Method, system, and program for providing thread chat rooms

Abstract

To provide a method, a program, and a user terminal for providing a thread chat room in an instant messaging application.SOLUTION: A method for providing a thread chat room includes the steps of: receiving a user input from a user who has joined the chat room, requesting the generation of a thread chat room separate from the chat room on the basis of the root message of the chat room; generating the thread chat room in response to receiving the user input; and displaying a list of the thread chat rooms.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and system for providing threaded chat rooms, and more particularly, to a method and system for generating threaded chat rooms based on a user's threaded chat room generation request and displaying a list of the threaded chat rooms in an instant messaging application. [Background technology]

[0002] With the widespread use of mobile devices such as smartphones and the development of the Internet, instant messaging applications using mobile devices are widely used. Users who use instant messaging applications through their mobile devices can exchange various messages and content with other users via chat rooms.

[0003] In instant messaging applications, users can participate in multiple chat rooms and send and receive messages with other users. In chat rooms with multiple users, conversations on a variety of topics may be taking place simultaneously, and the topics of the conversations may change frequently. In such an environment, it can be difficult for users seeking information on a specific topic to obtain the information they desire, and in some cases, the flow of the conversation may be interrupted. As a result, it can be time-consuming and difficult to find the conversation of interest within a chat room.

[0004] In addition, in chat rooms of instant messaging applications, a large number of conversations take place in real time. Even while a conversation on a particular topic is taking place, another user may start a conversation on a new topic. As conversations on various topics take place sporadically in chat rooms, it can be cumbersome to save and manage only conversations on a specific topic. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2024-0140640 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present disclosure provides a method for providing a thread chat room in an instant messaging application, a computer program stored on a recording medium, and an apparatus (system) for solving the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present disclosure can be embodied in numerous forms, including as a method, an apparatus (system), or a computer program stored on a computer-readable recording medium.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for providing threaded chat rooms in an instant messaging application may include receiving user input from a user who has joined a chat room requesting the generation of a threaded chat room separate from the chat room based on the root message of the chat room, generating the threaded chat room in response to receiving the user input, and displaying a list of the threaded chat rooms.

[0009] A program for executing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure by a computer may be provided.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a user terminal including a display, a memory, and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute at least one computer-readable program contained in the memory, wherein the at least one program is capable of receiving, from a user who has joined a chat room, a user input requesting generation of a threaded chat room separate from the chat room based on a root message of the chat room, and generating the threaded chat room and displaying a list of the threaded chat rooms in response to receiving the user input. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, users of a thread chat room can easily understand which root message the thread chat room was generated based on and can easily understand the conversation theme within the thread chat room.

[0012] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the indiscriminate creation of thread chat rooms can be suppressed, and thread chat rooms can be created in which information on the latest themes is exchanged.

[0013] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, thread chat rooms can encourage the progression of conversations on specific topics, and thread chat rooms can be deactivated after a certain period of time has passed, thereby improving the efficiency of the server managing the thread chat rooms.

[0014] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, users can have conversations or obtain information about only a specific topic among various conversations about various topics that are flowing in a chat room. Furthermore, by providing a separate threaded chat room for a specific topic, the flow of conversations about the specific topic is not interrupted. This allows users to easily obtain desired information within the chat room and manage conversations by specific topic.

[0015] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a user can easily know whether the thread chat room has been added to the list of favorite thread chat rooms and can easily manage the list of favorite thread chat rooms.

[0016] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, navigation between chat rooms and threaded chat rooms can be performed efficiently.

[0017] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, threaded chat rooms associated with a particular user may be efficiently managed.

[0018] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a user can easily check a list of threaded chat rooms without having to scroll through the chat rooms to find the root message that was the basis for creating the threaded chat room, thereby improving accessibility to threaded chat rooms and facilitating management of the threaded chat rooms.

[0019] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, by providing a list of favorite thread chat rooms, thread chat rooms related to specific topics of interest to a user can be efficiently managed, and by providing an overall list of thread chat rooms, accessibility to thread chat rooms created in the chat room can be improved, increasing participation in and activity in thread chat rooms.

[0020] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains (hereinafter referred to as "a person skilled in the art") from the description in the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, as described below, in which like reference numerals indicate like elements, but not limited to the drawings. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of creating a threaded chat room in an instant messaging application, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration in which an information processing system is communicatively connected to a plurality of user terminals to provide a thread chat room provision service in an instant messaging application according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a user terminal and an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a threaded chat room in an instant messaging application, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of joining a list of threaded chat rooms, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of navigating through a list of chat rooms to a list of threaded chat rooms created in association with the chat room, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of navigating through a list of chat rooms to a list of all threaded chat rooms that have been added to favorites, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for providing threaded chat rooms in an instant messaging application, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] <Summary of the Invention> According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes providing a threaded chat room to a plurality of users of the chat room, including the user, wherein the threaded chat room may provide information about a root message in the chat room and a user who sent the root message in the chat room.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a list of threaded chat rooms may be provided separately from the chat room list that contains the chat room.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the list of threaded chat rooms may include a list of favorite threaded chat rooms.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the list of thread chat rooms includes a favorite thread list, which is a list of thread chat rooms designated as favorites by the user, and an entire thread list, which is a list of all thread chat rooms available for the user to query, and the step of displaying the list of thread chat rooms may include a step of selectively displaying the favorite thread list and the entire thread list.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes receiving an addition request to add the thread chat room to the favorite thread list, and the thread chat room may display a first interface that allows the thread chat room to be added to the favorite thread list. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may further include adding the threaded chat room to a user's favorite thread list in response to receiving user input requesting creation of the threaded chat room.

[0027] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the chat room may display a second interface connected to a list of threaded chat rooms.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the step of selectively displaying the favorite thread list and the entire thread list may include a step of preferentially displaying the entire thread list when the favorite thread list is empty.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the step of selectively displaying a favorite thread list and an entire thread list may include a step of preferentially displaying the favorite thread list if the favorite thread list contains one or more thread chat rooms designated as favorites by the user.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes a step of displaying information about the thread chat room in the chat room, and the information about the thread chat room may include at least one of information about the number of messages in the thread chat room or information about the number of messages in the thread chat room that are unread by the user.

[0031] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes displaying a list of chat rooms, where the list of chat rooms may display a third interface connected to the list of threaded chat rooms.

[0032] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a threaded chat room may display a fourth interface that is connected to the root message in the chat room.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, displaying the list of threaded chat rooms may include displaying the threaded chat rooms in order of most recent messages sent in the threaded chat rooms.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may further include a step of determining whether a threshold time has elapsed since a first time point when a root message of the chat room was received, and a step of deactivating a thread chat room corresponding to the root message if it is determined that the threshold time has elapsed since the first time point when the root message in the chat room was received.

