Dynamically mapping chat session invitation history

• US 8,332,760 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Keohane, Susann, McBrearty, Gerald F., Murillo, Jessica, Shieh, Johnny M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARLEY, JASON A
• Application Number:
  US11/334,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,519 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/204
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A method, system, and program are provided for dynamically mapping chat session invitation history. A chat controller for facilitating a chat session enables chat participants to invite additional users to join in the chat session. The chat controller dynamically generates a mapping of the chat participants to graphically represent a separate correspondence between each invited additional user and each inviting chat participant. The mapping is displayed within a user interface of a current participant or an invited additional user. Further, the displayed mapping is dynamically updated to reflect additional invitation history as the chat session continues.

Claims

1. A method for mapping a plurality of invitations to a chat session, comprising:

a computer controlling a chat service enabling each chat participant accessing a chat session via a separate chat client to invite at least one additional user at least one other chat client to join the chat session through a selectable add participant button within a separate chat session interface for the separate chat client accessible to each chat participant, wherein the selectable add participant button within the chat session interface is separate from a new chat entry interface within the chat session interface for selecting to add new chat entries to the chat session, wherein responsive to a particular chat participant selecting the selectable add participant button within the chat session interface of a particular chat client and selecting the at least one additional user from a display of a plurality of available users, the chat service sends an invitation to the at least one additional user to join the chat session by triggering the at least one other chat client to display a chat invitation interface comprising a selectable accept button for selecting to accept the invitation, a selectable decline button for selecting to decline the invitation, and a selectable display map option for selecting to view a mapping of each of a plurality of invitations sent by the chat service for the chat session;

the computer recording, by an invite order monitor of the chat service, a separate invitation record for each separate invitation of a plurality of invitations to the chat session wherein the plurality of invitations comprise a first invitation from a user starting the chat session to at least one chat participant requesting the at least one chat participant join the chat session and at least one additional invitation by said at least one chat participant inviting the at least one additional user to join in the chat session, wherein the invite order monitor records the separate invitation record for each of the plurality of invitations sent by the chat service for the chat session in an ordering storage system, wherein a logging controller of the chat service separate from the invite order monitor controls logging of a plurality of chat entries by the chat participants who have joined the chat session in a chat session log;

the computer recording, by the invite order monitor with each separate invitation record, a separate invitation time of sending of each separate invitation from among the plurality of invitations;

the computer, responsive to at least one of each chat participant and the at least one additional user responding to at least one particular invitation, recording, by the invite order monitor, in the ordering storage system, a separate response time to the at least one particular invitation and a separate response comprising accepting the at least one particular invitation and declining the at least one particular invitation;

the computer, responsive to at least one of the user, the at least one chat participant, and the at least one additional user selecting a display map option for the chat session through a particular chat client connecting to the chat service, dynamically generating, by the chat service, a mapping of the chat participants and the plurality of invitations recorded in the ordering storage system to graphically represent a sequential ordering of each separate invitation between each invited additional user and each inviting chat participant ordered by each separate invitation time, graphically representing each separate response time and each separate response for the at least one particular invitation, and graphically representing at least one invitation not responded to; and

the computer sending the mapping, by the chat service, to the particular chat client for display within a user interface by the particular chat client.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the computer dynamically generating a mapping of the chat participants further comprises:

the computer dynamically generating the mapping of the chat participants and the plurality of invitations to graphically represent the sequential ordering of each said separate invitation by graphically displaying a sequential number representing a position of each chat participant in the sequential ordering next to a graphical representation of each chat participant within a mapping window within the user interface separate from a window displaying a plurality of communication entries in the chat session.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the computer dynamically generating a mapping of the chat participants further comprises:

the computer, responsive to the particular chat participant sending the invitation from among the plurality of invitations, adding a separate invitation record specifying a first identifier of the particular chat participant, a second identifier for a particular invited additional user, and a particular invitation time of the invitation to join the chat session;

the computer adding a graphical representation to the mapping of a graphical representation of the separate invitation record comprising a separate graphical arrow pointing from a first graphical representation of the first identifier of the particular inviting chat participant to a second graphical representation of the second identifier of the particular invited additional user and a time stamp displayed with each separate graphical arrow displaying the particular invitation time;

the computer, responsive to the particular invited additional user accepting the invitation, updating the recording of the separate invitation record to specify a particular acceptance time of acceptance of the invitation by the particular invited additional user and dynamically adjusting the graphical representation of the separate invitation record to display the particular acceptance time;

the computer, responsive to the particular invited additional user declining the invitation from among the plurality of invitations, updating the recording of the separate invitation record to specify a particular decline time of decline of the invitation by the particular invited additional user and dynamically adjusting the graphical representation of the separate invitation record to display the particular decline time.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the computer dynamically generating a mapping of the chat participants further comprises:

