Abstract:
A blind join apparatus, method and system for use with an instant messaging client. The blind join apparatus can include at least one set of pre-configured blind join options specifying a level of participation permitted by an invitee invited to anonymously join an instant messaging session in progress. Blind join invitation generation logic can be configured to extend a blind join invitation to a specified instant messaging contact. Specifically, the blind join invitation can include a specified invitee and a selected one of the at least one set of pre-configured blind join options. Finally, blind join invitation acceptance logic can be configured to accept a blind join invitation at a level of participation limited by blind join options specified in the blind join invitation.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Statement of the Technical Field 
   The present invention relates to instant messaging and more particularly to inviting a participant to engage in an on-line chat session. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   The unparalleled growth of the Internet has led to the development of several new modes of electronic interpersonal communications. Initially, electronic mail (e-mail) provided a mechanism with which correspondents could exchange textual messages in an asynchronous fashion. E-mail technology has since evolved to include the ability both to embed and attach multimedia elements in addition to the textual content. Still, e-mail usage has been limited in respect to the asynchronous nature of e-mail communications. That is, where timing is of no consequence, the delayed responses to messages which are inherent to asynchronous communications do not inhibit the communicative flow of information between correspondents. Where timing is of paramount concern, however, different communicative technologies have been considered. 
   Specifically, instant messaging systems have become all the rage in network computing. Initially adopted as an aside to chat room technology, instant messaging has since supplanted e-mail as the preferred mode of network communications for real-time on-line conversations. In that regard, instant messaging provides an excellent substitute for short telephone conversations in which minimal to moderate amounts of information are to be related between conversants. Moreover, as messages are communicated instantaneously between participants in an instant messaging session, the delayed responses associated with e-mail no longer can inhibit the flow of conversation between electronic correspondents. 
   Instant messaging typically involves the disposition of instant messaging clients in the computing devices of respective correspondents. Instant messaging further involves one or more centralized instant messaging servers or centralized or distributed controllers able to manage the flow of data between individual ones of the instant messaging clients. In particular, whether the management of the flow of data between individual instant messaging clients is included as part of the clients in a peer-to-peer system, or as part of a server in a client-server system, the management of the flow of data can include such tasks as tracking the participants in any one instant messaging session, determining whether a particular instant messaging client is on-line and available to participate in a session, and uploading and downloading attachments to instant messages. 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , ordinarily, an instant messaging client  110  can present a conversation area  130  in which the text of an on-going conversation in the instant messaging session can be presented. To facilitate the invitation of others to join the instant messaging session, the instant messaging client  110  can include a list of memorized contacts  120  able to participate in instant messaging sessions. Once a session has been initiated, conversants can post messages to the session by entering textual messages in the message posting area  140 . Importantly, as it will be apparent by reference to  FIG. 1 , the contributions of individual conversants in the on-going instant messaging session can be denoted by the identity of the respective individual conversants in the conversation area  130 . 
   Despite the identification of participants in an instant messaging session, there are times when conversant would prefer to observe or participate in an on-line conversation anonymously. For example, in the call center context, many call distribution systems provide functionality for supervisory officials to anonymously monitor the progress of a customer service telephone call. Similarly, in many cases trainees can experience live conversations by anonymously observing the progress of a customer service or sales call. It will be well understood by many that often true opinion can be suppressed for fear of retribution. Thus, anonymous participation in a conversation can facilitate the flow of sincere opinion. Nevertheless, conventional instant messaging technology heretofore has not been configured to allow anonymous participation. Specifically, the very nature of instant messaging clients requires the exposure of the identity of active and potential participants in an instant messaging system. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a blind join apparatus, method and system for use with an instant messaging client. The blind join apparatus can include at least one set of pre-configured blind join options specifying a level of participation permitted by an invitee invited to anonymously join an instant messaging session in progress. Blind join invitation generation logic can be configured to extend a blind join invitation to a specified instant messaging contact. Specifically, the blind join invitation can include a specified invitee and a selected one of the at least one set of pre-configured blind join options. Finally, blind join invitation acceptance logic can be configured to accept a blind join invitation at a level of participation limited by blind join options specified in the blind join invitation. Notably, the set of pre-configured blind join options can include a read-only and a read-write level of participation. 
