Integrated electronic mail and instant messaging application

• US 20060101119A1
• Filed: 11/10/2004
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Little, Charles Reeves, Fluegel, Jason C., Birman, Mikhail, Qureshi, Imran I., Voskuhl, Justin B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

An application providing a common interface allowing access and login to a electronic mail system and instant messaging system. The application allows responding to an email using an instant message, replying to an instant message using an email, sending and receiving both email and instant messages from one application, sending email attachments instantly, and displaying presence information for the user, user email contacts and user messenger contacts. Alerts are provided for both emails and instant messages received. The inbox vies can automatically be refreshed when a user receives new email. An interface is provided to convert multiple email contacts into messenger contacts. The system can be used with both local messenger clients and browser based IM clients.

Claims

1. A method for providing a service over a network, comprising:

storing service access account information for each of a plurality of users;

supplying an email service through a network to each user having a service access account;

supplying an instant messaging service through the network to each user having a service access account; and

providing an application configured to allow each of said plurality of users having a service access account to interact with the email and instant messaging services through a common interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

validating users accessing the email service or instant messaging service using said service access account information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

said step of validating users includes;

providing access to the email service and instant messaging service through the application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

said step of providing an application includes:

providing a login interface allowing a user to submit access information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said step of providing an application includes

providing an email interface having instant messaging status information and instant messaging service access links.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the instant messaging status information includes user instant messaging status.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the user instant messaging status is a user presence status.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein:

step of supplying an instant messaging service includes;

determining the user has not previously accessed the instant messaging service; and

indicating in the instant messaging status information that the user has access to the instant messenger service without validating user access to the instant messaging service.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the instant messaging status information includes contact instant messaging status information.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the instant messaging service access links include;

an instant response link to a sender of an email through the instant messaging service.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the instant messaging service access links include;

an instant response link sending a sender of an email a URL to an instant messaging session.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the instant messaging service access links include;

an add messenger contact link adding email contacts to a messenger contact list.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the instant messaging service access links include;

a transmit file link transmitting an email file attachment to an email recipient using the instant messaging service.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the instant messaging service access links include;

an instant messaging session acceptance link providing access to an instant messaging session.

15. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the instant messaging service access links include;

an alert link providing access to alert information associated with an alert.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the alert information includes email information.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein:

said step of providing an application includes;

providing email inbox information in the common interface in response to receiving input selecting the alert link.

18. A system for providing a service, comprising:

a data store containing server access account information for a plurality of users;

an email system connected to a network and accessible to each user having a server access account;

an instant messaging system connected to the network and accessible to each user having a server access account; and

an application server providing an application to allow users having a service access account to interact with the email system and the instant messaging system through a common interface.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

said application server including;

a validation component allowing a user to access the email system or the instant messaging system using the service access account information.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the validation component receives access information from a user through a login interface.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein:

said application server includes;

an interface component providing an interface having instant messaging status information and instant messaging system access.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the instant messaging status information including;

user instant messaging status.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein:

said instant messaging system determines the user has not previously accessed the instant messaging system and not validating user access to the instant messaging system, said interface component indicating the user has access to the instant messaging system.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the instant messaging status information including;

contact instant messaging status.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the instant messaging system access includes;

access to a sender of an email through the instant messaging system.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the instant messaging system access includes;

access to provide a URL to an instant messaging session to a sender of an email through the instant messaging system.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the instant messaging system access includes;

access to add email contacts to a messenger contact list in the instant messaging system.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the instant messaging system access includes;

access to transmit an email file attachment to an email recipient through the instant messaging system.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the instant messaging system access includes;

access to an instant messaging session.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the instant messaging system access includes;

access to alert information associated with an alert.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein:

the interface includes;

email inbox information provided in response to receiving input selecting the alert.

32. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

displaying an application interface for an email system and an instant messaging system;

accessing the email system responsive to user input from the application interface; and

accessing the instant messaging system responsive to user input from the application interface.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the computer-executable instructions include computer-executable instructions for:

receiving access to the email system and instant messaging system in response to providing user access account information.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the computer-executable instructions include computer-executable instructions for:

displaying an email interface having instant messaging status information and instant messaging system access links.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the computer-executable instructions include computer-executable instructions for:

displaying the instant messaging status information indicating the user has access to the instant messenger service without providing user access account information to the instant messaging system.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the computer-executable instructions include computer-executable instructions for:

sending to the instant messaging system an instant message session request with the sender of an email received from the email system.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the computer-executable instructions include computer-executable instructions for:

sending to the email system an instant message session request with the sender of an email received from the email system.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the computer-executable instructions include computer-executable instructions for:

sending a request to the email system indicating one or more email contacts to add to a messenger contact list.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the computer-executable instructions include computer-executable instructions for:

sending an email file attachment to an email recipient through the instant messaging system.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the computer-executable instructions include computer-executable instructions for:

receiving an alert from the instant messaging system.