SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CORRELATING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS IN AN INSTANT MESSAGING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20100023586A1
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AirBNB Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Marmigere, Gerard, Clement, Jean-Yves, Bauchot, Frederic, Picon, Joaquin
• Granted Patent: US 9,117,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

A system and method for correlating questions and answers in an instant messaging environment. First creating an instant messaging client at least two zones, each zone of the at least two zones corresponding to a unique end user, each zone of further comprising at least one textbox. After creating the instant messaging client, providing the instant messaging client to each end user of at least two end users. Receiving a message from an end user, the message comprising a first value and a second value and text. Finally, sending the text received in the message to each instant messaging client not being controlled by the sending end user, the text therein being displayed in a textbox having the second value and being located in a zone corresponding to the sending end user.

Claims

1. A method for correlating questions and answers in an instant messaging environment, the method comprising:

creating an instant messaging client for each end user of at least two end users, said instant messaging client comprising at least two zones, each zone of said at least two zones corresponding to a unique end user of said at least two end users, each zone of said at least two zones further comprising at least one textbox;

providing said instant messaging client to each end user of said at least two end users;

after said providing, receiving a message from an end user of said at least two end users, said message comprising a first value and a second value and text, said first value identifying said end user, said second value identifying a textbox located in a zone corresponding to said end user, said text having been entered into said textbox being identified by said second value by said end user prior to said receiving, and

sending said text to each instant messaging client not being controlled by said end user, said text being displayed in a textbox having said second value and being located in a zone being related to said end user.

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

restricting the total number of zones of said at least two zones to being equal to the total number of end users of said at least two end users.

3. The method of claim 1, said creating further comprising:

restricting the total number of textboxes residing in a zone of said at least two zones to being equal to the total number of textboxes residing in each zone of said at least two zones.

4. The method of claim 1, said creating further comprising:

configuring each said instant messaging client in such a way so as to restrict each end user from entering text into a textbox residing in a zone when said zone does not correspond to said end user.

5. The method of claim 1, said creating further comprising:

configuring each said instant messaging client in such a way that each textbox belongs to a group of correlated textboxes, each group of correlated textboxes comprising a textbox residing in a first zone of said at least two zones and a textbox residing in each other zone of said at least two zones, wherein said other zones do not include said first zone.

6. The method of claim 5, each group of correlated textboxes being arranged in such a way that each end user of said at least two end users visually identifies text residing in said group of correlated textboxes as being related.

7. A computer program product, comprising a computer-usable storage medium having a computer-readable program code stored therein, said computer-readable program code containing instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer system implement a method for correlating questions and answers in an instant messaging environment, the method comprising:

creating an instant messaging client for each end user of at least two end users, said instant messaging client comprising at least two zones, each zone of said at least two zones corresponding to a unique end user of said at least two end users, each zone of said at least two zones further comprising at least one textbox;

providing said instant messaging client to each end user of said at least two end users;

after said providing, receiving a message from an end user of said at least two end users, said message comprising a first value and a second value and text, said first value identifying said end user, said second value identifying a textbox located in a zone corresponding to said end user, said text having been entered into said textbox being identified by said second value by said end user prior to said receiving, and

sending said text to each instant messaging client not being controlled by said end user, said text being displayed in a textbox having said second value and being located in a zone being related to said end user.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, said creating further comprising:

restricting the total number of zones of said at least two zones to being equal to the total number of end users of said at least two end users.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, said creating further comprising:

restricting the total number of textboxes residing in a zone of said at least two zones to being equal to the total number of textboxes residing in each zone of said at least two zones.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, said creating further comprising:

configuring each said instant messaging client in such a way so as to restrict each end user from entering text into a textbox residing in a zone when said zone does not correspond to said end user.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, said creating further comprising:

configuring each said instant messaging client in such a way that each textbox belongs to a group of correlated textboxes, each group of correlated textboxes comprising a textbox residing in a first zone of said at least two zones and a textbox residing in each other zone of said at least two zones, wherein said other zones do not include said first zone.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, each group of correlated textboxes being arranged in such a way that each end user of said at least two end users visually identifies text residing in said group of correlated textboxes as being related.