[0035] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may further include receiving a deletion request for a root message in a chat room, and deleting the thread chat room corresponding to the root message from a list of thread chat rooms based on the received deletion request.

[0036] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may further include determining whether a threshold time has elapsed since a second time point at which user input requesting the creation of the threaded chat room was received, and deactivating the threaded chat room if it is determined that the threshold time has elapsed since the second time point at which user input requesting the creation of the threaded chat room was received.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the step of generating a thread chat room may include a step of determining whether a threshold time has elapsed since a third time point at which a root message in the chat room was received, and a step of displaying a request rejection screen regarding the user input in response to receiving the user input if it is determined that the threshold time has elapsed since the third time point at which the root message in the chat room was received.

[0038] <Detailed Description of the Invention> Hereinafter, specific implementations of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, in the following description, specific descriptions of well-known functions and configurations will be omitted if they may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure.

[0039] In the accompanying drawings, identical or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals. In addition, in the following description of the embodiments, duplicated descriptions of identical or corresponding components may be omitted. However, the omission of a description of a component does not mean that the component is not included in a certain embodiment.

[0040] The advantages and features of the disclosed embodiments, as well as methods for achieving them, will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and may be embodied in various different forms. The present embodiments are provided solely for the purpose of completing the disclosure and fully conveying the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0041] The terms used in this specification will be briefly explained, and the disclosed embodiments will be specifically described. The terms used in this specification are currently commonly used and general terms that have been selected as much as possible while taking into consideration the functionality of this disclosure. However, these terms may change depending on the intentions or precedents of engineers in the relevant field, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, the meanings thereof will be described in detail in the relevant description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure must be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of this disclosure, rather than simply by their names.

[0042] In this specification, the singular form includes the plural form unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Furthermore, the plural form includes the singular form unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Throughout the specification, when a part includes a certain element, it does not mean that it excludes other elements, but that it may further include other elements, unless otherwise specified.

[0043] Additionally, the terms "module" and "unit" used in this specification refer to software or hardware components, each performing a certain function. However, the term "module" or "unit" is not limited to software or hardware. A "module" or "unit" may be configured to be located on an addressable storage medium or to execute one or more processors. Thus, as an example, a "module" or "unit" may include components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, as well as at least one of processes, functions, properties, procedures, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functionality provided by the components and "modules" or "units" may be combined into fewer components and "modules" or "units," or may be further divided into additional components and "modules" or "units."

[0044] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a "module" or "unit" may be implemented with a processor and memory. "Processor" should be broadly interpreted to include a general-purpose processor, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. In some environments, "processor" may refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), etc. "Processor" may also refer to a combination of processing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a combination of multiple microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other combination. "Memory" should also be broadly interpreted to include any electronic component capable of storing electronic information. "Memory" may refer to various types of processor-readable media, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), nonvolatile random access memory (NVRAM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), flash memory, magnetic or optical data storage devices, registers, etc. Memory is in electronic communication with a processor if the processor can read information from or write information to the memory. Memory that is integrated into a processor is in electronic communication with the processor.

[0045] In the present disclosure, a "system" may include, but is not limited to, at least one of a server device and a cloud device. For example, a system may be configured with one or more server devices. As another example, a system may be configured with one or more cloud devices. As yet another example, a system may be configured and operable with both a server device and a cloud device.

[0046] In this disclosure, "display" may refer to any display device associated with a computing device, such as any display device capable of displaying any information / data controlled by or provided by a computing device. In the present disclosure, "each of a plurality of A's" or "each of a plurality of A's" may refer to each of all the components included in the plurality of A's, or may refer to each of some of the components included in the plurality of A's. In this disclosure, "user" may refer to a user who uses an instant messaging application or a user account on an instant messaging application, where a user account may refer to an account or data associated therewith that a user creates and uses with an instant messaging application.

[0047] In this disclosure, a "chat room" may refer to a virtual space or group that can be created by an instant messaging application installed on a computing device and that can be joined by one or more users (or user accounts). For example, one or more user accounts can participate in or be included in a chat room and exchange various types of messages, files, etc. Also, a chat room may support a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call or VoIP group call function, allowing voice and / or video calls between user accounts.

[0048] In the present disclosure, a "threaded chat room" may refer to a virtual space or group that can be created based on messages in a chat room created in an instant messaging application and that can be joined by one or more users (or user accounts). For example, users (or user accounts) participating in a chat room can create a threaded chat room to freely discuss a common topic or share questions and answers based on specific messages in the chat room. In addition, in a threaded chat room, one or more user accounts can participate in or be included in the threaded chat room, similar to a chat room, and various types of messages, files, etc. can be exchanged.

[0049] In this disclosure, a "list of threaded chat rooms" may refer to a list of threaded chat rooms created in an instant messaging application. The list of threaded chat rooms may refer to a list of all threaded chat rooms in which a user (or user account) participates or is included, regardless of whether they were created in association with a particular chat room. The list of threaded chat rooms may also refer to a list of threaded chat rooms created in association with a particular chat room in which a user (or user account) participates or is included.

[0050] Various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The sizes and positions of display screens, images, buttons, etc. shown and described in the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting. For example, some buttons may be added or omitted, or may be configured with sizes and positions different from those shown in the drawings.

[0051] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of creating a threaded chat room in an instant messaging application according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, a threaded chat room can be created through the process shown in the first screen (110) to the fourth screen (140).

[0052] The first screen (110) shows an example of a scene where users are having a conversation in a chat room. Various conversation topics can be formed between users participating in the conversation room. For example, User A (112) may talk about the topic "New products are being sold online" (116), while User B (114) may talk about the topic "I'm looking for a good restaurant" (118).

[0053] In one embodiment, users participating in a chat room may send and receive messages in a variety of formats, including, but not limited to, text messages, voice messages, image messages, and video messages.

[0054] The second screen (120) shows an example of receiving a user input from a user participating in a chat room requesting the creation of a threaded chat room. A user participating in the chat room can select one of various messages listed in the chat room to request the creation of a threaded chat room in order to have a conversation only about a specific topic.

[0055] In one embodiment, an interface 122 for performing additional functions on a specific message may be displayed to the user. In this case, the interface 122 for performing additional functions may be displayed to the user when the user presses and holds the specific message for a certain period of time. However, the condition for displaying the interface 122 is not limited thereto. Additionally or alternatively, the interface 122 for performing additional functions may be displayed to the user when the user double-clicks or right-clicks the specific message.

[0056] The user may then be provided with a button 124 for creating a threaded chat room in the interface 122 for performing additional functions on a particular message. When the user clicks the button 124 for creating a threaded chat room, a screen 132 for creating a threaded chat room may be displayed to the user. Here, the message in the chat room that is the basis for creating the threaded chat room may be referred to as a root message 126.