   The blind join apparatus can be included as part of an instant messaging system. The system can include an instant messaging session configured to host a plurality of visible participants. The visible participants can post messages in the session, each message having a published association with one of the visible participants. A blind join apparatus can be configured in the system to host at least one anonymous participant in the instant messaging session. Importantly, the anonymous participant can view the posted messages without the visible participants detecting the anonymous participant. The system further can include a blind posting apparatus configured to post messages to the instant messaging session from the anonymous participant along with an anonymous identifier so as to prevent the visible participants from identifying the anonymous participant through messages posted by the blind posting apparatus. 
   A method of establishing anonymous participation in an instant messaging session can include the steps of: posting messages received from visible participants in the instant messaging session along with identifiers associating each posted message with one of the visible participants; forwarding an invitation to blindly join the instant messaging session to an anonymous participant; and, if the anonymous participant accepts the invitation, forwarding subsequently posted messages to the anonymous participant without notifying the visible participants that the subsequently posted messages have been forwarded to the anonymous participant. 
   The forwarding step can include constructing an invitation to an anonymous participant to blindly join the instant messaging session; incorporating in the invitation limitations which will be imposed upon the anonymous participant; and, forwarding the invitation to the anonymous participant along with the limitations. The incorporating step can include the step of incorporating a limitation selected from the group consisting of a read-only option and a read/write option. In that regard, if the anonymous participant accepts the invitation and the limitation is a read/write option, subsequent messages received from the anonymous participant can be posted in the instant messaging system without identifiers which can be used to identify the anonymous participant. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     There are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a pictorial illustration of an instant messaging client known in the art; 
       FIG. 2A  is a pictorial illustration of an exemplary instant messaging client which has been configured with the blind join apparatus of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2B  is a pictorial illustration of an exemplary dialog box notifying an invitee of a blind join invitation generated in the exemplary instant messaging client of  FIG. 2A ; 
       FIG. 3  is a pictorial illustration of an exemplary instant messaging client configured for anonymous participation in the instant messaging session of  FIG. 2A ; and, 
       FIG. 4  is a block illustration of an instant messaging system in which the blind join apparatus of the present invention has established the anonymous participation of a particular invitee. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The present invention is a blind join method and apparatus for use in an instant messaging client. In accordance with the present invention, one or more participants in an instant messaging session can invite a new participant to join the instant messaging session in an anonymous fashion. Specifically, though the new participant may view the messages of the participants to the session, and optionally post messages to the session, the identity of the new participant can remain shielded from all participants in the session. Thus, the new participant can “blindly join” the instant messaging session. 
     FIG. 2A  is a pictorial illustration of an exemplary instant messaging client  210  which has been configured with the blind join apparatus of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 2A , the instant messaging client  210  not only can include typical instant messaging client components such as a contact list  220 , but also the instant messaging client can include a user interface linked to the blind join apparatus of the present invention. For example, as shown by way of illustration in  FIG. 2A , an INVITE menu entry  240  can be configured with both a visible join menu choice and a blind join menu choice  260 . 
   Upon selecting the blind join menu choice  260 , a sub-menu can be provided which can present both a read-only option  270  and a read/write option  280 . Depending upon the chosen sub-menu option  270 ,  280 , a selected contact  230  in the contact list  220  can be invited to anonymously join the instant messaging session with the option either to both view and post messages to the session, or to only view messages posted by others in the session. Still, as will be recognized by one skilled in the art, the invention is not limited strictly to the user-interface illustrated for inviting a selected contact to anonymously participate in an instant messaging system. Rather, any user-interface schema can suffice, including the presentation of a dialog box in which the contact, visible join/blind join menu options and sub-menu options can be consolidated. 
   Regardless of the mechanism for identifying a invitee and specifying the type of invitation and corresponding join parameters, once the contact  230  has been selected to blindly join the instant messaging session, for example, with the right to both view and post messages in the session, notification can be provided to the invitee that an invitation to blindly join the instant messaging session has been extended thereto.  FIG. 2B  is a pictorial illustration of an exemplary dialog box notifying an invitee of a blind join invitation. 
