DELIVERY AND MANAGEMENT OF STATUS NOTIFICATIONS FOR GROUP MESSAGING

• US 20120231770A1
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: CLARKE, Michael Frederick Harness, KALYANASUNDARAM, Sanjay, ROEX, Calvin, CARBONELL DUQUE, Santiago
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for managing and delivering status notifications relating to multicast messages transmitted from a sending communication device to multiple recipient communication devices. Each communication device is provided with a status agent for detecting transmission of messages to a recipient device and receipt of messages from a sending device. Upon transmission, the status agent notifies a status service of the outbound message. Upon receipt of the multicast message by one of the recipients or upon the message being marked read, the recipient status agent notifies the status service. The status service then notifies the status agent of the sending device that the message has been received or read by that recipient, so that the sending device'"'"'s status agent can notify a corresponding messaging application. The status service operates to reconcile outbound message notifications and received or read status updates for multicast messages.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting a multicast message from a sending communication device for delivery to a plurality of recipients;

detecting, by a status agent executing at the sending communication device, transmission of said multicast message;

transmitting, by the status agent for receipt by a status service, an outbound message notification for said multicast message;

receiving, by the status agent from the status service, a status update message for each of the plurality of recipients indicating delivery of the multicast message to a corresponding receiving communication device for each said recipient;

the status agent providing, at the sending communication device, a notification of delivery for each of the plurality of recipients.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the outbound message notification comprises a message identifier and a sender identifier for the multicast message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the status agent from the status service, a status update message for each of the plurality of recipients indicating that the multicast message delivered to the corresponding receiving communication device was read at said corresponding receiving communication device; and

the status agent providing, at the sending communication device, a notification that the multicast message was read for each of the plurality of recipients.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the sending communication device:

upon provision of the notification of delivery for one of the plurality of recipients, displaying an indicator indicating that said multicast message was delivered to said recipient; and

upon provision of the notification that the multicast message was read for one of the plurality of recipients, displaying an indicator indicating that said multicast message was read by said recipient.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting transmission of said multicast message comprises the status agent receiving a notification for said multicast message from a messaging application executing on the sending communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting transmission of said multicast message comprises the status agent monitoring an outbound message queue for a messaging application executing on the sending communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an inbound message at the sending communication device;

detecting, by the status agent, receipt of said inbound message;

transmitting, by the status agent for receipt by the status service, a received message notification for said inbound message, the received message notification comprising a message identifier and a recipient identifier for the inbound message;

detecting, by the status agent, that said inbound message has been read; and

transmitting, by the status agent for receipt by the status service, a read message notification for said inbound message thus read, the read message notification comprising the message identifier and the recipient identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the multicast message is an instant message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the status service comprises one or more servers in communication with the sending communication device at least in part over a wireless network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said multicast message is transmitted for delivery to the plurality of recipients via a messaging infrastructure and the status service is separate from the messaging infrastructure.

11. A communication system, comprising:

at least one data store for storing messages;

a communications module for transmitting a multicast message for delivery to a plurality of recipients and for receiving an inbound message; and

one or more processors in communication with said at least one data store and said communications module, the one or more processors being configured to execute a status agent adapted to;

detect transmission of the multicast message;

detect receipt of the inbound message;

detect when the inbound message has been read at the communication system;

initiate transmission of, for receipt by a status service, an outbound message notification for said multicast message once transmission is detected, a received message notification said inbound message once receipt is detected, and a read message notification for said inbound message once detected as being read;

receive, via the communications module from the status service,

a delivery status update message for each of a plurality of recipients indicating delivery of the multicast message to a corresponding receiving communication device for each said recipient, and

a read status update message for each of the plurality of recipients indicating that the multicast message delivered to the corresponding receiving communication device was read at said corresponding receiving communication device;

provide a delivery notification for each of the plurality of recipients, once a delivery status update message for said recipient has been received; and

provide a read notification for each of the plurality of recipients, once a read status update message for said recipient has been received.

12. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the outbound message notification comprises a message identifier and a sender identifier for the multicast message.

13. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the communications module is a wireless communications module, and transmission of said one or more transmitted messages, outbound message notifications, received message notifications, and read message notifications, and receipt of said one or more received messages, delivery status update messages, and read status update messages is carried out using said wireless communications module.

14. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the communication system is comprised in a wireless communication device.

15. The communication system of claim 11, wherein multicast message and the inbound message are instant messages.

16. A status service system for managing status notifications for multicast messages, the status service system comprising:

at least one data store configured to store outbound message notification data;

a communication subsystem configured to communicate over a network; and

one or more processors in communication with the at least one data store and the communication subsystem, the one or more processors being configured to;

receive, using the communication subsystem, an outbound message notification from a sending communication device for a multicast message addressed to a plurality of recipients;

receive, using the communication subsystem, a received message notification from each of a plurality of receiving communication devices, each received message notification indicating receipt of the multicast message by a corresponding one of the plurality of recipients;

receive, using the communication subsystem, a read message notification from each of the plurality of receiving communication devices, each read message notification indicating that the multicast message has been read by the corresponding one of the plurality of recipients;

reconcile each of said received message notifications and each of said read message notifications with the outbound message notification to identify the sending communication device;

transmit to the sending communication device, using the communication subsystem, a delivery status update message for each of the plurality of recipients once a received message notification for said recipient has been received; and

transmit to the sending communication device, using the communication subsystem, a read status update message for each of the plurality of recipients once a read message notification for said recipient has been received.

17. The status service system of claim 16, wherein the multicast message is an instant message.

18. A method of managing status notifications for multicast messages, the method comprising:

receiving, over a network, an outbound message notification from a sending communication device for a multicast message addressed to a plurality of recipients;

receiving, over the network, a received message notification from each of a plurality of receiving communication devices, each received message notification indicating receipt of the multicast message by a corresponding one of the plurality of recipients;

receiving, over the network, a read message notification from each of the plurality of receiving communication devices, each read message notification indicating that the multicast message has been read by the corresponding one of the plurality of recipients;

reconciling each of said received message notifications and each of said read message notifications with the outbound message notification to identify the sending communication device;

transmitting, to the sending communication device, a delivery status update message for each of the plurality of recipients once a received message notification for said recipient has been received; and

transmitting, to the sending communication device, a read status update message for each of the plurality of recipients once a read message notification for said recipient has been received.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the multicast message is an instant message.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising registering the sending communication device and each one of the plurality of receiving communication devices with the status service system.