Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-22
2003-10-07
Luu, Sy D. (Department: 2174)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
active
06630944
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to technology for promoting user convenience in a system in which users share identical networks mutually, enabling simultaneous conversation. More particularly, it relates to technology that makes conversational display easy to view, in a textual conversation system such as IRC (Internet Relay Chat).
In the present invention, “IRC” means a chat system formed by connecting a chat server with a plurality of chat clients on the Internet, and the plurality of chat clients sharing the same virtual space, enabling simultaneous conversation.
Furthermore, “channel” means a virtual space that chat clients share in IRC. A “nickname” utilized in IRC means identifying information for specifying a user. A “topic” means the subject of a channel used in IRC. “Mode” means information that indicates characteristics of a channel utilized in IRC.
2. Description of Related Art
Text conversation systems (simply “chat systems” below) for conducting conversation using text among information terminals on a network have heretofore been offered. For example, Web chat systems that keep a log of messages that WWW (World Wide Web) servers issue have been offered. In Web chat systems users carry out conversations via text by sharing a Web Page log (message record).
A system for conducting conversation by manipulating user alter egos known as “avatars” within a virtual world has also been offered. Still further, IRC in which chat servers signal-distribute conversation to a plurality of chat clients in conformity with IRC protocols have also been offered. These chat systems, conventionally, have been used as systems directed to the general user. Nevertheless, the actual situation recently is that use in business has been increasing, such as for in-house communications and brief meetings.
A plurality of users—in general three persons or more—often join in on chat systems. When the number of participants increases, it can happen that a number of different topics will be going on at once within the same display area. In real-world conversations, the speaker's gaze can distinguish topics, as can approaching the person speaking. In conversations on the Internet, however, wherein the condition of the other party cannot be seen, conversations relating to a plurality of topics end up being intermingled and displayed within the same area.
In chat systems on the WWW, modifying the colors of displayed messages facilitates distinguishing topics. Because changing colors of the messages for every topic is a bother for the user, however, at present this method is seldom used.
Further, in IRC creating channels that differ according to topic is easy. In reality, however, multiple topics often break out within a single channel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to display topics respectively segregated from other topics wherein a plurality of topics are under way simultaneously on a network, to promote accurate and efficient communication.
In order to address the aforementioned problems, in one aspect the present invention is a display control method utilized in a chat system in which users on information terminals share identical networks mutually, enabling text conversation, the display control method:
(A) correlating messages on the network based on user instructions and creating message groups and predetermined message group information relating to the message groups;
(B) sharing the created message group information with users on the network;
(C) sending messages to the message groups out to the network; and
(D) in accordance with user instructions displaying the message groups independently of messages on the network.
Taking an example wherein it is applied to IRC will illustrate the display control method of the present invention. Participants on a channel for example designate particular users, instructing the creation of a message group. Message group information concerned with the created message group is reported to other chat clients in the channel. Message group information may be, for example, nicknames of the users that form the message group, a message group ID, the message group author, and the message group name. Issuing messages to a message group sends that messages out on the channel. The way the message group is displayed conforms to user instructions. The message group can be displayed in the same display area the channel is displayed, or can be displayed independently of the channel display area.
In a further aspect the invention is a display control device utilized in a chat device wherein, sharing an identical network mutually, transmission/reception of text messages is possible, and presents the display control device provided with creating means, reporting means, memory means and input/output control means.
The creating means correlates messages on the network according to user instructions and creates message groups and predetermined message group information relating to the message groups. The reporting means transmits/receives the created message group information to and from other among display control devices on the network. The memory means stores the message group information. The input/output control means obtains the message groups from the chat device and in accordance with user instructions, enables display of the message groups independently of messages on the network.
Likewise as described before, taking an example wherein it is applied to IRC will illustrate the display control device. A user, for example, designates the individual users constituting a message group. The creation means creates the message group out of the messages from the designated member users. The creation means also creates message group IDs, and predetermined message group information containing member users and the creating user, which is stored in the memory means. The created message group information is reported by the reporting means to other display control devices in the channel. The report may be either via a chat client, or directly transmitted/received among the display control devices. Other display control devices accept from the reporting means message group information that the other display control devices have created, which is stored in the memory means.
With input/output control means, in accordance with user instructions, the message group can be displayed in a window separate from the messages within the channel. Of course, it is also possible to display both messages within a channel and message groups together in the same window. The message groups are obtainable, for example, from a message log that the chat client has created.
The present invention in another aspect presents a display control device wherein the creating means in the second aspect of the invention accepts operations directed to the message groups and updates the message group information.
For example, the creating means accepts message group link instructions and creates message group information in which linked message groups and the message group link source are correlated.
In a further aspect the invention presents a display control device wherein the input/output control means in the second aspect of the invention accepts messages in which the message groups are designated and acquires from the network or sends to the network messages for the message groups.
The input/output control means, for example in a window displaying the message groups, deems inputted messages to be messages to the message group, and sends them out to the channel. The input/output control means also obtains from the channel messages to message groups transmitted from other display control devices. According to user instructions, the obtained messages are displayed in a window for message groups or in an ordinary chat window.
The present invention in yet another aspect presents a display control device wherein the creation means in the second aspect of the invention correlates messages within the network based on selection of the chat
Kakuta Jun
Manabe Ai
Okuyama Satoshi
Luu Sy D.
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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