Immediate communication system

• US 8,605,718 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Babitech Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Babitech Ltd.
• Inventors: Hemar, Elad, Babayoff, Ronen
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWEET, LONNIE V
• Application Number:
  US11/991,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20090262668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,659 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• 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: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0075 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A communication service network, comprising:

• • (a) a communication network including a plurality of terminals configured to support at least a first personal communication service for a plurality of users over the communication network, in which service, each user has a unique handle; and
  • (b) a plurality of clients supporting a second personal communication service, wherein each of said clients is configured to attempt a communication under said second service with any of said users using their unique handles.

Claims

1. A communication service network, comprising:

(a) a communication server supporting at least a first personal communication service for a plurality of users over a communication network, wherein each said user has a unique handle in said first personal communication service; and

(b) a plurality of clients supporting a second personal communication service, wherein each of said clients is to automatically send any of said plurality of users a callback request message via said first personal communication system, using said unique handle, in response to an indication that said respective user is not registered to said second personal communication service, said callback request message to the non-registered user having communication data for communicating with a user of said sending client and setup data for providing support for said second personal communication service, whereby complying by the non-registered user with the callback request message automatically causes initiation of installation of software for communicating over the second personal communication service by the non-registered user, thereby allowing a communication session over said second personal communication service with the user of said sending client after completion of said installation.

2. A network according to claim 1, wherein said second service is managed by an entity not affiliated with first communication service.

3. A network according to claim 1, wherein said first service comprises a multi-provider service.

4. A network according to claim 1, wherein said second communication service is of a type different from said first communication service.

5. A network according to claim 4, wherein said services differ in a protocol used.

6. A network according to claim 4, wherein said services differ in a media carried.

7. A network according to claim 4, wherein said services differ in degree of real-time.

8. A network according to claim 1, wherein said first communication service comprises e-mail.

9. A network according to claim 1, wherein said first communication service comprises telephone communication.

10. A network according to claim 1, comprising at least one server which manages a mapping between said unique handle and a handle used internally by said second communication service.

11. A network according to claim 1, wherein said second communication service is managed as a peer-to-peer network in which clients direct data content of messages directly from one to another or via one or more relaying peer over said network.

12. A network according to claim 1, comprising a set-up server configured to validate and register new users of said second service based on said unique handle.

13. A network according to claim 1, comprising at least one gateway accessible to said clients for communication with a third personal communication service.

14. A network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said clients is configured to add controls for using said second communication service on existing software displays showing said unique handle.

15. A network according to claim 14, wherein the existing software comprises a client for said first communication service.

16. A network according to claim 14, wherein at least one of said controls shows presence information.

17. A network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said clients is configured to import contact information used for said first communication service for use with said second communication service.

18. A network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said clients is configured to import contact information used for communication services other than said second communication service for use with said second communication service.

19. A network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said clients is configured to track contact information use for communication services other than said second service, on user computers on which the client is installed.

20. A network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said clients is configured to import contact information for communication services other than said second service, on user computers on which the client is installed.

21. A network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said clients is configured to mirror contact information for communication services other than said second service, on user computers on which the client is installed.

22. A network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said clients is configured to facilitate the set up of a conference call with multiple users of said first service, that are not users of said second service, and users of said second service, inviting said users to said conference call.

23. A network according to claim 22, wherein at least one of said users are users of a third communication service and wherein said set-up comprises connecting the conference to said third service.

24. A network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said clients is provided bundled with a wireless portable communication device.

25. A network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said clients is configured on a terminal of said terminals to display media to a user during a communication via the second communication service.

26. A network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said clients is configured to analyze a target computer during an installation process to identify communication software to be dealt with during usage of said client.

27. A network according to claim 26, wherein said client is configured to detect webmail usage.

28. A network according to claim 26, wherein said client is configured to detect e-mail client.

29. A network according to claim 1, wherein said unique handle is selected from a group consisting of an email address, a landline number, a mobile number, and an instant messaging (IM) handle.

30. A network according to claim 29, wherein said second communication service is a voice based personal communication service.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication session is a video communication session.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication session is an audio communication session.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the first personal communication service is a non-real-time communication service and the communication session is a real-time communication session.

34. The communication service network of claim 1, wherein said callback request message to the non-registered user further causes automatic initiation of a communication session over said second personal communication service with the user of said sending client after completion of said installation.

35. A method of communicating with a user using a second communication service, comprising:

(a) selecting by a first user a second user with whom to communicate using a second communication service, said selecting being done without knowing by said first user whether said second user is registered to said second communication service;

(b) attempting to set up a communication session under said second communication service with said second user, via a software client of said first user, using a unique handle of said second user on a first personal communication system;

(c) detecting whether said second user is not registered to said second communication service; and

(d) if said second user is not registered to said second communication service, then automatically sending said second user a callback request message under said first personal communication system, using said unique handle, said callback request message having communication data for communicating with said first user and setup data for providing support for said second communication service, whereby complying by the second user with the callback request automatically causes initiation of installation of software for communicating over the second personal communication service by the non-registered user, thereby allowing a communication session with the first user over said second communication service after completion of said installation.

36. A method according to claim 35, wherein said callback uses a communication protocol supported by said second communication service.

37. A method according to claim 35, comprising completing said communication by said second user activating a control in said message, which control causes the setting up of said second user with said second communications service, said setting up including noting to call back said first user.

38. A method according to claim 37, wherein said setting up culminates in an attempt to call back said first user, using said second communication service, based on said noted callback request.

39. A method according to claim 38, wherein said setup does not require any user input of information not known to said second communication service, to set up the second user.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein the communication session is a video communication session.

41. The method of claim 35, wherein the communication session is an audio communication session.

42. The method of claim 35, wherein the first personal communication service is a non-real-time text-based communication service and the communication session is a real-time communication session.

43. The method of claim 35 further comprising after installation of said software for communicating over the second personal communication service, automatically initiating a communication session with the first user over said second communication service.