Instant messaging system and method

• US 7,512,407 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2001
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tencent Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Tencent Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Yang, Huang, Yejun, Ma, Huateng, Zeng, Liqing, Wu, Xiaoguang
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong; Quochien B
• Application Number:
  US10/473,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20040152477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,694 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/466, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/518
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for processing an instant message from a source wireless communication device to a destination device are described herein. In one aspect of the invention, an exemplary method includes receiving the instant message from the source wireless communication device, the instant message having a source wireless communication identifier, a destination instant messenger identifier, and data contents; extracting the source wireless communication identifier, the destination instant messenger identifier and the data contents from the instant message; retrieving a source instant messenger identifier corresponding to the source wireless communication identifier; binding the source instant messenger identifier with the source wireless communication identifier; and transmitting the data contents with the source instant messenger identifier to the destination device over a communication network, based on the destination instant messenger identifier. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. A method of binding an instant messenger identifier with a wireless communication identifier of a wireless communication device, the method including:

receiving a binding request from the wireless communication device, the binding request including the wireless communication identifier;

generating an instant messenger identifier corresponding to the wireless communication identifier;

storing the instant messenger identifier and the wireless communication identifier in a database, wherein the instant messenger identifier is associated with the wireless communication identifier; and

performing related services of the binding request based on the instant messenger identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is a cross-reference relational database, wherein the instant messenger identifier is retrievable based on the wireless communication identifier and the wireless communication identifier is retrievable based on the instant messenger identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is a cellular phone, and wherein the wireless communication identifier is a cellular phone number.

4. The method of claim 1, further including:

examining the wireless communication identifier to determine whether the wireless communication identifier is already bound with the instant messenger identifier; and

rejecting the binding request if the wireless communication identifier is already bound with the instant messenger identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, further including:

generating a presence indicator corresponding to the instant messenger identifier; and

storing the presence indicator in the database, wherein the presence indicator is associated with the instant messenger identifier.