Instant messaging with voice conference feature

• US 20030126207A1
• Filed: 01/03/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Creamer, Thomas E., Moore, Victor S., Walters, Glen R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,216,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/652 Call initiation triggered by text message
• 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: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13336 Store & forward, messaging systems email H04Q2213/13375
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13375 Electronic mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges

Abstract

An instant messaging or chat (IM/chat) communication method can include a series of steps. The steps can include inserting in an instant message (IM) a voice conference identifier comprising a voice conference call list identifying conference call nodes. The IM can be transmitted to a recipient at a recipient node. Responsive to the recipient selecting the voice conference identifier, a voice conference call between selected ones of the identified conference call nodes can be established.

Claims

1. An instant messaging or chat (IM/chat) communication method comprising the steps of:

inserting in an instant message (IM) a voice conference identifier comprising a voice conference call list identifying conference call nodes;

transmitting said IM to a recipient at a recipient node, wherein responsive to said recipient selecting said voice conference identifier, a voice conference call between selected ones of said identified conference call nodes is established.

2. The IM/chat communication method of claim 1, wherein said conference call is established using Voice over IP (VoIP) based voice communications links.

3. The IM/chat communication method of claim 1, wherein said conference call is established using telephony-based voice communications links over a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

4. The IM/chat communication method of claim 1, wherein said voice conference call list specifies telephone numbers for said identified conference call nodes.

5. The IM/chat communication method of claim 1, wherein said voice conference call list specifies IP addresses for said identified conference call nodes.

6. The IM/chat communication method of claim 1, said inserting step further comprising:

inserting in said IM/chat message a selectable symbol for initiating said voice conference call with said selected ones of said identified conference call nodes.

7. The IM/chat communication method of claim 1, said inserting step further comprising:

inserting in said IM/chat message a plurality of selectable symbols, each said symbol for initiating a voice communications link with a selected one of said identified conference call nodes.

8. The IM/chat communication method of claim 1, said inserting step further comprising:

embedding computer program code in said IM/chat message, wherein said computer program code is configured to establish a plurality of voice communications links between said selected ones of said identified conference call nodes thereby establishing said conference call.

9. An instant messaging or chat (IM/chat) communication method comprising the steps of:

detecting a voice conference identifier comprising a voice conference call list identifying conference call nodes in an IM/chat message received by a recipient at a recipient node;

responsive to detecting said voice conference identifier, displaying at least one selectable icon; and

responsive to a selection of said at least one selectable icon, establishing a voice conference call between selected ones of said identified conference call nodes.

10. The IM/chat communication method of claim 9, wherein said displaying step displays a single icon and said establishing step establishes said voice conference call between said selected ones of said identified conference call nodes responsive to said selection of said single icon.

11. The IM/chat communication method of claim 9, wherein said displaying step displays a plurality of icons, each said icon corresponding to one of said voice conference call nodes, and wherein said establishing step establishes a voice communications link with said selected ones of said conference call nodes responsive to said selection of corresponding ones of said plurality of icons.

12. The IM/chat communication method of claim 9, said establishing step further comprising:

extracting from said IM embedded computer program code configured to establish said voice conference call between said selected ones of said identified conference call nodes; and

responsive to said selection of said at least one icon, executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish said voice conference call.

13. The IM/chat communication method of claim 9, wherein said voice conference call list includes telephone numbers for said identified conference call nodes.

14. The IM/chat communication method of claim 9, wherein said voice conference call list includes IP addresses for said identified conference call nodes.

15. The IM/chat communication method of claim 9, wherein said voice conference call is established using Voice over IP (VoIP) based voice communications links.

16. The IM/chat communication method of claim 9, wherein said voice conference call is established using telephony-based voice communications links over a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

17. The IM/chat communication method of claim 9, said establishing step further comprising:

responsive to said selection of said at least one icon, determining a telephone number or an IP address for said selected ones of said identified conference call nodes based on said voice conference call list.