[0057] In one embodiment, a user wishing to create a threaded chat room can enter a message in response to the root message 126 in the message input window 134. For example, a user wishing to create a threaded chat room can enter a message in response to the root message 126 in the chat room, "All new products are sold online," such as "Can you tell me which web store it is? I'm looking for new products too." In this way, a threaded chat room can be created by a user wishing to create a threaded chat room entering a message in response to the root message 126 in the message input window 134 provided on the screen 132 for creating a threaded chat room.

[0058] A fourth screen (140) shows an example of a screen when the creation of a thread chat room is complete. As shown, a thread chat room (142) can correspond to a separate chat room.

[0059] In one embodiment, a thread chat room (142) may be provided with the content of the root message (144) in the chat room and information (146) about the user who sent the root message in the chat room. For example, if a thread chat room is created based on a root message (126) sent by user A (112), the thread chat room may be provided with user A's (112) profile information (146) and the content of the root message (144). Alternatively, the thread chat room may be provided with only user A's (112) profile information (146), or only the content of the root message (144) that was the basis for creating the thread chat room. The information provided in the thread chat room is not limited to this and may include other information. Through this configuration, users in the thread chat room can easily understand which user sent the root message that created the thread chat room and easily recognize the conversation topic in the thread chat room.

[0060] In one embodiment, information 148 about the chat room that served as the basis for creating the thread chat room may be provided to the thread chat room. For example, if the thread chat room is created based on a root message 126 sent in chat room A, title information 148 about chat room A may be provided to the thread chat room. Through this configuration, users in the thread chat room can easily understand which chat room the thread chat room was created based on.

[0061] In one embodiment, if a user requests the creation of a thread chat room based on a root message that has been sent for a certain period of time, a request rejection screen (not shown) may be displayed in response to the user's input requesting the creation of a thread chat room based on the root message if 24 hours have passed since the root message was sent in the chat room. The request rejection screen for the user's input may be displayed in the form of a pop-up on the user's display in response to the user clicking the button (124) for creating a thread chat room on the second screen (120). This configuration prevents the indiscriminate creation of thread chat rooms and allows the creation of thread chat rooms where information on the latest topics can be exchanged.

[0062] In one embodiment, if a certain amount of time has passed since a root message was sent in a chat room, a thread chat room created based on the root message may be deactivated. For example, if six months have passed since the root message was sent in the chat room, a thread chat room created based on the root message may be deactivated. In this case, messages already entered in the deactivated thread chat room may remain and can be viewed, but new messages may not be able to be sent.

[0063] In one embodiment, if a root message is deleted in a chat room, any threaded chat rooms created based on the root message may be deleted.

[0064] In one embodiment, a thread chat room may be deactivated if a certain amount of time has passed since the thread chat room was created. For example, if one month has passed since the thread chat room was created, the thread chat room may be deactivated. In this case, messages already entered in the deactivated thread chat room may remain and may be readable, but new messages may not be sent. This configuration may encourage the progression of conversations on a specific topic in the thread chat room, and deactivating a thread chat room after a certain amount of time has passed may improve the efficiency of the server managing the thread chat room.

[0065] Through this configuration, users can be provided with a conversation space where they can have conversations and obtain information on only a specific topic among the various conversations that take place in the chat room. Also, by providing a separate thread chat room for conversations on a specific topic, the flow of conversations on a specific topic can be uninterrupted. This allows users to easily obtain desired information within the chat room and manage chat rooms by topic.

[0066] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration in which an information processing system 230 is communicatively connected to multiple user terminals 210_1, 210_2, and 210_3 to provide a threaded chat room provisioning service according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The information processing system 230 may include a system capable of providing an instant messaging service or a system capable of providing a threaded chat room provisioning service. In one embodiment, the information processing system 230 may include one or more server devices and / or databases, or one or more cloud computing service-based distributed computing devices and / or distributed databases, capable of storing, providing, and executing computer-executable programs (e.g., downloadable applications) and data related to the instant messaging service and / or the threaded chat room provisioning service. For example, the information processing system 230 may include separate systems (e.g., servers) for the instant messaging service and / or the threaded chat room provisioning service.

[0067] The instant messaging service, thread chat room providing service, etc. provided by the information processing system 230 can be provided to users via an instant messaging application, etc. installed in each of the plurality of user terminals 210_1, 210_2, 210_3. For example, instant messaging services may include text messaging services, voice messaging services, video calling services, voice calling services, video streaming services, social networking services, threaded chat room providing services, etc. between users of instant messaging applications.

[0068] The plurality of user terminals 210_1, 210_2, and 210_3 can communicate with the information processing system 230 via the network 220. The network 220 can be configured to enable communication between the plurality of user terminals 210_1, 210_2, and 210_3 and the information processing system 230. Depending on the installation environment, the network (220) may be configured as a wired network such as Ethernet, a wired home network (Power Line Communication), a telephone line communication device, or RS-Serial communication, a mobile communication network, a wireless network such as WLAN (Wireless LAN), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or ZigBee, or a combination thereof. The communication method is not limited, and may include not only a communication method utilizing a communication network that the network (220) may include (for example, a mobile communication network, a wired Internet, a wireless Internet, a broadcasting network, a satellite network, etc.), but also short-range wireless communication between user terminals (210_1, 210_2, 210_3).

[0069] In FIG. 2, a mobile phone terminal (210_1), a tablet terminal (210_2), and a PC terminal (210_3) are shown as examples of user terminals, but are not limited to these. The user terminals (210_1, 210_2, 210_3) may be any computing device capable of wired and / or wireless communication and capable of installing and running an instant messaging application or the like. For example, the user terminal may include a smartphone, a mobile phone, a navigation system, a computer, a notebook, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), a tablet PC, a game console, a wearable device, an IoT (Internet of Things) device, a VR (Virtual Reality) device, an AR (Augmented Reality) device, etc. Also, although Figure 2 illustrates three user terminals (210_1, 210_2, 210_3) communicating with the information processing system 230 via the network 220, this is not limiting, and a different number of user terminals may be configured to communicate with the information processing system 230 via the network 220.

[0070] In one embodiment, each of the user terminals (210_1, 210_2, 210_3) can receive information or data from or transmit information or data to other user terminals via the network (220).

