Methods and apparatus for managing and distinguishing instant messaging sessions and threads

• US 9,805,340 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AirBNB Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chaar, Jarir Kamel, Keller, Neal Martin, Pickover, Clifford Alan, Wisniewski, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wasel, Mohamed
• Assistant Examiner(s): WU, TSUNG YIN
• Application Number:
  US12/056,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20080177835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,505 Days
• Field of Search: 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 of managing instant messaging communication over a computer network is provided. One or more instant messaging session windows are organized in an instant messaging session manager. At least one distinguishing session characteristic is attributed to each of the one or more instant messaging session windows. The at least one distinguishing session characteristic is at least one of a sound clip associated with a user of the session, an instant messaging session window background associated with a user of the session, and a change in at least one of a color and an intensity of the instant messaging session window. The at least one distinguishing session characteristic increases a likelihood of identification of each of the one or more instant messaging session windows.

Claims

1. A method of managing instant messaging communication over a computer network, comprising the steps of:

organizing one or more instant messaging session windows in an instant messaging session manager of a first user;

attributing multiple distinguishing instant messaging session characteristics associated with an instant messaging session conducted with each of one or more separate users to each of the respective one or more separate users, each separate user associated with a respective one of the one or more instant messaging session windows displayed to the first user, and wherein said session characteristics for each respective instant messaging session comprise;

a color of the respective instant messaging session window;

intensity of the color of the respective instant messaging session window, wherein the intensity of the color increases continuously as time increases since a most recent message was sent from or received at the respective instant messaging session window;

multiple audio clips associated with the respective separate user, wherein each respective one of the multiple audio clips is to be played at a distinct first-user-designated time during the respective instant messaging session, wherein the multiple audio clips comprise;

a first audio clip played when the instant messaging session is opened;

a second audio clip played when an incoming message is received;

a third audio clip played when an outgoing message is initiated; and

a fourth audio clip played upon confirmation of an outgoing message;

displaying a first sound wave of the first audio clip in the respective instant messaging session window when the first audio clip is played;

displaying a second sound wave of the second audio clip in the respective instant messaging session window when the second audio clip is played;

displaying a third sound wave of the third audio clip in the respective instant messaging session window when the third audio clip is played;

displaying a fourth sound wave of the fourth audio clip in the respective instant messaging session window when the fourth audio clip is played;

a visual object identifying the respective separate user in a message display area of the respective instant messaging session window; and

a name identifying the respective instant messaging session, wherein the name is automatically generated by an artificial intelligence agent based on the content of the respective instant messaging session; and

projecting to the first user via the instant messaging session manager of the first user, the multiple distinguishing instant messaging session characteristics associated with an instant messaging session conducted with a particular separate user during an instant messaging session with the particular separate user;

wherein the one or more distinguishing characteristics increase a likelihood of identification of the one or more instant messaging session windows; and

organizing one or more instant messaging threads in each instant messaging session window, wherein the step of organizing one or more instant messaging threads comprises displaying a thread menu comprising a new message option, a modify characteristic option, a confirm active option, a deactivate thread option, a name thread option, and an autoname thread option.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of organizing one or more instant messaging session windows comprises the step of displaying one or more existing instant messaging sessions in the instant messaging session manager.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of organizing one or more instant messaging session windows comprises the step of displaying one or more users in the instant messaging session manager for initiation of a new instant messaging session window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of attributing at least one distinguishing session characteristic comprises the steps of:

displaying a menu of distinguishing characteristics; and

selecting at least one of the distinguishing characteristics to be attributed to each of one or more separate users, each separate user associated with a respective instant messaging session window displayed to the first user, to project to the first user the one or more distinguishing characteristics attributed to each separate user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of attributing at least one distinguishing characteristic comprises the step of playing a sound clip associated with a user with whom the instant messaging session provides a communication link.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of attributing at least one distinguishing characteristic comprises the step of attributing a watermark associated with a user with whom the instant messaging session provides a communication link as the background of the instant messaging session window.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of attributing at least one distinguishing characteristic comprises the step of changing the intensity of the color displayed for an instant messaging session window as time increases between instant messages.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of attributing at least one distinguishing characteristic comprises the step of attributing a unique font, size and color to text within an instant messaging session window.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of organizing one or more instant messaging sessions comprises displaying a confirmation that an instant message is being sent to an intended user before an instant message is sent.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the confirmation comprises at least one of a picture associated with the intended user associated with a respective instant messaging session window displayed to the first user and a sound clip associated with the intended user associated with a respective instant messaging session window displayed to the first user.

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

attributing one or more thread characteristics to respective ones of the one or more instant messaging threads;

wherein the one or more thread characteristic increases a likelihood of identification of each of the one or more instant messaging threads.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of organizing one or more instant messaging session threads comprises the step of displaying one or more instant messaging session threads in an instant messaging session window.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of attributing at least one thread characteristic comprises the steps of:

displaying a menu of thread characteristics; and

selecting at least one of the thread characteristics to be attributed to an instant messaging thread.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the thread characteristics comprise at least one of name, font, color and size.

