Communication device and communication method

• US 20040214588A1
• Filed: 03/26/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: Tanimoto, Yoshifumi
• Application Number:
  US10/809,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20040214588A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

An IM server offers instant message service to a communication device, a first client terminal and a second client terminal. When the second client terminal is not logged in the IM server, the first client terminal transmits a first instant message to the communication device. The communication device stores the first instant message. When the second client terminal logs into the IM server, the communication device transmits to the second client terminal, a second instant message generated in accordance with the first instant message. Accordingly, even when a transmission destination is not logged in, the instant message can be transmitted.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

means for logging into a server that offers instant message service;

means for receiving an instant message having a forwarding destination;

means for storing the instant message;

means for detecting whether or not a user designated as the forwarding destination is logged in the server; and

means for transmitting to the forwarding destination, the instant message stored in the means for storing when the user logs into the server.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for adding to an instant message to be transmitted to the user, information of a transmitter included in the instant message received by the means for receiving.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for transmitting to the transmitter, when a prescribed period of time elapses after the means for receiving receives the instant message, an instant message indicating such a fact.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the means for detecting detects whether or not the user is logged in the server by inquiring the server.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the means for receiving receives a first instant message including a transmission destination, a transmitter, a forwarding destination and a main text.

6. The communication device according to claim 5, further comprising:

means for generating a second instant message including a transmission destination, a transmitter, a forwarder and a main text in accordance with the first instant message.

7. A communication device comprising:

means for logging into a server that offers instant message service;

means for receiving from a client terminal of a forwarder, an instant message including identification information of a client terminal of a forwarding destination;

means for storing the instant message;

means for detecting whether or not the client terminal of the forwarding destination is under active status; and

means for transmitting the instant message stored in the means for storing to the client terminal of the forwarding destination when the client terminal of the forwarding destination is under the active status.

8. The communication device according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for adding to an instant message to be transmitted to the client terminal of the forwarding destination, information of a transmitter included in the instant message received from the client terminal device of the forwarder by the means for receiving.

9. The communication device according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for transmitting to the client terminal of the forwarder, when a prescribed period of time elapses after the means for receiving receives the instant message and the instant message fails to be transmitted to the client terminal of the forwarding destination, an instant message indicating such a fact.

10. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein the means for detecting detects whether or not the client terminal of the forwarding destination is under the active status by inquiring the server.

11. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein the means for receiving receives from the client terminal of the forwarder, a first instant message including identification information of the communication device as transmission destination information, identification information of the client terminal of the forwarder as transmitter information, identification information of the client terminal of the forwarding destination as forwarding destination information, and main text.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for generating a second instant message including the identification information of the client terminal of the forwarding destination as transmission destination information, the identification information of the communication device as transmitter information, the identification information of the client terminal of the forwarder as forwarder information, and main text, in accordance with the first instant message;

wherein when the client terminal of the forwarding destination is under the active status, the means for transmitting transmits the second instant message to the client terminal of the forwarding destination.

13. A communication method comprising the steps of:

detecting by a terminal of a forwarder, whether or not a user of a terminal of a forwarding destination is logged in an instant message server;

transmitting an instant message including identification information of the terminal of the forwarding destination from the terminal of the forwarder to a communication device when the user of the forwarding destination is not logged in the instant message server;

storing the instant message received from the terminal of the forwarder in means for storing of the communication device;

detecting by the communication device, whether or not the user of the forwarding destination designated as the terminal of the forwarding destination is logged in the instant message server; and

transmitting the instant message stored in the means for storing from the communication device to the terminal of the forwarding destination when the user of the forwarding destination logs into the instant message server.

14. The communication method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

adding to an instant message to be transmitted from the communication device to the terminal of the forwarding destination, transmitter information included in the instant message which the communication device received from the terminal of the forwarder.

15. The communication method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

transmitting, when a prescribed period of time elapses after the communication device receives the instant message from the terminal of the forwarder, an instant message indicating such a fact from the communication device to the terminal of the forwarder.

16. The communication method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the instant message from the terminal of the forwarder to the terminal of the forwarding destination without intervening the communication device when the user of the forwarding destination is logged in the instant message server.

17. The communication method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

detecting whether or not the user of the forwarding destination is logged into the instant message server by inquiring the instant message server.

18. The communication method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

receiving a first instant message including a transmission destination, a transmitter, a forwarding destination and main text from the terminal of the forwarder.

19. The communication method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

generating a second instant message including a transmission destination, a transmitter, a forwarder and main text as an instant message to be transmitted to the terminal of the forwarding destination in accordance with the first instant message.