Voice instant messaging between mobile and computing devices

• US 7,738,887 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gaglani, Alpesh R, Selbie, John R., Durdle, Kevin, Mangla, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau; Yungsang
• Application Number:
  US11/273,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20070099637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,674 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466
• 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 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64

Abstract

Voice instant messaging between mobile and computing devices is described. In an embodiment, a messaging service receives a recorded voice clip from a mobile communication-enabled device via a wireless communication link. The messaging service then processes the recorded voice clip for communication via a data network to a computing-based device that renders an audio message from the recorded voice clip. A virtual connection protocol manages and sequences transmission control protocol (TCP) connection events to provide reliable wireless transfer of recorded voice clip(s) via wireless communication link. The mobile communication-enabled device logs a first instant messaging contact into the messaging service, and the computing-based device logs a second instant messaging contact into the messaging service to enable two-way voice instant messaging between the first instant messaging contact and the second instant messaging contact at the respective devices.

Claims

1. A messaging system comprising:

a processor;

a wireless communication link coupled to the processor and configured to enable mobile device communication, wherein the wireless communication link is managed by a virtual connection protocol configured to manage and sequence a plurality of transmission control protocol (TCP) connection events; and

a messaging service operated by the processor and configured to;

receive a recorded voice clip from a mobile communication enabled device, the recorded voice clip being received via the wireless communication link, wherein the recorded voice clip is a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) message that is separated into a plurality of text-based components and a plurality of independent binary components, each binary component being references by one of the text-based components, one of the text-based components and one of the binary components each having been transmitted as a separate packet without the use of Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME); and

process the recorded voice clip for communication via a data network to a computing based device that renders an audio message from the recorded voice clip.

2. A messaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile communication enabled device is configured to log a first instant messaging contact into the messaging service, and wherein the computing based device is configured to log a second instant messaging contact into the messaging service to enable two-way voice instant messaging between the first instant messaging contact and the second instant messaging contact.

3. A messaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the messaging service is further configured to process the recorded voice clip for point to point data network communication to the computing based device.

4. A messaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication link is over a cellular network and the mobile communication enabled device is a cellular phone, and wherein the virtual connection protocol enables segmenting the recorded voice clip for communication.

5. A messaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the messaging service is further configured to:

receive a recorded reply voice clip from the computing based device via the data network; and

process the recorded reply voice clip for wireless communication to the mobile communication enabled device that renders a reply audio message from the recorded reply voice clip.

6. A messaging system as recited in claim 5, wherein the messaging service is further configured to initiate the virtual connection protocol to sequence the transmission control protocol (TCP) connection events to wirelessly communicate the recorded reply voice clip to the mobile communication enabled device.

7. A messaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing based device is an additional mobile communication enabled device, and wherein the messaging service is an Internet based system coupled via the data network, the messaging service being further configured to enable two-way voice instant messaging between the mobile communication enable device and the additional mobile communication enabled device.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

managing a wireless communication link with a virtual connection protocol configured to manage and sequence a plurality of transmission control protocol (TCP) connection events for wireless communication;

receiving a recorded voice clip from a mobile communication enabled device via the wireless communication link, wherein the recorded voice clip is a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) message that is separated into a plurality of text-based components and a plurality of independent binary components, each binary component being references by one of the text-based components, one of the text-based components and one of the binary components each having been transmitted as a separate packet without the use of Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME);

processing the recorded voice clip for communication via a data network to a computing based device that renders an audio message from the recorded voice clip

logging a first instant messaging contact at the computing based device into a messaging service; and

logging a second instant messaging contact at the mobile communication enabled device into the messaging service to enable two-way voice instant messaging between the first instant messaging contact and the second instant messaging contact.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising communicating the recorded voice clip to the computing based device via a point to point data network.

10. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising communicating the recorded voice clip to the computing-based device that renders the audio message after receiving all data corresponding to the recorded voice clip.

11. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a recorded reply voice clip from the computing-based device via the data network; and

processing the recorded reply voice clip for wireless communication to the mobile communication-enabled device that renders a reply audio message from the recorded reply voice clip.

12. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing based messaging service to:

receive a recorded voice clip from a mobile communication enabled device via a wireless communication link that is managed by a virtual connection protocol configured to manage and sequence a plurality of transmission control protocol (TCP) connection events, wherein the recorded voice clip is a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) message that is separated into a plurality of text-based components and a plurality of independent binary components, each binary component being referenced by one of the text-based components, one of the text-based components and one of the binary components each having been transmitted as a separate packet without the use of Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME); and

process the recorded voice clip for communication via a data network to a computing based device that renders an audio message from the recorded voice clip.

13. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 12, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computing based messaging service to:

log a first instant messaging contact at the computing based device into the messaging service; and

log a second instant messaging contact at the mobile communication enabled device into the messaging service to enable two-way voice instant messaging between the first instant messaging contact and the second instant messaging contact.

14. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 12, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computing based messaging service to:

receive a recorded reply voice clip from the computing based device via the data network; and

process the recorded reply voice clip for wireless communication to the mobile communication enabled device that renders a reply audio message from the recorded reply voice clip.