[0071] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a user terminal (210) and an information processing system (230) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The user terminal 210 may refer to any computing device capable of executing applications, a web browser, etc., and capable of wired / wireless communication, and may include, for example, the mobile phone terminal 210_1, the tablet terminal 210_2, and the PC terminal 210_3 of FIG. 2. As shown, the user terminal 210 may include a memory 312, a processor 314, a communication module 316, and an input / output interface 318. Similarly, the information processing system 230 may include a memory 332, a processor 334, a communication module 336, and an input / output interface 338. As shown in FIG. 3, the user terminal 210 and the information processing system 230 may be configured to communicate information and / or data over the network 220 using their respective communication modules 316 and 336. Additionally, the input / output device (320) may be configured to input information and / or data to the user terminal (210) via the input / output interface (318) and to output information and / or data generated by the user terminal (210).

[0072] The memory (312, 332) may include any non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. According to one embodiment, the memory (312, 332) may include a permanent mass storage device such as a read only memory (ROM), a disk drive, a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, etc. As another example, a permanent mass storage device such as a ROM, an SSD, a flash memory, or a disk drive may be included in the user terminal (210) or the information processing system (230) as a separate permanent storage device distinct from the memory. The memory (312, 332) may also store an operating system and at least one program code.

[0073] Such software components may be loaded from a computer-readable recording medium separate from the memory (312, 332). Such other computer-readable recording media may include recording media directly connectable to the user terminal 210 and the information processing system 230, such as a floppy drive, a disk, a tape, a DVD / CD-ROM drive, a memory card, etc. As another example, software components may be loaded into the memory 312, 332 via a communication module 316, 336 that is not a computer-readable recording medium. For example, at least one program may be loaded into memory (312, 332) based on a computer program that is installed by a file provided over the network (220) by a developer or a file distribution system that distributes application installation files.

[0074] The processors (314, 334) may be configured to process computer program instructions by performing basic arithmetic, logic, and input / output operations. The instructions may be provided to the processors (314, 334) by the memories (312, 332) or the communication modules (316, 336). For example, the processors (314, 334) may be configured to execute instructions received according to program code stored in a storage device, such as the memories (312, 332).

[0075] The communication modules (316, 336) may provide configurations or functions for the user terminal (210) and the information processing system (230) to communicate with each other via the network (220), and may provide configurations or functions for the user terminal (210) and / or the information processing system (230) to communicate with other user terminals or other systems (e.g., separate cloud systems, etc.). As an example, a request or data (e.g., a chat room search request) generated by the processor (314) of the user terminal (210) in accordance with program code stored in a storage device such as the memory (312) may be sent to the information processing system (230) via the network (220) under the control of the communication module (316). Conversely, control signals and commands provided under the control of the processor 334 of the information processing system 230 may be received by the user terminal 210 via the communication module 316 of the user terminal 210 via the communication module 336 and the network 220.

[0076] The input / output interface (318) may be a means for interfacing with an input / output device (320). For example, the input device may be a camera including an audio sensor and / or an image sensor, a keyboard, a microphone, a mouse, etc., and the output device may be a display, a speaker, a haptic feedback device, etc. As another example, the input / output interface 318 may be a means for interfacing with a device that has both input and output functions integrated into one, such as a touch screen. For example, when the processor 314 of the user terminal 210 processes instructions of a computer program loaded into the memory 312, a service screen constructed using information and / or data provided by the information processing system 230 or other user terminals may be displayed on the display via the input / output interface 318. Although the input / output device (320) is shown as not being included in the user terminal (210) in FIG. 3, this is not limiting and the input / output device (320) may be configured as a single device together with the user terminal (210). Additionally, the input / output interface 338 of the information processing system 230 may be a means for interfacing with an input or output device (not shown) that is connected to the information processing system 230 or that the information processing system 230 may include. Although FIG. 3 illustrates the input / output interfaces (318, 338) as elements configured separately from the processors (314, 334), this is not limiting and the input / output interfaces (318, 338) may be configured to be included in the processors (314, 334).

[0077] The user terminal (210) and the information processing system (230) may include more components than those shown in Figure 3. However, it is not necessary to explicitly illustrate most of the prior art components. In one embodiment, the user terminal 210 may be implemented to include at least a portion of the input / output device 320 described above. The user terminal 210 may also include a transceiver, a Global Positioning System (GPS), The user terminal 210 may further include other components such as a GPS (Positioning System) module, a camera, various sensors, a database, etc. For example, if the user terminal 210 is a smartphone, it may include components that are generally included in a smartphone, and may be implemented to further include various components such as an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a microphone module, a camera module, various physical buttons, buttons using a touch panel, an input / output port, a vibrator for vibration, etc.

[0078] While a program such as an instant messaging application including a thread chat room providing service is running, the processor (314) can receive text, images, videos, sounds, and / or actions, etc., entered or selected through an input device such as a touch screen, keyboard, camera including an audio sensor and / or image sensor, microphone, etc. connected to the input / output interface (318), and can store the received text, images, videos, sounds, and / or actions, etc. in the memory (312) or provide them to the information processing system (230) via the communication module (316) and the network (220).

[0079] The processor 314 of the user terminal 210 may be configured to manage, process, and / or store information and / or data received from the input / output device 320, other user terminals, the information processing system 230, and / or multiple external systems. The information and / or data processed by the processor 314 may be provided to the information processing system 230 via the communication module 316 and the network 220. The processor (314) of the user terminal (210) can send and output information and / or data to the input / output device (320) via the input / output interface (318). For example, the processor (314) may display the received information and / or data on a screen of the user terminal (210).

[0080] The processor 334 of the information processing system 230 may be configured to manage, process, and / or store information and / or data received from the user terminals 210 and / or the external systems. The information and / or data processed by the processor 334 may be provided to the user terminals 210 via the communication module 336 and the network 220.

[0081] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a threaded chat room in an instant messaging application according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0082] The first screen (410) shows an example of a chat room from which a root message was sent that was the basis for creating the threaded chat room. The second screen (420) shows an example of a thread chat room created based on the root message, and the third screen (430) shows an example of a thread chat room that has been added to the list of favorite thread chat rooms.

[0083] In one embodiment, a chat room may be provided with a button (412) to enter the threaded chat room associated with the root message (414). In the first screen (410), a button (412) for entering a threaded chat room associated with the root message (414) may be provided around the root message (414) within the chat room. For example, a user can enter a thread chat room generated based on the message (414) "I want to buy a lantern. Do you know any online shopping malls?" by clicking on the button (412) labeled "999+ messages" provided below the message (414) "I want to buy a lantern. Do you know any online shopping malls?"

