Systems and methods for searching multiple instant messages

A method of hosting electronic conversations, comprising:

• at a computer system having one or more processors and memory storing programs for execution by the one or more processors,
• maintaining a plurality of conversations, each having an identified set of participants;
• maintaining for each respective participant in one or more of the conversations, a respective participant-specific inverse index of terms in conversations for which the respective participant is an identified participant;
• and
• in response to receiving a search query from a first participant of a first conversation in the plurality of conversations, using the participant-specific inverse index corresponding to the first participant to identify a search result, including a list of one or more conversations in the plurality of conversations that match the search request, and providing the search result to the first participant;
• wherein the plurality of conversations are instant messaging conversations, and participants in each conversation in the plurality of conversations are instant messaging participants.

A computer system, the computer system including:

• one or more processors;
• memory;
• and
• one or more programs, stored in the memory, for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
• maintaining a plurality of conversations, each having an identified set of participants;
• maintaining for each respective participant in one or more of the conversations, a respective participant-specific inverse index of terms in conversations for which the respective participant is an identified participant;
• responding to receiving a search query from a first participant of a first conversation in the plurality of conversations by:
• using the participant-specific inverse index corresponding to the first participant to identify a second conversation in the plurality of conversations as relevant to the search query, and
• formatting all or a portion of the second conversation for display to the first participant;
• wherein the plurality of conversations are instant messaging conversations, and participants in each conversation in the plurality of conversations are instant messaging participants.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein instructions, which when executed by one or more processors in a computer system, cause the computer system to:

• maintain a plurality of conversations, each having an identified set of participants;
• maintain for each respective participant in one or more of the conversations, a respective participant-specific inverse index of terms in conversations for which the respective participant is an identified participant;
• respond to receiving a search query from a first participant of a first conversation in the plurality of conversations by:
• using the participant-specific inverse index corresponding to the first participant to identify a second conversation in the plurality of conversations as relevant to the search query, and
• format all or a portion of the second conversation for display to the first participant;
• wherein the plurality of conversations are instant messaging conversations, and participants in each conversation in the plurality of conversations are instant messaging participants.