Abstract:
The invention described in detail below is an improved method, product, and apparatus for configuring an instant messaging program in a computer having a display, an input device, and more than one open chat session, the method comprising: receiving a chat selection input signal from the input device indicating the selection of a chat session; displaying selectable chat configuration parameters on the display; receiving a configuration input signal from the selection device indicating the selection of a chat configuration parameter; and linking the selected chat configuration parameter to the selected chat session so that the selected chat configuration parameter controls the subsequent display of the selected chat session.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The present invention is related to the subject matter of U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket number AUS920050588US1), incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention is related generally to demand-based messaging systems, and in particular to graphical user interfaces for controlling chat sessions in an instant messaging application.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Demand-based messaging is a communication service that allows people to exchange message data, such as text, over a network or other communications media, in real time. Probably the most common medium for exchange is the Internet, but as wireless phone networks continue to expand, their popularity for text messaging is also expanding. U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,609 issued to Aravamudun et al., and U.S. Patent Publications Nos. 2002/0035605 and 2004/0254998, for example, illustrate the move toward an exchange medium that unifies traditional and wireless communications. Instant messaging (IM) is perhaps the most widely known and used embodiment of demand-based messaging. Today, most network and online service providers offer some form of IM service. According to some estimates, the top three instant messaging service providers serve over forty million users. Instant messaging services also are being rapidly deployed and integrated into enterprise infrastructure. International Business Machines, Inc. (IBM), for example, has deployed LOTUS SAMETIME instant messaging applications for employees world-wide. Other examples of IM applications that are popular today include MSN Messenger and Yahoo/AOL Instant Messenger.  
         [0004]     IM users typically use a networked computer and an IM client program to exchange messages with one another in conversational style. An IM client provides an interface for users to compose, send, receive, and read messages. In a graphical display, an IM client usually includes at least two windows: a window for composing and sending messages, and a window for displaying messages as users take turns sending and receiving them. IM sessions (colloquially referred to as “chats”) are often lengthy, with multiple participants each taking many turns “speaking” in the chat window. Generally, a user initiates a chat by sending a chat request to a second IM user (or group of IM users). The request may also include the first message from the user. The chat is “open” after the second IM user accepts the request or otherwise responds to it, and typically remains open until one user affirmatively closes the chat. It is common for one user to have multiple IM chats open simultaneously, usually in separate windows.  
         [0005]     In many of today&#39;s graphical operating systems, including the MICROSOFT WINDOWS family of operating systems, windows can be “minimized” as needed to organize the information on a given display. As that term is used popularly, a window is “minimized” when it is reduced to an icon so that it uses only a small portion of the display. Typically, icons representing minimized windows are grouped together and placed along the edge of a screen in a graphical element commonly referred to as a “task bar.” Of course, not much information about a window is visible when the window is minimized. When a chat window is minimized, for example, a user will generally see only a short title and, perhaps, a sender&#39;s name.  FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary graphical display  100  with icon  105 , task bar  110 , command button  115 , minimized application windows  120 - 125 , minimized chat window  130 , and minimized chat window  135 . Note that in  FIG. 1 , minimized chat windows  130  and  135  display the sender&#39;s names (“Al” and “Bill”, respectively).  
         [0006]     As the number of windows in a graphical display increases, the operating system typically decreases the size of icons in the task bar and the length of the text displayed in each icon. Thus, as  FIG. 2  illustrates, even a sender&#39;s name may not be completely visible in a minimized chat window and it becomes difficult for a user to determine the nature of the chat without constantly restoring the chat window to its full size. In  FIG. 2 , minimized application window  140  has been added to task bar  110 , and minimized chat windows  130  and  135  have been compressed to make room for the new icon. Note that the sender&#39;s name is no longer visible in minimized chat window  135 .  
