Integration of e-mail with instant messaging services

• US 7,525,951 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2001
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Netscape Communications Corporation (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Musil, Alex, Wick, Andy, Uberti, Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elallam; Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US10/471,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20050030937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,974 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356, 709/206, 709/207, 709/706, 709/707
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• 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 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system for instant communication in real time is described wherein it is determined if a user with a given e-mail address is available for on-line messaging. The system takes in a group of e-mail addresses and automatically looks for screen names that are available for instant messaging. Once a screen name is available for online communication, an ion appears next to the screen name. Instant messaging is achieved by pressing the icon. The screen names, the icons and the e-mail addresses all appear in the same window, thereby, integrating traditional e-mail addresses with instant messaging services making real time communication an effective tool.

Claims

1. A computer implementation method for instant communication, comprising the steps of:

receiving in a group of e-mail addresses of an electronic mail system;

making a request for a list of screen names from an instant messaging service, wherein said screen names of said instant messaging service associated with said e-mail addresses of said electronic mail system;

automatically verifying screen names that are available for real-time communication;

correlating said screen names to said e-mail addresses;

within said electronic mail system, establishing an icon next to said screen names available for real-time communication; and

within said electronic mail system, establishing instant messaging real-time communication by selecting said icon associated with said screen name.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of manually verifying screen names associated with said e-mail addresses.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of manually verifying screen names associated with said e-mail addresses that are available for real-time communication.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of making a list of said screen names associated with a particular e-mail address.

5. A computer implemented method for updating an email recipient of available screen names for instant messaging communication, comprising the steps of:

receiving in a group of user e-mail addresses;

making a request for a list of user screen names from an instant messaging service associated with said user e-mail addresses;

automatically verifying available user screen names that are available for real-time communication;

correlating said available user screen names to said user e-mail addresses;

making a list of said user e-mail addresses with their associated available user screen names;

updating said list periodically for establishing said real-time communication; and

establishing said instant messaging communication instantly by the email recipient pressing, within an electronic mail system, an icon associated with a user'"'"'s screen name, said user'"'"'s screen name associated with an e-mail address of said user e-mail addresses.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of manually verifying screen names associated with said e-mail addresses for communication at a later time.

7. A computer implemented method for instant communication, comprising the steps of:

receiving a group of e-mail addresses in an electronic mail system;

identifying screen names that are available for real-time instant message communication;

correlating said identified screen names to said e-mail addresses;

establishing icons, within said electronic mail system, next to said e-mail addresses correlated with said identified screen names available for real-time instant message communication; and

establishing said real-time communication responsive to selection of said icons associated with said screen names.

8. The method of claim 7, identifying the step comprising automatically verifying screen names associated with said e-mail addresses.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of making a list of said screen names associated with a particular e-mail address.

10. The method of claim 7, identifying the steps comprising manually verifying screen names associated with said e-mail addresses that are available for real-time communication.

11. A computer implemented method for updating a recipient of available screen names for instant communication, comprising the steps of:

receiving in a group of e-mail addresses;

identifying screen names that are available for real-time communication;

correlating said identified screen names to said e-mail addresses;

making a list of e-mail addresses with their correlated screen names;

repeatedly updating said list of e-mail addresses and correlated screen names as to availability for real-time communication

displaying in an electronic mail system graphic window all of;

said list of e-mail addresses, said correlated screen names, and an availability icon associated with each of said screen names; and

establishing said instant communication responsive to selection, in said electronic mail system graphic window, of an icon associated with a user'"'"'s screen name.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of manually verifying screen names associated with said e-mail addresses for communication at a later time.