the computer graphically representing in the mapping each graphical representation of each chat participant positioned to reflect a separate business hierarchy level assigned for each of the chat participants from among a plurality of hierarchical ranking levels in relation to each of the other chat participants.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the computer dynamically generating a mapping of the chat participants further comprises:

the computer graphically representing the separate graphical arrow displayed with a dotted line if the particular acceptance time in the separate entry is not set; and

the computer graphically representing the separate graphical arrow displayed with a solid line if the particular acceptance time in the separate entry is recorded.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the computer, responsive to detecting the particular chat participant leave the chat session, recording, by the invite order monitor, in the ordering storage system, a separate leave time when the particular chat participant left the chat session;

the computer dynamically adjusting the mapping to reflect the particular chat participant leaving, wherein if the particular chat participant sends an invitation for the at least one other user and leaves the chat session before the at least one other user responds to the invitation, the mapping viewed by the at least one other user shows the particular chat participant has left the chat session.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the computer displaying the mapping within a user interface further comprises:

the computer displaying a selectable buddy list interface within the user interface comprising a plurality of users selectable by the particular inviting chat participant to send the particular invitation and a selectable option for the particular inviting chat participant to select the particular reason for the particular invitation; and

the computer, responsive to the particular inviting chat participant selecting the second selectable option to select the particular reason, triggering display of a selectable list of a plurality of reasons comprising an expert, a manager, and a project member.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the computer adjusting the mapping according to at least one user preference specifying at least one from among a graphical treatment preference and a data security preference.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the computer, for each separate generation of the mapping, logging each separate generation of the mapping in the chat session log file.

10. A system for mapping the invitations to a chat session, comprising:

at least one computing system operative on at least one processor and operative to facilitate a chat service enabling each chat participant accessing a chat session via a separate chat client to invite at least one additional user at least one other chat client to join in the chat session through a selectable add participant button within a separate chat session interface for the separate chat client accessible to each chat participant, wherein the selectable add participant button within the chat session interface is separate from a new chat entry interface within the chat session interface for selecting to add new chat entries to the chat session, wherein responsive to a particular chat participant selecting the selectable add participant button within the chat session interface of a particular chat client and selecting the at least one additional user from a display of a plurality of available users, the chat service sends an invitation to the at least one additional user to join the chat session by triggering the at least one other chat client to display a chat invitation interface comprising a selectable accept button for selecting to accept the invitation, a selectable decline button for selecting to decline the invitation, and a selectable display map option for selecting to view a mapping of each of a plurality of invitations sent by the chat service for the chat session;

the at least one computing system operative to record, by an invite order monitor, a separate invitation record for each separate invitation of a plurality of invitations to the chat session wherein the plurality of invitations comprise a first invitation from a user starting the chat session to at least one chat participant requesting the at least one chat participant join the chat session and at least one additional invitation by said at least one chat participant inviting the at least one additional user to join in the chat session, wherein the invite order monitor records the separate invitation record for each of the plurality of invitations sent by the chat service for the chat session in an ordering storage system, wherein a logging controller of the chat service separate from the invite order monitor controls logging of a plurality of chat entries by the chat participants who have joined the chat session in a chat session log;

the at least one computing system operative to record, by the invite order monitor with each separate invitation record, a separate invitation time of sending of each separate invitation from among the plurality of invitations;

the at least one computing system, responsive to at least one of each chat participant and the at least one additional user responding to at least one particular invitation, operative to record, by the invite order monitor, in the ordering storage system, a separate response time to the at least one particular invitation and a separate response comprising accepting the at least one particular invitation and declining the at least one particular invitation;

the at least one computing system, responsive to at least one of the user, the at least one chat participant, and the at least one additional user selecting a display map option for the chat session through a particular chat client connecting to the chat service, operative to dynamically generate a mapping of the chat participants and the plurality of invitations recorded in the ordering storage system to graphically represent a sequential ordering of each separate invitation between each invited additional user and each inviting chat participant ordered by each separate invitation time, graphically representing each separate response time and each separate response for the at least one particular invitation, and graphically representing at least one invitation not responded to; and

the at least one computing system operative to send the mapping, by the chat service, to the particular chat client for display within a user interface by the particular chat client.

11. The system according to claim 10, the at least one computing system further operative to dynamically generate the mapping of the chat participants and the plurality of invitations to graphically represent the sequential ordering of each said separate invitation by graphically displaying a sequential number representing a position of each chat participant in the sequential ordering next to a graphical representation of each chat participant within a mapping window within the user interface separate from a window displaying a plurality of communication entries in the chat session.

