Apparatus and method for double-blind instant messaging

• US 20050108341A1
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Catalystweb LLC
• Original Assignee: Catalystweb LLC
• Inventors: Mathew, Boban, John, Thomas, Evans, Dagny
• Application Number:
  US10/956,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20050108341A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is described comprising: mapping a first user'"'"'s primary text or instant messaging (“IM”) address managed by a primary text/IM messaging system to a pseudo-text/IM address managed by an intermediary text/IM system; publishing the pseudo-text/IM address but not the primary text/IM address to a plurality of text/IM users, the plurality of text/IM users establishing text/IM sessions with the first user via the pseudo-text/IM address; defining a first set of users within the plurality who are permitted to view presence information related to the first user'"'"'s text/IM activity within the primary text/IM system and a second set of users who are not permitted to view the presence information; receiving presence information related to the first user from the primary text/IM system; and providing the presence information only to the users within the first set.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

mapping a first user'"'"'s primary text or instant messaging (“

IM”

) address managed by a primary text/IM messaging system to a pseudo-text/IM address managed by an intermediary text/IM system;

publishing the pseudo-text/IM address but not the primary text/IM address to a plurality of text/IM users, the plurality of text/IM users establishing text/IM sessions with the first user via the pseudo-text/IM address;

defining a first set of users within the plurality who are permitted to view presence information related to the first user'"'"'s text/IM activity within the primary text/IM system and a second set of users who are not permitted to view the presence information;

receiving presence information related to the first user from the primary text/IM system; and

providing the presence information only to the users within the first set.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the presence information comprises an indication that the first user is online.

3. The method as in claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a text/IM message from one of the first set of users directed to the pseudo-text/IM address; and

forwarding the text/IM message to the primary text/IM messaging system using the primary text/IM address.

4. The method as in claim 3 further comprising:

receiving a text/IM message from the primary text/IM messaging system, the text/IM message having the primary text/IM address as a sender address; and

forwarding the text/IM message to the one of the first set of users using the pseudo-text/IM address as the sender address.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein the presence information comprises an indication that the first user is offline.

6. The method as in claim 1 wherein the first user'"'"'s primary text/IM address is a screen name managed by a primary text/IM messaging system.

7. The method as in claim 6 wherein the first user'"'"'s pseudo-text/IM address is a screen name managed by the intermediary text/IM system.

8. An intermediary pseudo-text-IM messaging system having a memory for storing program code and at least one processor to process the program code, the program code causing the processor to perform the operations of:

mapping a first user'"'"'s primary text or instant messaging (“

IM”

) address managed by a primary text/IM messaging system to a pseudo-text/IM address, the pseudo/IM messaging system managed by the intermediary text/IM system;

publishing the pseudo-text/IM address but not the primary text/IM address to a plurality of text/IM users, the plurality of text/IM users establishing text/IM sessions with the first user via the pseudo-text/IM address;

defining a first set of users within the plurality who are permitted to view presence information related to the first user'"'"'s text/IM activity within the primary text/IM system and a second set of users who are not permitted to view the presence information;

receiving presence information related to the first user from the primary text/IM system; and

providing the presence information only to the users within the first set.

9. The intermediary pseudo-text-IM messaging system as in claim 8 wherein the presence information comprises an indication that the first user is online.

10. The intermediary pseudo-text-IM messaging system as in claim 9 comprising program code to cause the processor to perform the additional operations of:

receiving a text/IM message from one of the first set of users directed to the pseudo-text/IM address; and

forwarding the text/IM message to the primary text/IM messaging system using the primary text/IM address.

11. The intermediary pseudo-text-IM messaging system as in claim 10 comprising program code to cause the processor to perform the additional operations of:

receiving a text/IM message from the primary text/IM messaging system, the text/IM message having the primary text/IM address as a sender address; and

forwarding the text/IM message to the one of the first set of users using the pseudo-text/IM address as the sender address.

12. The intermediary pseudo-text-IM messaging system as in claim 8 wherein the presence information comprises an indication that the first user is offline.

13. The intermediary pseudo-text-IM messaging system as in claim 8 wherein the first user'"'"'s primary text/IM address is a screen name managed by a primary text/IM messaging system.

14. The intermediary pseudo-text-IM messaging system as in claim 13 wherein the first user'"'"'s pseudo-text/IM address is a screen name managed by the intermediary text/IM system.

15. A machine-readable medium having program code stored thereon which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the operations of:

mapping a first user'"'"'s primary text or instant messaging (“

IM”

) address managed by a primary text/IM messaging system to a pseudo-text/IM address managed by an intermediary text/IM system;

publishing the pseudo-text/IM address but not the primary text/IM address to a plurality of text/IM users, the plurality of text/IM users establishing text/IM sessions with the first user via the pseudo-text/IM address;

defining a first set of users within the plurality who are permitted to view presence information related to the first user'"'"'s text/IM activity within the primary text/IM system and a second set of users who are not permitted to view the presence information;

receiving presence information related to the first user from the primary text/IM system; and

providing the presence information only to the users within the first set.

16. The machine-readable medium as in claim 15 wherein the presence information comprises an indication that the first user is online.

17. The machine-readable medium as in claim 16 comprising additional program code to cause the processor to perform the operations of:

receiving a text/IM message from one of the first set of users directed to the pseudo-text/IM address; and

forwarding the text/IM message to the primary text/IM messaging system using the primary text/IM address.

18. The machine-readable medium as in claim 17 comprising additional program code to cause the processor to perform the operations of:

receiving a text/IM message from the primary text/IM messaging system, the text/IM message having the primary text/IM address as a sender address; and

forwarding the text/IM message to the one of the first set of users using the pseudo-text/IM address as the sender address.

19. The machine-readable medium as in claim 15 wherein the presence information comprises an indication that the first user is offline.

20. The machine-readable medium as in claim 15 wherein the first user'"'"'s primary text/IM address is a screen name managed by a primary text/IM messaging system.

21. The machine-readable medium as in claim 20 wherein the first user'"'"'s pseudo-text/IM address is a screen name managed by the intermediary text/IM system.