         [0007]     Moreover, the operating system may compress all chat windows into a single icon in the task bar if there are too many icons to display at once. If all chat windows are so compressed, all identifying attributes of the various chats are lost to the user.  FIG. 3  illustrates this scenario, in which minimized application window  145  has been added to task bar  110 . Because there is no longer room to display all minimized windows in the task bar, the operating system has compressed minimized chat windows  130  and  135  into a single, new minimized group window  150 . As  FIG. 3  illustrates, minimized group window  150  does not display any chat-specific information.  
         [0008]     Some conventional IM clients also include limited means for notifying a user when a user receives a new message or the chat is otherwise “active.” An “active” chat, as that term is used here, is an open chat in which at least one message has been transmitted since the user last viewed the chat window. Common techniques include causing the window (minimized or not) to blink. Such techniques, though, do little to focus attention to a specific chat when multiple chat windows are compressed into a single minimized group. U.S. Pat. No. 6,907,447 (issued Jun. 14, 2005) addresses this shortcoming to some extent, disclosing a “Method and Apparatus for Providing an Instant Message Notification” that provides a sender&#39;s identification and the message topic in a separate window that “pops up” when a user receives a new message.  
         [0009]     Either the operating system or the IM client also may display information about a given chat when a user “hovers” a pointer or cursor over a minimized chat window. In this context, the term “hover” refers to placing the pointer over the minimized window and leaving the pointer in such a position for a period of time determined by the operating system or the IM client. The time period typically is only a second or two. Generally, the operating system or IM client displays information such as the user&#39;s name and the application&#39;s name, usually in a pop-up window or “cloud” element.  
         [0010]     Currently, though, no IM client provides an interface that allows a user to control display and notification options for individual chats. Consequently, all chat windows behave according to a single configuration. For example, some conventional IM clients allow the user to configure the client window to pop-up when a new message is received. In such a configuration, all open chats pop-up when any single chat receives a message. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved user interface for IM clients that enables a user to configure display and notification options for individual chats.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     The invention described in detail below is an improved method, product, and apparatus for configuring an instant messaging program in a computer having a display, an input device, and more than one open chat session, the method comprising: receiving a chat selection input signal from the input device indicating the selection of a chat session; displaying selectable chat configuration parameters on the display; receiving a configuration input signal from the selection device indicating the selection of a chat configuration parameter; and linking the selected chat configuration parameter to the selected chat session so that the selected chat configuration parameter controls the subsequent display of the selected chat session. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will be understood best by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary prior art graphical display having two minimized chat windows;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary prior art graphical display having two compressed minimized chat windows;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary prior art graphical display having a minimized group window of chats;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary network of hardware devices in which the present invention can be practiced;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a schematic of a memory having components of the present invention stored therein;  
         [0018]      FIG. 6A  illustrates an exemplary control window detached from the operating system task bar;  
         [0019]      FIG. 6B  illustrates an exemplary minimized control window detached from the operating system task bar;  
         [0020]      FIG. 7A  illustrates an exemplary compressed control window;  
         [0021]      FIG. 7B  illustrates an exemplary compressed control window with a pop-up list of chats; and  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  illustrates the effects of selecting a slot in a control window. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0023]     The principles of the present invention are applicable to a variety of computer hardware and software configurations. The term “computer hardware” or “hardware,” as used herein, refers to any machine or apparatus that is capable of accepting, performing logic operations on, storing, or displaying data, and includes without limitation processors and memory; the term “computer software” or “software,” refers to any set of instructions operable to cause computer hardware to perform an operation. A “computer,” as that term is used herein, includes without limitation any useful combination of hardware and software, and a “computer program” or “program” includes without limitation any software operable to cause computer hardware to accept, perform logic operations on, store, or display data. A computer program may, and often is, comprised of a plurality of smaller programming units, including without limitation subroutines, modules, functions, methods, and procedures. Thus, the functions of the present invention may be distributed among a plurality of computers and computer programs. The invention is described best, though, as a single computer program that configures and enables one or more general-purpose computers to implement the novel aspects of the invention. For illustrative purposes, the inventive computer program will be referred to as the “chat control” program.  
