Group Based Communication Method, System and Client

• US 20080195706A1
• Filed: 06/09/2006
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.), Tencent Technology Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tencent Technology Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Li, Bin, Ren, Xiang, Lin, Youyao, Zhang, Xingliang
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• 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 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention discloses a group based communication method, including: initiating, by a communication initiating client, a connection request containing a recipient identifier to a backstage server; forwarding, by the backstage server, the connection request to a communication recipient client corresponding to the recipient identifier; and establishing, by the communication recipient client, a short connection channel or long connection channel to the communication initiating client according to a type of the connection request and performing a communication supported by the short connection channel or the long connection channel with the communication initiating client. The present invention also discloses a group based communication system and client. The method, system and client provided by the present invention brings out much richer communication and interaction between communicating users, who not only can transmit text data, but also can transmit file and audio/video data.

Claims

1. A group based communication method, including:

initiating, by a communication initiating client, a connection request containing a recipient identifier to a backstage server;

forwarding, by the backstage server, the connection request to a communication recipient client corresponding to the recipient identifier; and

establishing, by the communication recipient client, a short connection channel or long connection channel to the communication initiating client according to a type of the connection request and performing a communication supported by the short connection channel or the long connection channel with the communication initiating client.

2. The method according to claim 1, before the initiating step, further comprising:

judging, by the communication initiating client, whether a communication initiating user and a communication recipient are in a same group; and

initiating, by the communication initiating client, the connection request to the backstage server if the communication initiating user and the communication recipient user are in the same group.

3. The method according to claim 1, before the forwarding step, further comprising:

judging, by the backstage server, whether a communication initiating user and a communication recipient user are in a same group; and

forwarding, by the backstage server, the connection request to the communication recipient client, if the communication initiating user and the communication recipient user are in the same group.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving the connection request from the backstage server, judging, by the communication recipient client, whether a protocol type of the connection request is a valid protocol command;

judging whether a communication initiating user and a communication recipient user are in a same group, if the protocol type of the connection request is valid; and

establishing, the short connection channel or long connection channel between the communication recipient client and the communication initiating client according to a type of the connection request, if the communication initiating user and the communication recipient user are in the same group.

5. The method according to claim 1, before the forwarding step, further comprising:

judging, by the backstage server, whether a software version of the communication recipient client is lower than a particular version;

forwarding, by the backstage server, a plain text message instead of the connection request to the communication recipient client, and terminating the present procedure, if the software version of the communication recipient client is lower than the particular version;

forwarding, by the backstage server, the connection request to the communication recipient client, if the software version of the communication recipient client is not lower than the particular version.

6. The method according to claim 2, before the forwarding step, further comprising:

judging, by the backstage server, whether the communication initiating user and the communication recipient user are in a same group;

judging whether a software version of the communication recipient client is lower than a particular version if the communication initiating user and the communication recipient user are in the same group;

forwarding, by the backstage server, a plain text message instead of the connection request to the communication recipient client, and terminating the present procedure, if the software version of the communication recipient client is lower than the particular version;

forwarding, by the backstage server, the connection request to the communication recipient client, if the software version of the communication recipient client is not lower than the particular version;

after receiving the connection request from the backstage server, further comprising;

judging, by the communication recipient client, whether a protocol command in the connection request is valid;

judging whether the communication initiating user and the communication recipient user are in a same group, if the protocol command in the connection request is valid; and

establishing the short connection channel or long connection channel between the communication recipient client and the communication initiating client according to a type of the connection request, if the communication initiating user and the communication recipient user are in the same group.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication supported by the long connection channel comprises any one or any combination of:

file transmission, audio and video interaction, short message interaction;

the method further comprises;

when initiating the connection request to the backstage server, opening, by the communication initiating client, a network port for long connection and making address information of the network port contained in the connection request, if the type of the connection request is long connection,

and wherein, the establishing and performing steps comprises;

establishing, by the communication recipient client, the long connection channel to the communication initiating client based on address information of the network port of the communication initiating client in the connection request;

receiving messages directly over the long connection channel and displaying the messages to the communication recipient user.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication supported by the short communication channel comprises text information transmission;

the method further comprises;

when initiating the connection request to the backstage server, making, by the communication initiating client, text information to be transmitted contained in the connection request, if the type of the connection request is short connection;

and the establishing and performing steps comprises;

extracting, by the communication recipient client, the text information from the received connection request directly, and displaying the text information to a communication recipient user.

