Facilitating negotiations between users of a computer network through messaging communications enabling user interaction

• US 7,216,144 B1
• Filed: 10/28/2002
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morris, Harry W., Watkins, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim; Krisna
• Application Number:
  US10/281,348
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/227, 706/10, 705/21, 705/26, 705/80
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Interactions between users of a computer network may be facilitated by transmitting a first user'"'"'s proposal for a communications session to another user, the proposal comprising one or more parameters descriptive of the proposed communications session, receiving a response from the other user, the response comprising a counterproposal having one or more parameters descriptive of the proposed communications session, with at least one of the parameters of the counterproposal differing from a corresponding parameter of the proposal, and automatically engaging in the proposed communications session using the parameters included in the counterproposal upon acceptance of the counterproposal by the first user.

Claims

1. A computer-implement method of facilitating interactions between users of a computer network, the method comprising:

transmitting a first user'"'"'s proposal for a communications session to another user as a first user interface that displays the first user'"'"'s proposal in a manner enabling user interaction with the first user'"'"'s proposal, wherein the first user interface includes multiple fields associated with specifying parameters of the proposed communications session;

receiving a response from the other user with a counterproposal as a second user interface that displays the response of the other user in a manner enabling user interaction with the counterproposal, wherein the second user interface includes multiple fields enabling the other user to specify parameters of the counter-proposed communication session, with at least one of the parameters of the counterproposal differing from a corresponding parameter of the proposal; and

automatically engaging in the proposed communications session using the parameters included in the counterproposal upon acceptance of the counterproposal by the first user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications session includes an instant messaging session.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the parameters include proposed identities of members to engage in the proposed communications session.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the parameters include a numerical parameter to indicate a number of members that may engage in the communications session.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the parameters include parameters for the communications session to find another Internet route for the communications session where a firewall is blocking a direct route for the communications session.

6. A computer-implement method of facilitating interactions between users of a computer network, the method comprising:

transmitting a first user'"'"'s proposal as a first user interface that displays the first user'"'"'s proposal in a manner enabling user interaction with the first user'"'"'s proposal for an activity to another user, wherein the first user interface includes multiple fields associated with specifying parameters of the proposed activity and referencing a resource that will be accessed upon engaging in the activity;

receiving a response with a counterproposal from the other user, the response received as a second user interface that displays the response of the other user in a manner enabling user interaction with the counterproposal, wherein the second user interface includes multiple fields enabling the other user to specify parameters of the counter-proposed communication session, with at least one of the parameters of the counterproposal differing from a corresponding parameter of the proposal; and

automatically engaging in the proposed activity by referencing the resource and using the parameters included in the counterproposal upon acceptance of the counterproposal by the first user.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the resource includes an automated device referenced by an Internet Protocol address that is accessed upon automatically engaging in the proposed activity.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the Internet Protocol address includes a Rendezvous Internet Protocol Address that indicates an Internet Protocol address provided by an intermediary host.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the Internet Protocol address includes a verified Internet Protocol address that differs from an actual Internet Protocol address used by a user.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the verified Internet Protocol address is formatted to be recognized by and forwarded through a firewall.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the resource includes an application referenced by a Uniform Resource Locator that is accessed upon automatically engaging in the proposed activity.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein the parameters are configured to find another Internet route for the proposed activity where a firewall is blocking a direct route for the application.

13. A computer configured to facilitate interactions between users of a computer network, the computer comprising:

a first communications interface structured and arranged to transmit a first user'"'"'s proposal as a first user interface that displays the first user'"'"'s proposal in a manner enabling user interaction with the first user'"'"'s proposal for a communications session to another user, the first user interface includes multiple fields associated with specifying parameters of the proposed communications session;

a second communications interface structured and arranged to receive a response with a counterproposal from the other user, the response received as a second user interface that displays the response of the other user in a manner enabling user interaction with the counterproposal, wherein the second user interface includes multiple fields enabling the other user to specify parameters of the counter-proposed communication session, with at least one of the parameters of the counterproposal differing from a corresponding parameter of the proposal; and

a third communications interface structured and arranged to automatically enable the proposed communications session using the parameters included in the counterproposal upon acceptance of the counterproposal by the first user.

14. The computer of claim 13 wherein the communications session includes an instant messaging session.

15. The computer of claim 13 wherein the parameters include proposed identities of members to engage in the proposed communications session.

16. The computer of claim 13 wherein the parameters include a numerical parameter to indicate a number of members that may engage in the communications session.

17. The computer of claim 13 wherein the parameters include parameters for the communications session to find another Internet route for the communications session where a firewall is blocking a direct route for the communications session.

18. A method comprising:

making visible a user interface associated with generating a proposal to establish a communication session, the user interface includes multiple fields associated with specification of parameters that describe the proposed communication session;

enabling an originating user to specify the parameters within the multiple fields;

transmitting the proposal from the originating user to a recipient user;

enabling the recipient user to modify at least one specified parameter within the multiple fields and thus generate a counterproposal;

transmitting the counterproposal from the recipient user to the originating user; and

enabling the originating user to accept the counterproposal or to modify the counterproposal.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein enabling the recipient user to modify at least one specified parameter includes providing within the user interface a modifying icon associated with modifying the proposal.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein making visible the user interface includes making visible an instant messaging user interface.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein making visible the user interface includes making visible the user interface associated with generating the proposal to establish AOL talk, Direct play, File Transfer, Route Finder, Direct ICBM, Avatar Exchange, or Chat.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein making visible the user interface includes making visibly perceivable the user interface that includes the multiple fields associated with the identification of people that are to engage in the proposed communication session.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein making visible the user interface includes making visibly perceivable the user interface that includes the multiple field associated with specification of a number of people that may engage in the proposed communication session.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein making visible the user interface includes making visibly perceivable the user interface that includes an accepting icon, a declining icon, and a warning icon.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein making visible the user interface includes making visibly perceivable the user interface that includes at least one field to specify instructions associated with finding another Internet route for the proposed communication session where a firewall is blocking the direct route for the communication session.