Chat system displaying attribute information, number of statements or amount of statements in registered channel

• US 6,345,290 B2
• Filed: 09/24/1998
• Issued: 02/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Yasuhide, Sasaki, Kenichi, Matsumoto, Tatsuro, Ito, Hidenobu, Yamauchi, Hitoshi, Murakami, Masahiko, Okada, Sumiyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/159,606
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

When actuation of an application program is received by a client, the client is connected with a chat server and participates in and registers at a channel, and attribute information, a number of times of statements or amount of statements in the registered channel is displayed, without a user'"'"'s predetermined operation and a publicly known conversation process is executed. Thereafter, when designation of the displayed attribute information, number of times of statements or amount of statements is received, a channel where statements are possible is changed into a channel relating to the designation.

Claims

1. A chat system, comprising:

a chat server using a plurality of channels;

a plurality of clients connected with said chat server;

means for displaying a conversation in each channel on a client registering at the channel;

means for receiving a statement from each client into the channel in which the client participates; and

means for displaying a name of the channel registered by each client and its attribute information, which is changed as time proceeds, on each client without an operation by a user assigned to each client.

2. The chat system according to claim 1, wherein the attribute information is one selected from the group consisting of a topic set by the channel, a channel mode set by the channel and a number of clients registering at the channel.

3. The chat system according to claim 1, wherein the attribute information is an image representing a topic, a channel mode or a number of clients set by the channel.

4. The chat system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving an input of channel by designating the name of the channel or its attribute information displayed on the client; and

means for permitting the client to participate in the inputted channel.

5. A chat system, comprising:

a chat server using a plurality of channels;

a plurality of clients connected with said chat server;

means for displaying a conversation in each channel on a client registering at the channel;

means for receiving a statement from each client into the channel in which the client participates;

means for counting a number of times or amount of statements in each channel; and

means for displaying a name of the channel registered by each client and the counted number of times or amount of statements on the client without an operation by a user assigned to each client.

6. The chat system according to claim 5, wherein the number of times or amount of statements is displayed as an image.

7. The chat system according to claim 6, further comprising:

means for receiving an input of channel by designating the name of the channel, the number of times of statements or amount of statements displayed on said clients; and

means for permitting the client to participate in the inputted channel.

8. A chat server connecting a plurality of clients and using a plurality of channels, comprising:

means for transmitting a conversation in each channel to a client registering at the channel;

means for receiving a statement received from each client into the channel in which the client participates; and

means for transmitting a name of the channel registered by each client, and an image representing a topic, a channel modes or a number of clients set by the channel or information designating the image to the client without an operation by a user assigned to each client.

9. A chat server connecting a plurality of clients and using a plurality of channels, comprising:

means for transmitting a conversation in each channel to a client registering at the channel;

means for receiving a statement received from each client into the channel in which the client participates;

means for counting a number of times or amount of statements in each channel; and

means for transmitting a name of the channel registered by each client and the counted number of times or amount of statements to the client without an operation by a user assigned to each client.

10. The chat server according to claim 9, wherein the number of times of statements or amount of statements is transmitted as an image or information designating the image.

11. A client connected with a chat server using a plurality of channels, comprising:

means for receiving and displaying a conversation in the channel which is permitted to be registered by the chat server;

means for transmitting a statement to the channel in which participation is permitted by the chat server;

means for receiving a name of the channel which is permitted to be registered and its attribute information from the chat server; and

means for displaying the received name of the channel and its attribute information, which is changed as time proceeds, without an operation by a user assigned to the client.

12. The client according to claim 11, wherein the attribute information is one selected from the group consisting of a topic set by the channel, a channel mode set by the channel and a number of clients registering at the channel.

13. The client according to claim 11, wherein the attribute information is an image representing a topic, a channel mode or a number of clients set by the channel.

14. The client according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for receiving an input of the channel by designating the displayed name of the channel or its attribute information; and

means for requesting permission to participate in the inputted channel to the chat server.

15. A client connected with a chat server using a plurality of channels comprising:

means for receiving and displaying a conversation in the channel which is permitted to be registered by the chat server;

means for transmitting a statement to the channel in which participation is permitted by the chat server;

means for receiving a name of the channel which is permitted to be registered and a number of times or amount of statements in the channel from the chat server; and

means for displaying the received name of the channel and number of times or amount of statements without an operation by a user assigned to the client.

16. The client according to claim 15, wherein the number of times or amount of statements is displayed as an image.

17. The client according to claim 15, further comprising:

means for receiving an input of the channel by designating the displayed name of the channel, number of times of statements or amount of statements; and

means for requesting permission to participate in the inputted channel to the chat server.

18. A computer memory product having machine readable program code means for causing a computer to execute a process, said machine readable program code means comprising:

a program code for causing the computer to connect a chat server using a plurality of channels with the computer;

a program code for causing the computer to receive and display a conversation in the channel which is permitted to be registered by the chat server;

a program code for causing the computer to transmit a statement to the channel in which participation is permitted by the chat server;

a program code for causing the computer to receive a name of the channel which is permitted to be registered and its attribute information; and

a program code for causing the computer to display the received name of the channel and its attribute information, which is changed as time proceeds, without an operation by a user assigned to the computer.

19. The computer memory product according to claim 18, wherein the attribute information is one selected from the group consisting of a topic set by the channel, a channel mode set by the channel and a number of clients registering at the channel.

20. The computer memory product according to claim 18, wherein the attribute information is an image representing a topic, a channel mode or a number of clients set by the channel.

21. The computer memory product according to claim 18, said machine readable program code means further comprising:

a program code for causing the computer to receive an input of the channel by designating the displayed name of the channel or its attribute information; and

a program code for causing the computer to request permission to participate in the inputted channel to the chat server.

22. A computer memory product having machine readable program code means for causing a computer to execute a process, said machine readable program code means comprising:

a program code for causing the computer to connect a chat server using a plurality of channels with the computer;

a program code for causing the computer to receive and display a conversation in the channel which is permitted to be registered by the chat server;

a program code for causing the computer to transmit a statement to the channel in which participation is permitted by the chat server;

a program code for causing the computer to receive a name of the channel which is permitted to be registered and a number of times or amount of statements in the channel; and

a program code for causing the computer to display the received name of the channel and number of times or amount of statements without an operation by a user assigned to each client.

23. The computer memory product according to claim 22, wherein the number of times or amount of statements is displayed as an image.

24. The computer memory product according to claim 22, said machine readable program code means further comprising:

a program code for causing the computer to receive an input of channel by designating the displayed name of the channel, number of times or amount of statements in the channel; and

a program code for causing the computer to request permission to participate in the inputted channel to the chat server.

25. A system, comprising:

client computers connected to a network; and

a chat server computer connected to the network and using channels to display a conversation in each channel on a client computer registering at the channel, displaying channel attribute information as images on the client computer without a user input, and receiving from the client a channel designation according to the channel attribute information from the user to participate in the designated channel.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the chat server counts statements of the conversation in each channel as the attribute information.