[0084] In one embodiment, the enter thread chat room button (412) may include information related to the thread chat room, where the information related to the thread chat room may be information regarding the number of messages in the thread chat room or information regarding the number of messages in the thread chat room that the user has not yet read. For example, if there are 5 messages in a thread chat room, the button to enter the thread chat room may say "5 messages." Conversely, if there are 10 to less than 50 messages in a thread chat room, 50 to less than 100 messages, or 100 to less than 1000 messages in a thread chat room, the button to enter the thread chat room may say "10+ messages," "50+ messages," "100+ messages," or "200+ messages," respectively. Additionally, if there are more than 1,000 messages in a threaded chat room, the button to enter the threaded chat room will change to "999+ As another example, if there are five messages in a thread chat room that the user has not yet read, the button to enter the thread chat room may be displayed as "5 messages." In contrast, if there are 10 to less than 50 messages, 50 to less than 100 messages, or 100 to less than 1,000 messages that the user has not yet read in the thread chat room, the button to enter the thread chat room may be displayed as "10+ messages," "50+ messages," "100+ messages," or "200+ messages," respectively. Furthermore, if there are 1,000 or more messages in a thread chat room that the user has not yet read, the button to enter the thread chat room may be displayed as "999+ messages." The above-described methods of displaying information related to a thread chat room are merely exemplary and are not limiting.

[0085] In one embodiment, a threaded chat room may be provided with an interface (422) that allows the threaded chat room to be added to a favorite threads list. The favorite thread list may be a list of thread chat rooms designated as favorites by the user. Thread chat rooms added to the favorite thread list are individually managed and easily accessible by the user through the favorite thread list, as described below in FIG. 5.

[0086] The thread chat room can be added to the favorite thread list by the user selecting, by touch input or the like, an interface (422) provided in the thread chat room that allows the user to add the thread chat room to the favorite thread list. Confirmation information indicating that the thread chat room has been added to the favorite thread list can be displayed on the display. For example, when a user selects the empty star-shaped interface 422, the interface may be changed to a filled star-shaped interface 432. In this case, the thread chat room may be added to the favorite thread list. Conversely, even if a thread chat room has already been added to the favorite thread list, it can be removed from the favorite thread list by selecting the interface (432) provided for the thread chat room through a touch input or the like. Through the interface (422) for adding to the favorite thread list, confirmation information indicating that the thread chat room has not been added to the favorite thread list can be displayed on the display. For example, if the filled-in star-shaped interface (432) is selected by the user, it may be changed to the empty star-shaped interface (422) and displayed on the display. Through this configuration, the user can easily understand whether the thread chat room has been added to the favorite thread list, and can efficiently manage the favorite thread list.

[0087] In one embodiment, a thread chat room may be provided with an interface 424 connected to the root message 414 that was the basis for creating the thread chat room. By selecting the interface 424 connected to the root message 414 by touch input or the like, the chat room screen at the time the root message 414 was sent may be displayed on the display. For example, if a thread chat room is generated based on a root message (414) of "I want to buy a lantern. Do you know any online shopping malls?", when an interface (424) of "See message in chAt" provided in the thread chat room is selected by touch input or the like, a chat room screen with the root message (414) of "I want to buy a lantern. Do you know any online shopping malls?" at the top can be displayed on the display. Through this configuration, screen movement between chat rooms and threaded chat rooms can be performed efficiently.

[0088] In one embodiment, threaded chat rooms may perform the same functions that may be performed in chat rooms. For example, in a thread chat room, users can send text messages, take photos, send image messages, send voice messages, transfer files, etc. Users in the thread chat room can also mention other users (428) or send replies (426) to specific messages. The functions that may be performed in the thread chat room described above are merely examples and are not limited to these.

[0089] In one embodiment, when a user participating in a threaded chat room is mentioned (428) by another user participating in the threaded chat room, the mentioned user's favorite thread list may automatically be added to the threaded chat room where the mention message was sent. For example, if user A mentions user B with the message "@USer B, thanks to you, I think I'll be able to buy a lantern!", the thread chat room where the mention message was sent may be automatically added to user B's favorite thread list. Through this configuration, users can efficiently manage thread chat rooms in which they have been mentioned.

[0090] In one embodiment, when a reply to a message sent by a particular user participating in a thread chat room is sent (426) by another user participating in the thread chat room, the thread chat room to which the reply was sent may be automatically added to the particular user's favorite thread list. For example, if user C sends a message saying "Can I buy it online?" and user B replies with "Yes, I bought it online," the thread chat room to which the reply was sent may automatically be added to user C's favorite thread list. Through this configuration, a user can efficiently manage thread chat rooms to which replies have been sent.

[0091] In one embodiment, the threaded chat room created at the user's request may be added to the favorite threads list of the user who requested the creation of the threaded chat room. For example, if user B requests the creation of a thread chat room based on a root message (414) such as "I want to buy a lantern. Do you know of any online shopping malls?", the thread chat room created at user B's request may be added to user B's favorite thread list. Through this configuration, users can efficiently manage thread chat rooms created according to their own requests.

[0092] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of entering a list of threaded chat rooms according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0093] The first screen (510) shows an example where a chat room is provided with an interface (512) connected to a list of threaded chat rooms. The second screen (520) shows an example of a favorite thread list (522). The third screen (530) shows an example of an entire thread list (532). Here, the list of thread chat rooms connected via a chat room may be a list of thread chat rooms created in association with a specific chat room. In addition, the favorite thread list may be a list of thread chat rooms that the user has designated as favorites, and the entire thread list may be a list of all thread chat rooms that can be referred to by the user.

[0094] In one embodiment, chat rooms may be provided with an interface (512) that leads to a list of threaded chat rooms. When a user belonging to a chat room selects an interface (512) that leads to a list of thread chat rooms by touch input or the like, a list of thread chat rooms (522, 532) can be displayed on the display. Through this configuration, the user can easily check the list of thread chat rooms instead of having to scroll through or the like to find the root message that was the basis for creating the thread chat room and then enter the thread chat room. Therefore, it may be possible to improve the accessibility of thread chat rooms and make it easier to manage thread chat rooms.

[0095] In one embodiment, the list of threaded chat rooms connected through the interface (512) provided for a chat room may be a list of threaded chat rooms created in association with the chat room. For example, a list of threaded chat rooms created in chat room A may be connected via an interface provided in chat room A, but may not be connected via an interface provided in chat room B.

[0096] In one embodiment, the list of threaded chat rooms may be provided separately from the list of chat rooms, and may include a favorite threads list (522) and an overall threads list (532). Here, the favorite thread list 522 and the entire thread list 532 can be displayed selectively by the user. The favorite thread list 522 is generated in association with a chat room and can list thread chat rooms designated as favorites by the user. The entire thread list (532) may list all thread chat rooms created in association with the chat room. In this case, the thread chat rooms belonging to the favorite thread list (522) and the entire thread list (532) may at least partially overlap. By providing a favorite thread list (522), thread chat rooms related to specific topics of interest to users can be efficiently managed, and by providing an overall thread list (532), accessibility to thread chat rooms created within a chat room can be improved, and participation in thread chat rooms and activity in thread chat rooms can be increased.

