Platforms, systems, and media for providing multi-room chat stream with hierarchical navigation

Abstract

Described are chat platforms, systems, applications, and methods including multi-room chat streams and navigable, topical hierarchies of chat rooms. Users are provided with the option of choosing different identity profiles for different chat rooms, and chat messages are visually distinguished in the stream based on the identity in use.

1 . A chat platform comprising:
 a. a plurality of mobile processors each configured to provide a mobile application comprising:
 i. a software module for allowing a user to browse and select a public chat room, the public chat room selected from a topical hierarchy of public chat rooms; 
 ii. a software module for allowing the user to create and enter a chat room, the chat room a public chat room or a private chat room; 
   b. a server processor configured to provide a server application comprising:
 i. a database of public chat rooms and private chat rooms, each chat room comprising a topic, the public chat rooms organized into a hierarchy of public chat rooms; 
 ii. a software module for receiving a request from the user to enter a selected public chat room and in response to the request, entering the user into a public chat room higher in the topical hierarchy of public chat rooms where the user-selected public chat room has less than the pre-determined number of users; 
 iii. a software module for transmitting a notification to the user when the user-selected public chat room meets the pre-determined number of users; 
   
     
     
         2 . The platform of  claim 1 , wherein the topical hierarchy of public chat rooms is filtered based on location of the user and comprises chat rooms with topics relevant to the location. 
     
     
         3 . The platform of  claim 1 , wherein the software module for allowing the user to create and enter a chat room includes features for tagging a public chat room, the tags used to integrate the public chat room into the topical hierarchy of public chat rooms. 
     
     
         4 . The platform of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile application further comprises a software module for allowing the user to select an anonymity setting from a plurality of anonymity settings, the selected anonymity setting determining information about the user available to other chat users. 
     
     
         5 . The platform of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile application further comprises a software module for allowing the user to configure a plurality of identity profiles, an identity profile determining how the user is identified to other users in a chat room. 
     
     
         6 . The platform of  claim 1 , wherein the server application further comprises a software module for recommending a chat room to the user, the recommendation based at least in part on activity of the chat room. 
     
     
         7 . The platform of  claim 1 , wherein the server application further comprises a software module for creating a new chat room, the creation of the new chat room based at least in part on activity of existing chat rooms. 
     
     
         8 . A computer-implemented system comprising:
 a. a mobile processing device comprising an operating system configured to perform executable instructions and a memory device;   b. a mobile application including instructions executable by the mobile processing device to create a chat environment comprising:
 i. a software module for allowing a user to browse and select a public chat room, the public chat room selected from a topical hierarchy of public chat rooms; wherein if a user selects a public chat room having less than a pre-determined number of users, the user is entered into a public chat room higher in the topical hierarchy of public chat rooms and the user is notified when the user-selected public chat room achieves the pre-determined number of users; and 
 ii. a software module for allowing the user to create and enter a chat room, the user designating the chat room as a public chat room or a private chat room, the chat room comprising a topic. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the topical hierarchy of public chat rooms is filtered based on location of the user and comprises chat rooms with topics relevant to the location. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the software module for allowing the user to create and enter a chat room includes features for tagging a public chat room, the tags used to integrate the public chat room into the topical hierarchy of public chat rooms. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the chat environment further comprises a software module for allowing the user to select an anonymity setting from a plurality of anonymity settings, the selected anonymity setting determining information about the user available to other chat users. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the chat environment further comprises a software module for allowing the user to configure a plurality of identity profiles, an identity profile determining how the user is identified to other users in a chat room. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the chat environment further comprises a software module for recommending a chat room to the user, the recommendation based at least in part on activity of the chat room. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the chat environment further comprises a software module for creating a new chat room, the creation of the new chat room based at least in part on activity of existing chat rooms. 
     
     
         15 . A chat platform comprising:
 a. a plurality of mobile processors each configured to provide a mobile application comprising:
 i. a software module for allowing a user to browse and select a public chat room, the public chat room selected from a topical hierarchy of public chat rooms; 
 ii. a software module for allowing the user to create and enter a chat room, the chat room a public chat room or a private chat room; 
 iii. a software module for presenting a chat stream to the user, the chat stream comprising: chat messages from one or more entered public chat rooms, chat messages from one or more entered private chat rooms, and direct messages, wherein the messages are organized to form the stream, wherein chat messages from public chat rooms are visually distinguished in the stream from chat messages from private chat rooms and direct messages; 
 iv. a software module for allowing the user to configure a plurality of identity profiles, an identity profile determining how the user is identified to other users in a chat room, wherein chat messages are visually distinguished in the stream based on identity in use; 
   b. a server processor configured to provide a server application comprising:
 i. a database of public chat rooms and private chat rooms, each chat room comprising a topic, the public chat rooms organized into a hierarchy of public chat rooms; 
 ii. a software module for consolidating chat messages from one or more chat rooms entered by the user and direct messages to form a chat stream for the user. 
   
     
     
         16 . The platform of  claim 15 , wherein the chat environment further comprises a software module for reversibly hiding chat messages from one or more chat rooms in the stream, wherein the hiding is for a specified time period or indefinite. 
     
     
         17 . The platform of  claim 15 , wherein the topical hierarchy of public chat rooms is filtered based on location of the user and comprises chat rooms with topics relevant to the location. 
     
     
         18 . The platform of  claim 17 , wherein chat messages from local chat rooms are visually distinguished in the stream from chat messages from non-local chat rooms. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The platform of  claim 15 , wherein the chat environment further comprises a software module for recommending a chat room to the user, the recommendation based at least in part on activity of the chat room. 
     
     
         22 . The platform of  claim 15 , wherein the chat environment further comprises a software module for creating a new chat room, the creation of the new chat room based at least in part on activity of existing chat rooms. 
     
     
         23 . A computer-implemented system comprising:
 a. a mobile processing device comprising an operating system configured to perform executable instructions and a memory device;   b. a mobile application including instructions executable by the mobile processing device to create a chat environment comprising:
 i. a software module for allowing a user to browse and select a public chat room, the public chat room selected from a topical hierarchy of public chat rooms; 
 ii. a software module for allowing the user to create and enter a chat room, the user designating the chat room as a public chat room or a private chat room, the chat room comprising a topic; 
 iii. a software module for presenting a chat stream to the user, the chat stream comprising: chat messages from one or more entered public chat rooms, chat messages from one or more entered private chat rooms, and direct messages, wherein the messages are organized to form the stream, wherein chat messages from public chat rooms are visually distinguished in the stream from chat messages from private chat rooms and direct messages; and 
 iv. a software module for allowing the user to configure a plurality of identity profiles, an identity profile determining how the user is identified to other users in a chat room, wherein chat messages are visually distinguished in the stream based on identity in use. 
   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the chat environment further comprises a software module for reversibly hiding chat messages from one or more chat rooms in the stream, wherein the hiding is for a specified time period or indefinite. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the topical hierarchy of public chat rooms is filtered based on location of the user and comprises chat rooms with topics relevant to the location. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein chat messages from local chat rooms are visually distinguished in the stream from chat messages from non-local chat rooms. 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the chat environment further comprises a software module for recommending a chat room to the user, the recommendation based at least in part on activity of the chat room. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the chat environment further comprises a software module for creating a new chat room, the creation of the new chat room based at least in part on activity of existing chat rooms.