Managing a messaging state across multiple clients

• US 9,253,125 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kau, Christian B., Pierce, Jeffrey S., Robson, Christine M., Schoudt, Jerald T.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US13/911,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20140365583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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]

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to managing a messaging state across multiple clients and devices which use respective communications systems. In one embodiment, a plurality of users are connected to multiple messaging communications systems. The multiple messaging communications systems use a plurality of associated messaging clients on each of the users'"'"' respective devices, for messaging communications between the users. The users'"'"' messaging communications are stored from the multiple messaging communications systems and their respective messaging clients, using a proxy service. A device, of the plurality of messaging clients, being used by a messaging user of the plurality of users is tracked. A current messaging communication of the messaging user from the stored messaging communications is routed to the currently used device, using the proxy service, for maintaining a state of the messaging communications of the users.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining a messaging state across multiple clients and devices which use respective communications systems, comprising:

connecting a plurality of users to multiple messaging communications systems, the multiple messaging communications systems using a plurality of associated messaging clients on each of the users'"'"' respective devices, for messaging communications between the users;

storing the users'"'"' messaging communications from the multiple messaging communications systems and their respective messaging clients, using a proxy service, to create a messaging communication history including all the messaging communications for the user, each of the messaging communications being stored with a respective creation date;

tracking a device using the proxy service, of the plurality of messaging clients, in response to the device being used by a messaging user of the plurality of users;

detecting a currently used device, in response to the messaging user switching the device;

retrieving a current messaging communication including the messaging communication history using the proxy service; and

routing the current messaging communication of the messaging user including the messaging communication history from the stored messaging communications to the currently used device, using the proxy service, the messaging communication history including all the messaging communications sorted by their respective creation date, for maintaining a state of the messaging communications of the users wherein the messaging user receives the current messaging communication seamlessly after the switching of the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored users'"'"' messaging communications are accessible both for context and for data mining to other services.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging clients include:

instant messaging, or short messaging service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a currently used device in response to the messaging user switching the device includes switching to a messaging client of a plurality of messaging clients respective to the currently used device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the users in a messaging communication are notified of a currently used device for a user who switch between devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a message identification to the user'"'"'s messaging communication including a timestamp;

generating a device identification for each of the users'"'"' devices; and

retrieving the stored messaging communications from a database using the message identification and the device identification.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the proxy service detects the messaging user switching the device to the currently used device and routes the current messaging communication to a corresponding messaging system for delivery to the currently used device.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in response to the detecting the currently used device, the currently used device requests the current messaging communication; and

the proxy service responds by routing the current messaging communication of the messaging user including the messaging communication history form the stored messaging communications to the currently used device.

7. A computer system for managing a messaging state across multiple clients and devices which use respective communications systems, which comprises:

multiple messaging communications systems using a plurality of associated messaging clients on respective devices for messaging communications between a plurality of users; and

a proxy service including one or more computer processors, one or more computer-readable storage media, and program instructions stored on one or more of the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, using the program instructions the proxy service being configured to;

store the users'"'"' messaging communications from the multiple messaging communications systems and their respective messaging clients to create a messaging communication history including all the messaging communications for the user, each of the messaging communications being stored with a respective creation date;

track a currently used device of the plurality of messaging clients, in response to the device being used by a messaging user of the plurality of users;

detect a currently used device, in response to the messaging user switching the device;

retrieve a current messaging communication including the messaging communication history; and

route the current messaging communication of the messaging user including the messaging communication history from the stored messaging communications to the currently used device via a respective messaging communications system to the currently used device, using the proxy service, the messaging communication history including all the messaging communications sorted by their respective creation date, for maintaining a state of the messaging communications of the users wherein the messaging user receives the current messaging communication seamlessly after the switching of the device.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a database configured to collect the stored users'"'"' messaging communications, and the database being accessible both for context and for data mining to other services.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the messaging communications systems include:

instant messaging, or short messaging service.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the messaging communication systems include:

an Internet, an intranet, or a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the proxy service includes at least one proxy server.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the detect a currently used device in response to the messaging user switching the device includes switching to a messaging client of a plurality of messaging clients respective to the currently used device.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the users in a messaging communication are notified of a currently used device for a user who switch between devices.

14. A computer program product for maintaining a messaging state across multiple clients and devices which use respective communications systems, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code being readable/executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

connecting a plurality of users to multiple messaging communications systems using a plurality of associated messaging clients on respective devices of the users for messaging communications between the users, using a proxy service;

storing the users'"'"' messaging communications from the multiple messaging communications systems and their respective messaging clients, using the proxy service, to create a messaging communication history including all the messaging communications for the user, each of the messaging communications being stored with a respective creation date;

tracking a currently used device of the plurality of messaging clients used by a messaging user of the plurality of users;

detecting the currently used device, in response to the messaging user switching the device;

retrieving a current messaging communication including the messaging communication history using the proxy service; and

routing the current messaging communication of the messaging user including the messaging communication history from the stored messaging communications to the currently used device via a respective messaging communications system, using the proxy service, the messaging communication history including all the messaging communications sorted by their respective creation date, for maintaining a state of the messaging communications of the users wherein the messaging user receives the current messaging communication seamlessly after the switching of the device.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the stored users'"'"' messaging communications are accessible both for context and for data mining to other services.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the detecting a currently used device in response to the messaging user switching the device includes switching to a messaging client of a plurality of messaging clients respective to the currently used device.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the users in a messaging communication are notified of a currently used device for a user who switch between devices.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the messaging clients include:

instant messaging, or short messaging service.