CONVERSATIONAL MESSAGE SERVICE OPERATING METHOD FOR PROVIDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

• US 20130212202A1
• Filed: 09/21/2012
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kakao Corp.
• Original Assignee: Kakao Corp.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang Hyuk
• Granted Patent: US 9,397,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 of operating a conversational messaging service may include assigning an identification number to messages transmitted by users participating in a group chat, sequentially, selecting an identification number of any one of messages associated with each of the users as a watermark of each of the users, and determining a number of users failing to read each of the each of the messages, based on the watermark of each of the users.

Claims

1. A method of operating a conversational messaging service, the method comprising:

assigning an identification number to messages transmitted by users participating in a group chat, sequentially;

selecting an identification number of any one of messages associated with each of the users as a watermark of each of the users; and

determining a number of users failing to read each of the messages, based on the watermark selected for the each of the users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the identification number of any one of messages associated with each of the users as the watermark for each of the users comprises:

selecting an identification number of a message read most recently by the each of the users as a watermark.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the identification number of any one of messages associated with each of the users as the watermark for each of the users comprises:

comparing the watermark selected for each of the users and the identification numbers of the messages.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the number of users failing to read each of the messages associated with each of the users comprises:

determining a number of users corresponding to a watermark having a number smaller than the identification number selected for each of the messages as the number of users failing to read each of the messages.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the selecting of the identification number of the message read most recently by each of the users as the watermark comprises:

updating an identification number assigned to a message transmitted by a certain user to a watermark of the certain user when the certain user transmits the message.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the selecting of the identification number of the message read most recently by each of the users as the watermark comprises:

updating a greatest identification number among identification numbers assigned to the at least one message received by a certain user to a watermark of the certain user when the certain user receives the at least one message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the number of users failing to read each of the messages.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the displaying of the number of users failing to read message comprises:

displaying the number of users failing to read each of the messages as a number or a symbol in a periphery of an area in which each of the messages is displayed.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one of a number of users reading each of the messages, and an identifier (ID) of each of the users reading or failing to read each of the messages, and a username of users reading or failing to read each of the messages.

10. A server system, comprising:

an identification processing unit to assign an identification number to messages transmitted by users participating in a group chat, sequentially;

a watermark selecting unit to select an identification number of any one of messages associated with each of the users; and

a received information determining unit to determine a number of users failing to read each of the messages based on a watermark selected for each of the users.

11. The server system of claim 10, wherein the watermark selecting unit selects an identification number of a message read most recently by the users as a watermark.

12. The server system of claim 10, wherein the received information determining unit selects a number of users corresponding to a watermark having a number smaller than an identification number selected for each of the messages as the number of users failing to read each of the messages.

13. The server system of claim 10, wherein when a certain user transmits a message, the watermark selecting unit

updates the identification number assigned to a message transmitted by the certain user to a watermark, and

updates a greatest number among identification numbers assigned to the at least one message received by the certain user to a watermark of the certain user.

14. The server system of claim 10, wherein the received information determining unit determines at least one of a number of users reading each of the messages, an identification of users reading or failing to read each of the messages, and a username for each of the users reading or failing to read each of the messages, based on the selected watermark.

15. A mobile terminal that comprises a key inputting unit and a displaying unit, comprising:

a memory to store a chat application provided with a conversational messaging service from a server system; and

a controller to control participating in the group chat with at least one user through transmitting and reception messages with the server system in response to the chat application being executed, and

the chat application comprises;

an identification number obtaining module to obtain an identification number corresponding to a message transmitted or received by the controller;

a watermark obtaining module to obtain a watermark corresponding to at least one user participating in the group chat from the server system; and

a reception determination processing module to compare the identification number obtained by the identification obtaining module, and to determine a number of users failing to read a message transmitted or received by the controller.