18. An instant message comprising:

header information, said header information identifying a sending node and a recipient node;

a message portion, said message portion displaying content from said sending node to said recipient node; and

a voice conference identifier comprising a voice conference call list specifying conference call nodes to be connected via a voice conference call, wherein said recipient node is a conference call node.

19. The instant message of claim 18, further comprising:

embedded computer program code, wherein said computer program code is configured to establish a plurality of voice communications links between selected ones of said specified conference call nodes thereby establishing said conference call.

20. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

inserting in an instant message (IM) a voice conference identifier comprising a voice conference call list identifying conference call nodes;

transmitting said IM to a recipient at a recipient node, wherein responsive to said recipient selecting said voice conference identifier, a voice conference call between selected ones of said identified conference call nodes is established.

21. The machine readable storage of claim 20, wherein said conference call is established using a Voice over IP (VoIP) based voice communications links.

22. The machine readable storage of claim 20, wherein said conference call is established using telephony-based voice communications links over a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

23. The machine readable storage of claim 20, wherein said voice conference call list specifies telephone numbers for said identified conference call nodes.

24. The machine readable storage of claim 20, wherein said voice conference call list specifies IP addresses for said identified conference call nodes.

25. The machine readable storage of claim 20, said inserting step further comprising:

inserting in said IM a selectable symbol for initiating said voice conference call with said selected ones of said identified conference call nodes.

26. The machine readable storage of claim 20, said inserting step further comprising:

inserting in said IM a plurality of selectable symbols, each said symbol for initiating a voice communications link with said selected ones of said identified conference call nodes.

27. The machine readable storage of claim 20, said inserting step further comprising:

embedding computer program code in said IM, wherein said computer program code is configured to establish a plurality of voice communications links between said selected ones of said identified conference call nodes thereby establishing said conference call.

28. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

detecting a voice conference identifier comprising a voice conference call list identifying conference call nodes in an instant message (IM) received by a recipient at a recipient node;

responsive to detecting said voice conference identifier, displaying at least one selectable icon; and

responsive to a selection of said at least one selectable icon, establishing a voice conference call between selected ones of said identified conference call nodes.

29. The machine readable storage of claim 28, wherein said displaying step displays a single icon and said establishing step establishes said voice conference call between said selected ones of said identified conference call nodes responsive to said selection of said single icon.

30. The machine readable storage of claim 28, wherein said displaying step displays a plurality of icons, each said icon corresponding to one of said voice conference call nodes, and wherein said establishing step establishes a voice communications link with said selected ones of said conference call nodes responsive to said selection of corresponding ones of said plurality of icons.

31. The machine readable storage of claim 28, said establishing step further comprising:

extracting from said IM embedded computer program code configured to establish said voice conference call between said selected ones of said identified conference call nodes; and

responsive to said selection of said at least one icon, executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish said voice conference call.

32. The machine readable storage of claim 28, wherein said voice conference call list includes telephone numbers for said identified conference call nodes.

33. The machine readable storage of claim 28, wherein said voice conference call list includes IP addresses for said identified conference call nodes.

34. The machine readable storage of claim 28, wherein said voice conference call is established using Voice over IP (VoIP) based voice communications links.

35. The machine readable storage of claim 28, wherein said voice conference call is established using telephony-based voice communications links over a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

36. The machine readable storage of claim 28, said establishing step further comprising:

responsive to said recipient selecting said at least one icon, determining a telephone number or an IP address for said selected ones of said identified conference call nodes based on said voice conference call list.

37. An instant messaging or chat session client comprising:

a conventional IM processor, said conventional IM processor extracting and displaying message text encapsulated in a received IM; and

,

a voice conference processor, said voice conference processor identifying a voice conference identifier encapsulated in said received IM, displaying at least one selectable icon in response to detecting said voice conference identifier, and responsive to a selection of said at least one selectable icon, establishing a voice conference call between selected conference call nodes specified by said voice conference identifier.