SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SEAMLESSLY BRINGING EXTERNAL SERVICES INTO INSTANT MESSAGING SESSION

• US 20110078270A1
• Filed: 12/08/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Marathon Solutions LLC (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: GALLI, Marcio Dos Santos, Rosenberg, Doron
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

The invention provides a framework that allows a number of software application agents to be stacked on top of an instant messenger application. Each of the software application agents establishes a connection with a third-party Web service on the Internet or a local application in the user'"'"'s computer. The user can share one or more third-party services or applications with other user(s) in an instant messaging session through the application agents.

Claims

1. A system for providing real-time communication over a global network in a session between two or more users, each of said two or more users using a device communicatively coupled to the global network, said system comprising:

a plurality of user devices, each including a processor operatively coupled with a device interface, a network interface, and a memory;

a client messaging application which runs on said plurality of user devices, said client application providing a user interface communicated to said users via said device interface, said user interface comprising;

a message entry window for the user to enter data;

a communication window for displaying messages entered in a session; and

a selection window for accessing one or more external application located remotely from the plurality of user devices and configured for providing enhanced communication capability beyond instant text messaging;

wherein said plurality of devices are configured to access said at least one external application via said network interface;

wherein when any of said external application is activated, the external application represented by said activated application agent runs on top of the client messaging application such that all users in said session can instantly use the external application represented by said activated external application agent without leaving said session and without having to load said external application from said memory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said external application comprises an application selected from among a group of application consisting of:

an instant translation service;

a speech synthesis service;

an automatic publishing service;

a picture sharing service;

a map sharing service;

a quote service; and

a Web search engine.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said activated external application agent addresses other applications on the other side of said session via the user'"'"'s message protocol.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein selection window further comprises a plurality of distinct visual cues, each of which being representative of one of said external applications;

and wherein said processor associates one or more of said visual cues to a contact in the user'"'"'s contact list, said association being based on the user'"'"'s prior use or/and use frequency, with said contact, of the external application represented by said visual cues.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein whenever said contact joins said session, the application agent represented by said associated visual cue is automatically activated.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein any of said external applications can be registered as a contact in the user'"'"'s list of contacts.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said selection window displays any of:

a list of unregistered external applications, each of which being available to be stacked on said client messaging application; and

a list of registered external applications, each of which being already stacked on said client messaging application and is immediately available to be activated by the user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the user can register an application agent by dragging a symbol representative of said external application from said list of unregistered external applications said list of registered external applications.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said list of unregistered application agents is updated without need of changing said client application.

11. A method for incorporating external resources into an instant messaging session supported by an instant messaging system, said instant messaging system comprising a client messaging application which runs on a number of devices communicatively coupled to the Internet, comprising the steps of:

providing information through said client messaging application comprising;

providing a user interface displayed on each device'"'"'s screen from which the users communicate with at least another user, said user interface comprising a message entry window for said user to enter data,

providing a communication window for displaying messages entered in said instant messaging session, and

providing a selection window for accessing one or more external applications,

the method further comprising the steps of;

activating an external application from a list of available external applications, wherein each of said external applications is available to be activated by the user, thereby providing an enriched communication session beyond simple, replicated text massage content; and

sharing the external application between at least two users in said instant messaging session.

9. The system of claim 13, wherein said symbol is an icon or a title.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said external application is selected from among a group of application consisting of:

an instant translation service;

a speech synthesis service;

an automatic publishing service;

a picture sharing service;

a map sharing service;

a quote service; and

a Web search engine.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

registering an external application by dragging a symbol representative of said external application from a list of unregistered external applications to said list of registered external applications, wherein each of said unregistered external applications is available to be registered on said client application; and

unregistering a registered external application by dragging a symbol representative of said registered external application from said list of registered external applications to said list of unregistered external applications.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

registering an external application by applying a number of mouse-clicking commands; and

unregistering a registered external application by applying a number of mouse-clicking commands.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

associating one or more of visual cues to a contact in the user'"'"'s contact list, each visual cue representing one of said registered external application, said association being based on the user'"'"'s prior use or/and use frequency, with said contact, of the external applications represented by said visual cues.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

automatically activating the external applications represented by said associated visual cues whenever said contact joins said instant messaging session.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said contact can be any of:

a screen name representing a human contact;

a name or a visual cue representing an interactive service; and

a name or visual cue representing one of said registered external applications.

18. A system for providing real-time communication over a global network in a messaging and content sharing session between a plurality of users, each of said plurality of users using a device communicatively coupled to the global network, said system comprising:

a plurality of user devices, each including a processor operatively coupled with a device interface, a network interface, and a memory;

a messaging and content sharing application which runs on said plurality of user devices, said messaging and content sharing application providing a user interface communicated to said users via said device interface, said user interface comprising;

a message entry window for the user to enter data;

a communication window for displaying messages entered in a session; and

a selection window for accessing one or more external application located remotely from the plurality of user devices;

wherein said plurality of devices are configured to access said at least one external application via said network interface;

wherein when any of said external application is activated, the external application represented by said activated application agent runs on top of the client messaging application such that all users in said session can instantly use the external application represented by said activated external application agent without leaving said session and without having to load said external application from said memory.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said external application comprises a picture sharing service.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein selection window further comprises a plurality of distinct visual cues, each of which being representative of one of said external applications;

and wherein said processor associates one or more of said visual cues to a contact in the user'"'"'s contact list, said association being based on the user'"'"'s prior use or/and use frequency, with said contact, of the external application represented by said visual cues.