Method and system for providing universal relay services

• US 8,458,277 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2004
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Moore, Richard G., Gunasekar, Guna D., Lawson-Shanks, Phillip E., Shaw, Darryl W.
• Primary Examiner(s): STRANGE, AARON N
• Application Number:
  US10/975,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,141 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/203, 709/204, 709/205
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• 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 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13336 Store & forward, messaging systems

Abstract

An approach for providing instant messaging (IM) services is disclosed. A request is received from a source client to establish communication with a destination client associated with a subscriber over a first IM environment, wherein the request specifies a first user name derived from a unique identifier of the subscriber. A unique identifier is determined from the first user name. Further, a profile of the subscriber is accessed based on the unique identifier to determine a second user name corresponding to a second IM environment. An IM session is established between the source client and the destination client over the first and second IM environments using the respective first user name and second user name.

Claims

1. A method for providing instant messaging (IM) services, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a source client to establish communication with a destination client associated with a subscriber over a first IM environment, wherein the request specifies a first user name automatically derived from a unique identifier of the subscriber;

determining the unique identifier from the first user name; and

accessing a profile of the subscriber using the unique identifier to arbitrarily assign a second user name identifying the subscriber corresponding to a second IM environment,

wherein an IM session is established between the source client and the destination client over the first and second IM environments using the respective first user name and second user name.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first IM environment corresponds to a first service provider, and the second IM environment corresponds to a second service provider.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the second user name is based on the unique identifier.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining presence of the subscriber within the second IM environment.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second user name is transparent to the source IM client.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing linguistic translation service for the IM session.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an information request from the source client about the destination client; and

forwarding a response including the requested information about the destination client to the source client.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for providing instant messaging (IM) services, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving a request from a source client to establish communication with a destination client associated with a subscriber over a first IM environment, wherein the request specifies a first user name automatically derived from a unique identifier of the subscriber;

determining the unique identifier from the first user name; and

accessing a profile of the subscriber using the unique identifier to arbitrarily assign a second user name identifying the subscriber corresponding to a second IM environment,

wherein an IM session is established between the source client and the destination client over the first and second IM environments using the respective first user name and second user name.

9. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the first IM environment corresponds to a first service provider, and the second IM environment corresponds to a second service provider.

10. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the second user name is based on the unique identifier.

11. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, further comprising instructions for causing the one or more processors to perform the step of:

determining presence of the subscriber within the second IM environment.

12. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the second user name is transparent to the source IM client.

13. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, further comprising instructions for causing the one or more processors to perform the step of:

providing linguistic translation service for the IM session.

14. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, further comprising instructions for causing the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving an information request from the source client about the destination client; and

forwarding a response including the requested information about the destination client to the source client.

15. A method for communicating with an instant messaging (IM) client, the method comprising:

generating a request for establishing communication with a destination client associated with a subscriber of an overlay communication system over a first IM environment;

sending the request to the overlay communication system, wherein the request specifies a first user name automatically derived from an identifier uniquely identifying the subscriber within the overlay communication system, the overlay communication system accessing a profile of the subscriber using the identifier to arbitrarily assign a second user name identifying the subscriber corresponding to a second IM environment, wherein the second user name is independent of the first and second IM environments and wherein an IM session is established with the destination client over the first and second IM environments using the respective first user name and second user name; and

communicating with the destination client through the overlay communication system.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the first IM environment corresponds to a first service provider, and the second IM environment corresponds to a second service provider.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the second user name is based on the unique identifier.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein the overlay communication system determines presence of the subscriber within the second IM environment.

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein the second user name is transparent to the source IM client.

20. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

requesting linguistic translation service from the overlay communication system for the IM session.

21. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

forwarding an information request about the destination client to the overlay communication system; and

receiving a response from the overlay communication system, the response including the requested information about the destination client.

22. A system for supporting instant messaging (IM) communication, the system comprising:

an overlay network configured to provide a plurality of communication services including telephony and data communication services, and to receive a request from a source client to establish communication with a destination client associated with a subscriber over a first IM environment, wherein the request specifies a first user name automatically derived from a unique identifier of the subscriber, the overlay network being further configured to determine the unique identifier from the first user name, and to access a profile of the subscriber using the unique identifier to arbitrarily assign a second user name identifying the subscriber corresponding to a second IM environment; and

a gateway communicating with the overlay network to establish an IM session between the source client and the destination client over the first and second IM environments using the respective first user name and second user name.

23. A system according to claim 22, wherein the first IM environment corresponds to a first service provider, and the second IM environment corresponds to a second service provider.

24. A system according to claim 23, wherein the second user name is based on the unique identifier.

25. A system according to claim 22, wherein the overlay network is further configured to determine presence of the subscriber within the second IM environment.

26. A system according to claim 22, wherein the second user name is transparent to the source IM client.

27. A system according to claim 22, wherein the overlay network provides linguistic translation service for the IM session.

28. A system according to claim 22, wherein the source client requests information about the destination client, and the overlay network forwards a response including the requested information about the destination client to the source client.