Systems, methods, and media for playback of instant messaging session histrory

Abstract

Systems, methods and media for playback of instant messaging session history in an instant messaging system by facilitating recording and playback of an instant messaging session history to a user are disclosed. Embodiments may include, during an instant messaging session where one or more instant messaging events occur, determining a timestamp associated with the one or more instant messaging events and recording an indication of the one or more instant messaging events and their associated timestamps. Embodiments may also include receiving one or more playback commands and, in response to the received playback commands, displaying playback of the one or more instant messaging events based on their associated timestamps. The instant messaging events may include one or more of a text message, file transfer, input device movement, or a status indication such as offline, returned from offline, away, returned from away, secure session established, session beginning or session ending.

1 . A method for playing back an instant messaging session, the method comprising: 
 during an instant messaging session where one or more instant messaging events occur, determining a timestamp associated with the one or more instant messaging events;    recording an indication of the one or more instant messaging events and their associated timestamps;    receiving one or more playback commands; and    in response to the received playback commands, displaying playback of the one or more instant messaging events based on their associated timestamps.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising initiating the instant messaging session.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a request to record a history of the instant messaging session.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a request to playback a history of the instant messaging session.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more instant messaging events comprise one or more of a text message, a file transfer, an input device movement, status information, an offline indication, a returned from offline indication, an away indication, a returned from away indication, a secure session established indication, a secure session error indication, an other error indication, a session beginning, and a session ending.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the input device movement comprises one or more of highlighting text and a pointer movement.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the timestamps have a fidelity of one second or less.  
   
   
       8 . A machine-accessible medium containing instructions effective, when executing in a data processing system, to cause said data processing system to perform operations comprising: 
 during an instant messaging session where one or more instant messaging events occur, determining a timestamp associated with the one or more instant messaging events;    recording an indication of the one or more instant messaging events and their associated timestamps;    receiving one or more playback commands; and    in response to the received playback commands, displaying playback of the one or more instant messaging events based on their associated timestamps.    
   
   
       9 . The machine-accessible medium of  claim 8 , further comprising initiating the instant messaging session.  
   
   
       10 . The machine-accessible medium of  claim 8 , further comprising receiving a request to record a history of the instant messaging session.  
   
   
       11 . The machine-accessible medium of  claim 8 , further comprising receiving a request to playback a history of the instant messaging session.  
   
   
       12 . The machine-accessible medium of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more instant messaging events comprise one or more of a text message, a file transfer, an input device movement, status information, an offline indication, a returned from offline indication, an away indication, a returned from away indication, a secure session established indication, a secure session error indication, an other error indication, a session beginning, and a session ending.  
   
   
       13 . The machine-accessible medium of  claim 12 , wherein the input device movement comprises one or more of highlighting text and a pointer movement.  
   
   
       14 . The machine-accessible medium of  claim 8 , wherein the timestamps have a fidelity of one second or less.  
   
   
       15 . A client computer system of an instant messaging system, the client computer system comprising: 
 a communications module, the communications module being adapted to send and receive information to and from a second client computer system;    an instant messaging client to initiate an instant messaging session with the second client computer system via the communications module, the instant messaging client being adapted to send and receive one or more instant messaging events as part of an instant messaging session; and    an instant messaging history module in communication with the instant messaging client, the instant messaging history module being adapted to record an a history of the instant messaging session, the instant messaging history module being further adapted to playback the recorded instant messaging session history.    
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising an input device tracking module to track movement of a user input device and to determine tracking information, wherein the communications module is adapted to transmit the tracking information to a different client computer system.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising an input device movement translator to translate received tracking information to an equivalent movement for display to a user.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising an instant messaging history database in communication with the instant messaging history module, the instant messaging history database being adapted to store one or more instant messaging history sessions.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more instant messaging events comprise one or more of a text message, a file transfer, an input device movement, status information, an offline indication, a returned from offline indication, an away indication, a returned from away indication, a secure session established indication, a secure session error indication, an other error indication, a session beginning, and a session ending.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the playback of the recorded instant messaging session history comprises one or more of a text playback, a video playback, or an audio playback.