Joint communication sessions

Abstract

Online communication sessions may be joined in an environment that includes receiving a first communication between a first user and a second user and enabling the rendering of the first communication at devices associated with the first and second users. A second communication between the first user and a third user is received and the rendering of the second communication at devices associated with the first and third users is enabled. After receiving the first and second communications, a trigger to join at least the communication sessions associated with the first, second, and third users is received from the first, second, or third user. Information structured and arranged to render, in a single window, text associated with the first and second communications at the devices associated with the first, second, and third users is generated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for joining online communication sessions, the method comprising:
 receiving a first communication between a first user and a second user;   enabling the rendering of the first communication at devices associated with the first and second users;   receiving a second communication between the first user and a third user;   enabling the rendering of the second communication at devices associated with the first and third users;   receiving, from the first, second, or third user, after receiving the first and second communication, a trigger to join at least the communication sessions associated with the first, second, and third users; and   generating information structured and arranged to render, in a single window, text associated with the first and second communications at the devices associated with the first, second, and third users.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a third communication between the second user and the third user and enabling the rendering of the third communication at the devices associated with the second and third users before receiving the trigger; and 
 generating information structured and arranged to render, in a single window, text associated with the first, second, and third communications at the devices associated with the first, second, and third users. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving a trigger to join at least the communication sessions between the first, second, and third users includes receiving a trigger to join the communication sessions between the first, second, third, and a fourth user, wherein the fourth user is not involved in a communication session with any of the first, second, or third users. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein generating information structured and arranged to render text associated with the first and second communications includes generating information structured and arranged to render text associated with the first and second communications at the device associated with the fourth user. 
     
     
         5 . The method  claim 1  wherein enabling the rendering of the first communication session includes generating information structured and arranged to render information associated with the first communication at only either one or both of the devices associated with either the first or second users. 
     
     
         6 . A method for joining online communication sessions, the method comprising:
 sending, from a user to multiple specified users, a trigger to join two or more user-to-user communication sessions which include previous user communications to multiple specified users, into a joint communication session;   rendering, at a device associated with the user, the joint communication session including some or all of the text rendered in each of the user communications prior to the sending of the trigger; and   rendering at the device associated with the user, future communications directed to the joint communication from users associated with the joint communication.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein at least one of the communication sessions was not rendered at the device associated with the user prior to the sending of the trigger. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein sending a trigger to join two or more user-to-user communication sessions includes sending a trigger configured to establish a joint communication in which at least some of the text associated with each previous user communication is included in the rendered joint communication. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6  wherein sending a trigger to join two or more user-to-user communication sessions includes sending a trigger configured to establish a joint communication in which at least some of the text associated with each previous user communication involving the user is included in the rendered joint communication. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6  wherein sending a trigger to join two or more user-to-user communication sessions includes sending a trigger configured to establish a joint communication in which none of the text of previous user communications is included in the rendered joint communication. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6  wherein sending a trigger to join two or more user-to-user communication sessions includes sending a trigger configured to establish a joint communication in which users not included in the user-to-user communication sessions are enabled to be included in the joint communication. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein sending a trigger to join two or more user-to-user communication sessions includes sending a trigger configured to establish a joint communication in which, after the joint communication is rendered, users not included in the user-to-user communication sessions are enabled to be included in the joint communication. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6  wherein sending a trigger to join two or more user-to-user communication sessions includes sending a trigger configured to establish a joint communication in which a user may send media content to be rendered with the joint communication session. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising rendering user communications in the joint communication in chronological order. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising rendering a chronological indication between user communications occurring before establishment of the joint communication and user communications after establishment of the joint communication. 
     
     
         16 . An article comprising a computer-readable medium having encoded thereon software for enabling rendering of a joint communication, the software including instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
 enable the establishment and rendering of a first instance of a joint communication at devices associated with joint communication users, the first instance including:
 text associated with user-to-user communications which were originally sent from and to the joint communication users, and 
 text associated with a first communication sent from any of the joint communication users; and 
   enable the establishment and rendering of a second instance of the joint communication at a device associated with an additional user, after the sending of the first communication, the second instance including:
 text associated with user-to-user communications which were originally sent from and to the joint communication users, 
 text associated with a user-to-user communication between a user of the joint communication and the additional user, and 
 text associated with the first instance of the joint communication sent from any of the joint communication users. 
   
     
     
         17 . The article of  claim 16  further comprising instructions to enable text associated with communications in the joint communication to be rendered in chronological order. 
     
     
         18 . The article of  claim 17  further comprising instructions to enable the joint communication to include a chronological indication between text associated with communications before the establishment of the joint communication and text associated with communications after the establishment of the joint communication. 
     
     
         19 . The article of  claim 16  further comprising instructions to enable the joint communication users to be connected to the Internet using multiple communication programs. 
     
     
         20 . The article of  claim 16  further comprising instructions to enable the joint communication to be closed for all users by the selection of an option to cancel by one of the joint communication users.