METHOD AND INSTANTANEOUS MESSAGING SYSTEM FOR MOBILE TERMINALS EQUIPPED WITH A VIRTUAL PRESENCE SERVER ALLOWING AN INSTANTANEOUS MESSAGING SESSION TO BE MANAGED AUTOMATICALLY

• US 20090112988A1
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synchronoss Technologies France
• Original Assignee: Synchronoss Technologies France
• Inventors: COLON, Francois
• Granted Patent: US 9,124,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

The invention relates to an instantaneous messaging system for mobile terminals comprising one or several instantaneous messaging servers (S1, S2) able to deliver instantaneous messaging services to mobile terminals (TA, TB1, TC1, TD1, TB2, TE2, TF2) connected to said servers and of which the users (A, B1, C1, D1, B2, E2, F2) have opened an instantaneous messaging session, and a virtual presence server (100) independent of the existing instantaneous messaging servers (S1, S2), said virtual presence server being connected to at least one mobile client terminal (TA) and to at least one of the existing messaging servers (S1, S2), wherein said virtual presence server (100) comprises means to automatically manage an instantaneous messaging session in place of said user (A), said means of management being activated when the connection between said mobile client terminal (TA) and said virtual presence server is cut off.

The invention also relates to a method to automatically manage a session in a messaging system for mobile terminals.

Claims

1. An instantaneous messaging system for mobile terminals, comprising:

one or several instantaneous messaging service servers (S1, S2) able to deliver instantaneous messaging services to mobile terminals (TA, TB1, TC1, TD1, TB2, TE2, TF2) connected to said servers and of which the users (A, B1, C1, D1, B2, E2, F2) have opened an instantaneous messaging session,

a virtual presence server (100) independent of existing instantaneous messaging service servers (S1, S2), said virtual presence server being connected to at least one mobile client terminal (TA) and to at least one of the existing messaging servers (S1, S2) in such a way that the information intended for or sent by said mobile client terminal transits by said virtual presence server,

wherein said virtual presence server (100) comprises means to automatically manage an instantaneous messaging session in place of said user (A), said means of management being activated when the connection between said mobile client terminal (TA) and said virtual presence server is cut off.

3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein once activated, the means of management are configured to receive and store the messages sent by terminals (TB1, TC1, TD1, TB2, TE2, TF2) of the other users (B1, C1, D1, B2, E2, F2) that are still in session, and send other messages as a response to said terminals.

4. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein once activated, the means of management are configured to maintain the connection between virtual presence server (100) and the instantaneous messaging servers (S1, S2).

5. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein once activated, the means of management are configured to control the sending of an alert message intended for terminals (TB1, TC1, TD1, TB2, TE2, TF2) of the other users (B1, C1, D1, B2, E2, F2) that are still in session.

6. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein when the session is managed automatically, receiving, by virtual presence server (100), of messages sent by terminals (TB1, TC1, TD1, TB2, TE2, TF2) of users (B1, C1, D1, B2, E2, F2) that are still in session, and intended for user (A) of mobile client terminal (TA), commands the means of management in that it sends an alert message intended for said mobile client terminal.

7. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein when the session is managed automatically, receiving, by virtual presence server (100), of messages sent by terminals (TB1, TC1, TD1, TB2, TE2, TF2) of users (B1, C1, D1, B2, E2, F2) that are still in session, and intended for user (A) of mobile client terminal (TA), commands the means of management in that it stores said messages in a storage area of said virtual presence server.