15. Apparatus for transmitting managing instant messaging communication over a computer network, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and operative to;

organize one or more instant messaging session windows in an instant messaging session manager of a first user;

attribute multiple distinguishing instant messaging session characteristics associated with an instant messaging session conducted with each of one or more separate users to each of the respective one or more separate users, each separate user associated with a respective one of the one or more instant messaging session windows displayed to the first user, and wherein said session characteristics for each respective instant messaging session comprise;

a color of the respective instant messaging session window;

intensity of the color of the respective instant messaging session window, wherein the intensity of the color increases continuously as time increases since a most recent message was sent from or received at the respective instant messaging session window;

multiple audio clips associated with the respective separate user, wherein each respective one of the multiple audio clips is to be played at a distinct first-user-designated time during the respective instant messaging session, wherein the multiple audio clips comprise;

a first audio clip played when the instant messaging session is opened;

a second audio clip played when an incoming message is received;

a third audio clip played when an outgoing message is initiated; and

a fourth audio clip played upon confirmation of an outgoing message;

displaying a first sound wave of the first audio clip in the respective instant messaging session window when the first audio clip is played;

displaying a second sound wave of the second audio clip in the respective instant messaging session window when the second audio clip is played;

displaying a third sound wave of the third audio clip in the respective instant messaging session window when the third audio clip is played;

displaying a fourth sound wave of the fourth audio clip in the respective instant messaging session window when the fourth audio clip is played;

a visual object identifying the respective separate user in a message display area of the respective instant messaging session window; and

a name identifying the respective instant messaging session, wherein the name is automatically generated by an artificial intelligence agent based on the content of the respective instant messaging session; and

project to the first user via the instant messaging session manager of the first user, the multiple distinguishing instant messaging session characteristics associated with an instant messaging session conducted with a particular separate user during an instant messaging session with the particular separate user;

wherein the one or more distinguishing characteristics increase a likelihood of identification of the one or more instant messaging session windows; and

organize one or more instant messaging threads in each instant messaging session window, wherein the step of organizing one or more instant messaging threads comprises displaying a thread menu comprising a new message option, a modify characteristic option, a confirm active option, a deactivate thread option, a name thread option, and an autoname thread option.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the operation of organizing one or more instant messaging session windows comprises the operation of displaying one or more existing instant messaging sessions in the instant messaging session manager.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to:

attribute at least one thread characteristic to each of the one or more instant messaging threads;

wherein the at least one thread characteristic increases a likelihood of identification of each of the one or more instant messaging threads.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the operation of organizing one or more instant messaging threads comprises the operation of displaying one or more instant messaging session threads in an instant messaging session window.

19. An article of manufacture for managing instant messaging communication over a computer network, comprising a non-transitory machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

organizing one or more instant messaging session windows in an instant messaging session manager of a first user;

attributing multiple distinguishing instant messaging session characteristics associated with an instant messaging session conducted with each of one or more separate users to each of the respective one or more separate users, each separate user associated with a respective one of the one or more instant messaging session windows displayed to the first user, and wherein said session characteristics for each respective instant messaging session comprise;

a color of the respective instant messaging session window;

intensity of the color of the respective instant messaging session window, wherein the intensity of the color increases continuously as time increases since a most recent message was sent from or received at the respective instant messaging session window;

multiple audio clips associated with the respective separate user, wherein each respective one of the multiple audio clips is to be played at a distinct first-user-designated time during the respective instant messaging session, wherein the multiple audio clips comprise;

a first audio clip played when the instant messaging session is opened;

a second audio clip played when an incoming message is received;

a third audio clip played when an outgoing message is initiated; and

a fourth audio clip played upon confirmation of an outgoing message;

displaying a first sound wave of the first audio clip in the respective instant messaging session window when the first audio clip is played;

displaying a second sound wave of the second audio clip in the respective instant messaging session window when the second audio clip is played;

displaying a third sound wave of the third audio clip in the respective instant messaging session window when the third audio clip is played;

displaying a fourth sound wave of the fourth audio clip in the respective instant messaging session window when the fourth audio clip is played;

a visual object identifying the respective separate user in a message display area of the respective instant messaging session window; and

a name identifying the respective instant messaging session, wherein the name is automatically generated by an artificial intelligence agent based on the content of the respective instant messaging session; and

projecting to the first user via the instant messaging session manager of the first user, the multiple distinguishing instant messaging session characteristics associated with an instant messaging session conducted with a particular separate user during an instant messaging session with the particular separate user;

wherein the one or more distinguishing characteristics increase a likelihood of identification of the one or more instant messaging session windows, and

organizing one or more instant messaging threads in each instant messaging session window, wherein the step of organizing one or more instant messaging threads comprises displaying a thread menu comprising a new message option, a modify characteristic option, a confirm active option, a deactivate thread option, a name thread option, and an autoname thread option.