Merging instant messaging (IM) chat sessions

• US 7,844,662 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Thu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dailey; Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US10/685,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,604 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/08 Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects

Abstract

The present disclosure provides for merging of instant messaging (IM) chat sessions. At least one embodiment includes a communication method configured for establishing an instant messaging (IM) chat session between a first sender and a recipient. Some embodiments include receiving an IM message from a second sender to the recipient and establishing an IM chat room between the recipient, the first sender, and the second sender.

Claims

1. A communication method comprising:

establishing an instant messaging (IM) chat session between a first sender and a recipient, the IM chat session being established by the first sender sending a first IM message to an IM address of the recipient;

receiving a second IM message from a second sender to the recipient;

in response to receiving the second IM message from the second sender to the recipient, automatically generating and automatically sending by an IM client a query to the second sender, the query including an option to join the IM chat session;

in response to receiving a response to the query indicating a desire by the second sender to join the IM chat session, sending a query to the recipient to establish an IM chat room with the second sender;

issuing a request for permission for the second sender to join the IM chat session, the request for permission being issued to the first sender;

receiving a reply from the first sender granting permission for the second sender to join the IM chat session;

revealing IM communications between the second sender and the recipient to the first sender prior to establishing the IM chat room between the recipient, the first sender and the second sender; and

in response to receiving an indication from the recipient and the first sender to establish an IM chat room with the second sender, establishing the IM chat room between the recipient, the first sender, and the second sender.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a reply from the second sender, the reply being one selected from the group consisting of;

an acceptance of the option to join the IM chat session;

a rejection of the option to join the IM chat session; and

wherein establishing the IM chat room is responsive to the reply being the acceptance of the invitation to join the IM chat session.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a reply from the recipient, the reply being one selected from the group consisting of;

granting permission to join the IM chat session;

denying permission to join the IM chat session; and

wherein establishing the IM chat room is responsive to the reply being the granting of permission to join the IM chat session.

4. The communication method of claim 1, wherein the first IM message is sent from an IM address of the first sender.

5. A communication method comprising:

receiving an instant messaging (IM) message from a latter sender directed to an instant messaging (IM) address of a recipient;

determining whether an IM chat session is established between the recipient and an earlier sender;

in response to determining that an IM chat session is established between the recipient and the earlier sender, automatically generating and automatically sending by an IM client a query to the latter sender, the query including an option to join the IM chat session;

in response to receiving an indication by the latter sender to join the IM chat session, sending a query to the recipient to establish an IM chat room with the latter sender; and

in response to receiving a positive response from the recipient to the query to establish an IM chat room with the latter sender, establishing the IM chat room between the recipient, the earlier sender, and the latter sender,

revealing IM communications between the latter sender and the recipient to the earlier sender prior to establishing the IM chat room between the recipient, the earlier sender and the latter sender,

wherein the IM chat room between the recipient, the earlier sender and the latter sender utilizes the recipient'"'"'s IM client to bridge the chat session between the earlier sender and the latter sender.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein establishing an IM chat room comprises:

receiving a reply from the latter sender, the reply being one selected from the group consisting of;

an acceptance of the invitation to join the IM chat session;

a rejection of the invitation to join the IM chat session; and

establishing the IM chat room in response to the reply being the acceptance of the invitation to join the IM chat session.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein establishing an IM chat room comprises:

receiving a reply from the recipient, the reply being one selected from the group consisting of;

granting permission to join the IM chat session;

denying permission to join the IM chat session; and

establishing the IM chat room in response to the reply being the granting of permission to join the IM chat session.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein establishing an IM chat room comprises:

issuing a request for permission to join the IM chat session, the request for permission being issued to the earlier sender;

receiving a reply from the earlier sender, the reply being one selected from the group consisting of;

granting permission to join the IM chat session;

denying permission to join the IM chat session; and

establishing the IM chat room in response to the reply being the granting of permission to join the IM chat session.

9. A communication system comprising:

a processor for establishing an instant messaging (IM) chat session between a first sender and a recipient, the IM chat session being established by the first sender sending a first IM message to an IM address of the recipient;

means for receiving a second IM message from a second sender to the recipient;

an IM client for automatically generating and automatically sending, in response to receiving the second IM message from the second sender to the recipient, a query to the second sender, the query including an option to join the IM chat session;

means for sending, in response to receiving an indication by the second sender to join the IM chat session, a query to the recipient to establish an IM chat room with the second sender; and

means for establishing the IM chat room between the recipient, the first sender, and the second sender,

wherein communications between the second sender and the recipient are revealed to the first sender prior to establishing the IM chat room between the recipient, the first sender and the second sender, and wherein the IM chat room between the recipient, the first sender and the second sender utilizes the recipient'"'"'s IM client to bridge the chat session between the first sender and the second sender.

10. A communication system comprising:

a processor configured to establish an instant messaging (IM) chat session between a first sender and a recipient, the IM chat session being established by the first sender sending a first IM message to an IM address of the recipient;

a receiving component configured to receive a second IM message from a second sender to the recipient;

a first sending component configured to, in response to receiving the second IM message at the receiving component, automatically generate and automatically send by an IM client a query to the second sender, the query including an option to join the IM chat session;

a second sending component configured to, in response to receiving an indication by the second sender to join the IM chat session, send a query to the recipient to establish an IM chat room with the second sender; and

a chat room component configured to establish an IM chat room between the recipient, the first sender, and the second sender,

wherein communications between the second sender and the recipient are revealed to the first sender prior to establishing the IM chat room between the recipient, the first sender and the second sender, and

wherein the IM chat room between the recipient, the first sender and the second sender utilizes the recipient'"'"'s IM client to bridge the chat session between the first sender and the second sender.

