Enabling Identification of Online Identities Between Different Messaging Service

• US 20130066871A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fletcher, George
• Granted Patent: US 9,749,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/737
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

A method and system for populating identities in a message service involves registering a user of a first messaging service with a second messaging service. User identities for users other than the registered user may be identified. These user identities may be associated with the first messaging service and may be stored in a list associated with the registered user. It is determined if each identified user identity has a matching user identity associated with the second messaging service. If so, a database associated with the second messaging service is populated with the matching user identities. Determining whether a matching user identity exists may be performed, for example, by making character strings comparisons between user identities or using a database that stores a mapping of first messaging service user identities to second messaging service user identities. The mapping database may be generated as corresponding user identities are discovered.

Claims

1. A method for populating identities in a message service, the method comprising:

registering a user of a first messaging service with a second messaging service;

identifying user identities for users other than the registered user, wherein the user identities are associated with the first messaging service and the user identities are stored in a list associated with the registered user;

determining if at least one of the identified user identities has a matching user identity associated with the second messaging service; and

populating a database associated with the second messaging service with the matching user identities.

2-27. -27. (canceled)