INITIATING INSTANT MESSAGING (IM) CHAT SESSIONS FROM EMAIL MESSAGES

• US 20170366482A9
• Filed: 10/02/2015
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W., Daniel, W. Todd
• Application Number:
  US14/873,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20170099238A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

Systems and methods for integrating instant messaging (IM) services and email services are described. In one embodiment, email messages and IM chat session transcripts are threaded to each other so that an email thread history may be traced back to an IM chat session transcript and, conversely, an IM thread history may be traced back to an email message.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory that stores instructions;

a processor that executes the instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising;

determining a first internet presence for a first contact in response to displaying content of an email message in an email read window of a user, wherein the email message is sent by the first contact;

inserting first presence information of the first contact in the email message, wherein the first presence information is displayed in the email message based on the first internet presence; and

initiating, from the email message, a first instant messaging chat session with the first contact, wherein the first instant messaging chat session is initiated based in part on the first presence information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining a second internet presence for a second contact copied on the email message.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise inserting second presence information of the second contact in the email message, wherein the second presence information is displayed in the email message based on the second internet presence.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise initiating a second instant messaging chat session with the second contact, wherein the second instant messaging chat session is initiated based in part on the second presence information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise extracting an email address of the first contact from the email message.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise determining an instant messaging address of the first contact based on the email address extracted from the email message.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise obtaining the first presence information in response to a query sent to an instant messaging agent, wherein the query includes the instant messaging address of the first contact.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise inserting the first presence information adjacent to the email address of the first contact.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise reformatting an instant message received from the first contact by concatenating content of the instant message from the first contact with an instant messaging address of the first contact prior to transmitting the instant message from the first contact to the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the instant message to the user.

11. A method, comprising:

determining, by utilizing instructions from a memory that are executed by a processor, a first internet presence for a first contact in response to displaying content of an email message in an email read window of a user, wherein the email message is sent by the first contact;

embedding first presence information of the first contact in the email message, wherein the first presence information is associated with the first internet presence; and

launching, from the email message, a first instant messaging chat session with the first contact, wherein the first instant messaging chat session is launched based in part on the first presence information.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a second internet presence for a second contact copied on the email message.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising embedding second presence information of the second contact in the email message, wherein the second presence information is displayed in the email message based on the second internet presence.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising launching a second instant messaging chat session with the second contact, wherein the second instant messaging chat session is initiated based in part on the second presence information.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising extracting an email address of the first contact from the email message.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising returning an error if an instant messaging address of the first contact is not detected based on the email address extracted from the email message.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising obtaining the first presence information in response to a query sent to an instant messaging agent, wherein the query includes an instant messaging address of the first contact.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising reformatting an instant message received from the first contact during the first instant messaging chat session.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising reformatting the instant message by concatenating content of the instant message with an instant messaging address of the first contact prior to transmitting the instant message to the user.

20. A computer-readable device comprising computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining a first internet presence for a first contact in response to displaying content of an email message to a user, wherein the email message is sent by the first contact;

inserting first presence information of the first contact in the email message, wherein the first presence information is associated with the first internet presence; and

launching, from the email message, a first instant messaging chat session with the first contact, wherein the first instant messaging chat session is launched based in part on the first presence information.