Instant messaging personalization

• US 20030225846A1
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Odell, James A., Heikes, Brian, Zhang, Xiaopeng, Yin, Xiaoyan, Wick, Andrew L., Uberti, Justin
• Granted Patent: US 7,779,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• 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 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

Perception of a personalization item is enabled in an instant messaging communications session by rendering, on an instant message recipient system, an instant messaging application user interface for an instant messaging communications session involving at least an instant message recipient and an instant message sender. An identifier that enables identification of a personalization item of an individual instant message user is obtained, and the identifier is associated with the personalization item. The personalization item is obtained independently of the message used to obtain the identifier, and the personalization item is rendered at the instant message recipient system.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for enabling perception of a personalization item in an instant messaging communications session, the method comprising:

rendering, on an instant message recipient system, an instant messaging application user interface for an instant messaging communications session involving at least an instant message recipient and an instant message sender;

obtaining an identifier enabling identification of a personalization item of an individual instant message user;

associating the identifier with the personalization item;

obtaining the personalization item independently of a message used to obtain the identifier; and

rendering the personalization item at the instant message recipient system.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the individual instant message user comprises the instant message sender.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the individual instant message user comprises the instant message recipient.

4. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the identifier comprises receiving the identifier in an instant message from an instant message sender system.

5. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the identifier comprises:

storing one or more identifiers associated with one or more personalization items for one or more instant message users at an instant message host system;

receiving an identity of the individual instant message user at the instant message host system;

accessing an identifier associated with the individual instant message user; and

sending the associated identifier in a message from the instant message host system.

6. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the identifier comprises locating the identifier at the instant message recipient system.

7. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the identifier comprises retrieving the identifier from a remote data store.

8. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the personalization item comprises:

determining whether the personalization item associated with the received identifier is available at the instant message recipient system;

retrieving the personalization item from the instant message recipient system if the personalization item is available at the instant message recipient system; and

requesting the personalization item from a remote source and receiving the personalization item from the remote source at the instant message recipient system if the personalization item is not available at the instant message recipient system.

9. The method of claim 8 in which requesting the personalization item further comprises identifying the remote source.

10. The method of claim 8 in which requesting the personalization item comprises requesting the personalization item from an instant messaging host.

11. The method of claim 8 in which requesting the personalization item comprises requesting the personalization item from a third-party server.

12. The method of claim 11 in which requesting the personalization item from a third-party server comprises requesting the personalization item from a server authorized as a partner to an instant messaging host.

13. The method of claim 8 in which requesting the personalization item from a remote source comprises requesting the personalization item from an instant message sender system.

14. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the identifier comprises receiving the identifier included with an instant message.

15. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the identifier comprises receiving the identifier upon a change in a presence state of the individual instant message user.

16. The method of claim 15 in which the individual instant message user comprises the instant message sender.

17. The method of claim 15 in which the individual instant message user comprises the instant message recipient.

18. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the personalization item comprises obtaining a graphic.

19. The method of claim 18 in which the graphic comprises an icon.

20. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the personalization item comprises obtaining a sound.

21. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the personalization item comprises obtaining wallpaper capable of being rendered on an instant messaging application user interface.

22. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the personalization item comprises obtaining an animation sequence.

23. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the personalization item comprises obtaining a video segment.

24. The method of claim 1 in which the obtaining the personalization item comprises obtaining a customized binary object provided by the instant message sender.

25. The method of claim 24 in which obtaining the customized binary object comprises obtaining a customized binary object uploaded by the instant message sender to a server.

26. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the personalization item comprises obtaining a personalization item provided by a third party.

27. The method of claim 26 in which obtaining the personalization item comprises obtaining a personalization item enabled to be rendered in consideration of a payment.

28. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the personalization item comprises obtaining a personalization item configured to expire upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

29. The method of claim 28 in which the predetermined event comprises passage of a predetermined length of time.

30. The method of claim 28 in which the predetermined event comprises passage of a predetermined date.

31. The method of claim 28 in which the predetermined event comprises a predetermined number of uses.

32. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

determining whether the personalization item has expired, and

disallowing display of the personalization item if the personalization item has expired.

33. The method of claim 1 in which the obtaining the identifier further comprises obtaining an identifier comprising a location of the personalization item.

34. The method of claim 33 in which the identifier further comprises an item type and a data size.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the identifier further comprises a flag.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the flag further comprises one or more of a custom item flag, an official item flag, a banned item flag, and a redirect to different item flag.

37. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the personalization item has been banned, and

disallowing display of the personalization item if the personalization item has been banned.

38. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating the personalization item.

39. The method of claim 1 further comprising comparing an actual format of the personalization item to an expected format based upon the identifier.

