Method, system and apparatus for automatic notification to a plurality of communication nodes

• US 8,064,934 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2006
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Klassen, Gerhard Dietrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US11/584,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20080096589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/447, 455/575, 381/58, 379/210, 379/265, 709/227, 709/206, 709/207, 370/428, 370/348, 370/229
• 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

Abstract

A mobile communication device operable to automatically send a notification of a status change within a messaging session. The device includes a processor operable to execute a real-time messaging application on the mobile communication device, an input module operable to receive a session status change instruction from a user and a status update module operable to generate a session status change message responsive to receipt of the session status change instruction from the user. The device further includes a transceiver operable to communicate with a plurality of remote devices and operable to automatically transmit the session status change message to each one of a group of at least two remote real-time messaging applications responsive to the generation of the session status change message by the status update module.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a processor configured to execute a real-time messaging application on the mobile communication device and to identify one or more remote real-time messaging applications operating on a group of remote devices with whom a user of the mobile communication device has had recent real-time messaging communications within a time out period;

a module comprising a multi-layer transport stack interfaced with the processor for providing a data transport protocol;

a status update module configured to receive a status update and generate a status change message for each of the identified remote real-time messaging applications, wherein the status update reflects recent and upcoming status changes of the real-time messaging application, wherein the upcoming status changes are associated with incoming events; and

a transceiver configured to communicate with a plurality of remote devices and operable to automatically transmit the status change messages to each of the identified remote real-time messaging applications with whom the user of the mobile communication device has had recent real-time messaging communications within the time out period;

wherein each one of the remote real-time messaging applications with whom a user of the mobile communication device has had recent real-time messaging communications within the time out period is associated with an entry in the user'"'"'s contacts database.

2. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1 wherein the transceiver is a wireless transceiver.

3. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1 wherein the real-time messaging application is selected from:

an instant messaging (IM) application, a short message system (SMS) application and a chat application.

4. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1 wherein the status change is received from the user via one of a menu and a shortcut key.

5. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1 wherein the status change is an instruction to open a new communication session.

6. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1 wherein the status change is an instruction to close an existing communication session.

7. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1 wherein the time out period is customizable.

19. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1 wherein the status change message is customizable by the user of the mobile communication device.

20. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1 wherein the status change is an indication of a condition change, wherein the condition change is the user of the mobile communication device receiving a telephone call or the user of the mobile communication device checking an incoming message.

8. A method of automatically sending a status change message within a plurality of real-time messaging sessions, the method comprising:

receiving a status update reflecting recent and upcoming status changes of a real-time messaging application operating on a mobile communication device, wherein the upcoming status changes are associated with incoming events;

identifying one or more remote real-time messaging applications with whom a user of the mobile communication device has had recent real-time messaging communications within a time out period, wherein each of the remote real-time messaging applications is associated with an entry in the user'"'"'s contacts database;

receiving a data transport protocol from a multi-layer transport stack interfaced with a processor of the mobile communication device;

responsive to the received status update and according to the data transport protocol, generating a status change message for each of the identified remote real-time messaging applications; and

automatically sending the status change messages to each of the one or more remote real-time messaging applications with whom a user of the mobile communication device has had recent real-time messaging communications within time out period wherein each one of the remote real-time messaging applications receiving the status change message is associated with an entry in the user'"'"'s contacts database.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the real-time messaging session is conducted via a wireless transceiver.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the real-time messaging session is selected from:

an instant messaging (IM) session, a short message system (SMS) session and a chat session.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the status change message is customizable by the user of the mobile communication device.

12. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the status change is an instruction to open a new communication session.

13. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the status change is an instruction to close an existing communication session.

14. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the time out period is customizable.

15. A mobile communication system comprising:

means for establishing a real-time messaging session between a local real-time messaging application executing on a mobile communication device and each one of a plurality of remote real-time messaging applications executing on a plurality of remote devices;

means for providing a data transport protocol interfaced with the means for establishing a real-time messaging session;

means for receiving a status update from the local real-time messaging application, wherein the status update reflects recent and upcoming status changes of the local real-time messaging application, wherein the upcoming status changes are associated with incoming events;

means for identifying, within the plurality of remote devices, one or more remote devices with whom a user of the mobile communication device has had recent real-time messaging communications within a time out period;

means for generating a status change message for each of the identified remote real-time messaging applications responsive to the received status update; and

means for automatically forwarding the status change messages to each identified remote real-time messaging applications with whom the mobile communication device has had real-time messaging communications within the time out period, wherein each one of the remote real-time messaging applications receiving the status change message is associated with an entry in the user'"'"'s contacts database.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the real-time messaging session is conducted via a wireless transceiver.

17. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the real-time messaging session is selected from:

an instant messaging (IM) session, a short message system (SMS) session and a chat session.

18. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the status change message is customizable by the user of the mobile communication device.