INITIATING INSTANT MESSAGING (IM) CHAT SESSIONS FROM EMAIL MESSAGES

• US 20110202611A1
• Filed: 02/02/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W., Daniell, W. Todd
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

Systems and methods for integrating instant messaging (IM) services and email services are described. In one embodiment, among others, an email message is received and an IM chat session is automatically initiated from the email message. In some embodiments, the initiation of the IM chat session may be subject to certain programmable criteria.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method of integrating instant messaging services and email services, comprising:

displaying an email message from a contact in one of a read window or a preview pane;

determining, with an instant messaging client and utilizing a processor that is executing the instant messaging client, an Internet presence of the contact identified in the email message; and

presenting a user option of initiating an instant messaging chat session with the contact in response to determining that the contact is present, wherein the option of initiating the instant messaging chat session includes a first option of automatically initiating the instant messaging chat session and a second option of manually initiating the instant messaging chat session.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein when the second option of manual initiation is chosen, then the instant messaging chat session is launched manually from the email message with user intervention.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein when the first option of automatic initiation is chosen, then the instant messaging chat session is launched without user intervention.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein when the first option of automatic initiation is chosen, then the instant messaging chat session is launched without user intervention subject to additional criteria.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the additional criteria comprise automatically establishing the instant messaging chat session with a sender of the email message, but not for those individuals who are carbon copied on the email message.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the additional criteria comprise automatically establishing a joint instant messaging chat session with all individuals on the email message who are also present online.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the additional criteria comprise automatically establishing the instant messaging chat session only with designated individuals provided by a user.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the additional criteria comprise automatically establishing the instant messaging chat session with the designated individuals, but requiring manual initiation of instant messaging chat sessions for others.

30. A system comprising:

display logic configured to display an email message from a contact in one of a read window or a preview pane;

presence logic of an instant messaging client and utilizing a processor that is executing the instant messaging client, configured to determine an Internet presence of the contact identified in the email message; and

chat-initiation logic configured to present a user option to initiate an instant messaging chat session with the contact in response to determining that the contact is present, wherein the option of initiating the instant messaging chat session includes a first option of automatically initiating the instant messaging chat session and a second option of manually initiating the instant messaging chat session.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the chat-initiation logic is configured to manually launch the instant messaging chat session with user intervention, when the second option of manual initiation is chosen.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the chat-initiation logic is configured to automatically launch the instant messaging chat session without user intervention, when the first option of automatic initiation is chosen.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the chat-initiation logic is configured to launch without user intervention subject to additional criteria, when the first option of automatic initiation is chosen.

34. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium being embedded with computer instructions for causing a computing device to:

instruct a programmable device to display an email message from a contact in one of a read window or a preview pane;

instruct a programmable device to determine, at an instant messaging client, an Internet presence of the contact from the email message; and

instruct a programmable device to present a user option to initiate an instant messaging chat session with the contact in response to determining that the contact is present, wherein the option of initiating the instant messaging chat session includes a first option of automatically initiating the instant messaging chat session and a second option of manually initiating the instant messaging chat session.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, further comprising instructions to manually launch the instant messaging chat session with user intervention, when the second option of manual initiation is chosen.

36. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, further comprising instructions to automatically launch the instant messaging chat session without user intervention, when the first option of automatic initiation is chosen.

37. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, further comprising instructions to launch without user intervention subject to additional criteria, when the first option of automatic initiation is chosen.

38. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the additional criteria comprise automatically establishing the instant messaging chat session with a sender of the email message, but not for those individuals who are carbon copied on the email message.

39. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the additional criteria comprise automatically establishing a joint instant messaging chat session with all individuals on the email message who are also present online.

40. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the additional criteria comprise automatically establishing the instant messaging chat session only with designated individuals provided by a user.

41. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 40, wherein the additional criteria comprise automatically establishing the instant messaging chat session with the designated individuals, but requiring manual initiation of instant messaging chat sessions for others.