Instant messaging

• US 20010003202A1
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Published: 06/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mache, Niels, Kovacs, Erno
• Application Number:
  US09/727,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20010003202A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/153
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems unified messaging in packet switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1225 Details of core network interconnection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system that enables the nearly real-time transmission of messages originated and received from/by heterogeneous communication networks. The purpose of instant messaging is to transmit high priority messages in (nearly) real-time between clients (man and machine). Unified messaging merges analog and digital transmitted messages such as facsimile, voice mail, e-mail, WWW and the cell phone short message service (GSM/SMS) to unified instant messages. A Unified Instant Messaging System (UIMS) consists of four major components: distributed gateways, message brokers, message processors and a client directory database. Messages of arbitrary form can be translated into Unified Instant Messages (UIM) by Instant Message Gateways (IMGateways). Instant Message Brokers (IMBrokers) control the message flow and further message processing. IMBrokers also ensure message authenticity and security. Further processing steps on an instant message can be performed anywhere in the IP network by Instant Message Processors (IMP) provided by Instant Message Service Providers (IMSP).

Claims

1. System for transmitting messages over a multimedia network from a sending client to a target client, the messages comprising target client information, the system comprising:

a plurality of message gateways (3, 7, 8), each message gateway (3, 7, 8) being configurated for the reception and/or transmission over at least one dedicated transfer medium, and

a message broker (1) connected to the message gateways (3, 7, 8) and being provided with a client database (2),

wherein a first message gateway receives a message from a sending client over a first transfer medium and transmits the message and/or an information extracted thereof to the message broker (1), the message broker (1) automatically selects an appropriate second transfer medium depending on the content of the client database (2) and the supplied message and/or an information extracted thereof, and the message is sent to the target client by means of a second message gateway configured for a transmission over the second transfer medium selected by the message broker (1).

2. System according to

claim 1

, characterized by a common internal message format for the communication respectively between the message broker (1) and the message gateways.

3. System according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that the message gateways are distributed over the network.

4. System according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transfer media comprise analog and digital transfer media.

5. System according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized by at least one message processor (4) provided between the first and the second message gateway for further processing the content of the message to be transmitted.

6. System according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that the client database (2) comprises addresses of clients, client preferences and/or characteristics of the transfer network to the corresponding target client.

9. System according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of message broker s (1, 1′

) is provided

10. System according to

claim 9

, characterized in that at least one message broker (1′

) being connected with a client database (2′

) with reduced capacity.

11. System according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that the messages respectively contain a non-granted encrypted and a granted non-encrypted part.

7. System according to anyone to the preceding claims, characterized in that the message broker (1) is designed to furthermore perform processing control and/or security processing.

8. System according to anyone to the preceding claims, characterized in that the message broker (1) is designed to furthermore perform accounting and/or billing.

12. Message broker unit for a distributed multimedia system, characterized in that it is designed to autonomously select an appropriate transfer medium out of a plurality of transfer media for messages received from a sending client and to be transferred to a target client, wherein the message broker (1) is connected to a client database (2) and the transfer medium selection is performed depending on target client information and the content of the client database (2).

13. Message broker unit according to

claim 12

, characterized in that the transfer medium selection is performed depending on the target network, the message type and/or client preferences contained in the client database.

14. Message broker according to anyone of claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the messages respectively contain a non-granted encrypted and a granted non-encrypted part.

15. Method for sending messages over a multimedia network from a sending client to a target client, the messages comprising target client information, the method comprising the following steps:

transmitting the message from the sending client to a message broker (1) over a first transfer medium, and

transmitting the message to the target client over a second transfer medium, wherein the second transfer medium can be identical to the first transfer medium, wherein the message broker (1) selects an appropriate second transfer medium out of a plurality of transfer media depending on the content of a client database (2) connected to the message broker (1) and the target client information.

16. Method according to

claim 15

, characterized in that the transmission of the message from the sending client to the target client is performed essentially in real-time.

17. Method according to

claim 15

or

16

, characterized in that a conversion from the first transfer medium to the second transfer medium is performed depending on the target network, the message type and/or client preferences contained in the client database (2).

18. Method according to anyone of

claims 15

to

17

, characterized in that before the transmission to the target client, the content of the message is further processed by digital signing, encryption, watermarking and/or language translation.

19. Method according to anyone of

claims 15

to

18

, characterized in that a lifetime is attributed to each message and the message is only transmitted until the expiration of the lifetime.

20. Method according to anyone of

claims 15

to

19

, characterized in that the messages respectively contain a non-granted encrypted and a granted non-encrypted part.

21. Software program product, characterized in that when loaded into a computer, it implements a method according to anyone of

claims 15

to

20

.