Integrated electronic mail and instant messaging application
First Claim
1. A method for providing a service over a network, comprising:
- storing service access account information for each of a plurality of users;
supplying an email service through a network to each user having a service access account;
supplying an instant messaging service through the network to each user having a service access account;
providing one or more content pages to be rendered by a network browser on a client by the email service for each of the plurality of users; and
transmitting an application to the client for each user by an application server,the application configured to be embedded within the one or more content pages and communicate with the instant messaging service,the one or more rendered content pages and the embedded application configured to allow each of said plurality of users having a service access account to interact with the email and instant messaging services through a common interface provided at the client, wherein a construct is an inline frame, and wherein said step of transmitting an application includes;
transmitting the construct to the network browser from the application server, the construct configured to be executed upon receipt by the network browser to,determine whether a client based IM application on the client has a connection with the instant messaging service, the client based IM application a stand-alone program that provides an instant-messaging user interface and correlates data received from the instant messaging service,establishing a connection with the instant messaging service by the construct through the client based IM application if the client based IM application has a connection, andestablishing a direct connection with the instant messaging service by the construct if the client based IM application does not have a connection.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An application providing a common interface allowing access and login to a electronic mail system and instant messaging system. The application allows responding to an email using an instant message, replying to an instant message using an email, sending and receiving both email and instant messages from one application, sending email attachments instantly, and displaying presence information for the user, user email contacts and user messenger contacts. Alerts are provided for both emails and instant messages received. The inbox views can automatically be refreshed when a user receives new email. An interface is provided to convert multiple email contacts into messenger contacts. The system can be used with both local messenger clients and browser based IM clients.
58 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method for providing a service over a network, comprising:
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storing service access account information for each of a plurality of users; supplying an email service through a network to each user having a service access account; supplying an instant messaging service through the network to each user having a service access account; providing one or more content pages to be rendered by a network browser on a client by the email service for each of the plurality of users; and transmitting an application to the client for each user by an application server, the application configured to be embedded within the one or more content pages and communicate with the instant messaging service, the one or more rendered content pages and the embedded application configured to allow each of said plurality of users having a service access account to interact with the email and instant messaging services through a common interface provided at the client, wherein a construct is an inline frame, and wherein said step of transmitting an application includes; transmitting the construct to the network browser from the application server, the construct configured to be executed upon receipt by the network browser to, determine whether a client based IM application on the client has a connection with the instant messaging service, the client based IM application a stand-alone program that provides an instant-messaging user interface and correlates data received from the instant messaging service, establishing a connection with the instant messaging service by the construct through the client based IM application if the client based IM application has a connection, and establishing a direct connection with the instant messaging service by the construct if the client based IM application does not have a connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for providing a service, comprising:
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a data store containing server access account information for a plurality of users; an email system connected to a network and accessible to each user having a server access account; an instant messaging system connected to the network and accessible to each user having a server access account; and an application server transmitting one or more content pages to be rendered by a network browser and transmitting an application to a client, the application configured to be embedded in the one or more content pages, the rendered content pages and embedded application configured to allow users at the client having a service access account to interact with the email system and the instant messaging system through a common interface, the application further configured to be executed upon receipt by the network browser to determine whether a stand-alone client based IM application on the client has a connection with the instant messaging system, the client based IM application able to provide an instant-messaging user interface and correlate data received from the instant messaging service, the application further configured to establish a connection with the instant messaging system by the construct through the client based IM application if the client based IM application has a connection, the application further configured to establishing a direct connection with the instant messaging system by the construct if the client based IM application does not have a connection. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:
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receiving content from an application server to render in a network browser at a client; receiving an application to embed in the network browser rendered content at the client from an application server; rendering the content to display an application interface for an email system and an instant messaging system in response to receiving the application; accessing the email system responsive to user input from the application interface; and accessing the instant messaging system responsive to user input from the application interface, wherein said step of accessing the instant messaging system includes, determine whether a client based IM application on the client has a connection with the instant messaging service, the client based IM application a stand-alone program that provides an instant-messaging user interface and correlates data received from the instant messaging system, establishing a connection with the instant messaging system by the application through the client based IM application if the client based IM application has a connection, and establishing a direct connection with the instant messaging system by the application if the client based IM application does not have a connection. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification