Merging Instant Messaging (IM) Chat Sessions

• US 9,100,220 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dailey, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US13/556,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20120297322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/08 Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects

Abstract

The present disclosure provides for merging of instant messaging (IM) chat sessions. In one embodiment, a method for automatically replying to an IM message from a first IM sender when a recipient is engaged in an IM session with a second IM sender is provided. In another embodiment, the disclosure provides a method for forwarding IM messages to a recipient at different IM clients. In still another embodiment, a method for transferring IM messages to a different recipient is provided. In some embodiments, two separate IM chat sessions are merged into a single IM chat session.

Claims

1. A method for providing instant messaging chat sessions, the method comprising:

receiving an instant messaging message from a sender to a first recipient;

displaying the instant messaging message to the first recipient;

waiting for a response from the first recipient for a first predetermined time interval;

determining if the response from the first recipient was sent to the sender during the first predetermined time interval by utilizing a processor;

determining if the first recipient is already engaged in a first instant messaging chat session with a contact if the response from the first recipient is determined not to be sent to the sender during the first predetermined time interval;

providing a first message to the sender that notifies the sender to wait for a second predetermined time interval for the response from the first recipient if the first recipient is determined to be already engaged in the first instant messaging chat session with the contact;

and

establishing a second instant messaging chat session between the sender and the first recipient if the first recipient sends the response during the second predetermined time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a third instant messaging chat session between the sender and the first recipient if the first recipient sends the response during the first predetermined time interval.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a second message to the sender indicating that the first recipient is unavailable to engage in a third instant messaging chat session between the sender and the first recipient if the response from the first recipient is determined not to be sent to the sender during the first predetermined time interval and if the first recipient is determined to not be already engaged in the first instant messaging chat session with the contact.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a second message to the sender indicating the that first recipient is already engaged in the first instant messaging chat session with the contact if it is determined that the first recipient is engaged in the first instant messaging chat session with the contact.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting the sender for permission to transmit the instant messaging message to a second recipient if the response from the first recipient is determined not to be sent to the sender during the first predetermined time interval.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting the instant messaging message to the second recipient if the sender provides permission to transmit the instant messaging message to the second recipient.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting a notification to the second recipient that the instant messaging message originated from the sender.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising establishing a third instant messaging chat session between the sender and the second recipient if the sender provides permission to transmit the instant messaging message to the second recipient.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying the first recipient for approval to add a second recipient to the second instant messaging chat session between the sender and the first recipient.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising adding the second recipient to the second instant messaging chat session between the sender and the first recipient if the first recipient provides the approval.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising revealing instant messaging communications between the first recipient and the sender to the second recipient prior to adding the second recipient to the second instant messaging chat session.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the instant messaging message from the sender to the first recipient to a first instant messaging address of the first recipient.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting the instant messaging message to a second instant messaging address of the first recipient if the second instant messaging address was used more recently by the first recipient than the first instant messaging address.

14. A system for providing instant messaging chat sessions, the system comprising:

an electronic processor configured to;

receive an instant messaging message from a sender to a first recipient;

display the instant messaging message to the first recipient;

wait for a response from the first recipient for a first predetermined time interval;

determine if the response from the first recipient was sent to the sender during the first predetermined time interval by utilizing a processor;

determine if the first recipient is already engaged in a first instant messaging chat session with a contact if the response from the first recipient is determined not to be sent to the sender during the first predetermined time interval; and

provide a first message to the sender that notifies the sender to wait for a second predetermined time interval for the response from the first recipient if the first recipient is determined to be already engaged in the first instant messaging chat session with the contact.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the electronic processor is configured to establish a second instant messaging chat session between the sender and the first recipient if the first recipient sends the response during the second predetermined time interval.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the electronic processor is configured to establish a third instant messaging chat session between the sender and the first recipient if the first recipient sends the response during the first predetermined time interval.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the electronic processor is configured to prompt the sender for permission to transmit the instant messaging message to a second recipient if the response from the first recipient is determined not to be sent to the sender during the first predetermined time interval.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the electronic processor is configured to transmit the instant messaging message to the second recipient if the sender provides permission to transmit the instant messaging message to the second recipient.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the electronic processor is configured to establish a third instant messaging chat session between the sender and the second recipient if the sender provides permission to transmit the instant messaging message to the second recipient.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for causing an electronic processor to:

receive an instant messaging message from a sender to a first recipient;

wait for a response from the first recipient for a first predetermined time interval;

determine if the response from the first recipient was sent to the sender during the first predetermined time interval by utilizing a processor;

determine if the first recipient is already engaged in a first instant messaging chat session with a contact if the response from the first recipient is determined not to be sent to the sender during the first predetermined time interval; and

provide a first message to the sender that notifies the sender to wait for a second predetermined time interval for the response from the first recipient if the first recipient is determined to be already engaged in the first instant messaging chat session with the contact.