System and method for displaying a conversation summary

• US 8,626,832 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2009
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jerrard-Dunne, Stanley Kieran, Millen, David Ryant, Roche, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilles, Jude Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Means, Jaren M
• Application Number:
  US12/390,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20090157709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,779 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for displaying a conversation summary is provided. The method may include providing a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to allow communication between a number of users. The method may also include displaying an invitation to join a conversation at the graphical user interface from at least one of the users and displaying a summary of the conversation in a tag cloud on a computing device. Numerous other variations and embodiments are also included within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to allow communication between a plurality of users;

displaying an invitation to join a conversation at the graphical user interface from at least one of the plurality of users, wherein the conversation is active between two or more of the plurality of users and the invitation to join the conversation at the graphical user interface from the at least one of the plurality of users is to a third party; and

displaying, with the invitation to join the conversation at the graphical user interface from the at least one of the plurality of users to the third party, a summary of the conversation in a tag cloud on a computing device, the summary of the conversation in the tag cloud viewable, with the invitation, to the third party, wherein the summary is dynamically updated in the tag cloud via a precision selector during the conversation as the conversation proceeds.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein

the conversation is an instant messaging conversation.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising storing a record of the words used in the conversation.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 further comprising determining a weighting for each of the words based upon at least one of a count and a time stamp.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 further comprising displaying at least one of the words based upon the weighting.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the summary is generated using a text analysis engine.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface is associated with at least one of:

a virtual world environment, and an IP telephony application.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the invitation includes the summary of the conversation and the tag cloud.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the tag cloud displayed with the invitation enables the third party to determine whether or not to join the conversation.

8. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

providing a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to allow communication between a plurality of users;

displaying an invitation to join a conversation at the graphical user interface from at least one of the plurality of users, wherein the conversation is active between two or more of the plurality of users and the invitation to join the conversation at the graphical user interface from the at least one of the plurality of users is to a third party; and

displaying, with the invitation to join the conversation at the graphical user interface from the at least one of the plurality of users to the third party, a summary of the conversation in a tag cloud on a computing device, the summary of the conversation in the tag cloud viewable, with the invitation, to the third party, wherein the summary is dynamically updated in the tag cloud via a precision selector during the conversation as the conversation proceeds.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein

the conversation is an instant messaging conversation.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising storing a record of the words used in the conversation.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising determining a weighting for each of the words based upon at least one of a count and a time stamp.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising displaying at least one of the words based upon the weighting.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the summary is generated using a text analysis engine.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the graphical user interface is associated with at least one of:

a virtual world environment, and an IP telephony application.

18. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the invitation includes the summary of the conversation and the tag cloud.

20. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the tag cloud displayed with the invitation enables the third party to determine whether or not to join the conversation.

15. A computing system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory architecture coupled with the at least one processor;

a first software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the first software module is configured to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to allow communication between a plurality of users;

a second software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the second software module is configured to display an invitation to join a conversation at the graphical user interface from at least one of the plurality of users, wherein the conversation is active between two or more of the plurality of users and the invitation to join the conversation at the graphical user interface from the at least one of the plurality of users is to a third party; and

a third software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the third software module is configured to display, with the invitation to join the conversation at the graphical user interface from the at least one of the plurality of users to the third party, a summary of the conversation in a tag cloud on a computing device, the summary of the conversation in the tag cloud viewable, with the invitation, to the third party, wherein the summary is dynamically updated in the tag cloud via a precision selector during the conversation as the conversation proceeds.

16. The computing system of claim 15 wherein the conversation is an instant messaging conversation.