Method and Apparatus for Displaying Information During an Instant Messaging Session

• US 20180191646A1
• Filed: 09/25/2017
• Published: 07/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Granted Patent: US 10,348,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A method and an apparatus are provided for controlling a graphical user interface to display information related to a communication session. Information relating to data produced by a first participant to the communication session is displayed on a first display unit, wherein the information produced by the first participant is displayed at a first position on the first display unit. Data is received from a second participant to the communication session, and information relating to the data received from the second participant is displayed on the first display unit, wherein the information received from the second participant is displayed at a second position on the first display unit. The first and second positions are horizontally spaced apart.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying, on the display, a communication session window, the communication session window being configured to display a plurality of instant messages during an instant messaging session between a local participant and a plurality of remote participants, the communication session window having a right side and a left side, the right side being associated with the local participant and the left side being associated with the plurality of remote participants;

receiving an instant message during the instant messaging session between the local participant and the plurality of remote participants;

in response to receiving the instant message;

in accordance with a determination that the received instant message is from the local participant, displaying, on the display, the received instant message on the right side of the communication session window;

in accordance with a determination that the received instant message is from a first remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, the received instant message on the left side of the communication session window; and

in accordance with a determination that the received instant message is from a second remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, the received instant message on the left side of the communication session window, wherein the second remote participant is different from the first remote participant.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein:

the left side corresponds to a left region, and the right side corresponds to a right region;

the right region includes;

an overlapping portion that partially overlaps with the left region such that an instant message from the first participant extends from the right region partially into the left region; and

a non-overlapping portion that does not overlap with the left region and extends to the right of the overlapping portion of the right region; and

the left region includes;

an overlapping portion that partially overlaps with the right region such that an instant message from the second participant extends from the left region partially into the right region; and

a non-overlapping portion that does not overlap with the right region and extends to the left of the overlapping portion of the left region;

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the received instant message from the local participant is received at a local input device of the electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the received instant message from the first remote participant or the second remote participant is received from a remote terminal, the remote terminal being different from the electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein a background color of the displayed received instant message is based on whether the received instant message is from the local participant, the first remote participant, or the second remote participant, and wherein background colors for display of instant messages of the local participant, the first remote participant, and the second remote participant are different colors.

7. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein:

a background color of the displayed received instant message from the local participant is a first color;

a background color of the displayed received instant message from the first remote participant is a second color that is different from the first color; and

a background color of the displayed received instant message from the second remote participant is a third color that is different from the first color.

8. The electronic device of claim 2, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

further in accordance with the determination that the received instant message is from the first remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, a first icon adjacent to the displayed instant message, the first icon corresponding to the first remote participant; and

further in accordance with the determination that the received instant message is from the second remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, a second icon adjacent to the displayed instant message, the second icon corresponding to the second remote participant, wherein the first icon is different from the second icon.

9. The electronic device of claim 2, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

further in accordance with the determination that the received instant message is from the first remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, a first visual indication with the displayed instant message, the first visual indication corresponding to the first remote participant; and

further in accordance with the determination that the received instant message is from the second remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, a second visual indication with the displayed instant message, the second visual indication corresponding to the second remote participant, wherein the first visual indication is different from the second visual indication.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of an electronic device with a display, the one or more programs including instructions for:

displaying, on the display, a communication session window, the communication session window being configured to display a plurality of instant messages during an instant messaging session between a local participant and a plurality of remote participants, the communication session window having a right side and a left side, the right side being associated with the local participant and the left side being associated with the plurality of remote participants;

receiving an instant message during the instant messaging session between the local participant and the plurality of remote participants;

in response to receiving the instant message;

in accordance with a determination that the received instant message is from the local participant, displaying, on the display, the received instant message on the right side of the communication session window;

in accordance with a determination that the received instant message is from a first remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, the received instant message on the left side of the communication session window; and

in accordance with a determination that the received instant message is from a second remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, the received instant message on the left side of the communication session window, wherein the second remote participant is different from the first remote participant.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein:

the left side corresponds to a left region, and the right side corresponds to a right region;

the right region includes;

an overlapping portion that partially overlaps with the left region such that an instant message from the first participant extends from the right region partially into the left region; and

a non-overlapping portion that does not overlap with the left region and extends to the right of the overlapping portion of the right region; and

the left region includes;

an overlapping portion that partially overlaps with the right region such that an instant message from the second participant extends from the left region partially into the right region; and

a non-overlapping portion that does not overlap with the right region and extends to the left of the overlapping portion of the left region;

