Methods and systems for storing instant messaging messages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10171386-B1
Application number	US-201514841702-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 31, 2015
Priority date	Oct 6, 2004
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

Software for an instant messaging program displays a window in a graphical user interface (GUI). The window includes a first view listing a plurality of participants in an instant messaging conference, a second view allowing for entry and editing of an instant message, a first control for sending an instant message to all of the of participants, and a second control for sending a private instant message to less than all of the participants. The software receives an entry of an instant message in the first view. The software receives a selection of one or more but less than all participants through the second view. The software receives an input activating the second control. Then the software sends the instant message to the selected participants.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising operations of:
displaying a window in a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the window includes a first view listing a plurality of participants in an instant messaging conference, a second view allowing for entry and editing of an instant message, a first control for sending an instant message to all of the of participants, and a second control for sending a private instant message to less than all of the participants;
receiving an entry of an instant message in the second view;
receiving a selection of one or more but less than all participants through the second view;
receiving an input activating the second control;
sending the instant message to the selected participants as a private message, wherein each operation of the method is executed on or more processors;
storing instant message conference data in a single unified record on an instant messenger server, wherein the instant message conference data is a complete record of the instant messaging conference discussion in chronological order, wherein each of a plurality of private instant messages exchanged for the instant messaging conference are integrated with the conference instant messages, and a given private instant message of the plurality of private instant messages is exchanged between a given subset of the participants and another private message of the plurality of private instant messages is exchanged between another subset of the participants;
filtering the instant message conference data, in response to a request for a search of the instant message conference data generated for a given user, wherein the request comprises a keyword, wherein the filtering comprises:
classifying a given subset of the plurality of private messages for the search, wherein the given user is a participant in each private message of the given subset of the plurality of private messages, and the given private message is a member of the given subset of the plurality of private messages; and
excluding another subset of the plurality of private messages for the search, wherein the given user is not a participant in each private message of the other subset of the plurality of private messages, and the other private message is a member of the other subset of the plurality of private messages;

searching the given subset of plurality of private instant messages and the conference instance messages in the instant message conference data for the keyword;
determining that the given private message includes the keyword; and
sending the given private message to the given user.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising an operation of identifying the instant message as a private instant message.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single record is stored in a context data structure that uses a separate identifier for private instant messages.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single record comprises data that characterizes the conference instant messages and data that characterizes the private instant messages in a markup language.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the markup language is extensible markup language (XML).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single record is specified in a file-based representation.

7. One or more computer-readable media that are non-transitory and that store instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform the following operations:
display a window in a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the window includes a first view listing a plurality of participants in an instant messaging conference, a second view allowing for entry and editing of an instant message, a first control for sending an instant message to all of the of participants, and a second control for sending a private instant message to less than all of the participants;
receive an entry of an instant message in the second view;
receive a selection of one or more but less than all participants through the second view;
receive an input activating the second control; and
send the instant message to the selected participants as a private message;
store instant message conference data in a single unified record on an instant messenger server, wherein the instant message conference data is a complete record of the instant messaging conference discussion in chronological order, wherein each of a plurality of private instant messages exchanged for the instant messaging conference are integrated with the conference instant messages, and a given private instant message of the plurality of private instant messages is exchanged between a given subset of the participants and another private message of the plurality of private instant messages is exchanged between another subset of the participants; and
filter the instant message conference data, in response to a request for a search of the instant message conference data generated for a given user, wherein the request comprises a keyword, wherein the filtering comprises:
classifying a given subset of the plurality of private messages for the search, wherein the given user is a participant in each private message of the given subset of the plurality of private messages, and the given private message is a member of the given subset of the plurality of private messages; and
excluding another subset of the plurality of private messages for the search, wherein the given user is not a participant in each private message of the other subset of the plurality of private messages, and the other private message is a member of the other subset of the plurality of private messages;

search the given subset of plurality of private instant messages and the conference instance messages in the instant message conference data for the keyword;
determine that the given private message includes the keyword; and
send the given private message to the given user.

8. The computer-readable media of claim 7 , further comprising an operation of identifying the instant message as a private instant message.

9. The computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the single record is stored in a context data structure that uses a separate identifier for private instant messages.

10. The computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the single record comprises data that characterizes the conference instant messages and data that characterizes the private instant messages in a markup language.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 10 , wherein the markup language is extensible markup language (XML).

12. The computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the single record is specified in a file-based representation.

13. A system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory disposed in communication with the one or more processors and storing processor-executable instructions, the instructions comprising instructions to:
display a window in a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the window includes a first view listing a plurality of participants in an instant messaging conference, a second view allowing for entry and editing of an instant message, a first control for sending an instant message to all of the of participants, and a second control for sending a private instant message to less than all of the participants;
receive an entry of an instant message in the second view;
receive a selection of one or more but less than all participants through the second view;
receive an input activating the second control;
send the instant message to the selected participants as a private message;
store instant message conference data in a single unified record on an instant messenger server, wherein the instant message confer

Assignees

• Oracle America Inc
• Oracle Int Corp

Inventors

• Pendap Suresh D
• Rana Diwaker

Classifications

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04L51/043 Primary

  using or handling presence information · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F3/0481 Primary

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title