Method and system for displaying group chat sessions on wireless mobile terminals

A hand-held chat-enabled wireless mobile unit, comprising:

• a display screen;
• a user-operable switch for allowing a user to selectively operate the hand-held wireless mobile unit in either a first display mode or a second display mode;
• means, responsive to the user-operable switch, for operating the hand-held wireless mobile unit in the first display mode where the display screen presents a chat conversation without presenting a text edit area for a user to enter and edit chat messages, the displayed chat conversation being progressively updated in real-time so that chat messages included in the conversation scroll on the display;
• and
• means, responsive to the user-operable switch, for activating a text edit function and operating the hand-held wireless mobile unit in the second display mode where the display screen presents the text edit area on a portion of the display previously occupied by the displayed chat conversation while simultaneously continuing to present the chat conversation on reduced portion of the display, the text edit function allowing the user to compose one or more chat messages in the text edit area while the displayed chat conversation progresses.

A system for chat-room messaging between a plurality of hand-held chat-enabled wireless mobile terminals operating on one or more wireless carrier networks, comprising:

• the plurality of hand-held wireless mobile terminals, each including a display screen,
• a user-operable switch for allowing a user to selectively operate the hand-held wireless mobile terminal in either a first display mode or a second display mode,
• a chat application, responsive to the user-operable switch, including
• first software code for operating the hand-held wireless mobile terminal in the first display mode where the display screen presents a chat conversation without presenting a text edit area for a user to enter and edit chat messages, the displayed chat conversation being progressively updated in real-time so that chat messages included in the conversation scroll on the display, and
• second software code for activating a text edit function and operating the hand-held wireless mobile terminal in the second display mode where the display screen presents the text edit area on a portion of the display previously occupied by the displayed chat conversation while simultaneously continuing to present the chat conversation on reduced portion of the display, the text edit function allowing the user to compose one or more chat messages in the text edit area while the displayed chat conversation progresses;
• and
• a server, in communication with the hand-held wireless mobile terminals, for permitting chat conversations between the hand-held wireless mobile terminals.