         [0024]     Additionally, the chat control program is described below with reference to an exemplary network of hardware devices, as depicted in  FIG. 4 . A “network” comprises any number of hardware devices coupled to and in communication with each other through a communications medium, such as the Internet. A “communications medium” includes without limitation any physical, optical, electromagnetic, or other medium through which hardware or software can transmit data. For descriptive purposes, exemplary network  400  has only a limited number of nodes, including workstation computer  405 , workstation computer  410 , server computer  415 , and persistent storage  420 . Network connection  425  comprises all hardware, software, and communications media necessary to enable communication between network nodes  405 - 420 . Unless otherwise indicated in context below, all network nodes use publicly available protocols or messaging services to communicate with each other through network connection  425 .  
         [0025]     Chat control  500  typically is stored in a memory, represented schematically as memory  520  in  FIG. 5 . The term “memory,” as used herein, includes without limitation any volatile or persistent medium, such as an electrical circuit, magnetic disk, or optical disk, in which a computer can store data or software for any duration. A single memory may encompass and be distributed across a plurality of media and network nodes. Thus,  FIG. 5  is included merely as a descriptive expedient and does not necessarily reflect any particular physical embodiment of memory  520 . As depicted in  FIG. 5 , though, memory  520  may include additional data and programs. Of particular importance to chat control  500 , memory  520  may include instant messaging (IM) program  530 , chat window manager  535 , and configuration data  540 , with which chat control  500  interacts. IM program  530  represents any demand-based messaging software that provides an interface through which a user can access a messaging service and exchange messages with other users. Configuration data  540  represents any data source (including without limitation a file, table, or database) that identifies one or more of a user&#39;s preferences for displaying or filtering information about a chat window. In practice, chat control  500  may be integrated with IM program  530 , but also may exist independently as an add-on module.  
         [0026]     In a preferred embodiment, chat window manager  535  also includes a graphical user interface (GUI), through which a user can interact with and control the program. The design and operation of a GUI is well-known in the art and need not be described in detail herein, but in general a GUI typically includes a display and a selection device. Common selection devices include mice, trackballs, touch pads, touch screens, and the like. An operating system or other program having a GUI draws graphical elements on the display. The graphical elements generally include windows, command buttons, and text boxes. A pointer or cursor also is usually drawn on the display to indicate the position of the selection device with respect to the display. To control a computer through a GUI, a user typically moves the selection device until the pointer is in a desired position, and then presses a button on the device (or simply touches the pad or screen). The device then sends a signal to the processor, indicating the position of the pointer and the user&#39;s action (i.e. which button the user pressed and how many times). The processor then responds to the signal according to the computer program associated with pointer position.  
         [0027]     Chat window manager  535  organizes chat windows independent of the operating system&#39;s control. In particular, chat window manager  535  manages chat windows independent of a system&#39;s task bar. Chat window manager  535  may place a chat window in a system&#39;s task bar to present the user with a conventional view, but chat window manager  535  also gives the user additional options for configuring the display. These options, and the significant advantages that they offer, are described in more detail below.  
         [0028]     Chat window manager  535  includes several user interface features for controlling the behavior of chat windows, including a control window. In one embodiment, the control window is an independent IM task bar control that can be detached from an operating system&#39;s task bar. Alternatively, the control window may be integrated into an existing icon in the operating system task bar. The control window allows a user to customize the behavior of chat window, detach the control window from a taskbar, resize the control window, and select display attributes such as font, text size, and color. The user can also configure the control window to always stay on top of other windows on the display.  
