Forwarding to Automatically Prioritized IM Accounts Based Upon Priority and Presence

• US 20100191820A1
• Filed: 04/06/2010
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daniell, W. Todd, Davis, Joel A., Daigle, Brian K., Friedman, Lee G., Kent, Larry G. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,633 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

Systems for forwarding incoming instant messages comprise a primary IM processing device configured to send and receive IM messages. The primary IM processing device is further configured to forward incoming IM messages to an available secondary IM processing devices based upon presence information and availability information on a plurality of secondary IM processing devices. A router is configured to route IM messages between the primary IM processing device and the secondary IM processing devices. An IM server is coupled to a communications network and is configured to send and receive presence information from the primary IM processing device and the secondary IM processing devices. The primary IM processing device is further configured to maintain presence information on the secondary IM processing devices including the secondary IM processing devices that were unavailable to receive a forwarded instant message. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for forwarding instant messages, comprising:

receiving, by a primary IM processing client device, an incoming instant message from a sender'"'"'s IM processing device; and

automatically forwarding, by the primary IM processing client device, the incoming instant message received from the sender'"'"'s IM processing device to a selected secondary IM processing client device based upon a forwarding priority order and having a currently available presence to receive a forwarded instant message,

wherein the forwarding priority order is determined prior to receiving the incoming instant message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding priority order comprises a ranking order of priority in which to forward an instant message amongst a plurality of secondary IM processing client devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting by the primary instant messaging (IM) processing client device a selection of forwarding of instant messages to at least one of the secondary IM processing client devices.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a presence of each of the secondary IM processing client devices.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining presence information for the secondary IM processing client devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the primary IM processing client device, a notification from at least one IM server of the status of each of the secondary IM processing client devices.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

continuing to attempt to forward the instant message based upon the priority addresses until finding an available secondary IM processing client device.

8. A primary instant messaging (IM) processing client device for forwarding instant messages, comprising:

a receiving component to receive IM instant messages; and

a forwarding component to forward the received instant messages to a selected secondary IM processing client device by the primary IM processing client device,

wherein the forwarding priority order is determined prior to receiving the instant messages.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the forwarding priority order comprises a ranking order of priority in which to forward an instant message amongst a plurality of secondary IM processing client devices.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the selected secondary IM processing client device has a currently available presence state.

11. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

a detecting component to detect a selection of forwarding of instant messages to at least one of the secondary IM processing client devices.

12. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

a detecting component to detect a presence of each of the secondary IM processing client devices.

13. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

a maintaining component to maintain presence information for the secondary IM processing client devices.

14. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

a receiving component to receive a notification from at least one IM server of a status of each of the secondary IM processing client devices.

15. The device of claim 8, wherein the forwarding component continues to attempt to forward the instant message based upon the priority addresses until finding an available secondary IM processing client device.

16. A computer-readable medium having a computer program for forwarding instant messages, the computer program when executed by a computer causes the computer to:

receive an incoming instant message from a sender'"'"'s IM processing device; and

automatically forward the incoming instant message received from the sender'"'"'s IM processing device to a selected secondary IM processing client device based upon a forwarding priority order and having a currently available presence to receive a forwarded instant message,

wherein the forwarding priority order is determined prior to receiving the incoming instant message.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the forwarding priority order comprises a ranking order of priority in which to forward an instant message amongst a plurality of secondary IM processing client devices.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, the computer program further causing the computer to:

detect a selection of forwarding of instant messages to at least one of the secondary IM processing client devices.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, the computer program further causing the computer to:

detect a presence of each of the secondary IM processing client devices.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, the computer program further causing the program to:

continue to attempt to forward the instant message based upon the priority addresses until finding an available secondary IM processing client device.