Instant message broadcasting and presence enabling from electronic mail application

• US 20070067344A1
• Filed: 09/21/2005
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Communications Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Singh, Satish, Sahasrabudhe, Manisha, Nguyen, Diem
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A system and method for broadcasting a message to multiple contacts in a list of contacts provided by an electronic mail application and furnishing presence information for contacts in the list of contacts provided by the electronic mail application includes an interface for adding functionality to an electronic mail application which supports instance messaging (IM). The interface interfaces with a distributed presence enabled communication platform for providing presence information regarding contact availability. The electronic mail application utilizes the interface for displaying the contact presence information and broadcasting a message to multiple contacts in the list of contacts.

Claims

1. A method for broadcasting a message to multiple contacts in a list of contacts provided by an electronic mail application, comprising:

receiving a selection of a first contact from the list of contacts to which the message is to be broadcast;

receiving a selection of a second contact from the list of contacts to which the message is to be broadcast; and

causing the message to be simultaneously broadcast to the first contact and the second contact via instant messaging.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing presence information for contacts in the list of contacts provided by the electronic mail application.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising selecting a medium from at least two media to be used for broadcasting the message to at least one of the first contact and the second contact.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising receiving a selection of a medium from at least two media to be used for broadcasting the message to at least one of the first contact and the second contact.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein providing presence information for contacts in the list of contacts comprises:

interrogating a distributed presence enabled communication platform for contact presence information, the distributed presence enabled communication platform for determining the contact presence information of a contact in the list of contacts for at least two different media used by the contact;

determining contact presence information for the contact in the list of contacts for the at least two different media; and

causing the electronic mail application to provide the determined contact presence information of the contact in the list of contacts.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the step of interrogating the distributed presence enabled communication platform comprises using an API to format a request for the contact presence information.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the media comprise instant messaging via a network, telephone, mobile telephone, a paging service, and text messaging via a wireless network.

8. A method for providing presence information for contacts in a list of contacts provided by an electronic mail application, comprising:

interrogating a distributed presence enabled communication platform for contact presence information, the distributed presence enabled communication platform for determining the contact presence information of a contact in the list of contacts for at least two different media used by the contact;

determining contact presence information for the contact in the list of contacts for the at least two different media; and

causing the electronic mail application to provide the determined contact presence information of the contact in the list of contacts.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step of interrogating the distributed presence enabled communication platform comprises using an API to format a request for the contact presence information.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising facilitating broadcasting of a message to multiple contacts in the list of contacts provided by the electronic mail application.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein broadcasting of the message comprises:

receiving a selection of a first contact from the list of contacts to which the message is to be broadcast;

receiving a selection of a second contact from the list of contacts to which the message is to be broadcast; and

causing the message to be simultaneously broadcast to the first contact and the second contact via instant messaging.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising selecting a medium from the at least two media to be used for broadcasting the message to at least one of the first contact and the second contact.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising receiving a selection of a medium from the at least two media to be used for broadcasting the message to at least one of the first contact and the second contact.

14. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the media comprise instant messaging via a network, telephone, mobile telephone, a paging service, and text messaging via a wireless network.

15. A system for broadcasting a message to multiple contacts in a list of contacts provided by an electronic mail application, comprising:

an interface receiving a selection of at least two contacts from the list of contacts to which the message is to be broadcast,

wherein the interface causes the message to be simultaneously broadcast to the at least two contacts via instant messaging.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the interface provides presence information for contacts in the list of contacts provided by the electronic mail application.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the interface selects a medium from the at least two media to be used for broadcasting the message to at least one of the first contact and the second contact.

18. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the interface receives a selection of a medium from the at least two media to be used for broadcasting the message to at least one of the first contact and the second contact.

19. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the interface interrogates a distributed presence enabled communication platform for contact presence information, the distributed presence enabled communication platform for determining the contact presence information of a contact in the list of contacts for at least two different media used by the contact, the interface causing the electronic mail application to provide the determined contact presence information of the contact in the list of contacts.

20. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the interface interfaces with an API to format a request for the contact presence information.