Instant messaging using browser

• US 8,438,227 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Mo, Jianxiang, Jiang, Dayi
• Primary Examiner(s): TANG, KAREN C
• Application Number:
  US11/756,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20070282963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,167 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205, 709/206, 709/207, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

Methods and systems for instant messaging using a browser to eliminate the requirement of installation of instant messaging software at the user end is described. When a source user sends an instant message to a target user, the source server (the server which the source user is logged in) searches the information of the target server (the server which the target user is currently logged in) with the help of an instant messaging status server, and sends the instant message to the target server according to the search result. The target server then relays the instant message to the target user. The target server may also send a reply message to the source server, which in turn transmits the reply message to the source user. Preferably, at least one of users uses a browser and not an instant messaging client software.

Claims

1. A method of instant messaging using a browser, the method comprising:

receiving at a source server an instant message sent from a source user to a target user, at least one of the source user or the target user being a browser user using a browser to perform instant messaging;

inquiring by the source server through a status server for information of a target server which the target user logs in;

sending the instant message to the target server;

transmitting by the target server the instant message to the target user;

receiving periodically by one of the source server or the target server an instant message fetching command from the browser user at a variable frequency, the variable frequency increasing from a first frequency to a second frequency in response to the source user or the target user acquiring an instant message from or sending an instant message to the other of the source user and target user, the variable frequency decreasing to one or more interim frequencies before decreasing to the first frequency when the browser user acquires no instant message in response to subsequent instant message fetching commands; and

deleting a memory in a cache used for the browser user in response to the browser user not receiving any instant message for a predetermined period of time.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

sending a reply instant message by the target server to the source server; and

transmitting the reply instant message by the source server to the source user.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the source user uses a browser to perform instant messaging, and the source server comprises a Web chat server.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the source user uses a browser to perform instant messaging, the method further comprising:

receiving by a dispatch server from the source user a logon information before the source user performs instant messaging; and

redirecting by the dispatch server the source user to a Web chat server which serves as the source server.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the source user uses a browser to perform instant messaging, the method further comprising:

receiving by a dispatch server from the source user a logon information before the source user performs instant messaging;

redirecting by the dispatch server the source user to a Web chat server which serves as the source server; and

authenticating by the Web chat server the logon information received from the source user.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the target user uses a browser to perform instant messaging, and the target server comprises a Web chat server.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the target user uses a browser to perform instant messaging, the method further comprising:

receiving by a dispatch server from the target user a logon information before the target user performs instant messaging; and

redirecting by the dispatch server the target user to a Web chat server which serves as the target server.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the target user uses a browser to perform instant messaging, the method further comprising:

receiving by a dispatch server from the target user a logon information before the target user performs instant messaging;

redirecting by the dispatch server the target user to a Web chat server which serves as the target server;

authenticating by the Web chat server the logon information received from the target user.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving by a dispatch server from the browser user a logon request containing logon information;

assigning by the dispatch server a Web chat server to the browser user according to the logon information in the login request; and

redirecting by the dispatch server the logon request to the Web chat server.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the browser user to logon to a Web chat server; and

maintaining a communication connection for instant messaging between the browser user and the Web chat server during an entire session of instant messaging.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the instant message fetching command is received by the source server or the target server at a variable frequency which is increased if the fetching command acquires an instant message.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the instant message fetching command is received by the source server or the target server at a variable frequency which is increased when at least one of the source user and the target user sends an instant message.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the instant message fetching command is received by the source server or the target server at a variable frequency which is decreased if the fetching command does not acquire any instant message within a preset time interval.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

sending from one of the source server and the target server to the status server a current status message when logon status of the respective source user or the target user changes; and

sending from the status server the current status message to the other of the source server and the target server.

15. An instant messaging system, comprising:

a processor-based instant messaging status server;

a processor-based source user server that is communicatively coupled to a source user; and

a processor-based target user server that is communicatively coupled to a target user, wherein;

at least one of the source user server or the target user server is a Web chat server accepting logon by a browser user from a browser to send or receive an instant message;

the instant messaging status server records information of the source user server and the target user server and user logon status information;

at least one of the source server or the target server receives periodically an instant message fetching command from the source user or the target user, respectively, at a variable frequency, the variable frequency increasing from a first frequency to a second frequency in response to the source user or the target user acquiring an instant message from or sending an instant message to the other of the source user and the target user, the variable frequency staying at the second frequency unless the browser user acquires no instant message in response to subsequent instant message fetching commands at which time the variable frequency decreases progressively towards the first frequency, and deletes a memory in a cache used for the browser user in response to the browser user not receiving any instant message for a predetermined period of time.

16. The instant messaging system as recited in claim 15, wherein the instant messaging status server, the source user server and the target user server are connected through a network.

17. The instant messaging system as recited in claim 15, wherein the source user server is adapted to receive from the instant messaging status server a logon status information of a target user logged on to the target user server.

18. The instant messaging system as recited in claim 15, wherein the Web chat server is adapted to receive from a user logged on the Web chat server a periodical command for fetching instant messages.

19. One or more memory devices having stored thereupon instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform actions comprising:

receiving at a source server an instant message sent from a source user to a target user, at least one of the source user and the target user using a browser to perform instant messaging;

inquiring by the source server through a status server for information of a target server which the target user logs in;

sending the instant message to the target server;

transmitting by the target server the instant message to target user;

receiving periodically by one of the source server or the target server an instant message fetching command from the browser user at a variable frequency, the variable frequency increasing from a first frequency to a second frequency in response to the source user or the target user acquiring an instant message from or sending an instant message to the other of the source user and the target user, the variable frequency staying at the second frequency unless the browser user acquires no instant message in response to subsequent instant message fetching commands at which time the variable frequency decreases progressively towards the first frequency; and

deleting a memory in a cache used for the browser user in response to the browser user not receiving any instant message for a predetermined period of time.