9. A group based communication system, comprising a first client corresponding to a communication initiating user, a second client corresponding to a communication recipient user, and a backstage server,

wherein the backstage server is adapted to transmit a connection request between the first client and the second client, and

the first client and the second client are adapted to establish a short connection channel or a long connection channel according to a type of the connection request and perform a communication supported by the short connection channel or the long connection channel.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the first client comprises:

a first chat window loading unit, adapted to load a chat window and send data entered by the communication initiating user in the chat window to a communication type selection unit;

the communication type selection unit, adapted to pack a corresponding protocol type according to the data entered by the communication initiating user in the chat window, generate the connection request, and instruct, when a type of the connection request is long connection, a first long connection unit to open a network port corresponding to the long connection;

a communication transmission unit, adapted to send the connection request from the communication type selection unit to the backstage server; and

the first long connection unit, adapted to open the network port corresponding to the long connection according to an instruction of the communication type selection unit.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the backstage server comprises:

a communication distribution unit, adapted to distribute the connection request from the first client to a long connection communication unit or a message communication unit;

the long connection communication unit, adapted to send the connection request in long connection type to the second client; and

the message communication unit, adapted to send the connection request in short connection type to the second client.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the second client comprises:

a communication receiving unit, adapted to receive the connection request from the backstage server and forward the connection request to a message management unit;

the message management unit, adapted to judge whether a type of the connection request is the long connection or short connection, instruct a message prompting unit to prompt a message and instruct, when the type of the connection request is the long connection, a second long connection unit to establish a long connection channel to the first client;

the second long connection unit, adapted to establish the long connection channel to the first client;

the message prompting unit, adapted to prompt the message and instruct a second chat window loading unit to load a chat window; and

a second chat window loading unit, adapted to load the chat window on the second client.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the first client further comprises:

a first local storage unit, adapted to store information of the communication initiating user and member information of the group to which the communication initiating user belongs;

an authentication transmission unit, adapted to search the first local storage unit, judge whether the communication initiating user and the communication recipient user are in a same group, and instruct, if the two users are in the same group, the first chat window loading unit to load a chat window.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the backstage server further comprises:

a group member database, adapted to store information of all instant messenger users and information of groups; and

a communication authentication unit, adapted to search the group member database, judge whether the communication initiating user and the communication recipient user are in a same group, and instruct, if the two users are in the same group, the communication distribution unit to distribute the connection request according to the type of the connection request.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the second client further comprises:

a second local storage unit, adapted to store information of the communication recipient user and member information of the group to which the communication recipient user belongs;

an authentication receiving unit, adapted to search the second local storage unit, judge whether the communication initiating user and the communication recipient user are in a same group, and instruct, if the two users are in the same group, the message management unit to establish a connection according to the type of the connection request.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the backstage server further comprises:

a version judgment unit, adapted to judge whether a software version of the communication recipient client is lower than a particular version; and

instruct the communication distribution unit to distribute the connection request according to a type of the connection request if the software version of the communication recipient client is not lower than the particular version;

or instruct a communication conversion unit to forward a plain text message instead of the connection request to the second client through the message communication unit if the software version of the communication recipient client is not lower than the particular version; and

the communication conversion unit, adapted to forward a plain text message instead of the connection request when the software version of the communication recipient client is lower than the particular version.

17. A client, functioning as a communication initiating client and adapted to initiate a connection request to a communication recipient client via a backstage server, comprising:

a first chat window loading unit, adapted to load a chat window and send data entered by a communication initiating user in the chat window to a communication type selection unit;

the communication type selection unit, adapted to pack a corresponding protocol type according to the data entered by the communication initiating user in the chat window, generate the connection request, and instruct, when a type of the connection request is long connection, a first long connection unit to open a network port corresponding to the long connection;

a communication transmission unit, adapted to send the connection request from the communication type selection unit to the backstage server; and

the first long connection unit, adapted to open the network port corresponding to the long connection according to an instruction of the communication type selection unit.

