Chat preview
First Claim
1. A method for allowing a user to view communications exchanged between other participants within an online chat room without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room, comprising:
- enabling a user to perceive the existence of the online chat room without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room, wherein the online chat room enables ongoing exchanges of electronic communications between two or more participants whose participation within the chat room are mutually revealed to each other;
receiving selection of the online chat room by the user;
responsive to user selection of the online chat room and without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room, making perceivable to the user at least some of the communications exchanged between the participants within the online chat room as the communications are exchanged; and
enabling the user to selectively pause and restart viewing the communications exchanged between the participants within the online chat room.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method allows a user to view communications exchanged between other participants within an online chat room without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room. The online chat room enables ongoing exchanges of electronic communications between two or more participants whose participation within the chat room are mutually revealed to each other. A user is enabled to perceive the existence of the online chat room without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room. Selection of the online chat room by the user is received. Responsive to user selection of the online chat room and without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room, at least some of the communications exchanged between the participants within the online chat room are made perceivable to the user as the communications are exchanged.
46 Citations
37 Claims
-
1. A method for allowing a user to view communications exchanged between other participants within an online chat room without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room, comprising:
-
enabling a user to perceive the existence of the online chat room without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room, wherein the online chat room enables ongoing exchanges of electronic communications between two or more participants whose participation within the chat room are mutually revealed to each other; receiving selection of the online chat room by the user; responsive to user selection of the online chat room and without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room, making perceivable to the user at least some of the communications exchanged between the participants within the online chat room as the communications are exchanged; and enabling the user to selectively pause and restart viewing the communications exchanged between the participants within the online chat room. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30)
-
-
29. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon for causing a computer to:
-
display a user interface for allowing a user to view communications exchanged between other participants within online chat rooms, wherein each of the online chat rooms enables ongoing exchange of electronic communications between two or more participants, the user interface comprising; a window configured to make perceivable to the user at least some of the communications exchanged between the participants within a selected one of the online chat rooms, without the user becoming a participant within the selected one of the online chat rooms as the communications are exchanged; and a selectable item, which, upon selection by the user, is configured to enable the user to become a participant within the selected one of the online chat rooms; and enable the user to selectively pause and restart viewing the communications exchanged between the participants within the online chat room.
-
-
31. A method for allowing a user, that is not a participant in a real-time stream of electronic communications exchanged between other participants, to view the stream of electronic communications, the method comprising:
-
receiving, from the user, a selection of the stream of electronic communications between other participants; presenting, based on the selection from the user, the selected stream of electronic communications to the user; and enabling the user to control the flow of the selected stream of electronic communications. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
Specification