Filtering features for multiple minimized instant message chats

• US 7,844,673 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2005
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Spooner, Courtney J., Kaemmerer, John P., Forlenza, Randolph M., Kalyanaraman, Raghuraman, Bostick, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin; Kenny S
• Application Number:
  US11/257,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,863 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A user is notified of activity in an instant messaging session by receiving a selection input signal from a selection device. When the selection input signal is received, a minimized chat window is detached from a task bar and moved to a position on a display indicated by the selection input signal. A slot is displayed in the detached chat window for each open instant messaging session.

Claims

1. A method of notifying a user of activity in an instant messaging session in a computer having a display, a selection device, and a network connection, the method comprising:

receiving a selection input signal from the selection device indicating the selection and movement of a minimized control window integrated into a task bar of an operating system of the computer, wherein the control window is a graphical user interface of a chat manager;

responsive to receiving the selection input signal, detaching the minimized control window of the chat manager and moving the detached control window to a position on the display indicated by the selection input signal;

receiving a configuration input signal from the selection device indicating the selection of a display configuration parameter, wherein the display configuration parameter specifies a particular user or a particular group of users;

responsive to a receipt of the display configuration parameter, filtering out one or more active chats of one or more non-specified users or groups of users in the control window;

displaying only a plurality of graphical subdivisions in the control window, wherein each graphical subdivision represents an active chat in an instant messaging program that is allowed by the display configuration parameter and can be opened by activating the graphical subdivision; and

making the filtered one or more active chats of the one or more non-specified users or groups of users available outside the control window in the instant messaging program.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an activity input signal from the network connection indicating activity in the instant messaging session;

modifying the appearance of a graphical subdivision in the control window representing the instant messaging session according to the display configuration parameter;

minimizing the control window; and

responsive to receiving a new instant message in one of the plurality of graphical subdivisions, automatically restoring the control window to a maximized size.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second selection input signal from the selection device indicating the placement of a pointer over a graphical subdivision in the control window for a predetermined time interval; and

responsive to receiving the second selection input signal, displaying a plurality of descriptions of the instant messaging session represented by the graphical subdivision in a cloud window according to the display configuration parameter;

wherein the plurality of descriptions include a custom date format, a sender'"'"'s nickname as the sender'"'"'s nickname is stored in an address book, a group to which a sender of a message belongs, a phone number of the sender, a fax number of the sender, a postal address of the sender, and a fixed number of text lines from the chat.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a second selection input signal from the selection device indicating the placement of a pointer over a graphical subdivision in the control window for a predetermined time interval; and

responsive to receiving the second selection input signal, displaying a plurality of descriptions of the instant messaging session represented by the graphical subdivision in a cloud window according to the display configuration parameter;

wherein the plurality of descriptions include a custom date format, a sender'"'"'s nickname as the sender'"'"'s nickname is stored in an address book, a group to which a sender of a message belongs, a phone number of the sender, a fax number of the sender, a postal address of the sender, and a fixed number of text lines from the chat.

5. A computer program product for notifying a user of activity in an instant messaging session running on a computer, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium that does not comprise a transitory or a propagating signal;

first program instructions for receiving a selection input signal from a selection device indicating a selection and a movement of a minimized chat window in a control window integrated into an existing icon in a task bar of an operating system of the computer, wherein the control window is a graphical user interface of a chat manager;

second program instructions for detaching, responsive to receiving the selection input signal, the minimized chat window from the control window of the chat manager and moving the detached chat window to a position on the display indicated by the selection input signal;

third program instructions for receiving a configuration input signal from the selection device indicating the selection of a display configuration parameter, wherein the display configuration parameter specifies a particular user or a particular group of users;

fourth program instructions for filtering out, responsive to a receipt of the display configuration parameter, one or more active chats of one or more non-specified users or groups of users in the control window;

fifth program instructions for displaying only a plurality of graphical subdivisions in the control window, wherein each graphical subdivision represents an active chat in an instant messaging program that is allowed by the display configuration parameter and can be opened by activating the graphical subdivision; and

sixth program instructions for making the filtered one or more active chats of the one or more non-specified users or groups of users available outside the control window in the instant messaging program;

wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, further comprising:

seventh program instructions for receiving an activity input signal from the network connection indicating activity in the instant messaging session; and

eighth program instructions for modifying the appearance of a graphical subdivision in the control window representing the instant messaging session according to the display configuration parameter;

ninth program instructions for minimizing the control window; and

tenth program instructions for automatically restoring, responsive to receiving a new instant message in one of the plurality of graphical subdivisions, the control window to a maximized size;

