Method of tagging instant messaging (IM) conversations for easy information sharing

• US 9,122,751 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2007
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Li, Hind, John R., Li, Yongcheng, Xiao, Lun
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacob, Ajith
• Application Number:
  US11/952,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20090150397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,825 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for selecting and tagging content within an instant messaging (IM) session. The content is selected utilizing a contextual pointer, tagged with a subject and/or key words, then assigned a uniform resource locator (URL), and stored as an IM transcript. A search system allows the IM transcript and/or selected content to be indexed according to the tag, title, and word(s)/phrase(s) selected within the content. The IM transcript is retrieved from a location within the network via the assigned URL. IM users may assign accessibility privileges to the URL of the IM transcript, allowing selected content to be shared via a community and/or corporate network. Private access privileges may be assigned to offer full IM transcript protection.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a selection of content within a transcript of an electronic communication, wherein the electronic communication is an instant messaging (IM) communication;

applying a label to the content selected within the transcript;

assigning a unique URL to the content selected from within the transcript; and

forwarding at least the content selected to a storage location accessible via the unique URL.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said method further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface within which communication is received communication from and send to one or more instant messaging clients;

enabling selection of a marker utilized to identify content within an instant messaging (IM) transcript;

detecting selection of one or more characters from within the IM transcript; and

storing at least one of the selected one or more characters and the IM transcript in a database accessible via one or more networks.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically displaying a bookmark graphical user interface (GUI) with selectable options and preferences that may be applied to the content selected and provide additional information about the content selected within the transcript;

detecting selection of one or more preferences to manage access to the content selected within the transcript, wherein preferences include one or more of;

a private network, a community network, and a corporate network; and

responsive to detecting selection of one of the one or more preferences, assigning the preference selected to the content, wherein the preferences are selected from among;

enabling access to the content via a the private network that restricts access of the content to one or more creators of the IM transcript;

enabling access to the content via a community network that confines access to at least one of one or more persons, one or more IP addresses, and one or more groups;

enabling access to the content via a corporate network that permits access of the content to a registered members within a corporation; and

enabling access to the content via a public network that provides open access.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the unique URL further comprises:

generating prompts for entry of the unique URL, wherein manual entry of the unique URL is available, wherein said prompts are generated at one or more periods from among;

before the selection of the content, wherein a received URL serves as a default, automatically utilized URL for content selected, wherein the default URL may be selectably changed after selection of the content; and

after selection of the content, wherein a URL is required to be entered after selection of the content; and

associating the unique URL with the content and assigning the unique URL to a predefined searchable location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a network preference for storing the labeled content from among a private network, a community network, a corporate network and a public network, wherein the labeled content is assigned to a corresponding private network, community network, corporate network and public network, respectively;

dynamically linking the labeled content and associated transcript of the electronic communication to a database in the corresponding network; and

storing the selected content in a network accessible database according to the network preference selected.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

indexing the selected content in the database according the label of the selected content and the characters within the selected content;

establishing access protocols to the selected content within the database according to the selected network; and

enabling access to the labeled content with one of the unique URL and a search term associated with the selected content, wherein a search engine locates the labeled content in the database via characters found within the selected content or from characters making up the label.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a tagging palette for user selection of a contextual pointer to select the content within the electronic communication, wherein the tagging palette comprises a plurality of contextual pointers.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input to select a mirror setting, wherein the mirror setting allows both a local user and a remote user to see the selection and the tagging of the content in real-time.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a processor component;

an input/output (I/O) mechanism that enables manipulation of content within an instant messaging (IM) client executing on the electronic device;

a mechanism for transmitting and receiving IM communication from the IM client; and

a utility associated with the IM client executing on the processor component and which comprises code that enables completion of the functions of;

receiving a selection of content within a transcript of an electronic communication;

applying a label to the content selected within the transcript;

assigning a unique URL to the content selected from within the transcript;

and forwarding at least the content selected to a storage location accessible via the unique URL.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, said utility further comprising code for:

interacting with a graphical user interface within which communication is received communication from and send to one or more instant messaging clients;

enabling selection of a marker utilized to identify content within an instant messaging (IM) transcript;

detecting selection of one or more characters from within the IM transcript; and

storing at least one of the selected one or more characters and the IM transcript in a database accessible via one or more networks.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, said utility further comprising code for:

dynamically displaying a bookmark graphical user interface (GUI) with selectable options and preferences that may be applied to the content selected and provide additional information about the content selected within the transcript;

