Processing messages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018367490-A1
Application number	US-201816114276-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 28, 2018
Priority date	Jul 11, 2014
Publication date	Dec 20, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus for processing messages input from a plurality of clients. The apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to obtain a first message input from a first client, a second message input from a second client, and a user selection input from the second client. The user selection is of a first portion of the first message and indicates that the second message is a comment on the first portion of the first message. The apparatus also includes a control unit in communication with the acquisition unit. The control unit is configured to perform a first control action in response to the acquisition unit obtaining the first message, the second message, and the user selection. The first control action results in the first message, the second message, and a first link connecting the first portion of the first message and the second message being displayed on the plurality of clients.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for processing messages input from a plurality of clients, comprising:
obtaining a first message input from a first client; obtaining a second message input from a second client, wherein the second message is a comment on a first portion of the first message; obtaining, in response to a user of the second client selecting the portion of the first message, an association of the second message with a portion of the first message; displaying, to the plurality of clients and in response to the second message being input, at least one copy of the first message, and at least one copy of the second message; creating, in response to obtaining the association of the second message with the portion of the first message, a link-destination-message value and a link-source-keyword value, wherein the link-destination-message value indicates that the second message is a link destination and the link-source-keyword value indicates that the first portion of the first message is a link target; storing the link-destination-message value and link-source-keyword value in a message-information storage section; and displaying, to the plurality of clients and based on the link-destination-message value and link-source-keyword value, a first link that connects the at least one copy of the second message to the first portion of the at least one copy of the first message, wherein the link comprises:
a first link end, the location of which is determined by a location of the link target;
a second link end, the location of which is determined by a location of the link destination; and
a line connecting the first link end to the second link end;
wherein the first message and the second message are instant messages.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining a third message input from a third client; obtaining a first user selection input from the third client, the first user selection being of a second portion of the first message and indicating that the third message is a comment on the second portion of the first message; and performing, in response to the obtaining the first message, the second message, the third message, and the first user selection, a second control action resulting in the first message, the second message, the third message, the first link, and a second link connecting the second portion of the first message and the third message being displayed on the plurality of clients.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
obtaining a second user selection input from a fourth client, the second user selection being of the first portion of the first message and indicating that only the first portion of the first message and those messages that are responsive thereto should be displayed on the fourth client; and performing, in response to the obtaining the first message, the second message, the third message, the first user selection, and the second user selection, a third control action resulting in the first message, the second message, and the first link being displayed on the fourth client and further resulting in the third message and the second link not being displayed on the fourth client.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
obtaining a fourth message input from the second client; and obtaining a third user selection input from the second client, the third user selection being of a whole of the first message and indicating that the fourth message is a comment on the whole of the first message, wherein, in response to the obtaining the fourth message and the fourth comment, the third control action further results in the fourth message and a fourth link being displayed on the fourth client, the fourth link connecting the whole of the first message and the fourth message.

5 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
performing, in response to the obtaining the first message, the second message, the third message, and the first user selection, a first notification action resulting in the second client outputting a notice indicating that the third message has been input.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second message being input from the second client is in response to, on a display of the second client, a first end of a first line being moved by a user to the first portion of the first comment and a second end of the first line being moved by the user to the second message.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein an instant messenger server in communication with the plurality of clients performs the obtaining the first message, the second message, and the user selection, and further performs the performing the first control action.

8 . A computer program product for processing messages input from a plurality of clients, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to:
obtain a first message input from a first client; obtain a second message input from a second client, wherein the second message is a comment on a first portion of the first message; obtain, in response to a user of the second client selecting the portion of the first message, an association of the second message with a portion of the first message; display, to the plurality of clients and in response to the second message being input, at least one copy of the first message, and at least one copy of the second message; create, in response to obtaining the association of the second message with the portion of the first message, a link-destination-message value and a link-source-keyword value, wherein the link-destination-message value indicates that the second message is a link destination and the link-source-keyword value indicates that the first portion of the first message is a link target; store the link-destination-message value and link-source-keyword value in a message-information storage section; and display, to the plurality of clients and based on the link-destination-message value and link-source-keyword value, a first link that connects the at least one copy of the second message to the first portion of the at least one copy of the first message, wherein the link comprises:
a first link end, the location of which is determined by a location of the link target;
a second link end, the location of which is determined by a location of the link destination; and
a line connecting the first link end to the second link end;
wherein the first message and the second message are instant messages.

9 . The computer program product according to claim 8 , further comprising:
obtaining a third message input from a third client; obtaining a first user selection input from the third client, the first user selection being of a second portion of the first message and indicating that the third message is a comment on the second portion of the first message; and performing, in response to the obtaining the first message, the second message, the third message, and the first user selection, a second control action resulting in the first message, the second message, the third message, the first link, and a second link connecting the second portion of the first message and the third message being displayed on the plurality of clients.

10 . The computer program product according to claim 9 , further comprising:
obtaining a second user selection input from a fourth client, the second user selection being of the first portion of the first message and indicating that only the first portion of the first message and those messages that are respons

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Goto Mayumi
• Horiuchi Yoshio
• Matsumoto Hirotaka

Classifications

• H04L51/16

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L51/22 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L51/34

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L51/216 Primary

  Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads · CPC title

• H04L51/42 Primary

  Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes · CPC title