E-mail protocol for instant message

• US 20070143426A1
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SINOEAST CONCEPT LIMITED (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jaquinta, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,047,588 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]

Abstract

Allowing a message, composed as an instant message, to be transmitted using an e-mail protocol and displayed at a recipient as an instant message or an e-mail is disclosed. In particular, on a message originator, one embodiment includes, composing a message as an instant message, and transmitting the message using an e-mail protocol. On a message recipient, one embodiment includes, receiving a message in an e-mail protocol, determining whether the message is to be displayed as an instant message, and in the case that the message is to be displayed as an instant message, displaying the message as an instant message at the recipient, otherwise displaying the message as an e-mail at the recipient. Functionality of the originator and recipient sides can be combined into a single client.

Claims

1. A method for communicating a message, the method comprising the steps of:

composing a message as an instant message; and

transmitting the message using an e-mail protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the composing step includes adding a unique instant messaging (IM) identifier field to a thread of the message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step includes transmitting the message through at least one e-mail system.

4. A method for receiving and displaying a message, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a recipient, a message in an e-mail protocol;

determining whether the message is to be displayed as an instant message; and

in the case that the message is to be displayed as an instant message, displaying the message as an instant message at the recipient, otherwise displaying the message as an e-mail at the recipient.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining step includes determining that the message is to be displayed as an instant message in the case that a thread of the message includes a unique instant messaging (IM) identifier field indicating that the message was composed as an instant message.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining step includes determining that the message is to be displayed as an instant message in the case that the message includes an active instant messaging (IM) characteristic of an existing instant message in an existing instant message interface at the recipient.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the active IM characteristic includes at least one of the following:

substantially matching subject line content between the message and the existing instant message and at least one matching recipient between the message and the existing instant message.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining step includes allowing a user to select whether the message is to be displayed as the instant message using an instant messaging client or as an e-mail using an e-mail client.

9. A program product stored on a computer-readable medium, which when executed, communicate a message, the program product comprising:

program code for composing a message as an instant message; and

program code for transmitting the message using an e-mail protocol.

10. The program product of claim 9, wherein the composing program code adds a unique instant messaging (IM) identifier field to a thread of the message.

11. A program product stored on a computer-readable medium, which when executed, receives and displays a message, the program product comprising:

program code for receiving, at a recipient, the message in an e-mail protocol;

program code for determining whether the message is to be displayed as an instant message; and

program code for displaying the message as an instant message in the case that the message is determined to be displayed as an instant message, otherwise displaying the message as an e-mail at the recipient.

12. The program product of claim 11, wherein the determining program code determines that the message is to be displayed as an instant message in the case that a thread of the message includes a unique instant messaging (IM) identifier field indicating that the message was composed as an instant message.

13. The program product of claim 11, wherein the determining program code determines that the message is to be displayed as an instant message in the case that the message includes an active instant message (IM) characteristic of an existing instant message in an existing instant message interface at the recipient.

14. The program product of claim 13, wherein the active IM characteristic includes at least one of the following:

substantially matching subject line content between the message and the existing instant message and at least one matching recipient between the message and the existing instant message.

15. The program product of claim 11, wherein the determining program code allows a user to select whether the message is to be displayed as the instant message using an instant messaging client or as an e-mail using an e-mail client.

16. A system for communicating a message, the system comprising:

a composer for composing a transmit message as an instant message;

a transmitter for transmitting the transmit message in an e-mail protocol;

a receiver for receiving a received message in the e-mail protocol;

a determinator for determining whether the received message received by the receiver is to be displayed as an instant message; and

a displayer for displaying the message as an instant message in the case that the message is determined to be displayed as an instant message, otherwise displaying the message as an e-mail.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the determinator determines that the message is to be displayed as an instant message in the case that a thread of the message includes a unique instant messaging (IM) identifier field indicating that the message was composed as an instant message.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the determinator determines that the message is to be displayed as an instant message in the case that the message includes an active instant message (IM) characteristic of an existing instant message in an existing instant message interface at the recipient.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the active IM characteristic includes at least one of the following:

substantially matching subject line content between the message and the existing instant message and at least one matching recipient between the message and the existing instant message.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the determinator allows a user to select whether the message is to be displayed as the instant message using an instant messaging client or as an e-mail using an e-mail client.