Super-emoticons

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8930463-B2
Application number	US-77517507-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2007
Priority date	Jul 9, 2007
Publication date	Jan 6, 2015
Grant date	Jan 6, 2015

Abstract

Techniques are described for generating and displaying “super-emoticons”. Super-emoticons are similar to smileys in that they may be generated in response to a participant in a textual conversation entering a specific sequence of textual characters. However, super-emoticons differ from smileys in that super-emoticons are programmed to demonstrate more sophisticated behaviors, including but not limited to: moving out of the text insertion location, interacting with other display elements, interacting with users, changing appearance based on context, exhibiting randomly selected behaviors, and making use of information from services.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
while a plurality of users are participating in a conversation, receiving a trigger string;
wherein text of the conversation is displayed within a shared conversation window displayed by at least a first messaging client and a second messaging client;
wherein, within the shared conversation window, a sequence in which text is entered determines a position of the text, relative to other text, in the shared conversation window;
wherein the first messaging client and the second messaging client belong to a messaging system;
wherein the trigger string was submitted through a text input interface provided by the first messaging client;
in response to receiving the trigger string through the text input interface provided by the first messaging client, causing at least (a) the first messaging client and (b) the second messaging client to generate an initial display of a string-triggered visual image;
wherein the initial display of the string-triggered visual image exhibits at least one of:
a behavior that is based, at least in part, on information obtained, after the trigger string is received through the text input interface provided by the first messaging client, from a service external to said messaging system, wherein the information obtained from the service includes textual data, and the textual data is obtained by the messaging system without involving the first messaging client and the second messaging client;
a behavior that causes the entire string-triggered visual image to move from a first position to a second position, wherein moving from the first position to the second position changes the position of the entire string-triggered visual image relative to other previously-displayed elements of the conversation in the shared conversation window;
a behavior that is based, at least in part, on the presence of one or more other elements, distinct from the string-triggered visual image, displayed by the second messaging client, wherein the one or more other elements were displayed by the second messaging client before receiving the trigger string through the text input interface provided by the first messaging client;
a behavior that causes the string-triggered visual image to interact with one or more other elements, distinct from the string-triggered visual image, displayed by the first messaging client and second messaging client, in a manner that affects the display of the one or more other elements, wherein the one or more other elements include at least one of: textual elements of the conversation or another string-triggered visual image, included in the conversation, associated with a different trigger string than the trigger string received through the text input interface provided by the first messaging client;
a behavior that is affected with a power level associated with the string-triggered visual image;
a behavior that is based, at least in part, on results produced by a pseudo-random number generator;
a behavior that is manipulated by user input received through an input device after the trigger string is received through the text input interface provided by the first messaging client and the string-triggered visual image is displayed by the first messaging client and the second messaging client; or
a behavior that is based, at least in part, on non-image data extracted from a profile maintained by said messaging system for a user from whom said trigger string was received;

wherein said computer-implemented steps of said method are performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the string-triggered visual image exhibits a behavior that is based, at least in part, on information obtained, after the trigger string is received through the text input interface provided by the first messaging client, from a service external to said messaging system, wherein the information obtained from the service includes textual data and the textual data is obtained by the messaging system without involving the first messaging client and the second messaging client.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the string-triggered visual image visually displays information obtained from the service.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the string-triggered visual image behaves in a manner that is based on information obtained from the service without displaying the information from the service.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising obtaining the information from the service based on information, maintained by the message system, about the user from whom said input was received.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising obtaining the information from the service based on information, maintained by the message system, about a user to whom the string-triggered visual image is to be displayed.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the string-triggered visual image exhibits a behavior that causes the entire string-triggered visual image to move from a first position to a second position, wherein moving from the first position to the second position changes the position of the entire string-triggered visual image relative to other previously-displayed elements of the conversation in the shared conversation window.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:
the input is textual input that includes a trigger string for the string-triggered visual image;
if displayed as text, the trigger string would be displayed at a particular text emoticon location within the conversation; and
the string-triggered visual image is initially displayed at a location other than the particular text emoticon location.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein:
the input is textual input that includes a trigger string for the string-triggered visual image;
if displayed as text, the trigger string would be displayed at a particular text emoticon location within the conversation; and
the string-triggered visual image is initially displayed at the particular text emoticon location, and then moves to a location other that the particular text emoticon location.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein:
the at least one messaging client displays the conversation in a shared conversation window that is displayed by a display device; and
the string-triggered visual image is displayed at or moves to a position on the display device that is outside the shared conversation window.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the string-triggered visual image exhibits a behavior that is based, at least in part, on the presence of one or more other elements, distinct from the string-triggered visual image, displayed by the second messaging client, wherein the one or more other elements were displayed by the second messaging client before receiving the trigger string through the text input interface provided by the first messaging client.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the behavior changes a characteristic of a window on a display screen.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the characteristic is one of size or location.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein:
the string-triggered visual image is a first string-triggered visual image; and
the one or more other elements is a second string-triggered visual image that is generated as part of said conversation.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the behavior includes interacting with said second string-triggered visual image.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the second string-triggered visual image is associated with a behavior that causes the second string-triggered visual image to interact with

Assignees

• Bonforte Jeffrey
• Szeto Christopher T
• Kobashikawa Brian
• Yahoo Inc

Inventors

• Bonforte Jeffrey
• Szeto Christopher T
• Kobashikawa Brian

Classifications

• G06Q10/107 Primary

  Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] · CPC title