Chat system and record medium readable by chat system

• US 7,185,055 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Yasuhide, Murakami, Masahiko, Okada, Sumiyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim; Krisna
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARQADLE, YASIN M
• Application Number:
  US09/804,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20020023128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,177 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-206, 709217-219, 709/227, 709/230
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission

Abstract

A server and plural terminal devices form a network. Messages are transferred among the terminal devices via a plurality of virtual communication spaces formed on the network. The transmitted and received messages are displayed on a display device of each terminal device together with the message sender identifying information. The identifiers of members utilizing the virtual communication spaces and character-train information corresponding to the respective identifiers are stored in a display name management table. When an identifier and a message are sent from a terminal device, the server converts the identifier into a character train by means of the display name management table and sends the character train to the terminal devices.

Claims

1. A chat system comprising:

a plurality of terminal devices forming a network, said terminal devices being adapted to transmit and receive messages to and from each other through any of a plurality of virtual communication spaces configured on the network, the messages transmitted and received being displayed on respective displays of the terminal devices together with message sender identifying information of persons who sent the messages;

means for associating a designated identifier of a person with a virtual communication space identifier to determine character-train information usable as a message sender identifier for the person in the virtual communication space; and

a table storing therein, in association with each other, the identifier of the person using said virtual communication spaces, the identifier of said virtual communication space and the corresponding character-train information of the person; and

wherein said table stores different character-train information for the identifier of a given person for use in respective, different ones of said virtual communication spaces.

2. The chat system according to claim 1, wherein said table stores different character-train information for the identifier of a given person for use in communications with respective, different persons.

3. The chat system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of terminal devices use said table in common.

4. The chat system according to claim 1, wherein the character-train information stored in said table is accessible from said respective terminal devices.

5. The chat system according to claim 1, wherein character-train information to be stored in said table is sent through terminal devices from which said messages are transmitted.

6. The chat system according to claim 1, wherein said network is formed of said plurality of terminal devices and a server, and character-train information to be stored in said table is set in said server.

7. The chat system according to claim 1 wherein said message sender identifier is converted into the character-train information at the terminal device which receives the message.

8. A chat system, comprising:

a server;

a plurality of terminal devices each having a display and forming a network with said server, said terminal devices being adapted to transmit and receive messages to and from each other through any of a plurality of virtual communication spaces configured on the network, the messages transmitted and received being displayed on the display of each terminal device together with message sender identifying information of persons who send the messages;

a search device disposed in said server and searching said table for character-train information corresponding to the identifier of a message sender when said server receives said identifier of the message sender and a message from said message sender, for transferring said character-train information together with said message, wherein said search means associates a designated identifier of a person with a virtual communication space identifier to determine character-train information usable as a message sender identifier for the person in the virtual communication space; and

a table storing therein, in association with each other, the identifier of the person using said virtual communication spaces, the identifier of said virtual communication space and the corresponding character-train information of the person; and

wherein said table stores different character-train information for the identifier of a given person for use in respective, different ones of said virtual communication spaces.

9. The chat system according to claim 8 wherein said sender identifier and message are transmitted through a designated one of said virtual communication spaces;

said table has stored therein different character-train information for the respective ones of said sender identifiers for use in different ones of said virtual communication spaces; and

said search means searches said table for the character-train corresponding to the designated virtual communication space and sender identifier.

10. The chat system according to claim 8 wherein said sender identifiers with messages are transmitted with receivers of said messages designated;

said table has stored therein said identifiers and corresponding character-train information for respective message receivers; and

said search means searches for the character-train information corresponding to the message sender and the message receiver.

11. A chat system comprising:

a server;

a plurality of terminal devices having corresponding displays and forming a network with said server, said terminal devices being adapted to transmit and receive messages to and from each ether through any of a plurality of virtual communication spaces configured on the network, the messages transmitted and received being displayed on the display of each terminal device together with message sender identifying information of persons who send the messages;

search means disposed in each of said terminal devices for searching said table for character-train information corresponding to the identifier of a message sender when the terminal device receives said identifier of the message sender and a message from said message sender, so that the character-train information is displayed together with the received message on said display means of said terminal device, wherein said search means associates a designated identifier of a person with a virtual communication space identifier to determine character-train information usable as a message sender identifier for the person in the virtual communication space; and

a table storing therein, in association with each other, the identifier of the person using said virtual communication spaces, the identifier of said virtual communication space and the corresponding character-train information of the person; and

wherein said table stores different character-train information for the identifier of a given person for use in respective, different ones of said virtual communication spaces.

