Chat server mute capability

• US 20060235932A1
• Filed: 04/18/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Celi, Joseph Jr., Jaiswal, Peeyush
• Application Number:
  US11/108,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20060235932A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping

Abstract

A method for enhancing chat sessions to include a server based mute capability. The method can include the step of a chat server receiving a mute indicator from at least one client participating in a chat session established by the chat server. The chat server can determine from the mute indicator at least one designated participant that is to be muted. The chat server can mute communications between the designated participant and the indicator conveying participant without affecting chat server actions related to other participants of the chat session.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing chat sessions to include a server based mute capability comprising the steps of:

a chat server receiving a mute indicator conveyed from at least one client participating in a chat session established by the chat server;

the chat server determining from the mute indicator at least one client designated participant; and

the chat server muting communications between the designated participant and the indicator conveying participant without affecting chat server actions related to other participants of said chat session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the muting step comprises the step of the chat server performing at least one of a message receive block action and a message send block action, wherein said message receive block action causes the chat server to not convey messages from the designated participant to the indicator conveying participant, and wherein said message send block action causes the chat server to not convey messages from the indicator conveying participant to the designated participant.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the muting step causes the chat server to perform said message receive block action and said message send block action.

4. The method of claim 3., wherein the designated session participant is not provided an indicator that the muting step has been performed against the designated participant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein during the chat session, the chat server enables a plurality of chat participants logged into the chat server to exchange messages in real time using Internet protocol based communications, said plurality of chat participants including said designated participant and said indicator conveying participant.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said plurality of chat participants comprises at least three participants, and wherein said received messages comprise text messages.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

the chat server receiving a message from a participant of said chat session;

said chat server querying a chat mute list established for said participant to determine if said participant has muted any other chat participants participating in said chat session; and

for each chat participant that is not muted as determined by results of said querying step, said chat server conveying said received message to each of the non-muted chat participants.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

the chat server receiving a message from a participant of said chat session;

said chat server querying a chat mute list established with another participant of said chat session to determine if said another participant has muted said participant that sent said message;

when said another participant has not muted said participant, the chat server sending said another participant said message; and

when said another participant has muted said participant, the chat server not sending said another participant said message.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a graphical interface within said client for said chat session, said graphical interface including a user selectable mute option, wherein said mute indicator is sent to said chat server responsive to a user selecting said mute option.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

said chat server maintaining a master list of participants participating in said chat session that includes participant specific parameters used by the chat server to conduct said chat session, wherein at least one mute parameter used by the chat server during said muting step is programmatically linked to entries of the master list.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

said chat server maintaining a chat mute list for each participant in said master list, said chat mute list specifying mute options established by an associated participant to be applied by said chat server against other participants included within said master list.

12. A chat server comprising:

a chat session engine configured to establish at least one communication forum for a plurality of session participants using Internet protocol based communications, said plurality of session participants including a first chat participant and a second chat participant, wherein each session participant remotely accesses the chat server from a client, wherein said chat session engine is configured to receive messages from session participant and to convey the received messages to other session participants in real time; and

a mute function configured to perform a mute action, wherein the performance of the mute action only affects communications between a first chat participant and a second chat participant and does not affect chat server actions related to other session participants, wherein said mute action comprising at least one action selected from the group consisting of a message receive block action and a message send block action, wherein said message receive block action causes the chat server to not convey messages received from the second chat participant to the first chat participant, and wherein said message send block action causes the chat server to not convey messages received from the first chat participant to the second chat participant.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein said mute action comprises said message receive block action and said message send block action.

14. The server of claim 12, wherein the first chat participant initiates the mute action against the second chat participant, and wherein the second chat participant is not notified of the mute action.

15. The server of claim 12, comprising:

a plurality of chat mute lists each associated with one of said session participants, each chat mute list maintaining mute state information between the associated participant and other ones of the session participants.

16. The server of claim 12, wherein said plurality of session participants comprises at least three session participants, and wherein said received messages comprise text messages.

17. A machine readable storage utilized in conducting communications between a chat server and at least one client participating in a chat session established by the chat server, the 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:

the chat server receiving a mute indicator from the at least one client;

the chat server determining from the mute indicator at least one client designated participant; and

the chat server muting communications between the designated participant and the indicator conveying participant without affecting chat server actions related to other participants of said chat session.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 17, wherein the muting step comprises the step of the chat server performing at least one of a message receive block action and a message send block action, wherein said message receive block action causes the chat server to not convey messages from the designated participant to the indicator conveying participant, and wherein said message send block action causes the chat server to not convey messages from the indicator conveying participant to the designated participant.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 17, said plurality of code sections further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

the chat server receiving a message from a participant of said chat session;

said chat server querying a chat mute list established for said participant to determine if said participant has muted any other chat participants participating in said chat session; and

for each chat participant that is not muted as determined by results of said querying step, said chat server conveying said received message to each of the non-muted chat participants.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 17, said plurality of code sections further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

the chat server receiving a message from a participant of said chat session;

said chat server querying a chat mute list established with another participant of said chat session to determine if said another participant has muted said participant that sent said message;

when said another participant has not muted said participant, the chat server sending said another participant said message; and

when said another participant has muted said participant, the chat server not sending said another participant said message.