PRODUCT, METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING MULTIPLE USER IDS IN INSTANT MESSAGING OR EMAIL COMPUTER SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS

• US 20080244014A1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Burwell, Esther Marie, Bryant, Raquel Benita, Britton, Kathryn Heninger, Eaglin, Qiana Nicole
• Granted Patent: US 7,792,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

An invention is disclosed for enhancing communication with instant messaging (IM)/chat or email computer software applications by allowing a user to manage multiple user IDs by linking each different ID associated with that user thus allowing others to access that user regardless of the particular IM/chat or email system or account or session being accessed.

Claims

1. A computer system for conducting instant message or email communications between two or more users and comprised of at least the following software components containing program instructions executed by the computer system to allow a user to manage multiple identification codes or user IDs by linking different IDs associated with that user regardless of the instant message or email system or account in use:

(a). a remote server configured for operation by one or more sending and receiving users to direct a message to a linked user ID identified for an instant message or email account held by the recipient;

(b). at least one sending user interface configured for transmitting a known recipient user ID to the server contacting the recipient;

(c). a recipient user interface to the server configured for allowing a message recipient to link a user ID for one or more instant message or email accounts held by that recipient;

wherein a message sender can access any available recipient user ID for transmitting instant messages or email to an account held by a recipient when at least one recipient user ID is known by the sender.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein a sending and receiving user communicate with each other by connecting to the same instant message or email service when at least one recipient user ID known by the sender corresponds to an available user ID for that recipient.

3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the server is configured to transform and redirect a message to an available instant message or email service corresponding to a linked user ID for an account held by the recipient.

4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the server tracks periods of time when a recipient instant message or email account is not in use to select the user ID exhibiting the least amount of idle time.

5. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the server is configured to permit management of user IDs by adding new IDs or by removing or placing restrictions on use of existing IDs.

6. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the server is configured to identify one or more user IDs associated with a recipient for selecting an available instant message or email account to be used in contacting the recipient by:

(a). sending a message to one or more linked recipient user IDs in succession;

or

(b). broadcasting a message to all linked user IDs identified for accounts held by the recipient.

7. A method of using a computer system for conducting instant message or email communications between two or more users and comprised of at least the following steps carried out by the following software components containing program instructions executed by the computer system to allow a user to manage multiple identification codes or user IDs by linking different IDs associated with that user regardless of the instant message or email system or account in use:

(a). configuring a remote server for operation by one or more sending and receiving users to direct a message to a linked user ID identified for an instant message or email account held by the recipient;

(b). configuring at least one sending user interface for transmitting a known recipient user ID to the server contacting the recipient;

(c). configuring a recipient user interface to the server to allow a message recipient to link a user ID for one or more instant message or email accounts held by that recipient;

wherein a message sender can access any available recipient user ID for transmitting instant messages or email to an account held by a recipient when at least one recipient user ID is known by the sender.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein a sending and receiving user communicate with each other by connecting to the same instant message or email service when at least one recipient user ID known by the sender corresponds to an available user ID for that recipient.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the server is configured to transform and redirect a message to an available instant message or email service corresponding to a linked user ID for an account held by the recipient.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the server tracks periods of time when a recipient instant message or email account is not in use to select the user ID exhibiting the least amount of idle time.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the server is configured to permit management of user IDs by adding new IDs or by removing or placing restrictions on use of existing IDs.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the server is configured to identify one or more user IDs associated with a recipient for selecting an available instant message or email account to be used in contacting the recipient by:

(a). sending a message to one or more linked recipient user IDs in succession;

or

(b). broadcasting a message to all linked user IDs identified for accounts held by the recipient.

13. A computer product used with a computer system for conducting instant message or email communications between two or more users and comprised of a computer readable storage medium containing program instructions executed by at least the following software components of the computer system to allow a user to manage multiple identification codes or user IDs by linking different IDs associated with that user regardless of the instant message or email system or account in use:

(a). a remote server configured for operation by one or more sending and receiving users to direct a message to a linked user ID identified for an instant message or email account held by the recipient;

(b). at least one sending user interface configured for transmitting a known recipient user ID to the server contacting the recipient;

(c). a recipient user interface to the server configured for allowing a message recipient to link a user ID for one or more instant message or email accounts held by that recipient;

wherein a message sender can access any available recipient user ID for transmitting instant messages or email to an account held by a recipient when at least one recipient user ID is known by the sender.

14. The computer product of claim 13 wherein a sending and receiving user communicate with each other by connecting to the same instant message or email service when at least one recipient user ID known by the sender corresponds to an available user ID for that recipient.

15. The computer product of claim 13 wherein the server is configured to transform and redirect a message to an available instant message or email service corresponding to a linked user ID for an account held by the recipient.

16. The computer product of claim 13 wherein the server tracks periods of time when a recipient instant message or email account is not in use to select the user ID exhibiting the least amount of idle time.

17. The computer product of claim 13 wherein the server is configured to permit management of user IDs by adding new IDs or by removing or placing restrictions on use of existing IDs.

18. The computer product of claim 13 wherein the server is configured to identify one or more user IDs associated with a recipient for selecting an available instant message or email account to be used in contacting the recipient by:

(a). sending a message to one or more linked recipient user IDs in succession;

or

(b). broadcasting a message to all linked user IDs identified for accounts held by the recipient.