a different apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

an acquiring unit that acquires a message inputted through the apparatus;

a receiving unit that receives, from the different apparatus, a message inputted through the different apparatus;

a storage unit that stores a plurality of messages including a message acquired in the past by the acquiring unit and a message received in the past by the receiving unit;

a determining unit that displays at least one message including a word related to a word included in a first message newly acquired by the acquiring unit, among the plurality of messages stored in the storage unit, and then determines, among the plurality of messages, a second message referred to by the first message, by causing a user to choose one message from among the at least one message;

a generating unit that generates reference information indicating a reference relationship between the first message acquired by the acquiring unit and the second message determined by the determining unit; and

a display unit that displays the first message acquired by the acquiring unit, the plurality of messages stored in the storage unit, and an indicator based on the reference information generated by the generating unit.

7. A method of managing a group of a plurality messages inputted by a plurality of users, the method comprising the steps of:

recording a plurality of messages inputted in the past, in a recording medium;

acquiring a first message that is newly inputted; and

generating reference information based on a result of analysis on the first message, the reference information indicating a reference relationship between the first message and a second message that is one of the plurality of messages recorded in the recording medium and is referred to by the first message.

8. A program that causes a computer to function as an apparatus that manages a message inputted through the apparatus and a message inputted through a different apparatus, wherein the program causes the computer to function as:

an acquiring unit that acquires a message inputted through the apparatus;

a receiving unit that receives, from the different apparatus, a message inputted through the different apparatus;

a recording unit that records, in a recording medium, a plurality of messages including a message acquired in the past by the acquiring unit and a message received in the past by the receiving unit; and

a generating unit that generates reference information based on a result of analysis on a first message newly acquired by the acquiring unit, the reference information indicating a reference relationship between the first message and a second message that is one of the plurality of messages recorded in the recording medium and is referred to by the first message.

9. The program according to claim 8, wherein the generating unit determines the second message by searching, on the basis of the result of the analysis on the first message, the plurality of messages recorded in the recording medium.

10. The program according to claim 9, wherein the generating unit determines, as the second message, a message including a word related to a word included in the first message, among the plurality of messages recorded in the recording medium.

11. The program according to claim 9, wherein the generating unit displays at least one message obtained by searching the plurality of messages recorded in the recording medium on the basis of the result of the analysis on the first message, and then determines, as the second message, one message chosen by a user from among the at least one message.