Patent Document ID: 6069622
Application ID: 08612560

Base Claim:
1. In a network including a plurality of data processing systems each having an associated display device, a method comprising: (a) receiving at each of the data processing systems an interaction event generated by any of the data processing systems; (b) automatically generating a comic panel based on the received interaction event, the comic panel providing a graphical representation of an instance in time of a sequential course of events; (c) displaying the generated comic panel on each of the display devices associated with the data processing systems; (d) when an input associated with a graphical representation of a character is received, automatically generating a balloon that includes text that corresponds to the received input associated with the character and automatically generating a tail that is positioned between a position of the balloon and another position for the graphical representation of the character in a current comic panel, the balloon, tail and graphical representation of the character being automatically disposed at positions that are non-overlapping of any other positions for balloons, tails and graphical representations of characters that were previously positioned for display in the current comic panel; and (e) when the input associated with the character is received and non-overlapping positions for displaying the balloon, tail and graphical representation of the character in the current comic panels are unavailable, automatically displaying a new comic panel that includes the balloon, tail and graphical representation of the character, wherein the balloon, tail and graphical representation of the character are disposed at separate positions that are non-overlapping in the display of the new comic panel.

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Claim 14:
14. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically generating at the data processing systems the comic panel reflecting the interaction event further comprises automatically generating a plurality of comic panels reflecting the interaction event.