[0097] In one embodiment, the favorite thread list (522) may be provided with an interface (524) that connects to the full thread list (532). Similarly, the overall thread list 532 may be provided with an interface 534 that connects to the favorite thread list 522. The user can enter the list of desired thread chat rooms by selecting the interface using touch input or the like.

[0098] In one embodiment, information about the thread chat room (526, 536) may be displayed in the favorite thread list and the overall thread list, where the information about the thread chat room (526, 536) may include profile information of the user who sent the root message, the content of the root message, information about the number of messages in the thread chat room, the content of the last message sent in the thread chat room, information about the time of sending, information about the number of unread messages in the thread chat room by the user, etc. The information about the thread chat room (526, 536) is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and may include other configurations than those mentioned above, or may exclude some of the above-mentioned configurations. Through this configuration, the user can easily grasp information about the thread chat rooms listed in the thread chat room list, and can efficiently identify the thread chat room the user is looking for.

[0099] The favorite thread list (522) may provide information about each of multiple thread chat rooms. For example, the favorite thread list (522) may display information about a thread chat room related to a root message of user A and information about a thread chat room related to a root message of user B. Similarly, information about multiple thread chat rooms may be provided in the entire thread list (532). For example, the entire thread list (532) may display information about the thread chat room related to the root message of user C, the thread chat room related to the root message of user D, and the thread chat room related to the root message of user E.

[0100] In one embodiment, the favorite thread list and the entire thread list may be provided with an interface (528, 538) leading to a thread chat room. A user can enter a desired thread chat room by selecting the interface (528, 538) leading to the thread chat room using touch input or the like. In one embodiment, the interface (528, 538) leading to the thread chat room may include information related to the thread chat room. Here, the information related to the thread chat room may be information about the number of messages in the thread chat room or information about the number of messages in the thread chat room that the user has not yet read. For example, if there are 5 messages in a threaded chat room, the interface leading to the threaded chat room will say "5 In contrast, if the thread chat room has 10 to less than 50 messages, 50 to less than 100 messages, or 100 to less than 1,000 messages, the interface leading to the thread chat room may be displayed as "10+ messages," "50+ messages," "100+ messages," or "200+ messages," respectively. Additionally, if a threaded chat room has more than 1,000 messages, the interface leading to the threaded chat room will display "999+ As another example, if a user has five unread messages in a threaded chat room, the button to enter the threaded chat room may be displayed as "5 messages." Conversely, if a user has 10 to less than 50 unread messages in a threaded chat room, the interface leading to the threaded chat room may be displayed as "10+ messages." Conversely, if a user has 50 to less than 100 unread messages in a threaded chat room, the interface leading to the threaded chat room may be displayed as "50+ messages." Conversely, if a user has 100 to less than 1000 unread messages in a threaded chat room, the interface leading to the threaded chat room may be displayed as "100+ messages" or "200+ messages," depending on the number of unread messages. In contrast, if a user has more than 1,000 unread messages in a thread chat room, the interface leading to the thread chat room may display "999+ messages." The above-described methods of displaying information related to the thread chat room are exemplary and not limiting.

[0101] In one embodiment, the favorite thread list and the overall thread list may be provided with an interface (540, 542) for returning to the chat room. 542) by touch input or the like, the user can return to the chat room before entering the list of thread chat rooms. This configuration allows smooth movement between the chat room and the list of thread chat rooms, and allows efficient management and access to thread chat rooms.

[0102] In one embodiment, when a chat room leads to a list of threaded chat rooms, if the favorite threads list (522) is empty, the full threads list (532) may be displayed preferentially. Conversely, if the favorite thread list (522) contains one or more thread chat rooms designated as favorites by the user, the favorite thread list (522) may be preferentially displayed.

[0103] In one embodiment, in the list of threaded chat rooms, the threaded chat rooms may be listed in order of most recent message sent within the threaded chat room. When a message is sent within a thread chat room, the thread chat room may be placed at the top. As the thread chat room is placed at the top, other thread chat rooms may be moved down one level. Additionally or alternatively, in the list of threaded chat rooms, the threaded chat rooms may be arranged in order of popularity or recommendation, etc., determined by an AI (artificial intelligence)-based learning model electrically connected to the processor (314, 334), and displayed on the input / output interface (318).

[0104] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of navigating through a list of chat rooms to a list of threaded chat rooms created in association with the chat room, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0105] The first screen (610) shows an example of a chat room list including an interface (612) that connects to a list of threaded chat rooms (622) in a list of chat rooms (614). The second screen (620) shows an example of a list (622) of threaded chat rooms connected from the list of chat rooms (614). The list (622) of threaded chat rooms connected from the list of chat rooms (614) may be a list of threaded chat rooms created in association with a specific chat room.

[0106] In one embodiment, the chat room list (614) may list the chat rooms in which the user participates. Additionally, the list of chat rooms 614 may be provided with an interface 612 that connects to a list of threaded chat rooms 622 that are generated in association with each chat room. For example, by selecting the interface "New thread chat messages" (612) located under the title of a chat room using touch input or other means, a user can be connected to a list of thread chat rooms (622) created in association with the chat room. In this case, the list of thread chat rooms (622) connected from the list of chat rooms (614) may be a favorite thread list or a list of all chat rooms. Therefore, although the second screen (620) shows a list of favorite threads, it does not preclude the connection to the entire list of threads via the list of chat rooms. Through this configuration, a user can enter the list of thread chat rooms (622) created in association with the chat room from the list of chat rooms (614) without going through many steps. This allows the user to efficiently manage the list of thread chat rooms, which may increase the accessibility of the thread chat rooms.

[0107] In one embodiment, in the list of chat rooms (614), information related to the threaded chat rooms (616) created in association with the chat room may be displayed on the display. Here, the information related to the thread chat room (616) may include information regarding the number of messages contained in the thread chat room that have not been read by the user. Additionally or alternatively, the information associated with the thread chat room (616) may be at least one of the content of the root message, the time the root message was sent, and information about the user who sent the root message. As another example, information associated with a threaded chat room (616) may include information regarding the number of threads in the chat room or the number of threads in the chat room in which the user has unread messages.

[0108] In one embodiment, in the list of thread chat rooms (622), thread chat rooms may be listed in order of the most recent message sent in the thread chat room. When a message is sent in a thread chat room, the thread chat room may be placed at the top. With the thread chat room placed at the top, other thread chat rooms may be moved down one level at a time. Additionally or alternatively, the threaded chat rooms in the list of threaded chat rooms (622) may be sorted by popularity or recommendation, etc., as determined by an AI-based learning model electrically connected to the processor (314, 334), and displayed on the input / output interface (318).

