Group messaging

• US 8,566,412 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: GoGroups Incorporated
• Inventors: Barman, Touradj, Fox, Kristofer
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, NICHOLAS R
• Application Number:
  US13/720,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20130110956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/232
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1044 Group management mechanisms management of multicast group membership H04L12/185; reconfiguring of node membership in a computing system to eliminate errors G06F11/1425

Abstract

Systems and methods providing users with a rich web experience are disclosed. In one embodiment, a client and at least one server are in communication using a dual communication link. In another embodiment, a markup language based instant messaging application is disclosed. The instant messaging application may include group instant messaging. The instant messaging application may also provide group member persistence and message persistence at the server. In another embodiment, a card based web application is disclosed, where the card information and character may be shared with other users or within a group. The cards may also be configurable by users.

Claims

1. A group messaging method occurring at a server executing a group messaging application, the method comprising:

receiving, at the server through a communication network, a file in a markup language, wherein the server comprises one or more servers;

storing the file in a database at the server;

sending, from the server, notifications to a subset of members of a group indicating that the file has been received at the server, wherein each notification is sent through an XMPP connection established between the server and each of the subset of members of the group;

receiving, at the server, requests for the file from each of one or more members of the subset of members of the group, wherein each request is received through a stateless connection between the server and each of the subset of members of the group;

sending, from the server, at least a portion of the file to each of one or more members of the subset of members of the group, wherein each of the at least a portion of the file is sent through each stateless connection between the server and each of the one or more members of the subset of members of the group; and

closing each of the stateless connections in response to sending at least a portion of the message to each of one or more members of the subset of members of the group.

2. The group messaging method of claim 1, wherein the subset of the members of the group are members of the group that are logged into the group messaging application.

3. The group messaging method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication from a second member of the group, at the server through a communication network, notifying the server that the second member is available to receive group messages, wherein the second member of the group is not included within the subset of the members of the group; and

sending, from the server through a communication network, at least a portion of the message to the second member of the group

wherein the indication from the second member of the group comprises an indication that the second member of the group logged into the group messaging application.

4. The group messaging method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication from a second member of the group, at the server through a communication network, notifying the server that the second member is available to receive group messages, wherein the second member of the group is not included within the subset of the members of the group; and

sending, from the server through a communication network, at least a portion of the message to the second member of the group.

5. The group messaging method of claim 1, wherein the database comprises all the messages between members of the group.

6. The group messaging method of claim 1, wherein group settings are stored in the database at the server.