Systems and methods for interfacing with a user in instant messaging

• US 20020184309A1
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Barrett, Peter T., Danker, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 6,983,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/237 Lexical tools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/289 Phrasal analysis, e.g. finite state techniques or chunking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Reducing the amount of input required by a user to enter an electronic message. When an electronic message is received, one or more language expressions associated with the electronic message are displayed to a user. The user may select one or more of the language expressions and have the full text of all the selected language expressions included in a reply electronic message. Icons, which represent a user'"'"'s capability to engage in an electronic messaging session, may also be displayed. When a user changes their capability to engage in an electronic messaging session, for instance when they go offline, a command may be sent to other users. This command may take the form of a character sequence not normally occurring in written language, which is interpreted by network devices and changes the display of the icon associated with a the user who went offline.

Claims

1. In a network system including at least two network devices network connectable so as to be capable of engaging in an instant messaging session, a method for users of the at least two network devices to communicate via instant messaging, the method reducing the amount of input required by the users, the method comprising:

a first network device receiving a first instant message;

automatically, and without user intervention, extracting one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message;

displaying one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message at the first network device;

receiving a user selection of one or more of the language expressions displayed at the first network device; and

including the selected language expressions in a reply instant message to the first instant message.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a first network device receiving a first instant message comprises the following:

a television set top box receiving a first instant message.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the a television set top box receiving a first instant message comprises the following:

a television set top box associated with a cable television network receiving a first instant message.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein extracting one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message comprises the following:

extracting one or more language expressions from the contents of the first instant message.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein extracting one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message comprises the following:

extracting one or more language expressions from closed caption data.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein extracting one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message comprises the following:

extracting one or more language expressions from text manually entered by the user.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein extracting one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message comprises the following:

extracting one or more language expressions from a data dictionary.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein extracting one or more language expressions from a data dictionary comprises the following:

extracting one or more language expressions from a data dictionary that includes language expressions from previously received instant messages.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein displaying one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message at the first network device comprises the following:

displaying one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message on a video display associated with the first network device.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein displaying one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message on a video display associated with the first network device comprises the following:

displaying one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message on a video display associated with a television.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

displaying other received content on the video display associated with the television.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message and other received content are displayed on the video display simultaneously.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein displaying other received content on the video display comprises the following:

displaying television programming on the video display.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message and television programming are displayed on the video display simultaneously.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein displaying one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message comprises the following:

displaying only some of the one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

scrambling the displayed language expressions associated with the first instant message in order to display other language expressions that were not displayed before the scrambling occurred.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving a user selection of one or more of the language expressions displayed at the first network device comprises the following:

receiving from a limited input device a user selection of one or more of the language expressions displayed at the first network device.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein receiving from a limited input device a user selection of one or more of the language expressions displayed at the first network device comprises the following:

receiving from a remote control a user selection of one or more of the language expressions displayed at the first network device.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein receiving from a limited input device a user selection of one or more of the language expressions displayed at the first network device comprises the following:

receiving from limited input device a user selection of one or more of the language expressions displayed on a television.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein receiving from limited input device a user selection of one or more of the language expressions displayed on a television comprises the following:

receiving from remote control a user selection of one or more of the language expressions displayed on a television.

21. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

the first network device displaying one or more icons associated with users of other network devices that are network connectable to the first network device so that each is capable of engaging in an instant messaging session with the user of the first network device; and

receiving a user selection of one of the displayed icons, the selection of the displayed icon enabling an instant messaging session to the user of the network device associated with the selected icon.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

displaying previous instant messages received from the user of the network device associated with selected icon.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising;

changing the appearance of one or more icons when a specific character sequence not typically occurring in written language is received by the first network device.

25. The computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein the computer-readable medium is one or more physical storage media.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein receiving a first electronic mail message on a first network device comprises the following:

a television set top box receiving a first electronic mail message.

28. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein displaying one or more language expressions associated with the first electronic mail message at the first network device comprises the following:

displaying one or more language expressions associated with the first electronic mail message on a video display associated with a television.

29. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein receiving a user selection of one or more of the language expressions displayed at the first network device comprises the following:

receiving a user selection of one or more language expressions displayed on a video display associated with a television.

24. A computer program product for implementing, in a first network device associated with a network system including at least two network devices that are network connectable so as to be capable of engaging in an instant messaging session, a method for users of the at least two network devices to communicate via instant messaging, the method reducing the amount of input required by the users, the computer product comprising:

a computer-readable medium carrying computer-readable instructions, that when executed at the first network device, cause the first network device to perform the following;

receiving a first instant message;

automatically, and without user intervention, extracting one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message;

displaying one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message; and

receiving a user selection of one or more of the displayed language expressions

including the selected language expressions are to be included in a reply instant message to the first instant message.

26. In a network system including at least two network devices network connectable so as to be capable of performing electronic mail operations, one of the at least two network devices being a television, a method for users of the at least two network devices to communicate via electronic mail, the method reducing the amount of input required by the users, the method comprising:

a first network device receiving a first electronic mail message;

automatically, and without user intervention, extracting one or more language expressions associated with the first electronic mail message;

displaying one or more language expressions associated with the first electronic mail message at the first network device;

receiving a user selection of one or more of the language expressions displayed at the first network device; and

including the selected language expressions in a reply electronic mail message to the first electronic mail message.

30. In a network system including one or more network devices, the network devices being network connectable so as to be capable of engaging in an instant messaging session, a method for a first user of a first network device associated with a television to determine the capability of a second user to engage in an instant messaging session, the method reducing the amount of input required by users, the method comprising:

displaying an initial status icon to the first user of the first network device so as to represent the second user'"'"'s capability to engage in an instant messaging session;

associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon;

the first network device receiving the specific character sequence associated with the changed status icon; and

displaying the changed status icon to the first user of the first network device so as to represent a change in the second user'"'"'s capability to engage in an instant messaging session.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the first network device receiving the specific character sequence associated with the changed status icon comprises the following:

the first network device receiving an instant message that includes the specific character sequence associated with the changed status icon.

32. The method in claim 30, wherein associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon comprises the following:

associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon that represents the state of the second user.

33. The method in claim 32, wherein associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon that represents the state of the second user comprises the following:

associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon that represents the second user is offline.

34. The method in claim 32, wherein associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon that represents the state of the second user comprises the following:

associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon that represents the second user is online and ready to engage in an instant messaging session.

35. The method in claim 32, wherein associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon that represents the state of the second user comprises the following:

associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon that represents the second user is online but cannot engage in an instant messaging system.

36. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the first network device is a television set top box associated with a cable television network.

37. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein the initial status icon and the changed status icon are displayed on a television associated with the television set top box.

38. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon comprises the following:

associating a specific character sequence not normally occurring in written language with a changed status icon.

39. The method as recited in claim 38, wherein associating a specific character sequence not normally occurring in written language with a changed status icon comprises the following:

associating a specific character sequence not normally occurring in written language with a changed status icon that represents the state of the second user.