INSTANT MESSAGING SYSTEM, COMPONENT AND METHOD FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICE

• US 20100100602A1
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tencent Technology Shenzhen Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tencent Technology Shenzhen Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Yang, Min, Peng, Haochong, Yang, Caishi, Hu, Liang
• Granted Patent: US 9,137,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

An IM system for an additional service includes: an IM client and at least one IM component adapted to support at least one additional service, between which a common interface is configured. The IM client triggers the at least one IM component via the common interface when a local IM user logs on; and the at least one IM component obtains an identity of at least one IM user other than the local IM user via the common interface, and query, according to the identity, whether the at least one IM user subscribes to one of the at least one additional service supported by the at least one IM component. A component and method for an additional service are also provided. By utilizing the IM system, component and method, extensibility of the IM system can be improved, and costs for extending the IM system can be reduced.

Claims

1. An Instant Messaging (IM) system for an additional service, comprising:

an IM client, and at least one IM component adapted to support at least one additional service;

wherein a common interface is configured between the IM client and the at least one IM component,

the IM client is adapted to trigger the at least one IM component via the common interface when a local IM user logs on; and

the at least one IM component is adapted to obtain at least one IM user identity of at least one IM user other than the local IM user via the common interface, and query, according to the at least one IM user identity obtained, whether the at least one IM user subscribes to one additional service of the at least one additional service supported by the at least one IM component.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user state server;

wherein

the at least one IM component is adapted to send to the user state server the at least one IM user identity obtained and at least one identity of the at least one additional service supported by the at least one IM component;

the user state server is adapted to query whether the at least one IM user corresponding to the at least one IM user identity subscribes to one of the at least one additional service supported by the at least one IM component, and return a query result to the at least one IM component.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one IM component is further adapted to submit user state information to the user state server after the local IM user logs on the local IM client, and the user state information comprises an identity of the local IM user and an identity of an additional service subscribed by the local IM user;

and

the user state server is further adapted to record the user state information after receiving the user state information from the at least one IM component.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second IM client, wherein an IM user corresponding to one of the at least one IM user identity obtained by the at least one IM component logs on the second IM client;

and

the at least one IM component is adapted to send a query request to the second IM client via the common interface and via the IM client, wherein the query request comprises an identity of the IM user and an identity of the at least one additional service supported by the at least one IM component;

the second IM client is adapted to query whether the IM user subscribes to one of the at least one additional service supported by the at least one IM component, and return a query result to the IM client;

the IM client is adapted to receive the query request from the at least one IM component via the common interface, forward the query request to the second IM client;

receive the query result from the second IM client, and forward the query result to the at least one IM component via the common interface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one IM component is further adapted to add, via the common interface according to a query result, a mark for the at least one IM user into a user interface of the IM client, the mark indicating the additional service subscribed by the at least one IM user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one IM component is further adapted to add, via the common interface according to a query result, at least one group into a user interface of the IM client via the common interface for the at least one IM user;

each group comprising at least one IM user subscribing to at least one identical additional service.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one IM component is implemented by a Plug-in.

8. A component for an additional service, comprising:

a first module, adapted to support at least one additional service;

a second module, adapted to obtain, after a local IM user logs on a local IM client, at least one IM user identity of at least one IM user other than the local IM user from the local IM client via a common interface between the component and the local IM client;

a third module, adapted to query, according to the at least one IM user identity obtained, whether the at least one IM user subscribes to one of the at least one additional service supported by the component.

9. The component of claim 8, further comprising:

a fourth module, adapted to submit user state information to a user state server after the local IM user logs on the local IM client, wherein the user state information comprises an identity of the local IM user and an identity of an additional service subscribed by the local IM user.

10. The component of claim 8, further comprising:

a fifth module, adapted to process a query result from the third module.

11. The component of claim 10, wherein the fifth module comprises:

a first unit, adapted to add, via the common interface between the component and the local IM client according to the query result, a mark for an IM user into a user interface of the local IM client to indicate an additional service subscribed by the IM user; and

/or

a second unit, adapted to add, via the common interface between the component and the local IM client according to the query result, at least one group into a user interface of the local IM client, each group comprising IM friends subscribing to at least one identical additional service.

12. The component of claim 8, further comprising:

a sixth module, adapted to receive a query request from the local IM client via the common interface between the component and the local IM client, forward the query request to a seventh module, receive the query result from the seventh module and send the query result to the local IM client via the common interface between the component and the local IM client, wherein the query request comprises an identity of the local IM user and at least one identity of the at least one additional service;

the seventh module, adapted to query whether the local IM user subscribes to one of the at least one additional service contained in the query request, and return a query result to the sixth module.

13. A method for an additional service, comprising:

obtaining, by at least one IM component from a local IM client via a common interface configured in the local IM client, at least one IM user identity of at least one IM user other than a local IM user after the local IM user logs on the local IM client, each of the at least one IM component supporting at least one additional service;

querying, by the at least one component according to the at least one IM user identity obtained, whether the at least one IM user subscribes to one of the at least one additional service supported by the at least one IM component.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

submitting, by the at least one IM component, user state information to a user state server, wherein the user state information comprises information of an additional service subscribed by the local IM user and an identity of the local IM user;

recording, by the user state server, an identity of the local IM user and an identity of the additional service subscribed by the local IM user after receiving the user state information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein querying whether the at least one IM user subscribes to one of the at least one additional service comprises:

sending, by the at least one IM component, a query request to the user state server, wherein the query request comprises the at least one IM user identity obtained and at least one identity of the at least one additional service supported by the at least one IM component;

querying, by the user state server, whether the at least one IM user subscribes to one of the at least one additional service supported by the at least one IM component, and returning a query result to the at least one IM component.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein querying whether the at least one IM user subscribes to one of the at least one additional service comprises:

sending, by the at least one IM component, a query request to the local IM client via the common interface, wherein the query request comprises an identity of an IM user other than the local IM user and at least one identity of the at least one additional service supported by the at least one IM component;

forwarding, by the local IM client, the query request to an IM client of the IM user corresponding to the identity of the IM user;

receiving, by the at least one IM component, the query result forwarded by the local IM client via the common interface.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one IM component via the common interface, a query request which is forwarded by the local IM client and is from another IM client, wherein the query request comprises an identity of the local IM user and at least one identity of at least one additional service;

querying, by the at least one component, whether the local IM user subscribes to one of the at least one additional service contained in the query request, and returning a query result to the local IM client via the common interface;

forwarding, by the local IM client, the query result to the another IM client.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

adding, by the at least one IM component via the common interface according to a query result, a mark for the at least one IM user into a user interface of the IM client to indicate an additional service subscribed by the at least one IM user.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

adding, by the at least one IM component via the common interface according to a query result, at least one group for the at least one IM user into a user interface of the IM client, wherein each of the at least one group comprises at least one IM user subscribing to at least one identical additional service.