18. The client according to claim 17, further comprising:

a first local storage unit, adapted to store information of the communication initiating user and member information of the group to which the communication initiating user belongs;

an authentication transmission unit, adapted to search the first local storage unit, judge whether the communication initiating user and a communication recipient user are in a same group, and instruct, if the two users are in the same group, the first chat window loading unit to load the chat window.

19. A client, functioning as a communication recipient client and adapted to receiving a connection request from a communication initiating client via a backstage server, comprising:

a communication receiving unit, adapted to receive the connection request from the backstage server and forward the connection request to a message management unit;

the message management unit, adapted to judge whether a type of the connection request is long connection or short connection, instruct a message prompting unit to prompt a message and instruct, when the type of the connection request is the long connection, a second long connection unit to establish a long connection channel to the communication initiating client;

the second long connection unit, adapted to establish the long connection channel to the communication initiating client;

a message prompting unit, adapted to prompt the message and instruct a second chat window loading unit to load a chat window; and

the second chat window loading unit, adapted to load the chat window on the client.

20. The client according to claim 19, further comprising:

a second local storage unit, adapted to store information of the communication recipient user and member information of the group to which the communication recipient user belongs;

an authentication receiving unit, adapted to search the second local storage unit, judge whether a communication initiating user and the communication recipient user are in a same group, and instruct, if the two users are in the same group, the message management unit to establish a connection according to the type of the connection request.

21. A client for initiating, as a communication initiating client, a connection request to a communication recipient client via a backstage server, and for receiving, as a communication recipient client, a connection request from a communication initiating client via a backstage server, comprising an initiating module and a recipient module, wherein the initiating module comprises:

a first chat window loading unit, adapted to load a chat window and send data entered by a communication initiating user in the chat window to a communication type selection unit;

the communication type selection unit, adapted to pack a corresponding protocol type according to the data entered by the communication initiating user in the chat window, generate the connection request, and instruct, when a type of the connection request is long connection, a first long connection unit to open a network port corresponding to the long connection;

a communication transmission unit, adapted to send the connection request from the communication type selection unit to the backstage server; and

the first long connection unit, adapted to open the network port corresponding to the long connection according to an instruction of the communication type selection unit;

wherein the recipient module comprises;

a communication receiving unit, adapted to receive the connection request from the backstage server and forward the connection request to a message management unit;

the message management unit, adapted to judge whether a type of the connection request from the backstage server is the long connection or short connection, instruct a message prompting unit to prompt a message and instruct, when the type of the connection request is the long connection, a second long connection unit to establish a long connection channel to a communication initiating client;

the second long connection unit, adapted to establish the long connection channel to the communication initiating client;

the message prompting unit, adapted to prompt the message and instruct a second chat window loading unit to load a chat window; and

the second chat window loading unit, adapted to load the chat window on the client.

22. The client according to claim 21, wherein the initiating module further comprises:

a first local storage unit, adapted to store information of the communication initiating user and member information of the group to which the communication initiating user belongs; and

an authentication transmission unit, adapted to search the first local storage unit, judge whether the communication initiating user and a communication recipient user are in a same group, and instruct, if the two users are in the same group, the first chat window loading unit to load the chat window.

23. The client according to claim 21, wherein the recipient module further comprises:

a second local storage unit, adapted to store information of the communication recipient user and member information of the group to which the communication recipient user belongs;

an authentication receiving unit, adapted to search the second local storage unit, judge whether the communication initiating user and the communication recipient user are in a same group, and instruct, if the two users are in the same group, the message management unit to establish a connection according to a type of the connection request.

24. The client according to claim 21, wherein the first long connection unit and the second long connection unit can be integrated into one unit.

25. The client according to claim 21, wherein the first local storage unit and the second local storage unit can be integrated into one unit.