Messenger-controlled applications in an instant messaging environment

• US 7,188,143 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2003
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Szeto, Christopher Tzann-en
• Primary Examiner(s): PWU, JEFFREY C
• Application Number:
  US10/613,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 709227-228, 709/204, 709217-219, 709/238, 709/200, 709201-207, 709223-224, 709/250, 709246-247, 719/328, 719/329, 370/259, 370/352, 370/353, 370/389, 370/400, 715751-753, 715/758, 707/3, 707/10, 707/104.1, 455518-519
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Techniques for controlling an application in an instant messaging environment are described. The instant messaging environment retrieves and executes an instant messaging application. An identifier is assigned to the instant messaging application, which is retrieved and executed in the instant messaging environment between two or more instant messaging clients. The instant messaging environment identifies a selected instant messaging application and generates a control message. The control message includes the identifier which is used to retrieve and execute the instant messaging application. The instant messaging environment also determines whether a supporting application is required, based on the instant messaging application identifier, to execute the instant messaging application.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method of controlling an application, said method comprising:

in response to receiving user input at a first instant messaging client and a second instant messaging client, generating user messages at the first instant messaging client and the second instant messaging client, wherein the first instant messaging client has a first conversation user interface and the second instant messaging client has a second conversation user interface;

exchanging the user messages, via an instant messaging system, between the first instant messaging client and the second instant messaging client;

displaying a conversation in the first conversation user interface and the second conversation user interface, wherein said conversation is based on the user messages transferred via the instant messaging system;

in response to user input at the first instant messaging client, generating a control message at the first instant messaging client, wherein the control message indicates an identifier associated with an application that is retrieved and executed from the first instant messaging client

transferring the control message, via the instant messaging system, between the first instant messaging client and the second instant messaging client; and

in response to receiving the control message, causing results of executing the application as specified by the control message to be reflected in a display provided by the second instant messaging client.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a message received at the second client is one of the user messages or the control message.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of causing results of executing the application as specified by the control message to be reflected in a display provided by the second instant messaging client comprises playing results of executing the application in a player.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of causing results of executing the application as specified by the control message to be reflected in a display provided by the second instant messaging client comprises displaying the results of executing the application in a viewer.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising arbitrating data received from a third instant messaging client based on executing the application.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising, prior to generating the control message, receiving a selection of the application from a list of instant messaging applications at the first instant messaging client.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising causing results of executing the application to be reflected in a display provided by the first instant messaging client.

8. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

in response to receiving user input at a first instant messaging client and a second instant messaging client, generating user messages at the first instant messaging client and the second instant messaging client, wherein the first instant messaging client has a first conversation user interface and the second instant messaging client has a second conversation user interface;

exchanging the user messages, via an instant messaging system, between the first instant messaging client and the second instant messaging client;

displaying a conversation in the first conversation user interface and the second conversation user interface, wherein said conversation is based on the user messages transferred via the instant messaging system;

in response to user input at the first instant messaging client, generating a control message at the first instant messaging client, wherein the control message indicates an identifier associated with an application that is retrieved and executed from the first instant messaging client

transferring the control message, via the instant messaging system, between the first instant messaging client and the second instant messaging client; and

in response to receiving the control message, causing results of executing the application as specified by the control message to be reflected in a display provided by the second instant messaging client.

9. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of determining whether a message received at the second client is one of the user messages or the control message.

10. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8 wherein the instructions for performing the step of causing results of executing the application as specified by the control message to be reflected in a display provided by the second instant messaging client further comprise instructions for playing results of executing the application in a player.

11. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8 wherein the instructions for performing the step of causing results of executing the application as specified by the control message to be reflected in a display provided by the second instant messaging client further comprise instructions for displaying the results of executing the application in a viewer.

12. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8 further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of arbitrating data received from a third instant messaging client based on executing the application.

13. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8 further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of:

prior to generating the control message, receiving a selection of the application from a list of instant messaging applications at the first instant messaging client.

14. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8 further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of causing results of executing the application to be reflected in a display provided by the first instant messaging client.