System uses transport protocol objects locate at user agent location to provide translation between different instant messaging protocols

• US 7,444,429 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daniell, William Todd, Friedman, Lee G., Kent, Jr., Larry Graham, Davis, Joel A., Daigle, Brian Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): LUU, LE HIEN
• Application Number:
  US11/210,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20060013205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246, 709/227, 709/202, 709/226, 709/228, 709/206, 713/201, 379/202.01, 379/465
• US Class Current: 709/246
• 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 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A system and method are presented in which a plurality of transport protocol objects (TPOs) are instantiated at an IM user agent. In one embodiment, each of the plurality of TPOs is adapted to provide a translation between a first IM protocol and a different IM protocol.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of transport protocol objects (TPOs) instantiated at an Instant Messaging (IM) user agent location, each of the plurality of TPOs adapted to provide a translation between a first IM protocol and a different IM protocol, the different IM protocol being provided by a foreign server, the IM user agent adapted to transmit and receive IM messages using the first IM protocol; and

an IM user agent configured to retrieve contact information for at least one contact from the foreign server, the IM user agent further configured to organize the retrieved contact information according to the foreign server from which the contact information was retrieved.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a message router coupled to the IM user agent, the message router being adapted to transmit IM messages to the IM user agent using the first IM protocol, the message router further being adapted to receive IM messages from the IM user agent using the first IM protocol.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a session collection having a plurality of session objects, each of the plurality of session objects having information associated with each of the plurality of TPOs.

4. In a communication system, a method comprising:

instantiating a transport protocol object (TPO) at an instant messaging (IM) user agent location having an IM user agent, the TPO adapted to provide a translation between a first IM protocol and a second IM protocol, the IM user agent adapted to transmit and receive IM messages using the first IM protocol;

establishing a connection between the TPO and a foreign server, the foreign server adapted to transmit and receive IM messages using the second IM protocol;

providing a communication pathway between the IM user agent and the foreign server through the instantiated TPO;

retrieving contact information for at least one contact from the foreign server; and

organizing the retrieved contact information according to the foreign server from which the contact information was retrieved.

5. In a communication system, a method comprising:

instantiating a plurality of transport protocol objects (TPOs) at an instant messaging (IM) user agent location having an IM user agent, each of the plurality of TPOs adapted to provide a translation between a first IM protocol and a different IM protocol, the IM user agent adapted to transmit and receive IM messages using the first IM protocol;

establishing a plurality of connections between the plurality of TPOs and a plurality of IM servers, each of the plurality of IM servers adapted to transmit and receive IM messages using one of the different IM protocols;

providing a communication pathway between the IM user agent and the plurality of IM servers through the plurality of instantiated TPOs;

retrieving contact information for at least one contact from at least one of the plurality of IM servers; and

organizing the retrieved contact information according to the IM server from which the contact information was retrieved.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the establishing the plurality of connections between the plurality of TPOs and the plurality of IM servers comprises:

receiving a plurality of login names and passwords, each of the plurality of login names and passwords associated with one of a plurality of IM accounts, each of the plurality of IM accounts located on one of the plurality of IM servers, each of the plurality of IM servers adapted to transmit and receive IM messages using a different IM protocol; and

establishing an IM session at each of the plurality of IM accounts using the received plurality of login names and passwords.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the establishing the IM session comprises:

receiving information from each of the plurality of IM servers; and

generating a session ID associated with each of the plurality of IM servers in response to receiving information.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing session information having the generated session ID.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the providing the communication pathway comprises:

receiving a message from the IM user agent, the message received using the first IM protocol;

translating the message from the first IM protocol to one of the different IM protocols; and

conveying the translated message to one of the plurality of IM servers, the one of the plurality of IM servers adapted to transmit and receive IM messages using the one of the different IM protocols.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the translating the message from the first IM protocol to one of the different IM protocols comprises:

translating an Extensible Markup Language (XML) structured message into a non-XML-structured message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the translating the XML-structured message into the non-XML-structured message comprises:

translating XML-structured presence information into non-XML-structured presence information.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the translating the XML-structured message into the non-XML-structured message comprises:

translating an XML-structured text message into non-XML-structured text message.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the providing the communication pathway comprises:

receiving a message from the one of the plurality of IM servers, the one of the plurality of IM servers adapted to transmit and receive IM messages using one of a plurality of different IM protocols;

translating the message from one of the plurality of different IM protocols to a first IM protocol; and

conveying the translated message to the IM user agent.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the translating the message from one of the plurality of different IM protocols the first IM protocol comprises:

translating a non-Extensible Markup Language (XML) structured message into an XML-structured message.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the translating the non-XML-structured message into the XML-structured message comprises:

translating non-XML-structured presence information into XML-structured presence information.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the translating the non-XML-structured message into the XML-structured message comprises:

translating a non-XML-structured text message into an XML-structured text message.

17. The method of claim 5, wherein the instantiating the plurality of TPOs comprises:

receiving a single login name and password;

correlating the single login name and password to a plurality of login names and passwords, each of the plurality of login names and passwords associated with one of a plurality of IM accounts, each of the plurality of IM accounts on one of a plurality of IM servers, each of the plurality of IM servers adapted to transmit and receive IM messages using a different IM protocol;

retrieving information related to each of the different IM protocols; and

conveying the retrieved information and the plurality of login names and passwords to the IM user agent.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the instantiating the plurality of TPOs further comprises:

receiving the information related to each of the different IM protocols; and

instantiating a plurality of TPOs, each of the plurality of TPOs associated with each of the different IM protocols.

19. A communication system comprising:

means for instantiating a plurality of transport protocol objects (TPOs) at an instant messaging (IM) user agent location having an IM user agent, each of the plurality of TPOs adapted to provide a translation between a first IM protocol and a different IM protocol, the IM user agent adapted to transmit and receive IM messages using the first IM protocol;

means for establishing a plurality of connections between the plurality of TPOs and a plurality of IM servers, each of the plurality of IM servers adapted to transmit and receive IM messages using one of the different IM protocols;

means for providing a communication pathway between the IM user agent and the plurality of IM servers through the plurality of instantiated TPOs;

means for retrieving contact information for at least one contact from at least one of the plurality of IM servers; and

means for organizing the retrieved contact information according to the IM server from which the contact information was retrieved.

20. A computer-readable storage medium comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to instantiate a plurality of transport protocol objects (TPOs) at an instant messaging (IM) user agent location having an IM user agent, each of the plurality of TPOs adapted to provide a translation between a first IM protocol and a different IM protocol, the IM user agent adapted to transmit and receive IM messages using the first IM protocol;

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to establish a plurality of connections between the plurality of TPOs and a plurality of IM servers, each of the plurality of IM servers adapted to transmit and receive IM messages using one of the different IM protocols; and

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to provide a communication pathway between the IM user agent and the plurality of IM servers through the plurality of instantiated TPOs;

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to retrieve contact information for at least one contact from at least one of the plurality of IM servers; and

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to organize the retrieved contact information accord in to the IM server from which the contact information was retrieved.