Multiple login instant messaging

• US 20070185967A1
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wrp IP Management, LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hayes, Kent
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Mechanisms are provided for allowing users to log into an IM provider from multiple clients concurrently. The messages are recorded and messages from the same users originating form multiple clients are differentiated. The user may then follow the IM session from any client device from which the user has logged into the IM provider. Also, when logging into a new client device in a session, the user is provided a history of the IM session.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for multiple login instant messaging, the computer implemented method comprising:

logging a first user into a first client device for an instant messaging session;

recording an instant messaging session history for the first user; and

responsive to the first user logging into a second client device for the instant messaging session, forwarding the instant messaging session history to the second client device.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first client device is a master client and wherein the second client device is a slave client.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the master client records the instant messaging session history for the first user.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein responsive to receipt at the first client device of a message from a second user intended for the first user, the master client forwards the message to the slave client.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein logging a first user into a first client device for an instant messaging session comprises:

logging the first client into an instant messaging provider.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the instant messaging provider records the instant messaging history.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein logging a first user into a first client device for an instant messaging session comprises:

logging the first client device into a proxy server.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the proxy server records the instant messaging history.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the first client device logs into the proxy server using a first alias and wherein the second client device logs into the proxy server using a second alias.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the proxy server identifies the first client device and the second client device by Internet protocol address or hostname.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein responsive to receipt at the proxy server of a message from a second user intended for the first user, the proxy server forwards the message to the first client device and the second client device.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending outgoing messages from the first user to a second user, wherein outgoing messages are presented at a client device associated with the second user with indicia that identifies a source client device of the first user.

13. An apparatus for multiple login instant messaging, the apparatus comprising:

a first client device, wherein a first user logs into the first client device for an instant messaging session; and

a multiple login component, wherein the multiple login component records an instant messaging session history for the first user, and wherein the multiple login component, responsive to the first user logging into a second client device for the instant messaging session, forwards the instant messaging session history to the second client device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first client device is a master client and wherein the second client device is a slave client and wherein the multiple login component is associated with the master client.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the multiple login component is associated with an instant messaging provider.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the multiple login component is associated with a proxy server.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein responsive to receipt at the proxy server of a message from a second user intended for the first user, the multiple login component forwards the message to the first client device and the second client device.

18. A computer program product for multiple login instant messaging, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer usable program code embodied therein;

computer usable program code configured to log a first user into a first client device for an instant messaging session;

computer usable program code configured to record an instant messaging session history for the first user; and

computer usable program code configured to forward the instant messaging session history to a second client device responsive to the first user logging into the second client device for the instant messaging session.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the first client device is a master client and wherein the second client device is a slave client.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the master client records the instant messaging session history for the first user.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

computer usable program code, responsive to receipt at the first client device of a message from a second user intended for the first user, configured to forward the message to the slave client.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer usable program code configured to log a first user into a first client device for an instant messaging session comprises:

computer usable program code configured to log the first client device into a proxy server.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the proxy server records the instant messaging history.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising:

computer usable program code, responsive to receipt at the proxy server of a message from a second user intended for the first user, configured to forward the message to the first client device and the second client device.