Instant messaging session invite for arranging peer-to-peer communication between applications

• US 20030177184A1
• Filed: 06/14/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mejia, Benjamin A., Dickerman, Howard J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,233,979 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Arrangements and procedures for arranging peer-to-peer communications sessions between applications are described. In one implementation, a first application executing at a first device utilizes online presence information of an instant messaging service to select a second application with which to engage in the peer-to-peer session. The second application is associated with a second device and registered with the instant messaging service as being peer-to-peer session invite capable. The first application arranges the peer-to-peer session via components of the instant messaging service. The arranged peer-to-peer session is functionally independent of the instant messaging service.

Claims

1. A method for arranging peer-to-peer communications between first and second applications, the first application executing at a first device, the method comprising:

leveraging, by the first application, online presence information of an instant messaging service to select a second application with which to engage in the peer-to-peer session, the second application being registered with the instant messaging service as being peer-to-peer session invite capable; and

arranging, by the first application via components of the instant messaging service, a peer-to-peer session with the second application, the second application being associated with the second device, the peer-to-peer session being functionally independent of the instant messaging service.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the peer-to-peer session is arranged via a session invite interface exposed by first and second client platforms of the messaging service, the first application being a client platform of the messaging service and being hosted by the first device, the second client platform being hosted by the second device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the peer-to-peer session is between the second application and a third application executing on the first device, the second and third applications not being client platforms of the instant messaging service, and wherein arranging further comprises coordinating, by the first application, the peer-to-peer session via a fourth application executing on the second device, the first and fourth applications being respective client platforms of the instant messaging service.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the peer-to-peer session is arranged between the first and second applications, the first and second applications being client platforms of the instant messaging service.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein arranging the peer-to-peer session further comprises:

if the second application is not executing at the second device, launching the second application at the second device; and

,

if the first application is not executing at the first device, launching the first application at the first device.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second application is not loaded onto storage media corresponding to the second device, and wherein arranging the peer-to-peer session further comprises:

providing a location from which to obtain the second application;

downloading, by a client of the instant messaging service, the second application from the location; and

installing and launching the second application at the second device for subsequent peer-to-peer communication with the first application.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the peer-to-peer session is between the second application and a third application executing on the first device, the second and third applications not being client platforms of the instant messaging service, and wherein before leveraging and arranging, the method further comprises registering the second and third applications with the instant messaging service to indicate that they are peer-to-peer session capable.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the peer-to-peer session is between the second application and a third application executing on the first device, the second and third applications not being client platforms of the instant messaging service, and wherein before leveraging and arranging, the method further comprises:

registering the second and third applications with the instant messaging service to indicate that they are peer-to-peer session capable; and

responsive to registering the second and/or the third application, adding user interface (UI) components to the second and/or the third application, the UI components being responsive to user input to initiate the peer-to-peer session.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein arranging the peer-to-peer session further comprises:

obtaining registration information corresponding to the second application from the instant messaging service;

selecting, based on the registration information, the second application; and

communicating a session invitation to a client platform of the instant messaging service, the client platform executing at the second device, the session invitation for accepting or declining participation in the peer-to-peer session.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein selecting the second application is performed with or without user intervention.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein communicating the session invitation is performed by a different client platform of the instant messaging system, the different client platform executing at the first device.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

determining a status of the second application based on the online presence information; and

,

wherein communicating the session invitation is performed based on whether the status indicates that the first and/or second application is online or offline.

13. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-program instructions for arranging peer-to-peer communications between first and second networked applications, the computer-program instructions being executable by a processor, the computer-program instructions for performing a method as recited in claim 1.

14. A computing device for arranging peer-to-peer communications between first and second networked applications, the computing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory, the memory comprising computer-program instructions executable by the processor, the computer-program instructions for performing a method as recited in claim 1.

28. A computing device for arranging peer-to-peer communications between first and second networked applications, the computing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory, the memory comprising computer-executable instructions as recited in claim 13, the computer-executable instruction being executable by the processor.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions executable by a processor and for arranging peer-to-peer communications between first and second networked applications, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:

selecting a first application to participate in a peer-to-peer communication session;

inviting a second application to participate in the peer-to-peer communication session with the first application; and

wherein selecting the first application and inviting the second application are performed based on session invite information coordinated by an instant messaging service.

16. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the first and second applications are not platforms used by other applications to access the instant messaging service.

17. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the first and second applications are platforms used by other applications to access the instant messaging service.

18. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein selecting the first application and inviting the second application are performed independent of whether the first or second applications are respectively executing on the first or second devices.

19. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein inviting the second application to participate in the peer-to-peer communication session is done programmatically or via user interaction with a user interface.

20. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for registering an application with the instant messaging service to indicate to a different application that the application is capable of engaging in the peer-to-peer communication session, the first and second applications being registered with the instant messaging service.

21. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for:

registering the first application with the instant messaging service; and

responsive to registering the first application, adding one or more user interface (UI) components to the first application, the one or more UI components being responsive to user input to initiate the peer-to-peer communication session.

22. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for:

responsive to receiving a peer-to-peer session acceptance message, determining whether the first application is executing at the first device; and

responsive to determining that the first application is not executing, launching the first application for participation in the peer-to-peer communication session.

23. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for:

responsive to receiving a peer-to-peer session invite message, determining whether the second application is available at the second device; and

responsive to determining that the second application is not available, downloading the second application from a server coupled to the second device, the server being identified by the session invite message.

24. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for:

responsive to receiving a peer-to-peer session invite message, determining whether the second application is executing at the second device; and

responsive to determining that the second application is not executing, launching the second application for participation in the peer-to-peer communication session.

25. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions for inviting the second application to participate in the peer-to-peer communication session further comprise instructions for:

obtaining registration information corresponding to the second application from the instant messaging service; and

communicating a session invitation message to a messaging client platform associated with the second application, the session invitation message for accepting or declining participation by the second application in the peer-to-peer communication session.

26. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprising instructions for:

determining an online status of an entity based on presence information provided by the instant messaging service; and

wherein inviting the second application to participate in the peer-to-peer communication session is performed based on whether the online status indicates that entity is logged into the second device.

27. A method for arranging peer-to-peer communications between first and second networked applications, the method comprising performing multiple operations as recited by gerunds in the computer-readable medium of claim 15.

29. A device for using an instant messaging service to arrange a peer-to-peer communication session between networked applications the device comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising computer-program instructions executable by the processor, the computer-program instructions for;

receiving from the instant messaging service a plurality of application identifiers;

arranging, via the instant messaging session, a peer-to-peer session between first and second applications, the first and second applications being indicated by the application identifiers; and

wherein the peer-to-peer session is maintained by the first and second applications independent of the instant messaging service.

30. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein the first and second applications respectively comprise functionality independent of the instant messaging service.

31. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein the first or second application is a word processor, spreadsheet, e-mail, image processing, Web browser, or other application.

32. A device as recited in claim 29, wherein instructions for arranging the peer-to-peer session further comprise instructions for leveraging online presence information provided by the instant messaging service to determine that a messenger client platform executing at a device associated with the first or second application is available for assisting in arrangement of the peer-to-peer session.

33. A device as recited in claim 29, wherein the computer-program instructions, before instructions for receiving the application identifiers, further comprise instructions for:

registering the second application with the instant messaging service to indicate that the second application implements a session invite interface used by the instant messaging session to arrange the peer-to-peer session; and

issuing a request to the instant messaging service to determine peer-to-peer session capable applications that have registered with the instant messaging service.

34. A device as recited in claim 29, wherein the computer-program instructions for arranging the peer-to-peer session further comprise instructions for:

communicating a session invite message to a messaging client platform executing at a device associated with the first or second applications; and

responsive to communicating the session invite message, receiving a peer-to-peer session acceptance or decline message from the messaging client platform.

35. A device as recited in claim 29, wherein the computer-program instructions for arranging the peer-to-peer session are performed by first and second messaging client platforms independent of whether the first and/or second application are loaded or executing on corresponding networked devices.

36. A device as recited in claim 29, wherein the computer-program instructions for arranging the peer-to-peer session further comprise instructions for:

determining that the peer-to-peer session has been accepted; and

responsive to acceptance of the peer-to-peer session, launching the first and/or second application for participation in the peer-to-peer session.

37. A device for using an instant messaging service to arrange a peer-to-peer communication session between networked applications the device comprising, the first application executing at a first device, the device comprising:

means for leveraging, by the first application, online presence information of an instant messaging service to identify the second application, the second application being registered with the instant messaging service as being peer-to-peer session capable; and

means for arranging, by the first application via components of the instant messaging service, a peer-to-peer session with the second application, the second application being associated with the second device, the peer-to-peer session being functionally independent of the instant messaging service.

38. A device as recited in claim 37, wherein the peer-to-peer session is between the second application and a third application executing on the first device, the second and third applications not being client platforms of the instant messaging service, and wherein arranging further comprises coordinating, by the first application, the peer-to-peer session via a fourth application executing on the second device, the first and fourth applications being respective client platforms of the instant messaging service.

39. A device as recited in claim 37, wherein the peer-to-peer session is arranged between the first and second applications, the first and second applications being client platforms of the instant messaging service.

40. A device as recited in claim 37, wherein the second application is not loaded onto storage media corresponding to the second device, and wherein the means for arranging the peer-to-peer session further comprises:

means for providing a location from which to obtain the second application; and

means for downloading, by a client of the instant messaging service, the second application from the location.

41. A device as recited in claim 37, wherein the second application is not loaded onto storage media corresponding to the second device, and wherein the means for arranging the peer-to-peer session further comprises means for installing and launching the second application at the second device for subsequent peer-to-peer communication with the first application.

42. A device as recited in claim 37, wherein the peer-to-peer session is between the second application and a third application executing on the first device, the second and third applications not being client platforms of the instant messaging service, and wherein before leveraging and arranging, the device further comprising means for registering the second and third applications with the instant messaging service to indicate that they are peer-to-peer session invite capable.

43. A device as recited in claim 37, wherein the peer-to-peer session is between the second application and a third application executing on the first device, the second and third applications not being client platforms of the instant messaging service, and wherein before leveraging and arranging, the device further comprising:

means for registering the second and third applications with the instant messaging service to indicate that they are peer-to-peer session capable; and

responsive to registering the second and/or the third application, means for adding user interface (UI) components to the second and/or the third application, the UI components being responsive to user input to initiate the peer-to-peer session.

44. A device as recited in claim 37, wherein the means for arranging the peer-to-peer session further comprises:

means for obtaining registration information corresponding to the second application from the instant messaging service;

means for selecting, based on the registration information, the second application; and

means for communicating a session invitation to a client platform of the instant messaging service, the client platform executing at the second device, the session invitation for accepting or declining participation in the peer-to-peer session.

45. A device as recited in claim 37, further comprising:

means for determining an online status of an entity associated with the instant messaging service; and

,

wherein communicating the session invitation is performed based on whether the status indicates that the entity is online or offline.