System and method for sharing content in an instant messaging application

• US 9,165,284 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2009
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Szeto, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Angela
• Application Number:
  US12/480,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20090307325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,325 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5093 wherein the managed service relates to messaging or chat services
• 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 51/10 Multimedia information

Abstract

A method and system for sharing content in an instant messaging application are disclosed. According to one embodiment a computer-implemented method comprises logging content accessed by a first client, and a list of accessible content is updated and provided to the first client. A request is received from the first client to share first content of the list of accessible content with a second client, and a message is delivered to the second client, the message containing a link to the first content.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining a first content being accessed using a first instant messaging (IM) application, the first IM application being executable on a computer system and configured to provide at least one IM window;

in response to the first content being accessed using the first IM application, automatically updating a list of recently accessed content using the first IM application to include information related to the first content, the information related to the first content including information describing the first content and the updated list of recently accessed content included in the at least one IM window;

receiving, by the first IM application, a request to share the first content from the updated list of recently accessed content included in the at least one IM window with a second IM application; and

sending a message to the second IM application, the message comprising a link to the first content.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising storing information about the first content on the computer system.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising causing information about the first content to be stored on a server coupled to the computer system.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the list of recently accessed content in a window of the first IM application.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising causing the message to be displayed in a window of the second IM application.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the list of recently accessed content is editable using the first IM application.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information describing the first content includes a user ID.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information describing the first content includes a URL.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information describing the first content includes an advertisement ID.

10. A system, comprising:

an instant messaging server; and

a client system in communication with the instant messaging server, wherein the instant messaging server is configured to;

determine a first content being accessed using a first instant messaging (IM) application, the first IM application being executable on the client system and configured to provide at least one IM window;

in response to the first content being accessed using the first IM application, automatically update a list of recently accessed content using the first IM application to include information related to the first content, the information related to the first content including information describing the first content and the updated list of recently accessed content included in the at least one IM window;

receive, from the first IM application, a request to share the first content from the updated list of recently accessed content included in the at least one IM window with a second IM application; and

send a message to the second IM application, the message comprising a link to the first content.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein information about the first content is stored on the client system.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the instant messaging server is configured to store information about the first content.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the list of recently accessed content is displayed in an instant message window of the first IM application.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the message is sent to the second IM application for display in an IM window.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the list of recently accessed content is editable using the first IM application.

16. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

execute a first instant messaging (IM) application, the first IM application being configured to provide at least one IM window;

determine a first content being accessed using the first IM application;

in response to the first content being accessed using the first IM application, automatically update a list of recently accessed content using the first IM application to include information related to the first content, the information related to the first content including information describing the first content and the updated list of recently accessed content included in the at least one IM window;

in response to receiving a request to share the first content from the updated list of recently accessed content included in the at least one IM window with a second IM application, cause a message to be sent to the second IM application, the message comprising a link to the first content.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory stores additional instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to store information about the first content in the memory.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory stores additional instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to cause information about the first content to be sent to a server for storage by the server.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a display device configured to display the list of recently accessed content in a window of the first IM application.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the list of recently accessed content is editable using the first IM application.