12. The system according to claim 10, the at least one computing system further operative to:

responsive to the particular chat participant sending the invitation from among the plurality of invitations, add a separate invitation record specifying a first identifier of the particular chat participant, a second identifier for a particular invited additional user, and a particular invitation time of the invitation to join the chat session;

add a graphical representation to the mapping of a graphical representation of the separate invitation record comprising a separate graphical arrow pointing from a first graphical representation of the first identifier of the particular inviting chat participant to a second graphical representation of the second identifier of the particular invited additional user and a time stamp displayed with each separate graphical arrow displaying the particular invitation time;

responsive to the particular invited additional user accepting the particular invitation update the recording of the separate invitation record to specify a particular acceptance time of acceptance of the invitation by the particular invited additional user and dynamically adjust the graphical representation of the separate invitation record to display the particular acceptance time;

responsive to the particular invited additional user declining the invitation from among the plurality of invitations, update the recording of the separate invitation record to specify a particular decline time of decline of the invitation by the particular invited additional user and dynamically adjust the graphical representation of the separate invitation record to display the particular decline time.

13. The system according to claim 12, the at least one computing system further operative to graphically represent in the mapping each graphical representation of each chat participant positioned to reflect a separate business hierarchy level assigned for each of the chat participants from among a plurality of hierarchical ranking levels in relation to each of the other chat participants.

14. The system according to claim 12, the at least one computing system further operative to:

graphically represent the separate graphical arrow displayed with a dotted line if the particular acceptance time in the separate entry is not set; and

graphically represent the separate graphical arrow displayed with a solid line if the particular acceptance time in the separate entry is recorded.

15. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

the at least one computing system operative, responsive to detecting the particular chat participant leave the chat session, to record, by the invite order monitor, in the ordering storage system, a separate leave time when the particular chat participant left the chat session;

the at least one computer system operative to dynamically adjust the mapping to reflect the particular chat participant leaving, wherein if the particular chat participant sends an invitation for the at least one other user and leaves the chat session before the at least one other user responds to the invitation, the mapping viewed by the at least one other user shows the particular chat participant has left the chat session.

16. The system according to claim 12, the at least one computing system further operative to:

display a selectable buddy list interface within the user interface comprising a plurality of users selectable by the particular inviting chat participant to send the particular invitation and a selectable option for the particular inviting chat participant to select the particular reason for the particular invitation; and

responsive to the particular inviting chat participant selecting the second selectable option to select the particular reason, to trigger display of a selectable list of a plurality of reasons comprising an expert, a manager, and a project member.

17. The system according to claim 10, said at least one computing system further operative to log each separate generation of the mapping in the chat session log file.

18. A computer program product for mapping the invitations to the chat session, the computer program product comprising

one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to control facilitating a chat service enabling each chat participant accessing a chat session via a separate chat client to invite at least one additional user at least one other chat client to join the chat session through a selectable add participant button within a separate chat session interface for the separate chat client accessible to each chat participant, wherein the selectable add participant button within the chat session interface is separate from a new chat entry interface within the chat session interface for selecting to add new chat entries to the chat session, wherein responsive to a particular chat participant selecting the selectable add participant button within the chat session interface of a particular chat client and selecting the at least one additional user from a display of a plurality of available users, the chat service sends an invitation to the at least one additional user to join the chat session by triggering the at least one other chat client to display a chat invitation interface comprising a selectable accept button for selecting to accept the invitation, a selectable decline button for selecting to decline the invitation, and a selectable display map option for selecting to view a mapping of each of a plurality of invitations sent by the chat service for the chat session;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to control recording, by an invite order monitor of the chat service, a separate invitation record for each separate invitation of a plurality of invitations to the chat session wherein the plurality of invitations comprise a first invitation from a user starting the chat session to at least one chat participant requesting the at least one chat participant join the chat session and at least one additional invitation by said at least one chat participant inviting the at least one additional user to join in the chat session, wherein the invite order monitor records the separate invitation record for each of the plurality of invitations sent by the chat service for the chat session in an ordering storage system, wherein a logging controller of the chat service separate from the invite order monitor controls logging of a plurality of chat entries by the chat participants who have joined the chat session in a chat session log;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to control recording, by the invite order monitor with each separate invitation record, of a separate invitation time of sending of each separate invitation from among the plurality of invitations;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to control, responsive to at least one of each chat participant and the at least one additional user responding to at least one particular invitation, recording, by the invite order monitor, in the ordering storage system, a separate response time to the at least one particular invitation and a separate response comprising accepting the at least one particular invitation and declining the at least one particular invitation;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to control, responsive to at least one of the user, the at least one chat participant, and the at least one additional user selecting a display map option for the chat session through a particular chat client connecting to the chat service, dynamically generation, by the chat service, of a mapping of the chat participants and the plurality of invitations recorded in the ordering storage system to graphically represent a sequential ordering of each separate invitation between each invited additional user and each inviting chat participant ordered by each separate invitation time, graphically representing each separate response time and each separate response for the at least one particular invitation, and graphically representing at least one invitation not responded to;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to control sending the mapping, by the chat service, to the particular chat client for display within a user interface by the particular chat client.