Automatically enabling the forwarding of instant messages

• US 9,002,949 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Appleman, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Imad
• Application Number:
  US11/017,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20060116139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,759 Days
• Field of Search: 715752-758, 709/206, 709/238, 709/239
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• 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 51/214 using selective forwarding
• 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 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

Techniques are described for forwarding an instant message addressed to an intended instant messaging recipient 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 a more particular example, an address book of the instant message sender includes an entry for the intended recipient where the entry includes an instant message address and a mobile telephone number of the intended recipient.

Claims

1. A method for communicating using a messaging application of a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user at the messaging application executing on the mobile device, an electronic message, an indication of a user-specified destination for the electronic message, and a user-specified mode of communication;

determining whether an identity associated with the user-specified destination is available to receive an electronic message using the user-specified mode of communication;

in response to the identity being available to receive the electronic message using the user-specified mode of communication, sending the electronic message from the mobile device to the identity using the user-specified mode of communication; and

in response to the identity not being available to receive the electronic message using the user-specified mode of communication,

accessing a user contact list stored on the mobile device to determine a mobile telephone number in the user contact list that the user knows to be associated with the user-specified destination; and

in response to determining that a mobile telephone number is not in the contact list, representing to the user that the user-specified destination is not capable of receiving the electronic message; and

in response to determining a mobile telephone number in the user contact list that the user knows to be associated with the user-specified destination, representing to the user that the user-specified destination is capable of receiving the electronic message even when the identity is not available to receive the electronic message using the user-specified mode of communication, and sending, from the mobile device, a communication based on the electronic message using the mobile telephone number associated with the user-specified destination.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user-specified mode of communication includes is an instant messaging service.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether an identity associated with the user-specified destination is available includes determining whether the identity is signed on to the user-specified mode of communication.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the communication based on the electronic message using the mobile telephone number includes transmitting the communication using a short message service (SMS) message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user-specified mode of communication is an instant messaging service.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the user-specified mode of communication includes an instant messaging service operating over a transmission control protocol (TCP)/internet protocol (IP) communications network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, sending the communication based on the electronic message using the mobile telephone number includes transmitting the communication using a text message service over a cellular system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user-specified mode of communication includes an instant messaging service operating over a transmission control

protocol (TCP} internet protocol (IP) communications network.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the identity has activated a preference to receive the electronic message through the mobile telephone number of the identity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a registered user of the messaging application.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity associated with the user-specified destination is not registered to the messaging application.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining that the identity associated with the user-specified destination selected to receive the electronic message through the mobile telephone number from the user registered to the messaging system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the identity is not available to receive the electronic message using the user-specified mode of communication comprises determining that the identity is not registered to the messaging application.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein sending the communication using the mobile telephone number comprises sending the communication from the messaging application.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the identity is not available or online to receive the electronic message using the user-specified mode of communication comprises determining that the identity has activated a preference not to receive a message using the user-specified mode of communication.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer executable messaging program for communicating using a mobile device, the messaging program comprising instructions for:

receiving, from a user at the messaging program on the mobile device, an electronic message, an indication of a user-specified destination for the electronic message, and a user-specified mode of communication;

determining whether an identity associated with the user-specified destination is available to receive an electronic message using the user-specified mode of communication;

in response to the identity being available to receive the electronic message using the user-specified mode of communication, sending the electronic message from the mobile device to the identity using the user-specified mode of communication; and

in response to the identity not being available to receive the electronic message using the user-specified mode of communication,

accessing a user contact list stored on the mobile device to determine a mobile telephone number in the user contact list that the user knows to be associated with the user-specified destination; and

in response to determining that a mobile telephone number is not in the contact list, representing to the user that the user-specified destination is not capable of receiving the electronic message; and

in response to determining a mobile telephone number in the user contact list that the user knows to be associated with the user-specified destination, representing to the user that the user-specified destination is capable of receiving the electronic message even when the identity is not available to receive the electronic message using the user-specified mode of communication, and sending, from the mobile device, a communication based on the electronic message using the mobile telephone number associated with the user-specified destination.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the user-specified mode of communication is an instant messaging service.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein determining whether an identity associated with the user-specified destination is available includes determining whether the identity is signed on to the user-specified mode of communication.

19. The medium of claim 16, wherein sending the communication based on the electronic message using the mobile telephone number includes transmitting the communication using a short message service (SMS) message.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the user-specified mode of communication includes is an instant messaging service.

21. The medium of claim 16, wherein the first mode of communication includes an instant messaging service operating over a transmission control protocol (TCP) !internet protocol (IP) communications network.

22. The medium of claim 16, wherein sending the communication based on the electronic message using the mobile telephone number includes transmitting the communication using a text message service over a cellular system.

23. The medium of claim 22, wherein the first mode of communication includes an instant messaging service operating over a transmission control protocol (TCP} !internet protocol (IP) communications network.

24. An electronic device for communicating electronic messages, the electronic device comprising:

a touch screen configured to receive input from a user;

a communications interface configured to communicate over one or more wireless networks;

a memory encoded with instructions for;

receiving, from a user at a messaging system on the electronic device, an electronic message, an indication of a user-specified destination for the electronic message, and a user-specified mode of communication;

determining whether an identity associated with the user-specified destination is available to receive an electronic message using the user-specified mode of communication over the communications interface;

in response to the identity being available to receive the electronic message, sending the electronic message from the electronic device to the identity using the first mode of communication;

in response to the identity not being available to receive the electronic message using the user-specified mode of communication, accessing a user contact list stored on the electronic device to determine a mobile telephone number in the user contact list that the user knows to be associated with the user-specified destination;

in response to determining that a mobile telephone number is not in the contact list, representing to the user that the user-specified destination is not capable of receiving the electronic message; and

in response to determining a mobile telephone number in the user contact list that the user knows to be associated with the user-specified destination, representing to the user that the user-specified destination is capable of receiving the electronic message even when the identity is not available to receive the electronic message using the user-specified mode of communication, and sending, from the electronic device, a communication based on the electronic message using the mobile telephone number associated with the user-specified destination; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions.

25. The electronic device of claim 24, wherein the user specified mode of communication is an instant messaging service.

26. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein sending the communication based on the electronic message using the mobile telephone number includes transmitting the communication using a text message service.

27. The electronic device of claim 24, wherein sending the communication based on the electronic message using the mobile telephone number includes transmitting the communication using a text message service.