Picture provisioning system and method

• US 20070136419A1
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBuddy Technologies B.V.
• Original Assignee: eBuddy Holding B.V. (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Inventors: Bakker, Onno, Taylor, Paulo, Rueb, Jan-Joost
• Granted Patent: US 8,700,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• 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 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1044 Group management mechanisms management of multicast group membership H04L12/185; reconfiguring of node membership in a computing system to eliminate errors G06F11/1425
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

A technique for image provisioning in an instant messaging (IM) environment involves storing images on a web server. The images may be made available to a low level IM client that receives instant messages from a high level IM client. The images may be, for example, avatar images, custom emoticons, or other images.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a high level IM server that includes an image provisioning engine, wherein, in operation, the high level IM server is coupled to a low level IM server;

a web server coupled to the high level IM server, wherein the web server includes one or more images embodied in a computer readable medium;

wherein, in operation, the web server serves an image to the low level IM server in response to an image provisioning stimulus.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a profile database embodied in a computer-readable medium, coupled to the high level IM server, wherein, in operation, a high level IM client is represented in the profile database when the high level IM client is connected to the high level IM server.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a program picture server that includes a plurality of avatars associated with an IM client, wherein, in operation, the image provisioning engine provides a first avatar of the plurality of avatars for display on a low level IM client connected to the low level IM server in response to a first image provisioning stimulus, and the image provisioning engine provides a second avatar of the plurality of avatars for display on the low level IM client in response to a second image provisioning stimulus.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a program picture server that includes one or more emoticons associated with an IM client, wherein, in operation, the image provisioning engine provides an emoticon of the one or more emoticons for display on a low level IM client connected to the low level IM server in response to an image provisioning stimulus.

5. A method comprising:

making one or more custom emoticons available via a web server;

receiving an indication from a first instant messaging (IM) client that a custom emoticon of the one or more custom emoticons is to be included in an instant message;

providing from the web server the custom emoticon, in association with the instant message, to a second IM client.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising associating the one or more custom emoticons with respective one or more strings of characters.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising sending a string of characters associated with the custom emoticon to the web server.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising facilitating access of the custom emoticon from the web server for the first IM client.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising facilitating access of the custom emoticon from the web server at the second IM client.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the custom emoticon is unavailable to the second IM client until the first IM client sends the second IM client an instant message that includes the custom emoticon.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein the second IM client is unable to use custom emoticons, further comprising inserting the custom emoticon into an instant message and forwarding the instant message to the second IM client.

12. The method of claim 5 further comprising providing pseudo-custom emoticons for high level IM users.

13. A method comprising:

displaying a first avatar image in an instant messaging (IM) environment;

receiving an avatar transition stimulus;

transitioning to a second avatar image in response to the avatar transition stimulus.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the avatar transition stimulus is provided in predetermined intervals.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the avatar transition stimulus is provided at least in part in accordance with a detected presence.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the avatar transition stimulus is provided at least in part in accordance with a detected location.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the avatar transition stimulus is provided in accordance with user-defined settings.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing a plurality of images, including the first avatar image and the second avatar image.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising receiving an upload of avatar images, including the first avatar image and the second avatar image.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the avatar transition stimulus is a second avatar transition stimulus, further comprising receiving a first avatar transition stimulus, wherein the displaying the first avatar image is in response thereto.