[0109] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of navigating through a list of chat rooms to a list of all favorited threaded chat rooms, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0110] The first screen (710) shows an example of a chat room list (712) that provides an interface (714) to a list (722) of all threaded chat rooms that have been favorited in the list of chat rooms (712). The second screen (720) shows an example of a list (722) of all favorited threaded chat rooms connected from the list of chat rooms (712).

[0111] In one embodiment, the chat room list (712) may list chat rooms in which the user participates. The chat room list (712) may also provide an interface (714) that connects to a list (722) of all favorited thread chat rooms. The user may access the list (722) of all favorited thread chat rooms by selecting the interface (714) called "OpenChAt ThreAdS" provided in the chat room list (712) using touch input or other means. In this case, the list (722) of all favorited thread chat rooms, accessed from the chat room list (712), may list all thread chat rooms designated as favorites by the user in the instant messaging application, regardless of whether they are related to a specific chat room. For example, the list (722) of all favorited thread chat rooms may list all thread chat rooms designated as favorites by the user among thread chat rooms created based on chat room A and thread chat rooms designated as favorites by the user among thread chat rooms created based on chat room B.

[0112] Additionally or alternatively, although not shown, an interface may be displayed in the chat room list (712) that leads to a list of all threaded chat rooms in which the user participates. The user may be able to access a list of all thread chat rooms in which the user is participating by selecting, for example, an interface that provides a list of all thread chat rooms provided in the chat room list (712) using touch input. In this case, the list of all thread chat rooms connected from the chat room list (712) may list all thread chat rooms in which the user participates in the instant messaging application, regardless of whether they are related to a specific chat room.

[0113] In one embodiment, the interface (714) may include information (716) associated with a threaded chat room. Here, the information related to the thread chat room (716) may be information about the number of messages contained in the thread chat room that have not been read by the user. Additionally or alternatively, the information associated with the threaded chat room (716) may be the content of the most recently sent message in the threaded chat room. As another example, the information associated with the threaded chat room (716) may include information regarding the number of threads or the number of threads in the chat room in which the user is participating that contain unread messages for the user.

[0114] In one embodiment, in the list of all favorited threaded chat rooms (722), an interface (724) to the threaded chat room may be provided, as previously described.

[0115] Through this configuration, the user can access the list of all thread chat rooms (722) that have been added as favorites without going through many steps from the list of chat rooms (712). This allows the user to efficiently manage the list of thread chat rooms, which may increase the accessibility of the thread chat rooms.

[0116] In one embodiment, in the list of all favorited threaded chat rooms (722), the threaded chat rooms may be listed in order of most recent message sent in the threaded chat room. When a message is sent within a thread chat room, the thread chat room may be placed at the top. By placing the thread chat room at the top, other thread chat rooms may be moved down one level. Additionally or alternatively, in the list of threaded chat rooms (622), the threaded chat rooms may be arranged in order of popularity or recommendation, etc., as determined by an AI-based learning model electrically connected to the processor (314, 334), and displayed on the input / output interface (318).

[0117] FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an example method 800 for providing threaded chat rooms in an instant messaging application according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the method (800) may be executed by at least one processor (at least one processor of a user terminal or an information processing system). The method (800) may begin by the processor receiving user input from a user who has joined a chat room, requesting the creation of a threaded chat room separate from the chat room based on the root message of the chat room (S810). The processor may also create the threaded chat room in response to receiving the user input (S820). The processor may then display a list of the threaded chat rooms (S830).

[0118] In one embodiment, the list of threaded chat rooms may be provided separately from the list of chat rooms that contain the chat room.

[0119] In one embodiment, the list of threaded chat rooms may include a favorite threads list, which is a list of threaded chat rooms that a user has designated as favorites. The list of thread chat rooms may also include a list of all thread chat rooms that can be referenced by the user, in which case the processor may selectively display the favorite thread list and the all thread list.

[0120] In one embodiment, the processor may receive an add request to add a threaded chat room to a favorite threads list. In this case, the threaded chat room may display a first interface that allows the threaded chat room to be added to a favorite threads list.

[0121] In one embodiment, the processor may add the threaded chat room to a user's favorite thread list in response to receiving user input requesting creation of the threaded chat room.

[0122] In one embodiment, the chat room may display a second interface that leads to a list of threaded chat rooms. In this case, the processor may preferentially display the entire thread list if the favorite thread list is empty. Additionally or alternatively, the processor may preferentially display the favorite thread list if the favorite thread list contains one or more thread chat rooms designated as favorites by the user.

[0123] In one embodiment, the processor may display information about the threaded chat room in the chat room. In this case, the information about the thread chat room may include at least one of information about the number of messages in the thread chat room, or information about the number of messages included in the thread chat room that have not been read by the user.

[0124] In one embodiment, the processor may provide a threaded chat room to multiple users in a chat room that includes the user. At this time, the thread chat room may provide information about the root message in the chat room and the user who sent the root message in the chat room.

[0125] In one embodiment, the processor may display a chat room list, which may display a third interface leading to a list of threaded chat rooms.

[0126] In one embodiment, a threaded chat room may display a fourth interface that connects to the root message within the chat room.

[0127] In one embodiment, the processor may display threaded chat rooms in order of most recent messages sent within the threaded chat room.

[0128] In one embodiment, the processor may determine whether a threshold amount of time has elapsed since the first time the root message for the chat room was received. Furthermore, when it is determined that a threshold time has elapsed since the first time point when the root message of the chat room was received, the processor can deactivate the thread chat room corresponding to the root message.

[0129] In one embodiment, the processor may receive a delete request for a root message of a chat room. The processor may also delete the thread chat room corresponding to the root message from the list of thread chat rooms based on the received deletion request.

[0130] In one embodiment, the processor may determine whether a threshold time has elapsed from a second time point receiving user input requesting creation of a threaded chat room. Additionally, the processor may deactivate the threaded chat room if it determines that a threshold time has elapsed since a second time point when the processor received user input requesting creation of the threaded chat room.

[0131] In one embodiment, the processor may determine whether a threshold time has elapsed since a third time point when the root message in the chat room was received. In addition, if the processor determines that a threshold time has elapsed since the third point in time at which the root message in the chat room was received, in response to receiving user input requesting the creation of a thread chat room, the processor may display a request rejection screen for the user input.

[0132] The flowchart shown in FIG. 8 and the above description are merely examples and may be implemented differently in other embodiments. For example, the order of some steps may be changed, some steps may be omitted, other components may be added, and some steps described as being performed sequentially may be performed simultaneously.