wherein the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

7. The computer program product of claim 5 further comprising:

eleventh program instructions for receiving a second selection input signal from the selection device indicating the placement of a pointer over a graphical subdivision in the control window for a predetermined time interval; and

twelfth program instructions for displaying, responsive to receiving the second selection input signal, a plurality of descriptions of the instant messaging session represented by the graphical subdivision in a cloud window according to the display configuration parameter;

wherein the plurality of descriptions include a custom date format, a sender'"'"'s nickname as the sender'"'"'s nickname is stored in an address book, a group to which a sender of a message belongs, a phone number of the sender, a fax number of the sender, a postal address of the sender, and a fixed number of text lines from the chat; and

wherein the eleventh and twelfth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, further comprising:

thirteenth program instructions for receiving a second selection input signal from the selection device indicating the placement of a pointer over a graphical subdivision in the control window for a predetermined time interval; and

fourteenth program instructions for displaying, responsive to receiving the second selection input signal, a plurality of descriptions of the instant messaging session represented by the graphical subdivision in a cloud window according to the display configuration parameter;

wherein the plurality of descriptions include a custom date format, a sender'"'"'s nickname as the sender'"'"'s nickname is stored in an address book, a group to which a sender of a message belongs, a phone number of the sender, a fax number of the sender, a postal address of the sender, and a fixed number of text lines from the chat; and

wherein the thirteenth and fourteenth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

9. A computer system for notifying a user of activity in an instant messaging session running on a computer comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable storage medium does not comprise a transitory or a propagating signal;

a display device coupled to the processor;

a selection device coupled to the processor;

first program instructions to receive a selection input signal from the selection device indicating the selection and movement of a minimized chat window in a control window integrated into an existing icon in a task bar of an operating system of the computer, wherein the control window is a graphical user interface of a chat manager;

second program instructions to detach, responsive to receiving the selection input signal, the minimized chat window from the control window of the chat manager and move the detached chat window to a position on the display indicated by the selection input signal;

third program instructions to receive a configuration input signal from the selection device indicating the selection of a display configuration parameter, wherein the display configuration parameter specifies a particular user or a particular group of users;

fourth program instructions to filter out, responsive to a receipt of the display configuration parameter, one or more active chats of one or more non-specified users or groups of users in the control window;

fifth program instructions to display only a plurality of graphical subdivisions in the control window, wherein each graphical subdivision represents an active chat in an instant messaging program that is allowed by the display configuration parameter and can be opened by activating the graphical subdivision; and

sixth program instructions to make the filtered one or more active chats of the one or more non-specified users or groups of users available outside the control window in the instant messaging program;

wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for running by the processor via the computer readable memory.

10. The computer system of claim 9 further comprising:

seventh program instructions to receive an activity input signal from the network connection indicating activity in the instant messaging session;

eighth program instructions to modify the appearance of the a graphical subdivision in the control window representing the instant messaging session according to the display configuration parameter;

ninth program instructions to minimize the control window; and

tenth program instructions to automatically restore, responsive to receiving a new instant message in one of the plurality of graphical subdivisions, the detached chat window to a maximized size;

wherein the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth program instructions are stored on the computer readable memory for running by the processor via the computer readable storage memory.

11. The computer system of claim 9 further comprising:

eleventh program instructions to receive a second selection input signal from the selection device indicating the placement of a pointer over a graphical subdivision in the control window for a predetermined time interval; and

twelfth program instructions to display, responsive to receiving the second selection input signal, a plurality of descriptions of the instant messaging session represented by the graphical subdivision in a cloud window according to the display configuration parameter;

wherein the plurality of descriptions include a custom date format, a sender'"'"'s nickname as the sender'"'"'s nickname is stored in an address book, a group to which a sender of a message belongs, a phone number of the sender, a fax number of the sender, a postal address of the sender, and a fixed number of text lines from the chat; and

wherein the eleventh and twelfth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for running by the processor via the computer readable memory.

12. The computer system of claim 10 further comprising:

thirteenth program instructions to receive a second selection input signal from the selection device indicating the placement of a pointer over a graphical subdivision in the control window for a predetermined time interval; and

fourteenth program instructions to display, responsive to receiving the second selection input signal, a plurality of descriptions of the instant messaging session represented by the graphical subdivision in a cloud window according to the display configuration parameter;

wherein the plurality of descriptions include a custom date format, a sender'"'"'s nickname as the sender'"'"'s nickname is stored in an address book, a group to which a sender of a message belongs, a phone number of the sender, a fax number of the sender, a postal address of the sender, and a fixed number of text lines from the chat; and

wherein the thirteenth and fourteenth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for running by the processor via the computer readable memory.