Message display method and information exchange system and storage medium

• US 7,260,605 B1
• Filed: 06/21/1999
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Okada, Sumiyo, Murakami, Masahiko, Matsumoto, Yasuhide, Kihara, Hideto
• Primary Examiner(s): Prieto, Beatriz
• Application Number:
  US09/336,706
• Time in Patent Office: 2,983 Days
• Field of Search: 709/106, 709/204, 709/206, 345752-759, 715751-759
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

In an information exchange system in which a user terminal is connected to a network, the system is capable of transmitting and/or receiving messages via the network. A display area displaying messages transmitted and/or received can be increased with an increase in the number of networks connected, thereby causing the efficiency of processes due to reduction of the display area to deteriorate when such a display area is used simultaneously with other applications. The present invention reduces the display area by centralizing messages transmitted and/or received by each network, and displays these messages to an independent area on a time series basis. The system also enables transmission of messages to the network, to which the relevant message is transmitted, by identifying the message centralized for display. As a result, manipulation efficiency of the information exchange system is improved.

Claims

1. A method of displaying messages with a chat client in an information exchange system for transmitting and receiving the messages, the chat client transmitting and receiving the messages to and/or from at least two independent chat networks that each have one or more chat servers that provide independent chat communication service to chat clients, where the chat client is in chat communication with the two chat networks concurrently over a period of time, the method comprising:

designating, with the client, at least one of the two chat networks as an active chat network for receiving messages transmitted by the client;

requesting and obtaining cooperation from the two chat networks for display of messages of the two chat networks, a chat network having one or more chat channels, upon cooperation being obtained, a chat channel which the chat client connected on a chat network cooperates with chat channels that the chat client connected on another chat network;

obtaining, with the client, the messages, at least some of which are transmitted to or received from a first of the at least two chat networks, and at least some of which are transmitted to or received from a second of the at least two chat networks; and

displaying, with the client, the obtained messages in a first discrete display area independent of a message display area of each of the plurality of chat networks.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises displaying messages of both chat networks in the discrete display area independent of another display area for displaying messages of only one of the chat networks.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the discrete display area is separate from another display area that is dedicated to the active chat network.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein each independent chat network comprises its own set of chat channels separate from the other chat network, where a channel in the first chat network and a different channel in the second chat network are allowed to each have a same identifier for users to select such channels but where such different channels do not share messages.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein chat messages are not exchanged between the two chat networks.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the chat networks are different logical chat networks and where a message received by the client is identified according to the network from which it was received.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the discrete display area is a window of the chat client.

8. A volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage storing information to allow a computer to perform the method of claim 1.

9. An information exchange system in which user terminals are configured for connection to a plurality of chat networks to transmit and receive messages through the plurality of chat networks, the user terminals having a message display area displaying messages transmitted and received to/from each of the plurality of chat networks, comprising:

designation means designating at least one chat network of the plurality of chat networks as an active chat network for receiving messages transmitted by a user terminal;

message acquiring means of the user terminal for acquiring messages transmitted and received to/from each of the plurality of chat networks requested by cooperation request transmitting means, a chat network having one or more chat channels, upon cooperation being requested, a chat channel which a user connected on a chat network cooperates with chat channels that the user connected on another chat network; and

message displaying means of the user terminal for displaying, the acquired messages in a discrete display area independent of a message display area of each of the plurality of chat networks.

10. An information exchange system according to claim 9, further comprising

message transmission cooperating means of the client for transmitting one of the messages, when the message displayed by said message displaying means is identified for message transmission, to one of the chat networks in the plurality of chat networks to which said identified message is transmitted.

11. A method of displaying messages with a chat client in an information exchange system for transmitting and receiving the messages, the chat client transmitting and receiving the messages to and/or from at least two independent chat networks that provide independent chat communication service to chat clients, where the chat client is in chat communication with the two chat networks concurrently over a period of time, the method comprising:

requesting and obtaining cooperation from the two chat networks for display of messages of the two chat networks, a chat network having one or more chat channels, upon cooperation being obtained, a chat channel which the chat client connected on a chat network cooperates with chat channels that the chat client connected on another chat network;

obtaining, with the client, the messages, at least some of which are transmitted to or received from a first of the at least two chat networks, and at least some of which are transmitted to or received from a second of the at least two chat networks; and

displaying, with the client, the obtained messages in a first discrete display area.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the first discrete display area comprises a window of the chat client.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein messages to or from the two chat networks and displayed in the discrete display area are interspersedly transmitted and received by the chat client over the period of time.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein one of the chat networks is designated as a current destination for messages to be transmitted by the client when a user selects a corresponding message displayed in the discrete display area.

15. A volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage storing information to allow a computer to perform the method according to claim 11.

16. A method of displaying messages with a chat client in an information exchange system, the chat client transmitting and receiving the messages to and/or from at least two independent chat networks that provide independent chat communication service to chat clients, where the chat client is in chat communication with the two chat networks concurrently over a period of time, the method comprising:

requesting and obtaining cooperation from the two chat networks for display of messages of the two chat networks to automatically extend a path for the messages, a chat network having one or more chat channels, upon cooperation being obtained, a chat channel which the chat client connected on a chat network cooperates with chat channels that the chat client connected on another chat network;

obtaining, with the client, the messages of the two chat networks; and

displaying, with the client, the obtained messages in a first discrete display area using the extended path.

17. A method of displaying messages with a chat client in an information exchange system for transmitting and receiving the messages, the messages transmitted and received on a plurality of chat networks each chat network having a plurality of chat channels, the method comprising:

choosing from among the plurality of chat networks at least one chat network as an active chat network for receiving messages transmitted by the client from a plurality of chat networks, the chosen network cooperating with at least another chat network; and

displaying messages transmitted to or received from the cooperating chat networks in a first discrete display area.