detecting selection of one or more preferences to manage access to the content selected within the transcript, wherein preferences include one or more of;

a private network, a community network, and a corporate network; and

responsive to detecting selection of one of the one or more preferences, assigning the preference selected to the content, wherein the preferences are selected from among;

enabling access to the content via a the private network that restricts access of the content to one or more creators of the IM transcript;

enabling access to the content via a community network that confines access to at least one of one or more persons, one or more IP addresses, and one or more groups;

enabling access to the content via a corporate network that permits access of the content to a registered members within a corporation; and

enabling access to the content via a public network that provides open access.

10. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein said code for assigning the unique URL further comprises code for:

generating prompts for entry of the unique URL, wherein manual entry of the unique URL is available, wherein said prompts are generated at one or more periods from among;

before the selection of the content, wherein a received URL serves as a default, automatically utilized URL for content selected, wherein the default URL may be selectably changed after selection of the content; and

after selection of the content, wherein a URL is required to be entered after selection of the content; and

associating the unique URL with the content and assigning the unique URL to a predefined searchable location.

11. The electronic device of claim 7, said utility further comprising code for:

receiving a selection of a network preference for storing the labeled content from among a private network, a community network, a corporate network and a public network, wherein the labeled content is assigned to a corresponding private network, community network, corporate network and public network, respectively;

dynamically linking the labeled content and associated transcript of the electronic communication to a database in the corresponding network; and

storing the selected content in a network accessible database according to the network preference selected.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, said utility further comprising code for:

indexing the selected content in the database according the label of the selected content and the characters within the selected content;

establishing access protocols to the selected content within the database according to the selected network; and

enabling access to the labeled content with one of the unique URL and a search term associated with the selected content, wherein a search engine locates the labeled content in the database via characters found within the selected content or from characters making up the label.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

program code on the non-transitory computer readable medium that when executed by a processor provides the functions of;

receiving a selection of content within a transcript of an electronic communication;

applying a label to the content selected within the transcript;

assigning a unique URL to the content selected from within the transcript;

and forwarding at least the content selected to a storage location accessible via the unique URL.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising code for:

displaying a graphical user interface within which communication is received communication from and send to one or more instant messaging clients;

enabling selection of a marker utilized to identify content within an instant messaging (IM) transcript;

detecting selection of one or more characters from within the IM transcript; and

storing at least one of the selected one or more characters and the IM transcript in a database accessible via one or more networks.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising program code for:

dynamically displaying a bookmark graphical user interface (GUI) with selectable options and preferences that may be applied to the content selected and provide additional information about the content selected within the transcript;

detecting selection of one or more preferences to manage access to the content selected within the transcript, wherein preferences include one or more of;

a private network, a community network, and a corporate network; and

responsive to detecting selection of one of the one or more preferences, assigning the preference selected to the content, wherein the preferences are selected from among;

enabling access to the content via a the private network that restricts access of the content to one or more creators of the IM transcript;

enabling access to the content via a community network that confines access to at least one of one or more persons, one or more IP addresses, and one or more groups;

enabling access to the content via a corporate network that permits access of the content to a registered members within a corporation; and

enabling access to the content via a public network that provides open access.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said code for assigning the unique URL further comprises code for:

generating prompts for entry of the unique URL, wherein manual entry of the unique URL is available, wherein said prompts are generated at one or more periods from among;

before the selection of the content, wherein a received URL serves as a default, automatically utilized URL for content selected, wherein the default URL may be selectably changed after selection of the content; and

after selection of the content, wherein a URL is required to be entered after selection of the content; and

associating the unique URL with the content and assigning the unique URL to a predefined searchable location.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising program code for:

receiving a selection of a network preference for storing the labeled content from among a private network, a community network, a corporate network and a public network, wherein the labeled content is assigned to a corresponding private network, community network, corporate network and public network, respectively;

dynamically linking the labeled content and associated transcript of the electronic communication to a database in the corresponding network; and

storing the selected content in a network accessible database according to the network preference selected.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising program code for:

indexing the selected content in the database according the label of the selected content and the characters within the selected content;

establishing access protocols to the selected content within the database according to the selected network; and

enabling access to the labeled content with one of the unique URL and a search term associated with the selected content, wherein a search engine locates the labeled content in the database via characters found within the selected content or from characters making up the label.