[0133] The above-described method may be provided as a computer program stored on a computer-readable recording medium for execution by a computer. The media may be those that continuously store computer executable programs or those that temporarily store them for execution or download. The media may also be various recording or storage means in the form of one or more pieces of hardware combined, and may not be limited to media directly connected to a computer system, but may also be those that exist distributed over a network. Examples of media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs; magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; and media configured to store program instructions, including ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Other examples of media include app stores that distribute applications, sites that supply or distribute various other software, and recording media or storage media managed by servers.

[0134] The methods, operations, or techniques of the present disclosure may be implemented by various means, for example, they may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the disclosure herein may be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the particular application and design requirements of the overall system. Persons skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, but such implementations should not be interpreted as a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0135] In a hardware implementation, the processing units used to perform the techniques may be implemented with one or more ASICs, DSPs, digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described in this disclosure, computers, or combinations thereof. Thus, the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with this disclosure may be implemented or performed by a general purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other configuration.

[0136] In a firmware and / or software implementation, the techniques may be implemented as instructions stored on a computer-readable medium such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), flash memory, a compact disc (CD), a magnetic or optical data storage device, or the like. The instructions may be executable by one or more processors and may cause the processors to perform certain aspects of the functionality described in this disclosure.

[0137] If implemented in software, the techniques may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another and encompasses both computer storage media and communication media. The recording medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of non-limiting example, these computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to transfer or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium.

[0138] For example, if software is transferred from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted wire, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, microwave, etc., the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted wire, digital subscriber line, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, microwave, etc. are included within the definition of medium. As used herein, disk and disc include CDs, laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically and discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0139] A software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium may be coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in a user terminal.

[0140] Although the above-described embodiments have been described utilizing aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter in one or more independent computer systems, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and may be implemented in connection with any computing environment, such as a network or distributed computing environment. Additionally, aspects of the subject matter of this disclosure may be implemented across multiple processing chips or devices, and storage may be affected equally across multiple devices, including PCs, network servers, and handheld devices.

[0141] Although the present disclosure has been described in this specification with reference to some embodiments, various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, as understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. Also, such variations and modifications are believed to fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

[0142] This application is based on patent application no. 10-2024-065482 filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on May 20, 2024. This application claims priority from application No. 10-2024-065482, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0143] 110 1st screen 112 User A 114 User B 120 2nd screen 122 Interfaces for performing additional functions Button for creating 124 threaded chat rooms 126 Route Message 130 3rd screen 132 Screen for creating a threaded chat room 134 Message input window 140 4th screen 142 threaded chat rooms 144 Route Message 146 Information about the user who sent the route message 148 Chat room information that served as the basis for creating the thread chat room

Claims

1. 1. A method for providing threaded chat rooms in an instant messaging application, executed by at least one processor, comprising: receiving a user input from a user who has joined a chat room, requesting the creation of a threaded chat room separate from the chat room based on a root message of the chat room; generating a threaded chat room in response to receiving the user input; and displaying a list of threaded chat rooms.

2. providing the threaded chat room to a plurality of users in the chat room, including the user; The method for providing a threaded chat room according to claim 1 , wherein the threaded chat room provides a root message of the chat room and information about a user who sent the root message of the chat room.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the list of threaded chat rooms is provided separately from a list of chat rooms that includes the chat room.

4. The method for providing a thread chat room according to claim 1 , wherein the list of thread chat rooms includes a favorite thread list, which is a list of thread chat rooms designated as favorites by the user.

5. The list of thread chat rooms includes a favorite thread list, which is a list of thread chat rooms designated as favorites by the user, and an entire thread list, which is a list of all thread chat rooms that can be referred to by the user; The method for providing a thread chat room according to claim 1 , wherein the step of displaying the list of thread chat rooms includes a step of selectively displaying the list of favorite threads and the list of all threads.

6. receiving a request to add the thread chat room to the favorite thread list; The method of claim 4 , wherein the threaded chat room displays a first interface that allows the threaded chat room to be added to the favorite threads list.

7. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising adding the threaded chat room to the user's favorite threads list in response to receiving user input requesting creation of the threaded chat room.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chat room displays a second interface that connects to a list of the threaded chat rooms.

9. The method for providing a thread chat room as described in claim 5, wherein the step of selectively displaying the favorite thread list and the entire thread list includes a step of preferentially displaying the entire thread list when the favorite thread list is empty.

10. The method for providing thread chat rooms described in claim 5, wherein the step of selectively displaying the favorite thread list and the entire thread list includes a step of preferentially displaying the favorite thread list if the favorite thread list contains one or more thread chat rooms designated as favorites by the user.

11. further comprising displaying information about the thread chat room in the chat room; The method for providing a thread chat room according to claim 1, wherein the information regarding the thread chat room includes at least one of information regarding the number of messages in the thread chat room or information regarding the number of messages in the thread chat room that are unread by the user.

12. further comprising the step of displaying a list of chat rooms; The method for providing threaded chat rooms according to claim 1 , wherein the list of chat rooms displays a third interface that leads to the list of threaded chat rooms.

13. The method for providing a threaded chat room according to claim 1 , wherein the threaded chat room displays a fourth interface that leads to a root message of the chat room.

14. The method for providing threaded chat rooms according to claim 1 , wherein the step of displaying the list of threaded chat rooms includes a step of displaying the threaded chat rooms in order of the most recent messages sent in the threaded chat rooms.

15. determining whether a threshold time has elapsed since a first time point when the root message of the chat room was received; The method for providing a thread chat room as described in claim 1, further comprising: when it is determined that the threshold time has elapsed since the first point in time when the root message of the chat room was received, deactivating the thread chat room corresponding to the root message.

16. receiving a delete request for a root message of the chat room; The method for providing a thread chat room according to claim 1 , further comprising: deleting the thread chat room corresponding to the root message from the list of thread chat rooms based on the received deletion request.

17. determining whether a threshold time has elapsed since a second time point when a user input requesting creation of the threaded chat room is received; The method for providing a thread chat room as described in claim 1, further comprising: deactivating the thread chat room when it is determined that the threshold time has elapsed since a second point in time when a user input requesting the creation of the thread chat room was received.

18. The step of generating the thread chat room includes a step of determining whether a threshold time has elapsed since a third time point when a root message of the chat room is received; A method for providing a thread chat room as described in claim 1, including a step of displaying a request rejection screen for the user input in response to receiving the user input when it is determined that the threshold time has elapsed since the third point in time when the root message of the chat room was received.

19. A program for executing the thread chat room providing method according to any one of claims 1 to 18 by a computer.

20. A user terminal, The display and Memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute at least one computer-readable program contained in the memory; The at least one program receiving a user input from a user who has joined a chat room, requesting the creation of a threaded chat room separate from the chat room, based on a root message of the chat room; generating a threaded chat room in response to receiving the user input; A user's device that displays a list of threaded chat rooms.

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