Peer-to-peer instant messaging

• US 20040249953A1
• Filed: 05/14/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, Michael, Woolf, Susan D., Fernandez, Roland, Rinearson, Wistar D., Hackett, Iain
• Application Number:
  US10/436,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20040249953A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A peer-to-peer wireless instant messaging system is described. A user may establish a wireless instant messaging communication pathway with other users either using a server or directly. In some aspects of the present invention, a user may use an intermediate user'"'"'s connection to reach another user, who is out of range of the first user.

Claims

1. An instant messaging system comprising:

a server;

at least two clients, who communicate wirelessly with said server;

wherein said server receives heartbeat notification signals from said clients

2. The instant messaging system according to claim 1, wherein said server transmits signals to said clients regarding the status of said clients.

3. The instant messaging system according to claim 2, wherein said status signals transmitted by said server includes UDP broadcast messages.

4. The instant messaging system according to claim 2, wherein said status signals transmitted by said server includes direct messages to each client.

5. The instant messaging system according to claim 1, wherein said clients are able to transmit electronic ink to each other.

6. A wireless instant messaging system comprising.

a first client having an instant messaging application and a wireless connection;

a second client having an instant messaging application and a wireless connection,

wherein said first client and said second client establish a wireless peer-to-peer connection and transmit instant messages over the connection.

7. The wireless instant messaging system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a third client having an instant messaging application; and

a server, said server forwarding instant message requests for sessions and ink information between said third client and one of said first and second clients.

8. A process for establishing a peer-to-peer instant messaging pathway between a first and second users comprising the steps of:

obtaining at a first user the IP address of a contact relating to said second user;

transmitting a request to the IP address of the contact of said second user;

establishing said peer-to-peer instant messaging pathway between said first user and said second user.

9. The process according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

determining that a peer-to-peer connection cannot be established directly between said first and second users; and

using a server that has connection to both users to help establish a connection between said users.

10. A computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon, said program including steps for establishing a peer-to-peer instant messaging pathway between a first and second users, said program comprising the steps of:

obtaining at a first user the IP address of a contact relating to said second user;

transmitting a request to the IP address of the contact of said second user;

establishing said peer-to-peer instant messaging pathway between said first user and said second user.

11. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

determining that a peer-to-peer connection cannot be established directly between said first and second users; and

using a server that has connection to user to help establish a connection between said users.

12. An instant messaging network comprising:

a first user with a contact list relating to at least a second user;

a third user not on the contact list of said first user but within a peer-to-peer networking range of said second user;

wherein said first user is able to exchange instant messages with said third user by said second user relaying said instant messages.