ORGANIZING MESSAGES IN A HIERARCHICAL CHAT ROOM FRAMEWORK BASED ON TOPICS

• US 20160364368A1
• Filed: 06/11/2015
• Published: 12/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2015
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Liang, Lin Chung, Chen, Li-Ju, Kuo, Tzuching
• Granted Patent: US 10,268,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/06 Message adaptation to terminal or network requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

A first message may be displayed within a main chat room. The first message may be associated with a first topic. A second message may be displayed below the first message. The second message may be associated with a second topic. A third message may be received. The third message may be determined to be associated with the first topic. In response to the determining, the third message may be displayed by offsetting the third message below the first message, wherein the third message is displayed above the second message. The offsetting the third message below the first message may indicate a hierarchical relationship between the first message and the third message.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for grouping chat room messages according to a topic, the method comprising:

displaying a first message within a main chat room, the first message being associated with a first topic,

displaying a second message below the first message, the second message being associated with a second topic;

receiving a third message;

determining that the third message is associated with the first topic; and

in response to the determining, displaying the third message by offsetting the third message below the first message, wherein the third message is displayed above the second message, the offsetting the third message below the first message indicating a hierarchical relationship between the first message and the third message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, prior to receiving the third message, a first user request to reply to the first message with the third message; and

displaying a menu in response to receiving the first user request, the menu including a first option that specifies replying within the main chat room, the menu further including a second option that specifies replying within a first alternate chat room, the first alternate chat room for use in discussing the first topic.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a second user request to reply to the first message within the first alternate chat room;

displaying, in response to receiving the second user request to reply within the first alternate chat room, the first alternate chat room; and

displaying the third message within the first alternate chat room.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying within the first alternate chat room, a first control button, wherein the first control button provides user access to the main chat room.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying within the first alternate chat room, a first control button, wherein the first control button provides user access to one or more unread messages within the main chat room, the first control button further specifying a first quantity of unread messages within the main chat room.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a fourth message;

determining the third message is further associated with a subordinate topic of the first topic;

determining that the fourth message is associated with the subordinate topic; and

in response to the determining that the fourth message is associated with the subordinate topic, displaying by offsetting the fourth message below the third message within the first alternate chat room, the offsetting the fourth message below the third message indicating a hierarchical relationship between the third message and the fourth message.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a third user request to reply within a second alternate chat room, the second alternate chat room for use in discussing the subordinate topic;

displaying, in response to receiving the third user request, the second alternate chat room; and

displaying the fourth message within the second alternate chat room.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying within the first alternate chat room, a first control button, wherein the first control button provides user access to a second alternate chat room; and

displaying within the second alternate chat room, a second control button, wherein the second control button provides user access to the main chat room.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying within the second alternate chat room, a first control button, wherein the first control button provides user access to one or more unread messages within the main chat room, the first control button further specifying a first quantity of unread messages within the main chat room; and

displaying within the first alternate chat room, a second control button, wherein the second control button provides user access to one or more unread messages within the second alternate chat room, the second control button further specifying a second quantity of unread messages within the second alternate chat room;

10. A system for grouping chat room messages according to a topic, the system comprising:

a computing device having a processor and a memory;

wherein the memory stores program instructions, the program instructions executable by the processor cause the system to;

display a first message within a main chat room, the first message being associated with a first topic,

display a second message below the first message, the second message being associated with a second topic;

receive a third message;

determine that the third message is associated with the first topic; and

in response to the determining, display by offsetting the third message below the first message, wherein the third message is displayed above the second message, the offsetting the third message below the first message indicating a hierarchical relationship between the first message and the third message.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the program instructions executable by the processor further cause the system to display within the main chat room, a first control button, wherein the first control button provides user access to a first alternate chat room, the first alternate chat room for use in discussing the first topic.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the program instructions executable by the processor further cause the system to:

display within the main chat room, a first control button, wherein the first control button provides user access to one or more unread messages within the main chat room, the first control button further specifying a second quantity of unread messages within the main chat room; and

display within the main chat room, a second control button, wherein the second control button provides user access to one or more unread messages within a first alternate chat room, the first alternate chat room for use in discussing the first topic, the third control button further specifying a third quantity of unread messages within the first alternate chat room.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the program instructions executable by the processor further cause the system to:

associate a plurality of messages with a date that each message of the plurality of messages was generated on, the plurality of messages including the first message, the plurality of messages including the second message, and the plurality of messages including the third message; and

display a plurality of control buttons within the main chat room, each of the plurality of control buttons specifying at least one of the dates, wherein the plurality of control buttons are selectable for a user to view at least one of the plurality of messages according to the date.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the program instructions executable by the processor further cause the system to:

receive, prior to receiving the third message, a user request to reply, with the third message, to the first message within a first alternate chat room, the first alternate chat room for use in discussing the first topic;

display, in response to receiving the user request to reply to the first message within the first alternate chat room, the first alternate chat room; and

displaying the third message within the first alternate chat room.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

displaying a first message within a main chat room, the first message being associated with a first topic,

displaying a second message below the first message, the second message being associated with a second topic;

receiving a third message;

determining that the third message is associated with the first topic; and

in response to the determining, displaying by offsetting the third message below the first message, wherein the third message is displayed above the second message, the offsetting the third message below the first message indicating a hierarchical relationship between the first message and the third message.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, prior to receiving the third message, a first user request to reply, with the third message, to the first message within a first alternate chat room, the first alternate chat room for use in discussing the first topic;

displaying, in response to receiving the first user request, the first alternate chat room; and

displaying the third message within the first alternate chat room.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises displaying within the first alternate chat room, a first control button, wherein the first control button provides user access to the main chat room.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises displaying within the first alternate chat room, a first control button, wherein the first control button provides user access to one or more unread messages within the main chat room, the first control button further specifying a first quantity of unread messages within the main chat room.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a fourth message;

determining the third message is further associated with a subordinate topic of the first topic;

determining that the fourth message is associated with the subordinate topic; and

in response to the determining that the fourth message is associated with the subordinate topic, displaying by offsetting the fourth message below the third message within the first alternate chat room, the offsetting the fourth message below the third message indicating a hierarchical relationship between the third message and the fourth message.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, prior to receiving the fourth message, a second user request to reply within a second alternate chat room, the second alternate chat room for use in discussing the subordinate topic;

displaying, in response to receiving the second user request, the second alternate chat room; and

displaying the fourth message within the second alternate chat room.