Patent ID: 6792448
Filing Date: 2004-09-14
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
In a real-time computer chat system having a central computer system with which each of multiple user computers is in communication such that a common sequence and set of messages are transmitted among the user computers as real-time messages of a real-time discussion between users of the user computers, the real-time messages being entered at the user computers into text entry panes that are rendered together with the real-time discussion, ones of the real-time messages being real-time responsive messages that are responsive to prior ones of the real-time messages, the system including a computer-readable medium that stores computer software instructions for operating the system, the improvement comprising:computer software instructions stored on the computer-readable medium for associating in real-time each of the real-time responsive messages with the respective prior real-time message to which each of the real-time responsive messages is a reply; and computer software instructions stored on the computer-readable medium for rendering on the user computers in real-time an indication of an association between each of the real-time responsive messages and the prior real-time message to which each of the real-time responsive messages is a reply, the indication of an association including rendering in real-time each of the real-time responsive messages in a tree arrangement with the prior real-time message to which each of the real-time responsive messages is a reply.