2. An instantaneous messaging system for mobile terminals, comprising:

one or several instantaneous messaging service servers (S1, S2) able to deliver instantaneous messaging services to mobile terminals (TA, TB1, TC1, TD1, TB2, TE2, TF2) connected to said servers and of which the users (A, B1, C1, D1, B2, E2, F2) have opened an instantaneous messaging session,

a virtual presence server (100) independent of existing instantaneous messaging service servers (S1, S2), said virtual presence server being connected to at least one mobile client terminal (TA) and to at least one of the existing messaging servers (S1, S2) in such a way that the information intended for or sent by said mobile client terminal transits by said virtual presence server,

wherein said virtual presence server (100) comprises means to automatically manage a instantaneous messaging session in place of said user (A), said mobile client terminal (TA) incorporating a computer application making it possible to transmit to said virtual presence server (100) a request indicating that the user (A) of said terminal is closing his instantaneous messaging session, said request containing a code or a portion of a code that is able, when executed, to activate the means of management of the virtual presence server.

8. A method for automatically managing a session in a messaging system for mobile terminals, wherein:

terminals (TB1, TC1, TD1, TB2, TE2, TF2) connect to at least one instantaneous messaging server (S1, S2) in such a way that their users (B1, C1, D1, B2, E2, F2) can open an instantaneous messaging session,

at least one mobile client terminal (TA) of a user (A) connects to a virtual presence server (100) independent of the existing instantaneous messaging service servers (S1, S2), said virtual presence server comprising means to automatically manage an instantaneous messaging session in place of user (A) of mobile client terminal (TA),

virtual presence server (100) connects to at least one of the instantaneous messaging service servers (S1, S2) in such a way that the user (A) of mobile client terminal (TA) can open an instantaneous messaging session and converse with the other users (B1, C1, D1, B2, E2, F2), the information intended for or sent by said mobile client terminal transiting by said virtual presence server,

the means to automatically manage the session in place of the user (A) of the mobile client terminal (TA) are activated when the connection between the mobile client terminal (TA) and said virtual presence server is cut off.

10. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein once activated, the means of management receive and store the messages sent by terminals (TB1, TC1, TD1, TB2, TE2, TE2) of the other users (B1, C1, D1, B2, E2, F2) that are still in session, and send other messages as a response to said terminals.

11. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein once activated, the means of management maintain the connection between virtual presence server (100) and the instantaneous messaging servers (S1, S2).

12. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein once activated, the means of management command the sending of an alert message intended for the terminals (TB1, TC1, TD1, TB2, TE2, TF2) of the other users (B1, C1, D1, B2, E2, F2) that are still in session.

13. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein when the session is managed automatically, receiving, by virtual presence server (100), of messages sent by terminals (TB1, TC1, TD1, TB2, TE2, TF2) of users (B1, C1, D1, B2, B2, F2) that are still in session, and intended for user (A) of mobile client terminal (TA), the means of management send an alert message intended for said mobile client terminal.

14. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein when the session is managed automatically, receiving, by virtual presence server (100), of messages sent by terminals (TB1, TC1, TD1, TB2, TE2, TE2) of users (B1, C1, D1, B2, E2, F2) that are still in session, and intended for user (A) of mobile client terminal (TA), the means of management store said messages in a storage area of said virtual presence server.

9. A method for automatically managing a session in an instantaneous messaging system for mobile terminals, wherein:

terminals (TB1, TC1, TD1, TB2, TE2, TF2) connect to at least one instantaneous messaging server (S1, S2) in such a way that their users (B1, C1, D1, B2, E2, F2) can open an instantaneous messaging session,

at least one mobile client terminal (TA) of a user (A) connects to a virtual presence server (100) independent of the existing instantaneous messaging service servers (S1, S2), said virtual presence server comprising means to automatically manage an instantaneous messaging session,

virtual presence server (100) connects to at least one of the instantaneous messaging service servers (S1, S2) in such a way that the user (A) of mobile client terminal (TA) can open an instantaneous messaging session and converse with the other users (B1, C1, D1, B2, E2, F2), the information intended for or sent by said mobile client terminal transiting by said virtual presence server,

when user (A) of the mobile client terminal (TA) wishes to close his instantaneous messaging session, said mobile client terminal sends a request for this purpose intended for virtual presence server (100),

when this request is received, virtual presence server (100) activates the means to automatically manage the session in place of user (A) of the mobile client terminal (TA).