Display control method and device

• US 6,630,944 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1999
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kakuta, Jun, Okuyama, Satoshi, Manabe, Ai
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US09/468,936
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 345/758, 345/752, 345/753, 345/757, 345/799, 709/204-206
• US Class Current: 715/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to methods and devices for displaying conversations on a network for ease of viewing in accordance with user preferences. Based on thread (message-group) forming instructions from users, as well as on member users'"'"' instructions, threads are created from member users'"'"' remarks. Instead of designating users, remarks that include threads may be designated. Thread information relating to the created threads is at the same time created and stored. The thread information includes predetermined information such as thread IDs, member users and authors. The created thread information is reported to other users in the network, and is in common with thread information within the network. Remarks within a thread may be displayed in a thread window 307 only, or displayed in both it and a conversation window 303, configurable to suit according to user instructions.

Claims

1. A display method utilized in a chat system in which users on information terminals share a network, enabling text conversation between the users in a chat session, the display method comprising:

creating groups of the users during the text conversation based on at least one of selection of chat devices of users in the groups and selection of messages sent by users in the groups;

identifying messages directed to the chat session based on whether the messages were sent by users in the groups;

sharing information identifying the created message groups with the users of the chat session;

sending messages to the chat session; and

in accordance with the identifying displaying those of the messages that were sent by users in the groups independently of other of the messages directed to the chat session.

2. A display device utilized in a chat device wherein, sharing a network, conversation between users in a chat session by transmission/reception of text messages is possible, the display device comprising:

identifying means for identifying messages directed to the chat session based on whether the messages were sent by groups of the users, where the groups of the users were created during the conversation based on at least one of selection of devices of users in the groups and selection of messages sent by users in the groups;

reporting means for transmitting/receiving information identifying the created message groups among the users of the chat session;

memory means for storing the message group identifying information; and

input/output control means for obtaining the message group identifying information and in accordance with the message identifying, enabling display of those of the messages that were sent by users in the groups independently of other of the messages sent to the group.

3. The display control device set forth in claim 2, wherein the identifying means accepts operations directed to the message group and updates the message group information.

4. The display control device set forth in claim 2, wherein said input/output control means further accepts messages in which the message group is selected and acquires from the network or sends to the network messages to the message group.

5. The display control device set forth in claim 2, further provided with a message-list correlating messages within the network and message identifying information specifying the messages;

wherein

said identifying means creates, based on selection of the messages from a user, a message group containing senders of the selected messages and message group information containing message-identifying information for the selected messages.

6. The display control device set forth in claim 2, wherein the identifying means creates message group information in which a disclosure level of the created message groups is contained.

7. The display control device set forth in claim 2, wherein message-group identifying information specifying the message groups is contained in the message group information.

8. The display control device set forth in claim 2, wherein the input/output control means judges based on the message group information whether to display the message groups, and displays the message groups based on the judgment.

9. A display control device utilized in a chat device wherein, sharing an identical network mutually, transmission/reception of text messages is possible, the display control device comprising:

creating means for correlating messages on the network based on user instructions and creating message groups and predetermined message group information relating to the message groups;

reporting means for transmitting/receiving the created message group information to and from other among display control devices on the network;

memory means for storing the message group information; and

input/output control means for obtaining the message groups from the chat device and in accordance with instructions from users, enabling display of the message groups independently of messages within the network, wherein said creation means correlates messages within the network based on selection of the chat device from a user, and creates message groups out of messages from the selected chat devices and message group information containing information specifying the selected chat devices.

10. A computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a display program utilized in a chat device for sharing a network and allowing conversation between users in a chat session by transmission/reception of text messages, the program performing a process comprising:

creating groups of the users during the text conversation based on at least one of selection of devices of users in the groups and selection of messages sent by users in the groups;

identifying messages on the network directed to the chat session based on whether the messages were sent by users in the groups;

transmitting/receiving information identifying the designated message group among the users of the chat session;

storing the message groups identifying information; and

obtaining the message groups identifying information and in accordance with message identifying, displaying those of the messages that were sent by users in the groups independently of other of the messages directed to the chat session.

11. A method, comprising:

creating subgroups of a set of users associated with a chat session, where the subgroups comprise subsets of the set of users associated with the chat session, where the creating is based on at least one of selection of devices of users in the subgroups and selection of messages sent by users in the subgroups; and

indicating that messages submitted to the chat session were submitted by members of the subgroups.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the indicating comprises displaying messages from users in the subgroups separate from messages from the set of users directed to the chat session.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the indicating comprises displaying the messages submitted by members of the subgroups differently than messages submitted by users that are not members of the subgroups.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the indicating comprises:

determining one of two display areas in which to display a message based on whether the message was submitted by a member of the subgroups of users.

15. A method, comprising:

creating first subsets of users from among a set of users based on selecting messages or devices of the first subsets of users, where the set of users comprises the first subsets of users and a second subset of users, where the first subsets of users and the second subset of users are disjoint, and where the users in the set of users are associated with a chat conversation channel;

displaying, in a common display area, messages submitted to the chat conversation channel by users in the second subset of users and messages submitted by users in the first subsets of users; and

displaying, in both the common display area and in a group display area, messages submitted to the chat channel only by users in the first subsets of users.

16. A method of displaying messages submitted to a chat conversation channel, comprising:

creating first subsets of users from among a set of users, where the set of users comprises the first subsets of users and a second subset of users, based on selection of messages or devices of the first subsets of users, where the first subsets of users and the second subset of users are disjoint, and where the users in the set of users are associated with the chat conversation channel;

displaying in a common display area all messages submitted to the chat conversation channel; and

indicating whether one of the messages was submitted by a user in the first subsets of users.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the indicating comprises determining whether the user who submitted the message is a member of the first subsets of users, and when it is so determined displaying the message in a display area separate from the common display area.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the indicating comprises displaying the message in a display area separate from the common display based on whether the user who submitted the messages is a member of the first subsets of users.

19. A display control method utilized in a chat system in which users on information terminals share identical networks mutually, enabling text conversation, the display control method:

correlating messages within the network based on user instructions and creating message groups and predetermined message group information relating to the message groups, where

the message groups are created based on selection of the messages from a user, message groups containing the selected messages and message group information containing message-identifying information for the selected messages;

sharing the created message group information with users within the network;

sending messages to the message groups out to the network; and

in accordance with user instructions displaying the message groups independently of messages within the network.

20. A computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a display control program utilized in a chat device wherein, sharing an identical network mutually, transmission/reception of messages through text is possible, the computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded the display control program for executing a process comprising:

correlating messages on the network based on instructions from a user;

creating message groups and predetermined message group information relating to the message groups by at least one of designating the chat devices of the users in the groups and designating messages transmitted by users in the groups;

transmitting/receiving the created message group information among other chat devices within the network;

storing the message group information; and

obtaining the message groups from the chat device and in accordance with instructions from users displaying the message groups independently of messages within the network.