Instant messaging system and method

• US 8,566,404 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tencent Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Tencent Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Wu, Xiaoguang, Chen, Yang, Huang, Yejun, Ma, Huateng, Zeng, Liqing
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorney, Boris
• Application Number:
  US12/414,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20090182808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 715733-759
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• 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: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for processing an instant message from a source wireless communication device to a destination device are described herein. In one aspect of the invention, an exemplary method includes receiving the instant message from the source wireless communication device, the instant message having a source wireless communication identifier, a destination instant messenger identifier, and data contents; extracting the source wireless communication identifier, the destination instant messenger identifier and the data contents from the instant message; retrieving a source instant messenger identifier corresponding to the source wireless communication identifier; binding the source instant messenger identifier with the source wireless communication identifier; and transmitting the data contents with the source instant messenger identifier to the destination device over a communication network, based on the destination instant messenger identifier. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a status message of an instant messenger (IM) subscriber, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first mobile device, an input from a first IM subscriber, the input indicating information associated with a second IM subscriber;

processing, by the first mobile device, the input to identify an instant messenger identifier of the second IM subscriber;

formulating, by the first mobile device, a status request that includes the instant messenger identifier of the second IM subscriber;

sending, by the first mobile device, the status request to a mobile message center;

processing, by the mobile message center, information associated with the status request;

forwarding, by the mobile message center, information associated with the status request to a mobile network interface gateway;

forwarding, by the mobile network interface gateway, information associated with the status request to a mobile instant messenger server;

processing, by the mobile instant messenger server, information associated with the status request to identify the instant messenger identifier of the second IM subscriber included in the status request;

determining, by the mobile instant messenger server, whether the second IM subscriber is a mobile client based on at least information associated with the identified instant messenger identifier of the second IM subscriber;

if the second IM subscriber is determined to be a mobile client;

determining, by the mobile instant messenger server, a mobile identifier for the second IM subscriber based on at least information associated with the instant messenger identifier of the second IM subscriber, the mobile identifier being associated with a second mobile device; and

using, by the mobile instant messenger server, the mobile identifier to query a status of the second IM subscriber;

if the second IM subscriber is determined to not be a mobile client;

forwarding, by the mobile instant messenger server, information associated with the status request to a first instant messenger server;

using, by the first instant messenger server, information associated with the status request to query the status of the second IM subscriber; and

returning, by the first instant messenger server, the status of the second IM subscriber to the mobile instant messenger server;

returning, by the mobile instant messenger server, the status of the second IM subscriber to the mobile network interface gateway;

returning, by the mobile network interface gateway, the status of the second IM subscriber to the mobile message center;

returning, by the mobile message center, the status of the second IM subscriber;

receiving the status of the second IM subscriber based on at least information associated with the instant messenger identifier of the second IM subscriber;

examining the instant messenger identifier of the second IM subscriber to determine a characteristic of the second IM subscriber;

assigning a presence indicator to the second IM subscriber, the presence indicator representing the characteristic of the second IM subscriber;

displaying the status of the second IM subscriber on a display device of the first IM subscriber;

displaying the presence indicator corresponding to the second IM subscriber, the presence indicator sufficiently representing the characteristic of the second IM subscriber;

displaying at least one selected from a group consisting of a bright presence indicator and a special character, if the second IM subscriber is online; and

displaying a dim presence indicator if the second IM subscriber is offline;

wherein the process of forwarding, by the mobile message center, information associated with the status request to a mobile network interface gateway includes sending short messages, by the mobile message center, to the mobile network interface gateway;

wherein if the second IM subscriber is determined to be a mobile phone subscriber, the presence indicator includes a graphic symbol indicating the second IM subscriber is a mobile phone subscriber;

wherein if the second IM subscriber is determined to be an enterprise organization, the presence indicator includes a logo image of the enterprise organization;

wherein the mobile instant messenger server is physically separate from the first instant messenger server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile message center is a mobile short message center.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile identifier is a mobile phone number.

4. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

displaying an online status if the second IM subscriber is online; and

displaying an offline status if the second IM subscriber is offline.