Integrated conversations having both email and chat messages

• US 7,680,895 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2006
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Perlow, Jonathan D., Sego, Michael Don, Coleman, Keith H., Mahajan, Nahush, Barker, Adam Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder; Patrice
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELFERVIG, TAYLOR A
• Application Number:
  US11/348,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20070185961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

Email and chat messages may be displayed as part of the same conversation, in an integrated conversation view. The conversation view would include items corresponding to email messages that are part of the conversation and chat messages that are part of the conversation. A user may reply to an email message in the conversation by chat.

Claims

1. A method of processing messages at a server system, comprising:

receiving one or more email messages in a conversation between a first user and a second user;

receiving a chat message that responds to one of the email messages in the conversation; and

transmitting for display at a client device a representation of the conversation, including items corresponding to each of the email messages in the conversation and an item corresponding to the chat message, wherein the representation of the conversation includes a plurality of separate regions for concurrent display at the client, the plurality of separate regions including one or more email message regions, each displaying the contents of a respective email message, and a chat session region displaying the contents of the chat message;

wherein at least two of the plurality of concurrently displayed regions each include one or more links for responding to the respective message, the one or more links being located within the region of the respective message.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the first user or the second user can select a respective link of the one or more links to respond to any one of the messages regardless of which message is most recent.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein responding to the respective message is selected from the group consisting of forwarding the message, replying to the message, and replying to the message by chat.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein the chat session region includes contents of a plurality of chat messages.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein the at least two of the plurality of concurrently displayed regions that each include one or more links for responding to the respective message comprise the chat session region and at least one of the email message regions.

6. A method of processing messages at a client device, comprising:

receiving and sending a plurality of email messages in a conversation between a first user and a second user;

sending a chat message from the first user to the second user that responds to one of the email messages in the conversation; and

concurrently displaying at the client device associated with the first user a representation of the conversation, including items corresponding to each of the email messages in the conversation and an item corresponding to the chat message, wherein the representation of the conversation includes a plurality of separate regions, the plurality of separate regions including one or more email message regions, each displaying the contents of a respective email message, and a chat session region displaying the contents of the chat message;

wherein at least two of the plurality of concurrently displayed regions each include one or more links for responding to the respective message, the one or more links being located within the region of the respective message.

7. A method of claim 6, wherein the first user or the second user can select a respective link of the one or more links to respond to any one of the messages regardless of which message is most recent.

8. A method of claim 6, wherein responding to the respective message is selected from the group consisting of forwarding the message, replying to the message, and replying to the message by chat.

9. A method of claim 6, wherein the chat session region includes contents of a plurality of chat messages.

10. A method of claim 6, wherein the at least two of the plurality of concurrently displayed regions that each include one or more links for responding to the respective message comprise the chat session region and at least one of the email message regions.

11. A system for processing messages, comprising:

memory, one or more processors, and one or more programs, stored in the memory and executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including one or more modules comprising instructions;

to receive one or more email messages in a conversation between a first user and a second user;

to receive a chat message that responds to one of the email messages in the conversation; and

to transmit for display at a client device a representation of the conversation, including items corresponding to each of the email messages in the conversation and an item corresponding to the chat message, wherein the representation of the conversation includes a plurality of separate regions for concurrent display at the client, the plurality of separate regions including one or more email message regions, each displaying the contents of a respective email message, and a chat session region displaying the contents of the chat message;

wherein at least two of the plurality of concurrently displayed regions each include one or more links for responding to the respective message, the one or more links being located within the region of the respective message.

12. A system of claim 11, wherein the first user or the second user can select a respective link of the one or more links to respond to any one of the messages regardless of which message is most recent.

13. A system of claim 11, wherein responding to the respective message is selected from the group consisting of forwarding the message, replying to the message, and replying to the message by chat.

14. A system of claim 11, wherein the chat session region includes contents of a plurality of chat messages.

15. A system of claim 11, wherein the at least two of the plurality of concurrently displayed regions that each include one or more links for responding to the respective message comprise the chat session region and at least one of the email message regions.

