User interface and content enhancements for real-time communication

• US 7,185,285 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2003
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Van Dok, Cornelis K., Oreizy, Peyman, Blagsvedt, Sean O., Ghosh, Donna
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US10/369,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20040162877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 715/733, 715/738, 715/739, 715/744, 715751-753, 715/758, 715/760, 715/764, 715/765, 715/810, 715/835, 715/846, 715/500.1, 715/501.1, 715/542
• US Class Current: 715/753
• 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: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging

Abstract

Several enhancements to a real-time communications user interface are provided to add functionality and personality in such communications as instant messaging. These enhancements are geared at least in part to making the user interface more personalized between users in a real-time communication session, including personalized fonts, spacing, extensible emoticons, etc. Other enhancements are geared in part toward enhancing the use of the interface. For example, a dynamically changing input box may remove a need for scroll bars, and edit control of previous messages may remove the need to send corrective messages. A number of these enhancements may be accomplished through the use of markup languages in the user interface. One or more of the disclosed enhancements may improve the immediacy, readability, and functionality of instant message conversations.

Claims

1. In a computerized communication environment that allows a plurality of users to communicate with each other in real time, a method of real time communication that provides a sending system enhanced flexibility with respect to the type of content that may be included in a real time message and enhanced control over the presentation of the real time message at a receiving system, the method comprising acts of:

at the sending system, receiving content to be included in a real time message from a first user;

formatting the received content at the sending system in accordance with a markup language that either influences the presentation of the received content at the receiving system, or allows some level of flexibility for the type of content allowed in the received content, or both, wherein formatting the received content comprises the sending system automatically applying a default format which visually distinguishes the content received from the first user from other content provided by a second user at the receiving system; and

sending to the receiving system, the real time message, including the received content which has been formatted in accordance with the markup language.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the markup language comprises at least one of eXtensible Markup Language and HyperText Markup Language.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received content comprises at least one of a data file, an image file, a user defined emoticon, and a multimedia file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the formatting specifies at least one of a particular font and a particular font color selected to identify the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic formatting specifies at least one of a particular font and a particular font color.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the received content corresponds to a previously sent real time message that is being edited at the sending system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the received content is being entered by a user into an input box of an initial size, the method further comprising an act of automatically increasing the size of the input box as the received content approaches the initial size of the input box so that the user can see the received content without scrolling.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the received content comprises rich content which is received from a paste operation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein applying a default format comprises indenting content received from the first user and the second user, and wherein each of the first and second users has a different indentation assigned thereto.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying identification indicia for identifying the content provided by each of the first and second users; and

abstaining from displaying the identification indicia after a predetermined number of real time messages have been exchanged between the first user and the second user.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a message at the receiving system indicating when the first user at the sending system is providing but has not yet submitted content, wherein the displayed message is provided within the context of real time messages provided by the first and second users.

12. For a computerized communication environment that allows a plurality of users to communicate with each other in real time, a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions for implementing a method of real time communication that provides a sending system enhanced flexibility with respect to the type of content that may be included in a real time message and enhanced control over the presentation of the real time message at a receiving system, the method comprising acts of:

at the sending system, receiving content to be included in a real time message from a first user;

formatting the received content at the sending system in accordance with a markup language that either influences the presentation of the received content at the receiving system, or allows some level of flexibility for the type of content allowed in the received content, or both, wherein formatting the received content comprises the sending system automatically applying a default format which visually distinguishes the content received from the first user from other content provided by a second user at the receiving system; and

sending to the receiving system, the real time message, including the received content which has been formatted in accordance with the markup language.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the markup language comprises at least one of eXtensible Markup Language and HyperText Markup Language.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the received content comprises at least one of a data file, an image file, a user defined emoticon, and a multimedia file.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the formatting specifies at least one of a particular font and a particular font color selected to identify the user.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the automatic formatting specifies at least one of a particular font and a particular font color.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the received content corresponds to a previously sent real time message that is being edited at the sending system.

18. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the received content is being entered by a user into an input box of an initial size, the method further comprising an act of automatically increasing the size of the input box as the received content approaches the initial size of the input box so that the user can see the received content without scrolling.

19. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the received content comprises rich content which is received from a paste operation.