Forwarding to automatically prioritized IM accounts based upon priority and presence

• US 20040158609A1
• Filed: 02/10/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daniell, W. Todd, Davis, Joel A., Daigle, Brian K., Friedman, Lee G., Kent, Larry G. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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

Abstract

Systems for forwarding incoming instant messages comprise a primary IM processing device configured to send and receive IM messages. The primary IM processing device is further configured to forward incoming IM messages to an available secondary IM processing devices based upon presence information and availability information on a plurality of secondary IM processing devices. A router is configured to route IM messages between the primary IM processing device and the secondary IM processing devices. An IM server is coupled to a communications network and is configured to send and receive presence information from the primary IM processing device and the secondary IM processing devices. The primary IM processing device is further configured to maintain presence information on the secondary IM processing devices including the secondary IM processing devices that were unavailable to receive a forwarded instant message. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for forwarding instant messages, comprising:

detecting by a primary instant messaging (IM) processing device a selection of forwarding of instant messages to a secondary IM processing device; and

automatically forwarding an incoming instant message from a sender'"'"'s IM processing device to a secondary IM processing device based upon a priority and presence of a plurality of secondary IM processing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a presence of each of the secondary IM processing devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining presence information for the secondary IM processing devices.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of detecting a presence further comprises receiving by the primary IM processing a notification from at least one IM server of the status of each of the secondary IM processing devices.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising forwarding the incoming instant message to an available secondary IM processing devices based upon the presence information for the secondary IM processing devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing prioritized address information in an address database of an IM server.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of automatically forwarding an incoming instant message further comprises attempting to forwarding the instant message to a priority address of a secondary IM processing device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising continuing to attempt to forward the instant message based upon the priority addresses until finding an available secondary IM processing device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying at least one transport protocol object (TPO) for status of the secondary IM processing devices.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving notification of the status of the secondary IM processing devices.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising maintaining information on the status for each of the secondary IM processing devices at the primary IM processing device.

12. A system for forwarding instant messages, comprising:

a primary IM processing device configured to send and receive IM messages, the primary IM processing device further configured to forward incoming IM messages to secondary IM processing devices, the primary IM processing device is further configured to send and receive presence information;

a router configured to route IM messages between the primary IM processing device and each of the secondary IM processing devices; and

at least one IM server coupled to a communications network, the IM server is configured to send and receive presence information from the primary IM processing device and the secondary IM processing devices.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the IM server is further configured to include prioritized addresses of the secondary IM processing devices.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein primary IM processing device is further configured to detect a selection to forward incoming IM messages.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the primary IM processing device is further configured to access the prioritized addresses and presence information to automatically forward incoming IM messages to an available secondary IM processing device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein primary IM processing device is further configured to maintain presence information for each secondary IM processing device unavailable to receive a forwarded instant message when the incoming message is forwarded to the available secondary IM processing device.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the primary IM processing device is further configured to maintain presence information for the secondary IM processing devices unavailable to receive a forwarded IM message when the incoming IM is forwarded to an available secondary IM processing device.

18. A computer-readable medium having a computer program for forwarding instant messages, comprising:

logic configured to detect by a primary instant messaging IM processing device a selection of forwarding of instant messages to a secondary IM processing device; and

logic configured to automatically forward an incoming instant message from a sender'"'"'s IM processing device to a secondary IM processing device based upon a priority and presence of a plurality of secondary IM processing devices.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising logic configured to detect a presence of each of the secondary IM processing devices.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising logic configured to maintain presence information for the secondary IM processing devices.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the logic configured to detect a presence of each of the secondary IM processing devices further comprises logic configured to receive by the primary IM processing a notification from at least one IM server of the status of each of the secondary IM processing devices.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising logic configured to access prioritized address information in an address database of an IM server.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the logic configured to automatically forward an incoming instant message further comprises logic configured to attempt to forward the message to a priority address of a secondary IM processing device.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising logic configured to query at least one transport protocol object (TPO) for status of the secondary IM processing devices.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising logic configured to receive notification of the status of the secondary IM processing devices.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, further comprising logic configured to maintain information on the status for each of the secondary IM processing devices at the primary IM processing device.