Presenting text messages

• US 9,965,132 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Stochosky, Michael, Wood, Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US12/135,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20080307322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,623 Days
• Field of Search: 715200-277, 715700-867, 715513, 700701-866, 709201-229, 705 50-111, 345 30-111, 345173, 370352, 719328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

In an instant messaging application, a message container (e.g., a stylized text bubble) is provided for indicating that an activity has occurred in a non-foreground chat. The message container can be displayed in the chat where the activity occurred. The message container can contain a portion of the message (e.g., the beginning of the message). The message container can contain a summary of the message. The message container can have an arbitrary shape or appearance. The user can define or select the appearance of the message container.

Claims

1. A method, performed using at least one processor, comprising:

presenting a user interface that includes a first window portion and a second window portion that is separate from the first window portion, the first window portion being a contacts area listing a representation of each of a plurality of contacts including at least a first contact, and the second window portion being an active chat conversation area that displays a first active chat conversation associated with the first contact;

receiving a text message and determining whether the text message is associated with one of the plurality of contacts;

when it is determined that the text message is associated with the first contact and that a user is engaged in an active chat conversation with the first contact, presenting the text message as part of the first active chat conversation in the second window portion; and

when it is determined that the text message is associated with a second one of the plurality of contacts and that the user is not engaged in an active chat conversation with the second contact, presenting, in response to receiving the text message, a message container within the contacts area as part of a second inactive chat conversation associated with the second contact in the first window portion,

wherein the message container contains at least a portion of the text message that is presented within the contacts area as part of the second inactive chat conversation in association with the representation of the second contact without the user actively causing the presentation of at least the portion of the text message within the contacts area, and

wherein the second inactive chat conversation associated with the second contact is displayed in the first window portion simultaneously with the first active chat conversation associated with the first contact being displayed in the second window portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the message container containing at least a portion of the text message includes one or more of:

presenting an entire portion of the text message within the message container;

presenting a beginning portion of the text message within the message container;

or

presenting a summary of the text message within the message container.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an appearance of the message container based on one of a plurality of message container styles.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each message container style specifies one or more of:

a shape of the message container;

a color of the message container;

a border of the message container;

a color of text contained in the message container;

or

a font of text contained in the message container.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving user input selecting the one of the plurality of message container styles.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input directed to the presentation of the message container; and

presenting the message container according to the user input.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the presentation of the message container after a determined period of time has elapsed since the presentation of the message container.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the message container disappears after presenting the message container based on a user operation related to the message container to display the second inactive chat conversation in the second window portion as an active chat conversation.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the text message at part of the first active chat conversation comprises presenting the text message with a plurality of previously communicated text messages associated with the first contact.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein presenting the text message as part of the first active chat conversation comprises presenting an image associated with the first contact proximate to the text message in the second window portion.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the user interface that includes the first window portion and the second window portion comprises presenting a contact identifier message in the second window portion, wherein the contact identifier message identifies the first contact whose first active chat conversation is presented in the second window portion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein presenting the contact identifier message comprises presenting a time at which a communication session between the first contact and the user began.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the representation of the second contact in the first window portion after the message container is displayed as part of the second inactive chat conversation in the contacts area in the first window portion; and

updating the active chat conversation area in the second window portion to display one or more messages of the second inactive chat conversation associated with the second contact in the second window portion based on the received selection.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the message container within the contacts area as part of the second inactive chat conversation acts as a notification of the received text message associated with the second contact.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the message container contains at least the portion of the text message that is readily viewable within the contacts area as part of the second inactive chat conversation in association with the representation of the second contact without the user actively causing the presentation of at least the portion of the text message within the contacts area.

9. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

presenting a user interface that includes a first window portion and a second window portion that is separate from the first window portion, the first window portion being a contacts area listing a representation of each of a plurality of contacts including at least a first contact, and the second window portion being an active chat conversation area that displays a first active chat conversation associated with the first contact;

receiving a text message and determining whether the text message is associated with one of the plurality of contacts;

when it is determined that the text message is associated with the first contact and that a user is engaged in an active chat conversation with the first contact, presenting the text message as part of the first active chat conversation in the second window portion; and

when it is determined that the text message is associated with a second one of the plurality of contacts and that the user is not engaged in an active chat conversation with the second contact, presenting, in response to receiving the text message, a message container within the contacts area as part of a second inactive chat conversation associated with the second contact in the first window portion,

wherein the message container contains at least a portion of the text message that is presented within the contacts area as part of the second inactive chat conversation in association with the representation of the second contact without the user actively causing the presentation of at least the portion of the text message within the contacts area, and

wherein the second inactive chat conversation associated with the second contact is displayed in the first window portion simultaneously with the first active chat conversation associated with the first contact being displayed in the second window portion.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions to present the message container comprise instructions to cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising one or more of:

presenting an entire portion of the text message within the message container;

presenting a beginning portion of the text message within the message container;

or

presenting a summary of the text message within the message container.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining an appearance of the message container based on one of a plurality of message container styles.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the message container disappears after presenting the message container based on a user operation related to the message container to display the second inactive chat conversation in the second window portion as an active chat conversation.

13. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising;

presenting a user interface that includes a first window portion and a second window portion that is separate from the first window portion, the first window portion being a contacts area listing a representation of each of a plurality of contacts including at least a first contact, and the second window portion being an active chat conversation area that displays a first active chat conversation associated with the first contact;

receiving a text message and determining whether the text message is associated with one of the plurality of contacts;

when it is determined that the text message is associated with the first contact and that a user is engaged in an active chat conversation with the first contact, presenting the text message as part of the first active chat conversation in the second window portion; and

when it is determined that the text message is associated with a second one of the plurality of contacts and that the user is not engaged in an active chat conversation with the second contact, presenting, in response to receiving the text message, a message container within the contacts area as part of a second inactive chat conversation associated with the second contact in the first window portion,

wherein the message container contains at least a portion of the text message that is presented within the contacts area as part of the second inactive chat conversation in association with the representation of the second contact without the user actively causing the presentation of at least the portion of the text message within the contacts area, and

wherein the second inactive chat conversation associated with the second contact is displayed in the first window portion simultaneously with the first active chat conversation associated with the first contact being displayed in the second window portion.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions that cause the at least one processor to present the message container comprise instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising one or more of:

presenting an entire portion of the text message within the message container;

presenting a beginning portion of the text message within the message container;

or

presenting a summary of the text message within the message container.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the system further comprises:

a display device coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the display device is configured to display the presented message container within the user interface; and

a network interface coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the network interface is configured to receive the text message from a network.