13. A computing system comprising a processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising a software application, said software application comprising instruction that when executed by said processor, implement a method for correlating questions and answers in an instant messaging environment, the method comprising:

creating an instant messaging client for each end user of at least two end users, said instant messaging client comprising at least two zones, each zone of said at least two zones corresponding to a unique end user of said at least two end users, each zone of said at least two zones further comprising at least one textbox;

providing said instant messaging client to each end user of said at least two end users;

after said providing, receiving a message from an end user of said at least two end users, said message comprising a first value and a second value and text, said first value identifying said end user, said second value identifying a textbox located in a zone corresponding to said end user, said text having been entered into said textbox being identified by said second value by said end user prior to said receiving, and

sending said text to each instant messaging client not being controlled by said end user, said text being displayed in a textbox having said second value and being located in a zone being related to said end user.

14. The computing system of claim 13, said creating further comprising:

restricting the total number of zones of said at least two zones to being equal to the total number of end users of said at least two end users.

15. The computing system of claim 13, said creating further comprising:

restricting the total number of textboxes residing in a zone of said at least two zones to being equal to the total number of textboxes residing in each zone of said at least two zones.

16. The computing system of claim 13, said creating further comprising:

configuring each said instant messaging client in such a way so as to restrict each end user from entering text into a textbox residing in a zone when said zone does not correspond to said end user.

17. The computing system of claim 13, said creating further comprising:

configuring each said instant messaging client in such a way that each textbox belongs to a group of correlated textboxes, each group of correlated textboxes comprising a textbox residing in a first zone of said at least two zones and a textbox residing in each other zone of said at least two zones, wherein said other zones do not include said first zone.

18. The computing system of claim 17, each group of correlated textboxes being arranged in such a way that each end user of said at least two end users visually identifies text residing in said group of correlated textboxes as being related.

24. The process for supporting computer infrastructure of claim 13, each group of correlated textboxes being arranged in such a way that each end user of said at least two end users visually identifies text residing in said group of correlated textboxes as being related.

19. A process for supporting computer infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computing system, wherein said code in combination with the computing system is capable of implementing a method for correlating questions and answers in an instant messaging environment, the method comprising:

creating an instant messaging client for each end user of at least two end users, said instant messaging client comprising at least two zones, each zone of said at least two zones corresponding to a unique end user of said at least two end users, each zone of said at least two zones further comprising at least one textbox;

providing said instant messaging client to each end user of said at least two end users;

after said providing, receiving a message from an end user of said at least two end users, said message comprising a first value and a second value and text, said first value identifying said end user, said second value identifying a textbox located in a zone corresponding to said end user, said text having been entered into said textbox being identified by said second value by said end user prior to said receiving, and

sending said text to each instant messaging client not being controlled by said end user, said text being displayed in a textbox having said second value and being located in a zone being related to said end user.

20. The process for supporting computer infrastructure of claim 19, said creating further comprising:

restricting the total number of zones of said at least two zones to being equal to the total number of end users of said at least two end users.

21. The process for supporting computer infrastructure of claim 19, said creating further comprising:

restricting the total number of textboxes residing in a zone of said at least two zones to being equal to the total number of textboxes residing in each zone of said at least two zones.

22. The process for supporting computer infrastructure of claim 19, said creating further comprising:

configuring each said instant messaging client in such a way so as to restrict each end user from entering text into a textbox residing in a zone when said zone does not correspond to said end user.

23. The process for supporting computer infrastructure of claim 19, said creating further comprising:

configuring each said instant messaging client in such a way that each textbox belongs to a group of correlated textboxes, each group of correlated textboxes comprising a textbox residing in a first zone of said at least two zones and a textbox residing in each other zone of said at least two zones, wherein said other zones do not include said first zone.