13. The chat system according to claim 11, wherein:

said sender identifier and message are transmitted through a designated one of said virtual communication spaces;

said table has stored therein different character-train information for the respective ones of said identifiers for use in different ones of said virtual communication spaces; and

said search means searches said table for the character-train corresponding to the designated virtual communication space and sender identifier.

15. The chat system according to claim 11, wherein:

said sender identifiers with messages are transmitted with receivers of said messages designated;

said table has stored therein said identifiers and corresponding character-train information for respective message receivers; and

said search means searches for the character-train information corresponding to the message sender and the message receiver.

12. A chat system comprising:

a server;

a plurality of terminal devices having corresponding displays forming a network with said server, said terminal devices being adapted to transmit and receive messages to and from each other through any of a plurality of virtual communication spaces configured on the network, the messages transmitted and received being displayed on the display of each terminal device together with message sender identifying information of persons who send the messages;

search means disposed in each of said terminal devices for searching said table for character-train information corresponding to the identifier of a message sender when the terminal device transmits said identifier so that the character-train information is transmitted together with the message, wherein said search means associates a designated identifier of a person with a virtual communication space identifier to determine character-train information usable as a message sender identifier for the person in the virtual communication space; and

a table storing therein, in association with each other, the identifier of the person using said virtual communication spaces, the identifier of said virtual communication space and the corresponding character-train information of the person; and

wherein said table stores different character-train information for the identifier of a given person for use in respective, different ones of said virtual communicaton spaces.

14. The chat system according to claim 12, wherein:

said sender identifier and message are transmitted through a designated one of said virtual communication spaces;

said table has stored therein different character-train information for the respective ones of said identifiers for use in different ones of said virtual communication spaces; and

said search means searches said table for the character-train corresponding to the designated virtual communication space and identifier.

16. The chat system according to claim 12, wherein:

said sender identifiers with messages are transmitted with receivers of said messages designated;

said table has stored therein said identifiers and corresponding character-train information for respective message receivers; and

said search means searches for the character-train information corresponding to the message sender and the message receiver.

17. A record medium for use in and readable by a terminal device of a chat system, wherein a plurality of terminal devices form with a server a network, said terminal devices being adapted to transmit and receive messages to and from each other through any of a plurality of virtual communication spaces configured on the network, the messages transmitted and received being displayed on a display of each terminal device together with message sender identifying information of persons who send the messages, said record medium comprising:

search means for searching said table for character-train information corresponding to the identifier of a person who is going to send a message and outputting the character-train information sought, as said message sender identifying information, for transmission with said message, wherein said search means associates a designated identifier of a person with a virtual communication space identifier to determine character-train information usable as a message sender identifier for the eerson in the virtual communication space; and

a table storing therein, in association with each other, the identifier of the person using said virtual communication spaces, the identifier of said virtual communication space and the corresponding character-train information of the person; and

wherein said table stores different character-train information for the identifier of a given person for use in respective, different ones of said virtual communicaton spaces.

18. The record medium according to claim 17, wherein:

said identifier and a message of a message sender are transmitted through a designated one of said virtual communication spaces;

said table has stored therein different character-train information for the respective ones of said identifiers for use in different ones of said virtual communication spaces; and

said search means searches said table for the character-train corresponding to the designated virtual communication space and the identifier of said message sender.

19. The record medium according to claim 17 wherein:

the identifier and a message of a message sender are transmitted with receivers of said message designated;

said table has stored therein said identifiers and character-train information corresponding to said identifiers to be used in relation to respective message receivers; and

said search means searches for the character-train information corresponding to the message sender and the message receiver.

