User interface for transitioning between chat and email

• US 7,756,936 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2007
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mehta, Samir B., Rosenberg, Greg A., Diamond, Ethan H., Kenney, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yohannes; Tesfay
• Application Number:
  US11/710,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20080208984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/204, 709/207
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• 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 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

Instant messaging, also known as chat, is integrated with electronic mail in a user interface that provides for conversion of messages between electronic mail (email) and instant messaging. A user interface is provided for allowing a user who is composing an email message to convert the message to a chat message. The chat message will include any content that was present in the electronic mail message, and the user can continue to compose the chat message, and then send it to a chat address determined automatically from the email address of the original email message. Notifications are provided that indicate when chat users have logged on to or logged off from the chat service. These notifications assist a user composing a message to select the most appropriate communication method based upon the current online presence of the intended recipient. A user interface for converting messages in the opposite direction, from chat to email, is also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, the instructions for:

converting a draft outgoing email message having email content to a draft outgoing chat message having chat content, corresponding to the email content, in response to a user command,

wherein the email content is formatted in an email format and the chat content is formatted in a chat format,

the draft outgoing email message includes a destination email address, and

the chat content is accessible by a user for composing the draft outgoing chat message;

identifying a chat correspondent that corresponds to the destination email address; and

initiating transmission of the chat message to the chat correspondent.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising computer readable instructions for receiving user-specified changes to the chat content.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the user command represents selection of a user interface button for converting the draft outgoing email message to the draft outgoing chat message.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the email content is copied to the chat content.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the chat content comprises text.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the chat message comprises a text message, an instant message, or a combination thereof.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising computer readable instructions for:

displaying a notification in response to the user identified by the chat user identifier becoming available online, wherein the notification indicates that the user is online.

8. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, the instructions for:

converting a draft outgoing chat message having chat content to a draft outgoing email message having email content, corresponding to the chat content, in response to a user command,

wherein the chat content is formatted in a chat format and the email content is formatted in an email format,

the draft outgoing chat message is associated with a chat correspondent, and

the email content is accessible by a user for composing the draft outgoing email message;

identifying an email addressee that corresponds to the chat correspondent; and

initiating transmission of the email message to the email addressee.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising computer readable instructions for:

receiving user-specified changes to the email content.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the user command represents selection of a user interface button for converting the draft outgoing chat message to the draft outgoing email message.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein email content is copied to the chat content.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the email content comprises text, graphics, at least one attached document, or a combination thereof.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising computer-readable instructions for:

displaying a notification in response to the user identified by the chat user identifier becoming available online, wherein the notification indicates that the user is online.

14. A computer enabled method of transitioning a chat conversation with a remote party to electronic mail, the method comprising the steps of:

converting chat content to draft outgoing email content in response to selection of a user interface feature for converting the chat conversation to an outgoing email message;

converting a chat address of the remote party to an email address of the remote party;

displaying the draft outgoing email content, wherein the draft outgoing email content is addressed to the email address; and

providing a send feature for initiating transmission of the draft outgoing email message to the email address.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein converting chat content to email content comprises adding a text representation of the chat content to the email message.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein converting the chat content to email content comprises copying the chat content to the email content.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the method is invoked if the remote party disengages from the chat conversation.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying draft email content comprises displaying the draft outgoing email content in an email composition user interface.

19. A computer system for providing a user interface for transitioning from electronic mail communication to chat communication, the computer system comprising:

a memory storing computer-readable instructions for;

displaying an email composition user interface for allowing a user to compose outgoing email content addressed to an email addressee,

providing a convert to chat feature for converting the outgoing email content to chat content,

wherein the email content is formatted in an email format and the chat content is formatted in a chat format,

the convert to chat feature is operable to identify a chat correspondent that corresponds to the email addressee,

the chat content is accessible by the user for composing an outgoing chat message,

providing a send feature for sending the chat message to the chat correspondent; and

a processor for executing the computer-readable instructions.

20. A computer system comprising:

a memory storing computer-readable instructions, the instructions for;

converting a draft outgoing email message having email content to a draft outgoing chat message having chat content in response to a user command,

wherein, the email content is formatted in an email format and the chat content is formatted in a chat format,

the draft outgoing email message includes a destination email address,

the chat content is accessible by a user for composing the draft outgoing chat message;

identifying a chat correspondent that corresponds to the destination email address;

initiating transmission of the chat message to the chat correspondent; and

a processor for causing the computer-readable instructions to be sent to a client computer for execution.

21. A computer system comprising:

a memory storing computer-readable instructions, the instructions for;

converting a draft outgoing chat message having chat content to a draft outgoing email message having email content in response to a user command,

wherein, the chat content is formatted in a chat format and the email content is formatted in an email format,

the draft outgoing chat message is associated with a chat correspondent,

the email content is accessible by a user for composing the draft outgoing email message;

identifying an email addressee that corresponds to the chat correspondent;

initiating transmission of the email message to the email addressee; and

a processor for causing the computer-readable instructions to be sent to a client computer for execution.