METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC SWITCHING BETWEEN CHAT WINDOWS

• US 20140195933A1
• Filed: 01/10/2013
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnissa, LLC
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rao DV, Raja
• Granted Patent: US 10,554,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services

Abstract

The disclosure herein describes a chat system for intelligent automatic switching between multiple chat windows. During operation, the system monitors activities occurring within the multiple chat windows and determines whether a window-switching operation is needed based on the monitored activities. In response to determining that the window-switching operation is needed, the system automatically performs the window-switching operation without the need for a user of the chat application to perform the window-switching operation manually.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for intelligent automatic switching between multiple chat windows in an online chat application, comprising:

monitoring, by a computer, activities occurring within the multiple chat windows;

determining whether a window-switching operation is needed based on the monitored activities; and

in response to determining that the window-switching operation is needed, automatically performing the window-switching operation without the need for a user of the chat application to perform the window-switching operation manually.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activities include at least one of:

a message being received;

a message being typed; and

a message being sent.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a chat window associated with the window-switching operation, wherein the window-switching operation comprises activating the identified chat window.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the chat window comprises determining priority levels of contacts associated with the chat windows.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the chat window involves determining a time when a message is received in the chat window.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a window-switching operation is needed involves determining whether an idle time associated with a currently active window exceeds a predetermined value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving feedback from the user for the automatically performed switching operation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring chat content within the chat windows;

determining whether a message is typed into a wrong chat window based on the monitored chat content; and

notifying the user in response to determining that the message is typed into the wrong chat window.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for intelligent automatic switching between multiple chat windows in an online chat application, the method comprising:

monitoring activities occurring within the multiple chat windows;

determining whether a window-switching operation is needed based on the monitored activities; and

in response to determining that the window-switching operation is needed, automatically performing the window-switching operation without the need for a user of the chat application to perform the window-switching operation manually.

10. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the activities include at least one of:

a message being received;

a message being typed; and

a message being sent.

11. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the message further comprises identifying a chat window associated with the window-switching operation, wherein the window-switching operation comprises activating the identified chat window.

12. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein identifying the chat window involves determining priority levels of contacts associated with the chat windows.

13. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein identifying the chat window involves determining a time when a message is received in the chat window.

14. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein determining whether a window-switching operation is needed involves determining whether an idle time associated with a currently active window exceeds a predetermined value.

15. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises receiving feedback from the user for the automatically performed switching operation.

16. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring chat content within the chat windows;

determining whether a message is typed into a wrong chat window based on the monitored chat content; and

notifying the user in response to determining that the message is typed into the wrong chat window.

17. A computer system for intelligent automatic switching between multiple chat windows in an online chat application, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a monitoring module configured to monitor activities occurring within the multiple chat windows;

a determination module configured to determine whether a window-switching operation is needed based on the monitored activities; and

a window-switching module configured to, in response to the determination module determining that the window-switching operation is needed, automatically perform the window-switching operation without the need for a user of the chat application to perform the window-switching operation manually.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the activities include at least one of:

a message being received;

a message being typed; and

a message being sent.

19. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the window-switching module is further configured to identify a chat window associated with the window-switching operation, and wherein the window-switching operation comprises activating the identified chat window.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein while identifying the chat window the window-switching module is further configured to determine priority levels of contacts associated with the chat windows.

21. The computer system of claim 19, wherein while identifying the chat window, the window-switching module is further configured to determine a time when a message is received in the chat window.

22. The computer system of claim 17, wherein while determining whether a window-switching operation is needed the determination module is further configured to determine whether an idle time associated with a currently active window exceeds a predetermined value.

23. The computer system of claim 17, further comprising a feedback-receiving module configured to receive feedback from the user for the automatically performed switching operation.

24. The computer system of claim 17, further comprising:

a content-monitoring module configured to monitor chat content within the chat windows;

an-error detection module configured to detect an error by determining that a message is typed into a wrong chat window based on the monitored chat content; and

an error-notification module configured to notify the user of the detected error.