Allow hidden and silent observers in a group conversation

• US 9,912,618 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Ho Yin, Tang, Hon Chung, Wong, Ka Chun, Yip, Wing Kong
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Chong G
• Application Number:
  US14/642,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20160269452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 709204
• 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 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1076 Screening of IP real time communications, e.g. spam over Internet telephony [SPIT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control

Abstract

A method to enable a participant within a plurality of participants in an online group conversation to add at least one additional participant as an observer to the online group conversation is provided. The method may include receiving a request to add the observer to the online group conversation. The method may include adding the observer to the online group conversation. The method may also include detecting a message being sent from the added observer. The method may include redirecting the detected message to the enabled participant. The method may also include displaying the redirected message in a user interface (UI) to the enabled participant. The method may further include detecting a modification or a deletion of the displayed redirected message by the enabled participant. The method may include sending the message to the plurality of participants, whereby the sent message is in an original format or a modified format.

Claims

1. A computer system to enable a participant within a plurality of participants in an online group conversation to add at least one additional participant as an observer to the online group conversation, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, wherein the computer system is capable of performing a method comprising;

receiving a request to add the observer to the online group conversation;

adding the observer to the online group conversation based on the received request;

detecting a message being sent from the added observer;

redirecting the detected message to the enabled participant, wherein redirecting the detected message to the enabled participant comprises creating an online forwarded copy of the redirected detected message and adding an identifier as a conversation ID to the online forwarded copy, wherein the added identifier maps the online forwarded copy in an online database as the online forwarded copy to the redirected detected message in an original email chain associated with the redirected detected message along with the conversation ID and a plurality of corresponding information associated with the redirected detected message;

displaying the redirected message in a user interface (UI) to the enabled participant;

detecting a modification or a deletion of the displayed redirected message by the enabled participant;

sending the displayed redirected message from the enabled participant to the plurality of participants, wherein the sent message is in an original format or a modified format and does not include the conversation ID; and

sending a copy of the displayed redirected message from the enabled participant to the added observer, wherein the sent copy of the displayed redirected message includes the conversation ID.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the online group conversation is associated with an online instant messaging communication system or an online email communication system.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the enabled participant can allow a response message to pass to the plurality of participants directly, without a review or a modification by the enabled participant.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein an identity associated with the observer is revealed only to the enabled participant.

5. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the observer is silent and can only respond to the enabled participant.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the observer can see a plurality of messages associated with the on-line group conversation.

7. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the enabled participant can decide if the observer should be added to the online group conversation based on a plurality of topics associated with the online group conversation.

8. A computer program product to enable a participant within a plurality of participants in an online group conversation to add at least one additional participant as an observer to the online group conversation, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage devices, the program instructions executable by a processor, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive a request to add the observer to the online group conversation;

program instructions to add the observer to the online group conversation based on the received request;

program instructions to detect a message being sent from the added observer;

program instructions to redirect the detected message to the enabled participant, wherein redirecting the detected message to the enabled participant comprises creating an online forwarded copy of the redirected detected message and adding an identifier as a conversation ID to the online forwarded copy, wherein the added identifier maps the online forwarded copy in an online database as the online forwarded copy to the redirected detected message in an original email chain associated with the redirected detected message along with the conversation ID and a plurality of corresponding information associated with the redirected detected message;

program instructions to display the redirected message in a user interface (UI) to the enabled participant;

program instructions to detect a modification or a deletion of the displayed redirected message by the enabled participant;

program instructions to send the displayed redirected message from the enabled participant to the plurality of participants, wherein the sent message is in an original format or a modified format and does not include the conversation ID; and

program instructions to send a copy of the displayed redirected message from the enabled participant to the added observer, wherein the sent copy of the displayed redirected message includes the conversation ID.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the online group conversation is associated with an online instant messaging communication system or an online email communication system.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the enabled participant can allow a response message to pass to the plurality of participants directly, without a review or a modification by the enabled participant.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein an identity associated with the observer is revealed only to the enabled participant.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the observer is silent and can only respond to the enabled participant.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the observer can see a plurality of messages associated with the on-line group conversation.