11. A communication system comprising:

a receiving component configured to receive an instant messaging (IM) message from a latter sender directed to an IM address of a recipient;

a processor configured to determine whether an IM chat session is established between the recipient and an earlier sender;

a first sending component configured to, in response to receiving the IM message from the latter sender at the receiving component, automatically generate and automatically send by an IM client a query to the latter sender, the query including an option to join the IM chat session;

a second sending component configured to, in response to receiving an indication by the latter sender to join the IM chat session, send a query to the recipient to establish an IM chat room with the latter sender; and

an establishing component configured to establish the IM chat room between the recipient, the earlier sender, and the latter sender in response to receiving a positive response to the query to establish an IM chat room with the latter sender,

wherein communications between the latter sender and the recipient are revealed to the earlier sender prior to establishing the IM chat room between the recipient, the earlier sender and the latter sender, and

wherein the IM chat room between the recipient, the earlier sender and the later sender utilizes the recipient'"'"'s IM client to bridge the chat session between the earlier sender and the latter sender.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to establish an instant messaging (IM) chat session between a first sender and a recipient, the IM chat session being established by the first sender sending a first IM message to an IM address of the recipient;

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive a second IM message from a second sender to the recipient;

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to, in response to receiving the second IM message at the receiving component, automatically generate and automatically send by an IM client a query to the second sender, the query including an option to join the IM chat session;

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to, in response to receiving an indication by the second sender to join the IM chat session, send a query to the recipient to establish an IM chat room with the second sender; and

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to establish an IM chat room between the recipient, the first sender, and the second sender,

wherein communications between the second sender and the recipient are revealed to the first sender prior to establishing the IM chat room between the recipient, the first sender and the second sender, and

wherein the IM chat room between the recipient, the first sender and the second sender utilizes the recipient'"'"'s IM client to bridge the chat session between the first sender and the second sender.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive a reply from the second sender, the reply from the second sender being one selected from the group consisting of;

an acceptance of the option to join the IM chat session; and

a rejection of the option to join the IM chat session.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive a reply from the recipient, the reply from the recipient being one selected from the group consisting of;

granting permission to join the IM chat session; and

denying permission to join the IM chat session.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to issue a request for permission to join the IM chat session, the request for permission being issued to the first sender; and

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive a reply from the first sender, the reply from the first sender being one selected from the group consisting of;

granting permission to join the IM chat session; and

denying permission to join the IM chat session.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to establish the IM chat room in response to;

the reply from the second sender being the acceptance of the invitation to join the IM chat session;

the reply from the recipient being the granting of permission to join the IM chat session; and

the reply from the first sender being the granting of permission to join the IM chat session.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to establish the IM chat room in response to at least one of;

the reply from the second sender being the acceptance of the invitation to join the IM chat session;

the reply from the recipient being the granting of permission to join the IM chat session; and

the reply from the first sender being the granting of permission to join the IM chat session.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive an instant messaging (IM) message from a latter sender directed to an IM address of a recipient;

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to determine whether an IM chat session is established between the recipient and an earlier sender;

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to, in response to receiving the IM message at the receiving component, automatically generate and automatically send by an IM client a query to the latter sender, the query including an option to join the IM chat session;

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to, in response to receiving an indication by the latter sender to join the IM chat session, send a query to the recipient to establish an IM chat room with the latter sender; and

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to establish an IM chat room between the recipient, the earlier sender, and the latter sender in response to receiving a positive response to the query to establish an IM chat room with the latter sender,

wherein communications between the latter sender and the recipient are revealed to the earlier sender prior to establishing the IM chat room between the recipient the earlier sender and the latter sender, and

wherein the IM chat room between the recipient, the earlier sender, and the later sender utilizes the recipient'"'"'s IM client to bridge the chat session between the earlier sender and the latter sender.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive a reply from the latter sender, the reply being one selected from the group consisting of;

an acceptance of the invitation to join the IM chat session; and

a rejection of the invitation to join the IM chat session.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive a reply from the recipient, the reply being one selected from the group consisting of;

granting permission to join the IM chat session; and

denying permission to join the IM chat session.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, further comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to issue a request for permission to join the IM chat session, the request for permission being issued to the earlier sender; and

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive a reply from the earlier sender, the reply being one selected from the group consisting of;

granting permission to join the IM chat session; and

denying permission to join the IM chat session.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable code adapted to instruct the programmable device to establish the IM chat room comprises:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to establish the IM chat room in response to;

the reply from the latter sender being the acceptance of the invitation to join the IM chat session;

the reply from the recipient being the granting of permission to join the IM chat session; and

the reply from the earlier sender being the granting of permission to join the IM chat session.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable code adapted to instruct the programmable device to establish the IM chat room comprises:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to establish the IM chat room in response to at least one of;

the reply from the latter sender being the acceptance of the invitation to join the IM chat session;

the reply from the recipient being the granting of permission to join the IM chat session; and

the reply from the earlier sender being the granting of permission to join the IM chat session.