INSTANT MESSAGING INTERFACE HAVING A TEAR-OFF ELEMENT

• US 20080040675A1
• Filed: 10/15/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carbone, Kenneth, Canfield, James, Colburn, David, Willis, Gregory, Van Lenten, Thomas, Myers, Linda
• Application Number:
  US11/872,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20080040675A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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

Abstract

A user interface on a display enables user perception of information regarding a communications session that leverages an instant messaging platform. The user interface includes an instant messaging application user interface and one or more tear-off elements corresponding to ongoing instant messaging communications sessions. Each tear-off element is configured to enable perception and selection by a user of a corresponding instant messaging communications session. Also, each tear-off element is configured to be independently visually separated from other elements of the instant messaging application user interface and maintained as a separate entity on the instant messaging application user interface.

Claims

1. A method of rendering a display of personal messaging communication sessions comprising:

establishing a first personal messaging communication session including a first user;

rendering, in a content display portion of a personal messaging communication session interface area, a display based on electronic communications exchanged in the first personal messaging communication session;

establishing a second personal messaging communication session including the first user, the second personal messaging communication session being different than the first personal messaging communication session;

in response to establishing the second personal messaging communication session, rendering, in an interface actionable item display portion of the personal messaging communication session interface area, a display including;

a first interface actionable item corresponding to the first personal messaging communication session, the first interface actionable item being selectable to enable rendering, in the content display portion of the personal messaging communication session interface area, of a display based on electronic communications exchanged in the first personal messaging communication session, and

a second interface actionable item corresponding to the second personal messaging communication session, the second interface actionable item being selectable to enable rendering, in the content display portion of the personal messaging communication session interface area, of a display based on electronic communications exchanged in the second personal messaging communication session;

receiving user input indicating a desire to separate display of the second personal messaging communication session from the personal messaging communication session interface area; and

in response to receiving user input indicating a desire to separate display of the second personal messaging communication session from the personal messaging communication session interface area,

removing the second interface actionable item from the interface actionable item display portion of the personal messaging communication session interface area; and

rendering, in an interface area different than the personal messaging communication session interface area, a display based on electronic communications exchanged in the second personal messaging communication session such that the display in the interface area different than the personal messaging communication session interface area is configured to enable display, at least partially, of electronic communications exchanged in the second personal messaging communication session concurrently with electronic communications displayed in the content display portion of the personal messaging communication session interface area.

2. A method of rendering a display of content received in network sessions comprising:

receiving user input initiating a first network session;

receiving, over a network, electronic content associated with the first network session;

rendering, in a content display portion of a first user interface area, a display based on the received electronic content associated with the first network session;

rendering, in an interface actionable item display portion of the first user interface area, a first interface actionable item corresponding to the first network session, the first interface actionable item being selectable to enable rendering, in the content display portion of the first user interface area, of a display based on the received electronic content associated with the first network session;

receiving user input initiating a second network session, the second network session being different than the first network session;

receiving, over the network, electronic content associated with the second network session;

rendering, in the content display portion of the first user interface area, a display based on the received electronic content associated with the second network session;

rendering, in the interface actionable item display portion of the first user interface area, a second interface actionable item corresponding to the second network session, the second interface actionable item being selectable to enable rendering, in the content display portion of the first user interface area, of a display based on the received electronic content associated with the second network session;

receiving user input indicating a desire to separate display of the second network session from the first user interface area; and

in response to receiving user input indicating a desire to separate display of the second network session from the first user interface area,

removing the second interface actionable item from the interface actionable item display portion of the first user interface area; and

rendering, in a second user interface area that is different than the first user interface area, a display based on the received electronic content associated with the second network session such that the second user interface area that is different than the first user interface area is configured to enable display, at least partially, of electronic content associated with the second network session concurrently with electronic content displayed in the content display portion of the first user interface area.