Apparatus and method for providing mobile instant messaging service

• US 8,145,257 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wireless Alliance, LLC (Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: KT Freetel Co., Ltd. (KT Corporation)
• Inventors: Yim, Hye-Won, Kim, Hyung-Sun, Yang, Thai-Shik
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US12/306,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20090186638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/414.1, 455/550.1, 709/206, 715/752
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• 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 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

The present invention relates to apparatus and method for providing a mobile instant messaging service. The apparatus includes a buddy status managing unit for recording and managing a status information of at least one mobile messenger subscriber; a buddy list managing unit cooperating with the buddy status managing unit for managing a buddy list of the mobile messenger subscriber based on a telephone number, and providing the buddy list to the mobile messenger subscriber; and a chatting service unit for providing a chatting service between the mobile messenger subscriber and a buddy selected by the mobile messenger subscriber in the buddy list provided to the mobile messenger subscriber by the buddy list managing unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing mobile instant messaging service, which provides a telephone number-based mobile instant messaging service in an IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) domain of a mobile communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a buddy status managing unit for recording and managing a status information of at least one mobile messenger subscriber;

a buddy list managing unit cooperating with the buddy status managing unit for managing a buddy list of the mobile messenger subscriber based on a telephone number and providing the buddy list to the mobile messenger subscriber;

a chatting service unit for providing a chatting service between the mobile messenger subscriber and a buddy selected by the mobile messenger subscriber in the buddy list provided to the mobile messenger subscriber by the buddy list managing unit;

a file transmitting and receiving unit for transmitting and receiving a file between the mobile messenger subscriber and the buddy selected by the mobile messenger subscriber in the buddy list provided to the mobile messenger subscriber by the buddy list managing unit; and

a cooperating unit for cooperating with a plurality of wired Internet-based instant messenger servers,

wherein the buddy list managing unit receives and stores each buddy list information registered by the mobile messenger subscriber from a plurality of the wired Internet-based instant messenger servers, inserts an identifier for identifying a messenger kind of the corresponding buddy list into each buddy list information, and provides the buddy list information having the identifier to the mobile messenger subscriber.

2. The apparatus for providing mobile instant messaging service according to claim 1, further comprising:

a message converting unit for converting a protocol of a message transmitted and received between the mobile messenger subscriber and a wired messenger subscriber by the chatting service unit.

3. A mobile communication terminal for integrating a plurality of instant messaging services and providing the integrated instant messaging service, the mobile communication terminal comprising:

a memory having an integrated instant messenger client installed therein,

the integrated instant messenger client including;

a buddy list identifying module for identifying and classifying a buddy list information transmitted from a mobile instant messaging service server cooperating with a plurality of wired Internet-based instant messenger servers according to an identifier for identifying a messenger kind including the buddy list information, and displaying the classified buddy list information;

a buddy managing module for managing registration and deletion of a buddy and a status information of the buddy; and

a chatting module for transmitting and receiving a conversation message by a single conversation window according to buddy selection of a user.

4. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 3,

wherein the buddy managing module registers the buddy based on a telephone number inputted from the user.

5. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 4,

wherein the buddy list identifying module displays the buddy registered based on the telephone number as a separate menu.