40. A computer program, stored on a computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

means for rendering, on an instant message recipient system, an instant messaging application user interface for an instant messaging communications session involving at least an instant message recipient and an instant message sender;

means for obtaining an identifier enabling identification of a personalization item of an individual instant message user;

means for associating the identifier with the personalization item;

means for obtaining the personalization item independently of a message used to obtain the identifier; and

means for rendering the personalization item at the instant message recipient system.

41. The computer program of claim 40 in which the individual instant message user comprises the instant message sender.

42. The computer program of claim 40 in which the individual instant message user comprises the instant message recipient.

43. The computer program of claim 40 in which means for obtaining the identifier comprises means for receiving the identifier in an instant message from an instant message sender system.

44. The computer program of claim 40 in which means for obtaining the identifier comprises:

means for storing one or more identifiers associated with one or more personalization items for one or more instant message users at an instant message host system;

means for receiving an identity of the individual instant message user at the instant message host system;

means for accessing an identifier associated with the individual instant message user; and

means for sending the associated identifier in a message from the instant message host system.

45. The computer program of claim 40 in which means for obtaining the identifier comprises means for locating the identifier at the instant message recipient system.

46. The computer program of claim 40 in which means for obtaining the identifier comprises means for retrieving the identifier from a remote data store.

47. The computer program of claim 40 in which means for obtaining the personalization item comprises:

means for determining whether the personalization item associated with the received identifier is available at the instant message recipient system;

means for retrieving the personalization item from the instant message recipient system if the personalization item is available at the instant message recipient system; and

means for requesting the personalization item from a remote source and receiving the personalization item from the remote source at the instant message recipient system if the personalization item is not available at the instant message recipient system.

48. The computer program of claim 40 in which means for obtaining the identifier comprises means for receiving the identifier included with an instant message.

49. The computer program of claim 40 in which means for obtaining the identifier comprises means for receiving the identifier upon a change in a presence state of the individual instant message user.

50. The computer program of claim 40 in which means for obtaining the personalization item comprises means for obtaining a personalization item configured to expire upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

51. A user interface on a display that enables perception of communications that leverage an instant messaging platform, the user interface comprising:

a module for rendering an instant messaging application user interface for an instant messaging communications session involving at least an instant message sender and an instant message recipient, the user interface being presented at a system display presented to the instant message recipient;

a module for receiving a personalization item presented to the system display and associated with an individual instant message user the personalization item corresponding to an identifier obtained by an instant message recipient system, the identifier enabling identification of a personalization item of the individual instant message user; and

a module for rendering the personalization item independently of a message used to obtain the identifier.

52. The user interface of claim 51 in which the individual instant message user comprises the instant message sender.

53. The user interface of claim 51 in which the individual instant message user comprises the instant message recipient.

54. The user interface of claim 51 in which the personalization item is rendered upon the occurrence of a change in a presence state of the individual instant message user.

55. The user interface of claim 54 in which the individual instant message user comprises the instant message sender.

56. The user interface of claim 54 in which the individual instant message user comprises the instant message recipient.

57. The user interface of claim 51 in which the identifier is obtained by receiving the identifier from an instant message sender system in an instant message.

58. The user interface of claim 51 in which the identifier is obtaining from an instant message host system, the instant message host system storing one or more identifiers associated with one or more personalization items for one or more instant message users, the instant message host system receiving an identity of the individual instant message user and accessing an identifier associated with the individual instant message user.

59. The user interface of claim 51 in which the identifier is obtained by retrieving the identifier from the instant message recipient system.

60. The user interface of claim 51 in which the identifier is obtained by retrieving the identifier from a remote data store.

61. The user interface of claim 51 in which the personalization item comprises a graphic.

62. The user interface of claim 61 in which the graphic comprises an icon.

63. The user interface of claim 51 in which the personalization item comprises a sound.

64. The user interface of claim 51 in which the personalization item comprises wallpaper capable of being rendered on an instant messaging application user interface.

65. The user interface of claim 51 in which the personalization item comprises an animation sequence.

66. The user interface of claim 51 in which the personalization item comprises a video segment.

67. The user interface of claim 51 in which the personalization item comprises a customized item provided by the instant message sender.

68. The user interface of claim 51 in which personalization item comprises a personalization item provided by a third party.

69. The user interface of claim 68 in which the personalization item is enabled to be rendered in consideration of a payment.

70. The user interface of claim 51 in which the personalization item is configured to expire upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

71. The user interface of claim 68 in which the predetermined event comprises passage of a predetermined length of time.

72. The user interface of claim 68 in which the predetermined event comprises passage of a predetermined date.

73. The user interface of claim 68 in which the predetermined event comprises a predetermined number of uses.