16. A system for processing messages, comprising:

memory, one or more processors, and one or more programs, stored in the memory and executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including one or more modules comprising instructions;

to receive and to send one or more email messages in a conversation between a first user and a second user;

to send a chat message from the first user to the second user that responds to one of the email messages in the conversation; and

to concurrently display at a client device associated with the first user a representation of the conversation, including items corresponding to each of the email messages in the conversation and an item corresponding to the chat message, wherein the representation of the conversation includes a plurality of separate regions, the plurality of separate regions including one or more email message regions, each displaying the contents of a respective email message, and a chat session region displaying the contents of the chat message;

wherein at least two of the plurality of concurrently displayed regions each include one or more links for responding to the respective message, the one or more links being located within the region of the respective message.

17. A system of claim 16, wherein the first user or the second user can select a respective link of the one or more links to respond to any one of the messages regardless of which message is most recent.

18. A system of claim 16, wherein responding to the respective message is selected from the group consisting of forwarding the message, replying to the message, and replying to the message by chat.

19. A system of claim 16, wherein the chat session region includes contents of a plurality of chat messages.

20. A system of claim 16, wherein the at least two of the plurality of concurrently displayed regions that each include one or more links for responding to the respective message comprise the chat session region and at least one of the email message regions.

21. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of a computer system, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

receiving one or more email messages in a conversation between a first user and a second user;

receiving a chat message that responds to one of the email messages in the conversation; and

transmitting for display at a client device a representation of the conversation, including items corresponding to each of the email messages in the conversation and an item corresponding to the chat message, wherein the representation of the conversation includes a plurality of separate regions for concurrent display at the client, the plurality of separate regions including one or more email message regions, each displaying the contents of a respective email message, and a chat session region displaying the contents of the chat message;

wherein at least two of the plurality of concurrently displayed regions each include one or more links for responding to the respective message, the one or more links being located within the region of the respective message.

22. A computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the first user or the second user can select a respective link of the one or more links to respond to any one of the messages regardless of which message is most recent.

23. A computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein responding to the respective message is selected from the group consisting of forwarding the message, replying to the message, and replying to the message by chat.

24. A computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the chat session region includes contents of a plurality of chat messages.

25. A computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the at least two of the plurality of concurrently displayed regions that each include one or more links for responding to the respective message comprise the chat session region and at least one of the email message regions.

26. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of a computer system, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

receiving and sending one or more email messages in a conversation between a first user and a second user;

sending a chat message from the first user to the second user that responds to one of the email messages in the conversation; and

concurrently displaying at a client device associated with the first user a representation of the conversation, including items corresponding to each of the email messages in the conversation and an item corresponding to the chat message, wherein the representation of the conversation includes a plurality of separate regions, the plurality of separate regions including one or more email message regions, each displaying the contents of a respective email message, and a chat session region displaying the contents of the chat message;

wherein at least two of the plurality of concurrently displayed regions each include one or more links for responding to the respective message, the one or more links being located within the region of the respective message.

27. A computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the first user or the second user can select a respective link of the one or more links to respond to any one of the messages regardless of which message is most recent.

28. A computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein responding to the respective message is selected from the group consisting of forwarding the message, replying to the message, and replying to the message by chat.

29. A computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the chat session region includes contents of a plurality of chat messages.

30. A computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the at least two of the plurality of concurrently displayed regions that each include one or more links for responding to the respective message comprise the chat session region and at least one of the email message regions.

31. A system for processing messages, comprising:

means for receiving one or more email messages in a conversation between a first user and a second user;

means for receiving a chat message that responds to one of the email messages in the conversation; and

means for transmitting for display at a client device a representation of the conversation, including items corresponding to each of the email messages in the conversation and an item corresponding to the chat message, wherein the representation of the conversation includes a plurality of separate regions for concurrent display at the clients the plurality of separate regions including one or more email message regions, each displaying the contents of a respective email message, and a chat session region displaying the contents of the chat message;

wherein at least two of the plurality of concurrently displayed regions each include one or more links for responding to the respective message, the one or more links being located within the region of the respective message.

32. A system for processing messages, comprising:

means for receiving and sending one or more email messages in a conversation between a first user and a second user;

means for sending a chat message from the first user to the second user that responds to one of the email messages in the conversation; and

means for concurrently displaying at a client device associated with the first user a representation of the conversation, including items corresponding to each of the email messages in the conversation and an item corresponding to the chat message, wherein the representation of the conversation includes a plurality of separate regions, the plurality of separate regions including one or more email message regions, each displaying the contents of a respective email message, and a chat session region displaying the contents of the chat message;

wherein at least two of the plurality of concurrently displayed regions each include one or more links for responding to the respective message, the one or more links being located within the region of the respective message.