Apparatus and method for quickly sending messages

• US 10,084,730 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2014
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Inventors: McNiece, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Minh Chau
• Application Number:
  US14/519,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20160112351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

A communication apparatus is configured to provide for quickly sending a message to a recipient. For instance, embodiments can be configured so that text, an image, or other content can be copied from a received message and sent via use of a copy and send command to actuate the formation of a message for sending. After selecting such a command, a message may be formed in a format of a preselecting messaging protocol (e.g. instant messaging, text messaging, etc.) that includes the copied content. In some embodiments, the sending of the message having the copied content may occur automatically in a predefined messaging format to a predefined addressee or group of predefined addressees after selecting a copy and send command so that no further input from a user is needed to effect the generation and sending of a message to the addressee(s).

Claims

1. A method of quickly sending at least one message comprising:

selecting content data in a message within a series of messages exchanged between users of a communication service displayed in a graphical user interface that is displayed on a display unit;

actuating a copy and send command after selecting the content data;

generating, by a first communication terminal, a generated message in a pre-selected messaging format having the content data copied within the generated message in response to actuation of the copy and send command; and

automatically sending, by the first communication terminal, the generated message after actuation of the copy and send command such that no further user input is needed to actuate the sending of the generated message and no further input is provided for editing or otherwise manipulating the generated message prior to the generated message being sent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated message is generated such that the generated message is automatically addressed to a pre-selected addressee by the first communication terminal in response to actuation of the copy and send command.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pre-selected messaging format of the generated message is defined by the graphical user interface from which the content data is selected and the selected content data is an entirety of content in the generated message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the pre-selected addressee for the generated message is an address of at least one user associated with an open conversation display within the graphical user interface displaying the selected content data via the display unit.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the content data comprises at least one of text and graphical data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated message is sent to a messaging support node for delivery to at least one addressee of the generated message.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising:

delivering the generated message, by the messaging support node, to a second communication terminal associated with an addressee of the message.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising:

sending authentication data from the second communication terminal to the messaging support node; and

wherein the messaging support node sends the generated message to the second communication terminal after receiving the authentication data and verifying that the authentication data associates the second communication terminal with the addressee of the message.

9. A communication system comprising:

a first communication terminal having hardware, the hardware comprising at least one processor communicatively connected to non-transitory memory;

a messaging support node having hardware, the hardware comprising at least one processor communicatively connected to non-transitory memory, the messaging support node being communicatively connectable to the first communication terminal;

the first communication terminal configured to select content data in a message within a series of messages exchanged between users of a communication service displayed in a graphical user interface that is displayed on a display unit in response to receipt of input to effect selection of the content data;

the first communication terminal configured to generate a generated message in a pre-selected messaging format having the selected content data copied within the message in response to actuation of a copy and send command; and

the first communication terminal configured to automatically send the generated message in the pre-selected messaging format to the messaging support node for delivery of the generated message to at least one second communication terminal associated with at least one addressee of the generated message such that, after actuation of the copy and send command, no further user input is needed to actuate generation and sending of the generated message prior to the generated message being sent by the first communication terminal.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the generated message is generated such that the generated message is automatically addressed to a pre-selected addressee by the first communication terminal in response to actuation of the copy and send command.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the pre-selected messaging format of the generated message is defined by the graphical user interface or an open conversation from which the content data is selected;

and

the first communication terminal is configured to automatically send the generated message in response to the actuation of the copy and send command such that no further input is provided to the first communication terminal from a user after actuation of the copy and send command for editing or otherwise manipulating the generated message prior to the sending of the generated message.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the pre-selected addressee for the generated message is an address associated with a user associated with the open conversation having an exchange of messages displayed within the graphical user interface displaying the selected content data via a display unit of the first communication terminal and wherein an entirety of content of the generated message is the selected content data.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the display unit is a display device of the first communication terminal or is a display device communicatively connected to the first communication terminal.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the messaging support node is configured to deliver the generated message to each second communication terminal associated with a respective addressee of the generated message in response to receiving authentication data from the second communication terminal that authenticates the second communication terminal.

15. The system of claim 14, comprising:

the at least one second communication terminal, each second communication terminal configured to send the authentication data to the messaging support node, the authentication data comprising a password of an addressee of the generated message for authentication of the second communication terminal for receiving the generated message from the messaging support node.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the content data comprises at least one of text and graphical data.

17. A communication terminal, comprising:

hardware, the hardware comprising a processor communicatively connected to non-transitory memory and at least one transceiver unit, the memory having an application stored thereon that defines a copy and send command such that the communication terminal is configured to automatically generate a generated message and send the generated message having copied content within the message in response to actuation of the copy and send command that occurs while displayed content data is selected, the copied content within the generated message being a copy of the content data and the generated message being automatically sent such that no further user input is needed to actuate the sending of the message; and

wherein the copied content data is content data selected from content of a message within a series of messages exchanged between users of a communication service displayed in a graphical user interface that is displayed on a display unit.

18. The communication terminal of claim 17, wherein the communication terminal is configured such that the communication terminal generates the generated message in a pre-selected messaging format having the content data selected for copying being copied within the generated message in response to actuation of the copy and send command;

and

the communication terminal sends the generated message in the pre-selected messaging format to a messaging support node for delivery of the generated message to at least one other communication terminal associated with at least one addressee of the generated message.

19. The communication terminal of claim 18, wherein the pre-selected messaging format of the message is defined by the graphical user interface from which the content data is selected;

and

the communication terminal is configured to automatically send the generated message in response to the actuation of the copy and send command such that no further input is providable for editing or otherwise manipulating the generated message prior to the generated message being sent.

20. The communication terminal of claim 19, wherein the addressee of the generated message is a pre-selected addressee associated with an open conversation displayed within the graphical user interface displaying the selected content data via the display unit, the display unit being a display device of the communication terminal.