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the received instant message from the local participant is received at a local input device of the electronic device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the received instant message from the first remote participant or the second remote participant is received from a remote terminal, the remote terminal being different from the electronic device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein a background color of the displayed received instant message is based on whether the received instant message is from the local participant, the first remote participant, or the second remote participant, and wherein background colors for display of instant messages of the local participant, the first remote participant, and the second remote participant are different colors.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein:

a background color of the displayed received instant message from the local participant is a first color;

a background color of the displayed received instant message from the first remote participant is a second color that is different from the first color; and

a background color of the displayed received instant message from the second remote participant is a third color that is different from the first color.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

further in accordance with the determination that the received instant message is from the first remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, a first icon adjacent to the displayed instant message, the first icon corresponding to the first remote participant; and

further in accordance with the determination that the received instant message is from the second remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, a second icon adjacent to the displayed instant message, the second icon corresponding to the second remote participant, wherein the first icon is different from the second icon.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

further in accordance with the determination that the received instant message is from the first remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, a first visual indication with the displayed instant message, the first visual indication corresponding to the first remote participant; and

further in accordance with the determination that the received instant message is from the second remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, a second visual indication with the displayed instant message, the second visual indication corresponding to the second remote participant, wherein the first visual indication is different from the second visual indication.

18. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a display;

displaying, on the display, a communication session window, the communication session window being configured to display a plurality of instant messages during an instant messaging session between a local participant and a plurality of remote participants, the communication session window having a right side and a left side, the right side being associated with the local participant and the left side being associated with the plurality of remote participants;

receiving an instant message during the instant messaging session between the local participant and the plurality of remote participants;

in response to receiving the instant message;

in accordance with a determination that the received instant message is from the local participant, displaying, on the display, the received instant message on the right side of the communication session window;

in accordance with a determination that the received instant message is from a first remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, the received instant message on the left side of the communication session window; and

in accordance with a determination that the received instant message is from a second remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, the received instant message on the left side of the communication session window, wherein the second remote participant is different from the first remote participant.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the left side corresponds to a left region, and the right side corresponds to a right region;

the right region includes;

an overlapping portion that partially overlaps with the left region such that an instant message from the first participant extends from the right region partially into the left region; and

a non-overlapping portion that does not overlap with the left region and extends to the right of the overlapping portion of the right region; and

the left region includes;

an overlapping portion that partially overlaps with the right region such that an instant message from the second participant extends from the left region partially into the right region; and

a non-overlapping portion that does not overlap with the right region and extends to the left of the overlapping portion of the left region;

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the received instant message from the local participant is received at a local input device of the electronic device.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the received instant message from the first remote participant or the second remote participant is received from a remote terminal, the remote terminal being different from the electronic device.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein a background color of the displayed received instant message is based on whether the received instant message is from the local participant, the first remote participant, or the second remote participant, and wherein background colors for display of instant messages of the local participant, the first remote participant, and the second remote participant are different colors.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein:

a background color of the displayed received instant message from the local participant is a first color;

a background color of the displayed received instant message from the first remote participant is a second color that is different from the first color; and

a background color of the displayed received instant message from the second remote participant is a third color that is different from the first color.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

further in accordance with the determination that the received instant message is from the first remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, a first icon adjacent to the displayed instant message, the first icon corresponding to the first remote participant; and

further in accordance with the determination that the received instant message is from the second remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, a second icon adjacent to the displayed instant message, the second icon corresponding to the second remote participant, wherein the first icon is different from the second icon.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

further in accordance with the determination that the received instant message is from the first remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, a first visual indication with the displayed instant message, the first visual indication corresponding to the first remote participant; and

further in accordance with the determination that the received instant message is from the second remote participant of the plurality of remote participants, displaying, on the display, a second visual indication with the displayed instant message, the second visual indication corresponding to the second remote participant, wherein the first visual indication is different from the second visual indication.