Patent ID: 8321582

Claim:
Computer code embedded in a non-transitory computer readable medium and intended to run on a communication device connected to a network, comprising: code configured to support a conversation conducted over the network among participants, the conversation including a bi-directional exchange between the participants of incoming and outgoing messages that include media that changes with respect to time, the code further configured to: (i) progressively store the incoming and outgoing messages of the conversation on the communication device: (a) as the media of the outgoing messages is created on the communication device; and (b) as the media of the incoming messages is received over the network from the other participants; (ii) display on the communication device the message history of the conversation including message bubbles each representative of the incoming and outgoing messages respectively; (iii) provide rendering options on the communication device to progressively render the messages of the conversation in real-time as the media of the incoming messages is received over the network and out of storage; and (iv) selectively transition participation in the conversation between a real-time mode when rendering the media of the incoming messages in real-time as the media is received over the network and in a time-shifted messaging mode when rendering the media of the incoming messages out of storage.