Threaded text-based chat collaboration

• US 20030212746A1
• Filed: 05/07/2002
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fitzpatrick, Gregory P., Haynes, Thomas R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,039,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

A method of chat communication can include receiving chat communication messages associated with topical threads and displaying the chat communication messages. The chat communication messages associated with a selected topical thread can be visually distinguished, using a visual identifier, from other ones of the chat communication messages associated with other topical threads.

Claims

1. A method of chat communication comprising:

receiving a chat communication message associated with a topical thread;

displaying said chat communication message; and

using a visual identifier, visually distinguishing said chat communication message associated with said selected topical thread from other ones of said chat communication messages associated with other topical threads.

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

displaying said chat communication message and said other ones of said chat communication messages within a single window.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting a chat communication message in response to said received chat communication message, wherein said transmitted chat communication message is associated with said topical thread.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

inserting said visual identifier associated with said topical thread within said transmitted chat communication message.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying a topical identifier within said chat communication message, said topical identifier corresponding to said selected topical thread; and

associating said topical identifier with said visual identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, said visually distinguishing step further comprising:

displaying said visual identifier associated with said topical thread at a beginning of said chat communication message.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying said visual identifier as a context appropriate visual identifier.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

representing said topical identifiers as icons.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

representing said visual identifiers as particular text formats, wherein text formatted with one of said particular text formats relates to one of said topical threads.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

representing said topical identifiers as particular text colors, wherein text formatted with one of said particular text colors relates to one of said topical threads.

11. A method of chat communication comprising:

receiving a user input specifying a topical thread;

determining a topical identifier associated with said topical thread;

inserting said topical identifier within a chat communication message; and

transmitting said chat communication message with said topical identifier.

12. The method of claim 11, said receiving step further comprising:

receiving a user input specifying a previous chat communication message which is associated with said topical thread.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

representing said topical identifier as an activatable icon, wherein said activatable icon relates to said topical thread.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

representing said visual identifier a particular text format, wherein text formatted with said particular text format relates to said topical thread.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

representing said visual identifier as a particular text color, wherein text formatted with said particular text color relates to said topical thread.

16. A chat communication client configured to:

receive chat communication messages being associated with topical threads;

display said chat communication messages within a single window; and

visually distinguish chat communication messages which are associated with a selected topical thread, using a visual identifier, from other ones of said chat communication messages being associated with other topical threads, wherein said visual identifier corresponds to said selected topical thread.

17. The chat communication client of claim 16, further comprising:

a menu of selectable visual identifiers.

18. The chat communication client of claim 17, further comprising:

a topic field for specifying one of said topical threads.

19. The chat communication client of claim 18, further configured to:

identify a topical identifier within said chat communication message, said topical identifier corresponding to a topical thread; and

associate said topical identifier with said visual identifier.

20. A chat communication message comprising a topical identifier, said topical identifier representing a topical thread corresponding to a topic of conversation to which said chat communication message is associated.

21. The chat communication message of claim 20, further comprising a visual identifier, said visual identifier being displayed to a user with said chat communication message and representing said topic of conversation.

22. A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving a chat communication message associated with a topical thread;

displaying said chat communication message; and

using a visual identifier, visually distinguishing said chat communication message associated with said selected topical thread from other ones of said chat communication messages associated with other topical threads.

23. The machine-readable storage of claim 22, said displaying step further comprising:

displaying said chat communication message and said other ones of said chat communication messages within a single window.

24. The machine-readable storage of claim 23, further comprising:

transmitting a chat communication message in response to said received chat communication message, wherein said transmitted chat communication message is associated with said topical thread.

25. The machine-readable storage of claim 24, further comprising:

inserting said visual identifier associated with said topical thread within said transmitted chat communication message.

26. The machine-readable storage of claim 23, further comprising:

identifying a topical identifier within said chat communication message, said topical identifier corresponding to said selected topical thread; and

associating said topical identifier with said visual identifier.

27. The machine-readable storage of claim 26, said visually distinguishing step further comprising:

displaying said visual identifier associated with said topical thread at a beginning of said chat communication message.

28. The machine-readable storage of claim 27, further comprising:

displaying said visual identifier as a context appropriate visual identifier.

29. The machine-readable storage of claim 26, further comprising:

representing said topical identifiers as icons.

30. The machine-readable storage of claim 26, further comprising:

representing said visual identifiers as particular text formats, wherein text formatted with one of said particular text formats relates to one of said topical threads.

31. The machine-readable storage of claim 26, further comprising:

representing said topical identifiers as particular text colors, wherein text formatted with one of said particular text colors relates to one of said topical threads.

32. A machine-readable storage of chat communication comprising:

receiving a user input specifying a topical thread;

determining a topical identifier associated with said topical thread;

inserting said topical identifier within a chat communication message; and

transmitting said chat communication message with said topical identifier.

33. The machine-readable storage of claim 32, said receiving step further comprising:

receiving a user input specifying a previous chat communication message which is associated with said topical thread.

34. The machine-readable storage of claim 32, further comprising:

representing said topical identifier as an icon, wherein said icon relates to said topical thread.

35. The machine-readable storage of claim 32, further comprising:

representing said visual identifier a particular text format, wherein text formatted with said particular text format relates to said topical thread.

36. The machine-readable storage of claim 32, further comprising:

representing said visual identifier as a particular text color, wherein text formatted with said particular text color relates to said topical thread.