Systems and methods for interfacing with a user in instant messaging

• US 7,257,618 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Barrett, Peter T., Danker, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu; Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US11/241,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 709/231, 345/758, 345/864, 725/32, 715/758
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/237 Lexical tools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/289 Phrasal analysis, e.g. finite state techniques or chunking
• 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 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Reducing the amount of input required by a user to enter an electronic message. When an electronic message is received, one or more language expressions associated with the electronic message are displayed to a user. The user may select one or more of the language expressions and have the full text of all the selected language expressions included in a reply electronic message. Icons, which represent a user'"'"'s capability to engage in an electronic messaging session, may also be displayed. When a user changes their capability to engage in an electronic messaging session, for instance when they go offline, a command may be sent to other users. This command may take the form of a character sequence not normally occurring in written language, which is interpreted by network devices and changes the display of the icon associated with a the user who went offline.

Claims

1. A computer program product for use in a network system including at least two network devices network connectable so as to be capable of engaging in an instant messaging session, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for users of the at least two network devices to communicate via instant messaging and for reducing the amount of input required by the users, wherein the method comprises:

a first network device receiving a first instant message;

automatically, and without user intervention, extracting one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message, including at least one language expression from a data dictionary having language expressions from a previously received instant message;

displaying one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message at the first network device;

receiving a user selection of one or more of the language expressions displayed at the first network device; and

including the selected language expressions in a reply instant message to the first instant message.

2. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein a first network device receiving a first instant message comprises the following:

a television set top box receiving a first instant message.

3. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein extracting one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message comprises the following:

extracting one or more language expressions from the contents of the first instant message.

4. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein extracting one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message comprises the following:

extracting one or more language expressions from text manually entered by the user.

5. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein extracting one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message comprises the following:

extracting one or more language expressions from a data dictionary.

6. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

scrambling the one or more displayed language expressions associated with the first instant message in order to display one or more other language expressions that were not displayed before the scrambling occurred.

7. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving a user selection of one or more of the language expressions displayed at the first network device comprises the following:

receiving from a limited input device a user selection of one or more of the language expressions displayed at the first network device.

8. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises;

changing the appearance of one or more displayed icons when a specific character sequence not typically occurring in written language is received by the first network device.

9. In a first network device associated with a network system including at least two network devices that are network connectable so as to be capable of engaging in an instant messaging session, a method for users of the at least two network devices to communicate via instant messaging and reducing the amount of input required by the users, the method comprising:

receiving a first instant message;

automatically, and without user intervention, extracting one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message;

displaying one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message;

receiving a user selection of one or more of the displayed language expressions;

scrambling the one or more displayed language expressions associated with the first instant message in order to display one or more other language expressions that were not displayed before the scrambling occurred; and

including the one or more selected language expressions in a reply instant message to the first instant message.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein extracting one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message comprises the following:

extracting one or more language expressions from the contents of the first instant message.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein extracting one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message comprises the following:

extracting one or more language expressions from text manually entered by the user.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein extracting one or more language expressions associated with the first instant message comprises the following:

extracting one or more language expressions from a data dictionary.

13. A computer program product for use in a network system including a television set top box associated with a television and one or more network devices, the television set top box and one or more network devices being network connectable so as to be capable of engaging in an instant messaging session, a computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for a user of the television set top box to determine the capability of a second user to engage in an instant messaging session and for reducing the amount of input required by users, wherein the method comprises:

displaying an initial status icon to the user of the television set top box so as to represent the second user'"'"'s capability to engage in an instant messaging session;

associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon;

the television set top box receiving the specific character sequence associated with the changed status icon; and

displaying the changed status icon to the user of the television set top box so as to represent a change in the second user'"'"'s capability to engage in an instant messaging session.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 13, wherein the television set top box receiving the specific character sequence associated with the changed status icon comprises the following:

the television set top box receiving an instant message that includes the specific character sequence associated with the changed status icon.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 13, wherein associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon comprises the following:

associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon that represents the state of the second user.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon that represents the state of the second user comprises the following:

associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon that represents the second user is offline.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon that represents the state of the second user comprises the following:

associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon that represents the second user is online and ready to engage in an instant messaging session.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon that represents the state of the second user comprises the following:

associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon that represents the second user is online but cannot engage in an instant messaging system.

19. The computer program product as recited as recited in claim 13, wherein associating a specific character sequence with a changed status icon comprises the following:

associating a specific character sequence not normally occurring in written language with a changed status icon.

20. The computer program product as recited as recited in claim 13, wherein associating a specific character sequence not normally occurring in written language with a changed status icon comprises the following:

associating a specific character sequence not normally occurring in written language with a changed status icon that represents the state of the second user.