20. A record medium for use in and readable by a terminal device of a chat system, wherein a plurality of terminal devices form a network, said terminal devices being adapted to transmit and receive messages to and from each other through any of a plurality of virtual communication spaces configured on the network, the messages transmitted and received being displayed on a display of each terminal device together with message sender identifying information of persons who send the messages said record medium comprising:

search means for searching said table for character-train information corresponding to the identifier of the message sender received through the virtual communication spaces and outputting the character-train information, as said message sender identifying information, for display on said display, wherein said search means associates a designated identifier of a person with a virtual communication space identifier to determine character-train information usable as a message sender identifier for the person in the virtual communication space; and

a table storing therein, in association with each other, the identifier of the person using said virtual communication spaces, the identifier of said virtual communication space and the corresponding character-train information of the person; and

wherein said table stores different character-train information for the identifier of a given person for use in respective, different ones of said virtual communicaton spaces.

21. The record medium according to claim 20, wherein:

said identifier and a message of a message sender are transmitted through a designated one of said virtual communication spaces;

said table has stored therein different character-train information for said identifiers for use in different ones of said virtual communication spaces; and

said search means searches said table for the character-train corresponding to the designated virtual communication space and the identifier of said message sender.

22. The record medium according to claim 20, wherein:

the identifier and a message of a message sender are transmitted with receivers of said message designated;

said table has stored therein said identifiers and character-train information corresponding to said identifiers to be used in relation to respective message receivers; and

said search means searches for the character-train information corresponding to the message sender and the message receiver.

23. A record medium for use by and readable in a server of a chat system, wherein said server forms a network with a plurality of terminal devices, said server being adapted to allow said plurality of terminal devices to transmit and receive messages to and from each other through any of a plurality of virtual communication spaces configured on the network, the messages transmitted and received being displayed on display means of each terminal device together with message sender identifying information of persons who send the messages, said record medium comprising:

converting means for searching said table for character-train information corresponding to the identifier of the message sender sent together with a message by any of said terminal devices and outputting the character-train information for sending it together with said message to a given virtual communication space, wherein said converting means associates a designated identifier of a person with a virtual communication space identifier to determine character-train information usable as a message sender identifier for the person in the virtual communication space; and

a table storing therein, in association with each other, the identifier of the person using said virtual communication spaces, the identifier of said virtual communication space and the corresponding character-train information of the person; and

wherein said table stores different character-train information for the identifier of a given person for use in respective, different ones of said virtual communicaton spaces.

24. The record medium according to claim 23, wherein:

said identifier and a message of a message sender are transmitted through a designated one of said virtual communication spaces;

said table has stored therein different character-train information for said identifiers for use in different ones of said virtual communication spaces; and

said search means searches said table for the character-train corresponding to the designated virtual communication space and the identifier of said message sender.

25. The record medium according to claim 23, wherein:

the identifier and a message of a message sender are transmitted with receivers of said message designated;

said table has stored therein said identifiers and character-train information corresponding to said identifiers to be used in relation to respective message receivers; and

said search means searches for the character-train information corresponding to the message sender and the message receiver.

26. A chat system, comprising:

a plurality of terminal devices forming a network, said terminal devices being adapted to transmit and receive messages to and from each other through any of a plurality of virtual communication spaces configured on the network, the messages transmitted and received being displayed on a display of each terminal device together with message sender identifying information of persons who send the messages;

a memory having stored therein messages in association with identifiers of persons using said terminal devices;

converting means for converting a designated one of said identifiers of the persons stored in said memory to a predetermined character train and causing said display to display the character train, wherein said converting means associates a designated identifier of a person with a virtual communication space identifier to determine character-train information usable as a message sender identifier for the person in the virtual communication space; and

a table storing therein, in association with each other, the identifier of the person using said virtual communication spaces, the identifier of said virtual communication space and the corresponding character-train information of the person; and

wherein said table stores different character-train information for the identifier of a given person for use in respective, different ones of said virtual communicaton spaces.

27. The chat system according to claim 26, wherein:

said network comprises a plurality of terminal devices and one server, and said memory is provided in said server.

28. The chat system according to claim 26, wherein:

said memory is provided in each of said terminal devices.

29. The chat system according to claim 28, wherein:

said converting means is provided in each of said terminal devices.