         [0029]     Once detached, the control window may be moved to any part of the user&#39;s display.  FIG. 6A  illustrates exemplary control window  600  detached from the operating system task bar  110 , in which four chats are open. Each graphical subdivision (referred to herein as “slots”  605 - 620 ) in control window  600  represents an open chat. This exemplary embodiment illustrates that only one detached control window  600  is needed, instead of multiple minimized chat windows in task bar  110 , as seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Control window  600  also may be minimized, as seen in  FIG. 6B . In one embodiment, chat window manager  535  displays the number of chats that are open and how many are active if control window  600  is minimized. This feature also is illustrated in  FIG. 6B , represented by the text “1 of 4 chatting” in minimized control window  600 . A user may restore minimized control window  600  to its maximized state by clicking it or by hovering a pointer over it for a given time. Alternatively or additionally, chat window manager  500  may restore minimized control window  600  if a new message is received or a new chat session opened.  
         [0030]     Chat window manager  535  also can compress chat information in control window  600  if the size of control window is insufficient to display all information. In  FIG. 7A , for example, a fifth chat is open but neither the user nor chat window manager  535  has enlarged the window to accommodate the additional information. As a result, not all information can be displayed and slot  620  is replaced by slot  625 , indicating that more chats are open. As shown in  FIG. 7B , though, chat window manager  535  creates pop-up list  700  having slots  705 - 725  (representing all five chats) if a user places a pointer, such as pointer  702 , over compressed control window  600 . If compressed control window  600  were located along the left or right edge of the display, then pop-up list  700  would be displayed to the right or left of compressed control window  600 , respectively. Likewise, pop-up list  700  would be displayed above or below compressed control window  600  if compressed control window  600  were located along the bottom or top edge of the display, respectively.  
         [0031]     From open control window  600  or from pop-up list  700 , a user can select a particular chat slot to obtain additional information about the particular chat. Various means for selecting a slot are contemplated, but placing a pointer over the entry and hovering for a given time or clicking a button on the pointing device are preferred means. After a user selects a particular chat slot, chat window manager  535  displays descriptive chat data in a separate pop-up window or “cloud,” which  FIG. 8  illustrates as cloud  800 . Alternatively or additionally, a user may select a particular chat slot to have chat window manager  535  open the particular chat in a chat window.  
         [0032]     As described above, chat window manager  535  manages the creation and placement of various windows in an IM application and may display information about open instant messaging sessions in those windows. Chat control  500  augments chat window manager  535  and provides controls for the user to configure the operation of chat window manager  535 . The same principles, though, are equally applicable to IM applications not operating with chat window manager  535 . Configuration data  540  includes one or more chat configuration parameters that control the display and notifications of IM program  530  or chat window manager  535 . Chat control  500  enables a user to link chat configuration parameters to specific chats, and also provides a GUI through which a user can set the links. In one embodiment of chat control  500 , a user activates the GUI by selecting a designated menu item in a pop-up menu over an individual chat window, whether that individual chat window is represented as an icon in the task bar, a slot in control window  600 , or any other form. A user also can set the duration of each chat configuration parameter, so that the effects on the display and notification are temporary (such as for one session) or permanent. Exemplary modes of operation are described below to illustrate the configuration principles of chat control  500 .  
         [0033]     In one mode of operation, a chat configuration parameter determines the appearance of information in a selected chat, such as the font or font effects of a user&#39;s message. For example, the user may set the chat configuration parameter so that user&#39;s message text is italicized. The chat configuration parameter set by chat control  500  would override any global formatting controlled by IM program  530  or chat window manager  535 .  
         [0034]     In another mode of operation, a chat configuration parameter controls the notifications that chat window manager  535  displays when a new message is received in a selected chat. For example, a user may set the chat configuration parameter so that the chat window pops up and is placed in the foreground every time a new message is received in the selected chat. Alternatively, a user may set the chat configuration parameter so that no action is taken, effectively ignoring messages in a selected chat.  
         [0035]     Similarly, a user can set a chat configuration parameter to establish a time limit for a selected chat. In this mode, chat control  500  signals IM program  530  or chat window manager  535  to close the selected chat if there is no activity within the established time limit.  
         [0036]     A preferred form of the invention has been shown in the drawings and described above, but variations in the preferred form will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The preceding description is for illustration purposes only, and the invention should not be construed as limited to the specific form shown and described. The scope of the invention should be limited only by the language of the following claims.