Instant messaging with voice conversation feature

• US 7,085,258 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Creamer, Thomas E., Moore, Victor S., Walters, Glen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BRIAN D
• Application Number:
  US09/910,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20030016657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/356, 370/357, 370/389, 370/392, 370/465, 370/471, 370/475, 370/395.2, 379/260, 379/202.01, 379/201.01, 379/88.17
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

An instant message (IM) communication method. An IM communication method can include the steps of: detecting a voice communications identifier in an IM transmitted by a sender; responsive to detecting the voice communications identifier, displaying a selectable icon; and, responsive to a selection of the icon, establishing a voice communications link with the sender. The establishing step can include the step of, responsive to the recipient selecting the voice communications identifier, establishing a Voice over IP (VoIP) based voice communications link with the recipient. Alternatively, the establishing step can include the step of, responsive to the recipient selecting the voice communications identifier, establishing a telephony-based voice communications link with the recipient over a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

Claims

1. An instant message (IM) communication method comprising the steps of:

inserting in an IM a voice communications identifier;

embedding computer program code in said IM, wherein said computer program code is configured to establish a voice communications link with a sender of said IM;

transmitting said IM to a recipient;

displaying a selectable icon associated with said voice communication identifier; and

,

responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a voice communications link between said recipient and said sender of said IM by executing said embedded computer program code.

2. The IM communication method of claim 1, wherein said inserting step further comprises the step of inserting in said IM a selectable symbol denoting voice communications availability.

3. The IM communication method of claim 1, wherein said inserting step further comprises the step of

inserting in said IM a reference to said sender of said IM.

4. The IM communication method of claim 3, wherein said establishing step comprises the steps of responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, determining a link address for said sender based on said reference, and executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a voice communications link with said sender according to said determined link address.

5. The IM communication method of claim 4, wherein said link address is a telephone number.

6. The IM communication method of claim 4, wherein said link address is an IP address.

7. The IM communication method of claim 1, wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a Voice over IP (VoIP) based voice communications link with said recipient.

8. The IM communication method of claim 1, wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a telephony-based voice communications link with said recipient over a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

9. An instant message (IM) communication method comprising the steps of:

detecting a voice communications identifier in an IM transmitted by a sender;

responsive to detecting said voice communications identifier, displaying a selectable icon associated with said voice communication identifier;

responsive to a selection of said icon, extracting from said IM embedded computer program code configured to establish a voice communications link with said sender; and

establishing a voice communications link with said sender by executing said embedded computer program code extracted from said IM.

10. The IM communication method of claim 9, further comprising the step of extracting an embedded reference to said sender from said IM.

11. The IM communication method of claim 10, wherein said executing step further comprises the steps of:

determining a link address for said sender based on said extracted reference; and

,

executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a voice communications link with said sender according to said determined link address.

12. The IM communication method of claim 11, wherein said link address is a telephone number.

13. The IM communication method of claim 11, wherein said link address is an IP address.

14. The IM communications method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

a recipient of the IM extracting from said IM embedded references to said sender and at least one other recipient of said IM; and

,

displaying a corresponding selectable icon for each of said at least one other recipients.

15. The IM communication method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

responsive to a selection of one of said selectable icons, identifying a corresponding recipient and determining a link address for said corresponding recipient based on said extracted reference; and

,

executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a voice communications link with said corresponding recipient according to said determined link address.

16. The IM communication method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

responsive to a selection of two or more of said selectable icons, identifying a corresponding recipient for each selected icon and determining a link address for said corresponding recipients based on said extracted references; and

,

executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a conference call with said corresponding recipients according to said determined link addresses.

17. The IM communication method of claim 9, wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to a recipient of the IM selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a Voice over IP (VoIP) based voice communications link with said recipient.

18. The IM communication method of claim 9, wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to a recipient of the IM selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a telephony-based voice communications link with said recipient over a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

19. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

inserting in an instant message (IM) a voice communications identifier;

embedding computer program code in said IM, wherein said computer program code is configured to establish a voice communications link with a sender of said IM;

transmitting said IM to a recipient;

displaying a selectable icon associated with said voice communications identifier; and

,

responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a voice communications link between said recipient and said sender of said IM by executing said embedded computer program code.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 19, wherein said inserting step further comprises the step of inserting in said IM a selectable symbol denoting voice communications availability.

21. The machine readable storage of claim 19, wherein said inserting step further comprises the step of:

inserting in said IM a reference to said sender of said IM.

22. The machine readable storage of claim 21, wherein said establishing step comprises the steps of responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, determining a link address for said sender based on said reference, and executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a voice communications link with said sender according to said determined link address.

23. The machine readable storage of claim 22, wherein said link address is a telephone number.

24. The machine readable storage of claim 22, wherein said link address is an IP address.

25. The machine readable storage of claim 19, wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a Voice over IP (VoIP) based voice communications link with said recipient.

26. The machine readable storage of claim 19, wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a telephony-based voice communications link with said recipient over a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

27. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

detecting a voice communications identifier in an instant message (IM) transmitted by a sender;

responsive to detecting said voice communications identifier, displaying a selectable icon associated with said voice communication identifier;

responsive to a selection of said icon, extracting from said IM embedded computer program code configured to establish a voice communications link with said sender; and

establishing a voice communications link with said sender by executing said embedded computer program code extracted from said IM.

28. The machine readable storage of claim 27, further comprising the step of extracting an embedded reference to said sender from said IM.

29. The machine readable storage of claim 28, wherein said executing step further comprises the steps of:

determining a link address for said sender based on said extracted reference; and

,

executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a voice communications link with said sender according to said determined link address.

30. The machine readable storage of claim 29, wherein said link address is a telephone number.

31. The machine readable storage of claim 29, wherein said link address is an IP address.

32. The machine readable storage of claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

a recipient of the IM extracting from said IM embedded references to said sender and at least one other recipient of said IM; and

,

displaying a corresponding selectable icon for each of said at least one other recipients.

33. The machine readable storage of claim 32, further comprising the steps of:

responsive to a selection of one of said selectable icons, identifying a corresponding recipient and determining a link address for said corresponding recipient based on said extracted reference; and

,

executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a voice communications link with said corresponding recipient according to said determined link address.

34. The machine readable storage of claim 32, further comprising the steps of:

responsive to a selection of two or more of said selectable icons, identifying a corresponding recipient for each selected icon and determining a link address for said corresponding recipients based on said extracted references; and

,

executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a conference call with said corresponding recipients according to said determined link addresses.

35. The machine readable storage of claim 27, wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to a recipient of the IM selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a Voice aver IP (VoIP) based voice communications link with said recipient.

36. The machine readable storage of claim 27, wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to a recipient of the IM selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a telephony-based voice communications link with said recipient over a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

37. An instant message (IM)/Chat session client comprising:

a conventional IM processor, said conventional IM processor extracting and displaying message text encapsulated in a received IM; and

,

a voice conversation processor, said voice conversation processor identifying a voice communications link identifier encapsulated in said received IM, displaying a selectable icon associated with said voice communications link identifier in response to detecting said voice communications link identifier and, responsive to a selection of said selectable icon, establishing a voice communications link with a sender of said received IM by executing computer program code embedded in said received IM, said computer program code being configured to establish the voice communications link.