System and method for instant messaging using an e-mail protocol
DCFirst Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for exchanging messages between an instant messaging user who is subscribed to an instant messaging service and an e-mail user, the method comprising:
- receiving a first outgoing instant message from the instant messaging user for delivery to an e-mail address of the e-mail user;
creating a first outgoing e-mail message from the first outgoing instant message prior to delivery of the first outgoing e-mail message to the e-mail user;
generating a token that represents a unique pairing identifier of the instant messaging user and the e-mail user;
including the token, in a username portion of a fully qualified e-mail address in a sender-identifying header of the first outgoing email message; and
transmitting the first outgoing e-mail message to the e-mail address,wherein a subsequently received e-mail message addressed to a fully-qualified e-mail address that includes the token as a username portion is deliverable to the instant messaging user as an incoming instant message from the e-mail user, and wherein the token cannot be used by another instant messaging user to deliver an instant message to the e-mail user.
12 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods allowing an instant messaging user to exchange messages with an e-mail user. To the instant messaging user, the experience is a seamless exchange of instant messages; to the e-mail user, the experience is a seamless exchange of e-mail messages. Conversion of an instant message to an e-mail message includes insertion of a token into the e-mail message, and conversion of an e-mail message to an instant message includes validating a token extracted from the e-mail message.
-
Citations
63 Claims
-
1. A method for exchanging messages between an instant messaging user who is subscribed to an instant messaging service and an e-mail user, the method comprising:
-
receiving a first outgoing instant message from the instant messaging user for delivery to an e-mail address of the e-mail user; creating a first outgoing e-mail message from the first outgoing instant message prior to delivery of the first outgoing e-mail message to the e-mail user; generating a token that represents a unique pairing identifier of the instant messaging user and the e-mail user; including the token, in a username portion of a fully qualified e-mail address in a sender-identifying header of the first outgoing email message; and transmitting the first outgoing e-mail message to the e-mail address, wherein a subsequently received e-mail message addressed to a fully-qualified e-mail address that includes the token as a username portion is deliverable to the instant messaging user as an incoming instant message from the e-mail user, and wherein the token cannot be used by another instant messaging user to deliver an instant message to the e-mail user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A method for exchanging messages between an instant messaging user who is subscribed to an instant messaging service and an e-mail user, the method comprising:
-
generating and storing a token that represents a pairing identifier of the instant messaging in user and an e-mail address of the e-mail user, wherein generating and storing the token is initiated by the instant messaging user; receiving an incoming e-mail message that includes the token as a username portion of a fully-qualified e-mail address of a recipient of the incoming e-mail message; extracting the token from the incoming e-mail message; based at least in part on the token, identifying the instant messaging user and checking the e-mail address associated with the token against a sender'"'"'s e-mail address in the incoming e-mail message; converting the incoming e-mail message to an incoming instant message to deliver the incoming instant message to the instant messaging user in place of the incoming e-mail message; and delivering the incoming instant message to the instant messaging user when the sender'"'"'s e-mail address in the incoming e-mail message matches the e-mail address associated with the token. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. A system of hardware components for transmitting messages between an instant messaging user who is subscribed to an instant messaging service and e-mail user, the system of hardware components comprising:
-
an outgoing message module configured to receive an outgoing instant message from the instant messaging user for delivery to an e-mail address of the e-mail user and to convert the outgoing instant message into an outgoing e-mail message to deliver the outgoing e-mail message to the e-mail user in place of the outgoing instant message, the outgoing e-mail message including, in a username portion of a fully-qualified e-mail address in a sender identifying header, a first token representing a pair identifier of the instant messaging user and the e-mail address of the e-mail user, the outgoing message module being further configured to transmit the outgoing e-mail message to the e-mail user; an incoming message module configured to receive an incoming e-mail message that includes the first token, to convert the incoming e-mail message into an incoming instant message based at least in part on the first token, and to transmit the incoming instant message to the instant messaging user; and a token module configured to communicate with the outgoing message module and the incoming message module, the token module further configured to maintain a set of valid tokens including at least the first token and a second token representing a pair identifier of the instant messaging user and a second e-mail address different from the e-mail address. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
-
-
52. A method for exchanging messages between an instant messaging user who is subscribed to an instant messaging service and an e-mail user, the method comprising:
-
receiving a first instant message from the instant messaging user addressed to the e-mail user; generating a token representing an identifier of a pairing between the instant messaging user and an e-mail address of the e-mail user; converting the first instant message to a first e-mail message prior to delivery of the first e-mail message to the e-mail user, the first e-mail message including the token in a username portion of a fully-qualified e-mail address in a sender-identifying header; storing the token in a token table; transmitting the first e-mail message to the e-mail user; receiving a second e-mail message from the e-mail user, the second e-mail message addressed to the fully-qualified e-mail address that includes the token; extracting the token from the second e-mail message; validating the token by accessing the token table, wherein validating includes checking for the e-mail address in the second e-mail message; and in the event that the token is validated; converting the second e-mail message to a second instant message; and delivering the second instant message to the instant messaging user. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54)
-
-
55. A method for exchanging messages between an instant messaging user who is subscribed to an instant messaging service and an e-mail user, the method comprising:
-
generating a first instant message addressed to the e-mail user; transmitting the first instant message to an outgoing message server configured to convert the first instant message to a first e-mail message prior to delivery of the first e-mail message to the e-mail user and to include, in a username portion of a fully-qualified e-mail address in a sender-identifying header of the first e-mail message, a token representing a unique pairing identifier of the instant messaging user and the e-mail user; receiving a second instant message from an incoming message server configured to receive a second e-mail message originating with the e-mail user, the second e-mail message containing the token or a representation thereof, and to create the second instant message from the second e-mail message only when the second e-mail message originates from the e-mail user. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
-
-
62. A method for exchanging messages between an e-mail user and an instant messaging user who is subscribed to an instant messaging service, the method comprising:
-
receiving, at an e-mail client, a first e-mail message that originated from a first instant message sent by the instant messaging user, the first e-mail message created prior to receiving at the e-mail client, the first e-mail message including, in a username portion of a fully-qualified e-mail address in a sender identifying header, a token representing a unique pairing identifier of the instance messaging user and the e-mail address of the e-mail user; generating, using the e-mail client, a second e-mail message in reply to the first e-mail message, the second e-mail message being addressed to the fully-qualified e-mail address that includes the token; and transmitting the second e-mail message to an instant messaging server configured to recognize the token and convert the second e-mail message to a second instant message deliverable to the instant messaging user. - View Dependent Claims (63)
-
Specification