Extensible communication controls

• US 7,577,705 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2003
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Erickson, Paul R., Oriezy, Peyman, Blagsvedt, Sean O., Schwartz, Jordan L. K., Boardman, Andrew F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bayard, Djenane M
• Application Number:
  US10/346,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20040136511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,407 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/204, 709/201, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The present invention is directed to providing extensible and adaptable software communications controls for handling communication between devices. An extensible communications control is used to communicate between the computing device and a remote communications device. In a computing program that has been adapted to use the extensible communications control, information about a contact person is retrieved. From the retrieved contact information, it is determined what types of activities may be used to communicate with the contact person at the remote communications device. Once a communication activity has been determined from the contact person'"'"'s information, a communication request is sent to a communication address associated with that communication activity. Upon acceptance the extensible communications control commences communication with the remote communications device.

Claims

1. A method of utilizing a detachable communications control on a client computing device attached to a computing program on the client computing device to control communication between the client computing device and a communications device, the method comprising:

utilizing the detachable communications control on the client computing device to determine from a contact'"'"'s information an extensible communication activity;

generating a communication request to a communication address of said extensible communication activity, wherein the communication request is received at the communications device, and wherein the communications device loads a program corresponding to the extensible communication activity in response to receiving the communication request;

establishing and maintaining a bidirectional transmission communications connection conforming to said extensible communication activity between the client computing device and the communications device;

detaching the detachable communications control on the client computing device from the computing program on the client computing device while maintaining the bidirectional transmission communication connection such that the computing program maintains the bidirectional transmission communication connection without utilization of the detachable communications control.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detachable communications control is provided by an operating system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said computing program is a shell program for said detachable communications control.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said bidirectional transmission communications connection is selected from a group consisting of:

text chats, instant messages, video streaming, and audio streams.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said bidirectional transmission communications connection is over a computing network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said bidirectional transmission communications connection is over a telephone network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications device is a POTS telephone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing and maintaining a bidirectional transmission communications connection further comprises creating a conversation and both the communications device and the client computing device establishing and maintaining a connection via said conversation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising said computing program specifying said detachable communications control and extensible communication activities for use by the computing program.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said computing program specifics extensible communication activities with an extensible markup language.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching the detached detachable communications control to a second computing program adapted to utilize the detachable communications control.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein detaching the detachable communications control and attaching it to the second computing program maintains said established bidirectional transmission communications connection.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said extensible communication activity further comprises an indication of a specific communications program for responding to said communication request.

14. The method or claim 1, wherein said communication request comprises a plurality or concurrent communication activities, each activity specifying a communication type and wherein establishing and maintaining a bidirectional transmission communications connection includes establishing and maintaining a plurality of concurrent bidirectional transmission communications connections corresponding to each specified concurrent communication activity.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing and maintaining a bidirectional transmission communications connection further comprises the communications device and the client computing device establishing and maintaining a peer-to-peer connection with each other.

16. A computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for utilizing a detachable communications control on a client computing device attached to a computing program on the client computing device to control communication between the client computing device and a communications device, by:

utilizing the detachable communications control on the client computing device to determine from a contact'"'"'s information an extensible communication activity;

generating a communication request to a communication address of said extensible communication activity, wherein the communication request is received at the communications device, and wherein the communications device loads a program corresponding to the extensible communication activity in response to receiving the communication request;

establishing and maintaining a bidirectional transmission communications connection conforming to said extensible communication activity with the communications device; and

detaching the detachable communications control on the client computing device from the computing program on the client computing device while maintaining the bidirectional transmission communications connection such that the computing program maintains the bidirectional transmission communication connection without utilization of the detachable communications control.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the detachable communications control is provided by all operating system.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein said communications connection is selected from the group consisting of:

text chats, instant messages, video streaming, and audio streams.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein establishing and maintaining a bidirectional transmission communications connection further comprises creating a conversation and both the remote communications device and the client computing device establishing and maintaining a connection via said conversation.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising said computing program specifying said detachable communications control and extensible communication activities for use by the computing program.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein said computing program specifies extensible communication activities with an extensible markup language.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein said extensible communication activity further comprises an indication of a specific communications program for responding to said communication request.

23. The computer readable storage medium or claim 16, wherein said communication request comprises a plurality of concurrent communication activities, each activity specifying a communication type and wherein establishing and maintaining a bidirectional transmission communications connection includes establishing and maintaining a plurality of concurrent bidirectional transmission communications connections corresponding to each specified concurrent communication activity.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein said communication request comprises a plurality of extensible communication activities and further comprising activating a plurality of communications programs in response to said plurality of extensible communication activities.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein said communication request comprises a plurality of extensible communication activities and further comprising activating only one said communications program in response to said plurality of extensible communication activities.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein establishing and maintaining a bidirectional transmission communications connection further comprises the communications device and the client computing device establishing and maintaining a peer-to-peer connection with each other.

27. A computing apparatus having a processor and a memory, the memory having computer executable instructions for utilizing a detachable communications control on a client computing device attached to a computing program on the client computing device to control communication between the computing apparatus and a communications device by:

utilizing the detachable communications control on the client computing device to determine from a contact'"'"'s information an extensible communication activity;

generating a communication request to a communication address of said extensible communication activity, wherein the communication request is received at the communications device, and wherein the communications device loads a program corresponding to the extensible communication activity in response to receiving the communication request;

establishing and maintaining a bidirectional transmission communications connection conforming to said extensible communication activity between the computing apparatus and the communications device; and

detaching the detachable communications control on the client computing device from the computing program on the client computing device while maintaining the bidirectional transmission communications connection such that the computing program maintains the bidirectional transmission communication connection without utilization of the detachable communications control.

28. The computing apparatus of claim 27, wherein the detachable communications control is provided by an operating system.

29. The computing apparatus of claim 27, wherein said bidirectional transmission communications connection is selected from the group consisting of:

text chats, instant messages, video streaming, and audio streams.

30. The computing apparatus of claim 27, wherein establishing and maintaining a bidirectional transmission communications connection further comprises creating a conversation and both the remote communications device and the client computing device establishing and maintaining a connection via said conversation.

31. The computing apparatus of claim 27, further comprising said computing program specifying said detachable communications control and extensible communication activities for use by the computing program.

32. The computing apparatus of claim 31, wherein said computing program specifies extensible communication activities with all extensible markup language.

33. The computing apparatus of claim 27, wherein said extensible communication activity further comprises an indication of a specific communications program for responding to said communication request.

34. The computing apparatus of claim 27, wherein said communication request comprises a plurality of concurrent communication activities, each activity specifying a communication type and wherein establishing and maintaining a bidirectional transmission communications connection includes establishing and maintaining a plurality of concurrent bidirectional transmission communications connections corresponding to each specified concurrent communication activity.

35. The computing apparatus of claim 27, wherein establishing and maintaining a bidirectional transmission communications connection further comprises the communications device and the client computing device establishing and maintaining a peer-to-peer connection with each other.