   As shown in  FIG. 2B , the notification  275  can be a dialog box through which the invitee can be notified that a particular participant in an instant messaging session has invited the invitee to anonymously join the instant messaging session. The notification  275  further can specify the type of access rights afforded to the invitee, should the invitee accept the invitation. The invitee can be prompted with a suitable interface element  285 , whether or not to accept the invitation. Furthermore, the invitee can be prompted with another suitable interface element  290  whether to accept the access rights specified according to the invitation, or whether to opt for lesser rights. In any case, the invitee can submit the response through yet another interface element  295 . 
     FIG. 3  is a pictorial illustration of an exemplary instant messaging client configured for anonymous participation in the instant messaging session of  FIG. 2A . Once the invitee has accepted an offer to blindly join an instant messaging session as an anonymous participant, the instant messaging client  310  of the anonymous participant can provide an interface element  330  in which the postings  340  of participants in the instant messaging session can be viewed. To the extent that the invitee had been afforded merely read-only privileges, the invitee can view the postings  340  through the interface element  330  without the knowledge of the participants in the instant messaging session. 
   By comparison, to the extent that the invitee both had been afforded and accepted read/write privileges, the invitee both can view the postings  340  through the interface element  330 , and also the invitee can anonymously post messages to the instant messaging session. Specifically, though the invitee can enter messages using the message posting area  320 , the actual message displayed in the interface element  330  will not specifically identify the invitee as anything other than anonymous. In that regard, in the example shown in  FIG. 3 , the message posted by the invitee is labeled by the alias  350 , “Anon”. Still, one skilled in the art will recognize that an anonymous alias is not limited to the label, “Anon”. Rather, in other embodiments, the label can be some other non-specific term, or can be a term selected by any user to denote the anonymous participation of the invitee, such as “manager”, “supervisor”, “operator”, and the like. 
   One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the pictorial illustrations of  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  3  merely depict a single one of the multitude of possible user interfaces through which the blind join apparatus can operate. In fact, though a windowing system implementation has been specifically illustrated, the invention is not so limited and a pure, textually based instant messaging client, for instance, can equally suffice. In this regard,  FIG. 4  is a block illustration of an instant messaging system in which the blind join apparatus of the present invention has established the anonymous participation of a particular invitee, regardless of the user interface elements employed during the process. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , one or more participants  420  can engage in an instant messaging session  410  in which the presence of each participant  420  is known to each other participant as are the postings of each participant  420 . One or more of the participants can be an administrative participant  430 . The administrative participant  430  can extend invitations to invitees to participate in the instant messaging session  410 . Moreover, in accordance with the present invention, the administrative participant  430  can extend blind join invitations  460  to anonymous participants  470 . Still, though the ability to extend invitations has been limited by way of example to administrative participants  430 , the invention is not so limited and in other aspects of the present invention, some or all participants to an instant messaging session can extend both visible and blind join invitations. 
   In any case, in accordance with a preferred arrangement, the administrative participant  430  can specify both an invitee  440  and one or more blind join options  450 , such as read-only privileges, or read-write privileges. In consequence, a blind join invitation  460  can be forwarded to the anonymous participant  470  specified as the invitee  440  along with the specified blind join options  450 . When the anonymous participant  470  accepts the invitation  460  according to the specified blind join options  450 , the anonymous participant  470  at least can view the postings of the participants  420 ,  430  in the instant messaging session  410 , and depending upon the specified blind join options  450 , can post messages anonymously to the instant messaging session  410 . 
   The present invention can be realized as an instant messaging client, or as a plug-in to or an extended feature of an instant messaging client. The present invention further can be realized either in hardware, software or firmware, in a centralized fashion in one computer system, or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system, or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein, is suited to perform the functions described herein. A typical centralized implementation could include a general purpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein. 
   Computer program or application in the present context means any expression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following a) conversion to another language, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different material form. Significantly, this invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and accordingly, reference should be had to the following claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention.