Automatically enabling the forwarding of instant messages
First Claim
1. A method for communicating electronic messages, the method comprising:
- receiving an electronic message;
receiving an indication of a user identifier specified by a sender as corresponding to the intended recipient of the electronic message;
determining, using at least one processor, that the intended recipient is not presently available to receive the electronic message;
maintaining a contact list for the sender, the contact list comprising user identifiers associated with recipients known to the user, the recipients having a first degree of separation from the sender;
accessing, for each one of the recipients on the sender'"'"'s contact list, a contact list associated with each recipient;
designating the contacts listed in the contact lists of each recipient on the sender'"'"'s contact list as being known to the user;
determining that the identity of the intended recipient is known to the sender based on the contact lists;
identifying, based on the determination that the intended recipient is known to the sender, a mobile telephone number associated with the intended recipient;
determining that the intended recipient is available to receive electronic messages; and
sending the electronic message to the intended recipient based on the identified mobile phone number.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In some examples, an instant message addressed to an intended instant messaging recipient may be forwarded to the recipient'"'"'s mobile telephone when the recipient'"'"'s mobile telephone number is known to the instant message sender. In one example, an instant message is forwarded to the intended recipient'"'"'s mobile telephone number when the instant message sender'"'"'s contact information for the intended recipient includes an instant message address (e.g., a screen name or other type of instant message identifier) and a mobile telephone number, without dependence upon the intended recipient'"'"'s presence on the instant message (IM) system or through actual login or registration with an IM forwarding service. In another example, an instant message addressed to an intended instant messaging recipient is forwarded to the recipient'"'"'s mobile telephone when the recipient is known to the instant message sender.
-
Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A method for communicating electronic messages, the method comprising:
-
receiving an electronic message; receiving an indication of a user identifier specified by a sender as corresponding to the intended recipient of the electronic message; determining, using at least one processor, that the intended recipient is not presently available to receive the electronic message; maintaining a contact list for the sender, the contact list comprising user identifiers associated with recipients known to the user, the recipients having a first degree of separation from the sender; accessing, for each one of the recipients on the sender'"'"'s contact list, a contact list associated with each recipient; designating the contacts listed in the contact lists of each recipient on the sender'"'"'s contact list as being known to the user; determining that the identity of the intended recipient is known to the sender based on the contact lists; identifying, based on the determination that the intended recipient is known to the sender, a mobile telephone number associated with the intended recipient; determining that the intended recipient is available to receive electronic messages; and sending the electronic message to the intended recipient based on the identified mobile phone number. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. An apparatus for communicating electronic messages, the apparatus comprising:
-
a storage device that stores a set of instructions; and at least one processor that executes to the set of instructions in the storage device, the execution of the set of instruction causing the at least one processor to; receive an electronic message; receive an indication of a user identifier specified by a sender as corresponding to the intended recipient of the electronic message; determine that the intended recipient is not presently available to receive the electronic message; maintain a contact list for the sender, the contact list comprising user identifiers associated with recipients known to the user, the recipients having a first degree of separation from the sender; access, for each one of the recipients on the sender'"'"'s contact list, a contact list associated with each recipient; designate the contacts listed in the contact lists of each recipient on the sender'"'"'s contact list as being known to the user; determine that the identity of the intended recipient is known to the sender based on the contact lists; identify, based on the determination that the intended recipient is known to the sender, a mobile telephone number associated with the intended recipient; determine that the intended recipient is available to receive electronic messages; and send the electronic message to the intended recipient based on the identified mobile phone number. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
Specification