Automatically enabling the forwarding of instant messages

• US 9,615,225 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2015
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Imad
• Application Number:
  US14/664,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 709206
• 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:

obtaining a selection preference indicating a predetermined order of types of messages;

after obtaining the selection preference, receiving, based on user input from a user at a mobile device, an electronic message, an indication of a user-specified destination for the electronic message, and a particular mode of communication, wherein the user-specified destination is associated with an identity;

obtaining information indicating whether the identity is available to receive the electronic message using the particular mode of communication;

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

in response to the identity not being available to receive the electronic message using the particular mode of communication;

accessing a user contact list stored on the mobile device to determine one or more communication addresses in the user contact list that are associated with the user-specified destination; and

in response to determining one or more communication addresses in the user contact list that are associated with the user-specified destination, sending, from the mobile device, a communication based on the electronic message using a selected communication address associated with the user-specified destination, wherein the selected communication address and the communication are of a type selected based on the predetermined order of types of messages indicated in the selection preference.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the types of messages include at least one of:

a text message and an e-mail message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the selection preference is associated with the identity, and wherein one or more other selection preferences are associated with one or more other identities having one or more communication addresses in the user contact list.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the selection preference for the predetermined order of types of messages is

received from the user, wherein the selection preference applies to a plurality of identities.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to receiving the electronic message, the indication of the user-specified destination for the electronic message, and the particular mode of communication, obtaining information indicating that the identity has recipient-initiated mobile forwarding enabled; and

prior to receiving the electronic message, the indication of the user-specified destination for the electronic message, and the particular mode of communication, and in response to the indication that the identity has recipient-initiated mobile forwarding enabled, outputting on the mobile device a recipient-initiated forwarding indicator indicating that the identity is not available to receive electronic messages using the particular mode of communication and the identity has enabled recipient-initiated mobile forwarding in which a messaging account of the identity is enabled to forward the electronic message to the selected communication address associated with the identity.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising causing display of identities of user contacts of the user contact list in at least one group of multiple different groups in an interface displayed on the mobile device, wherein the interface indicates availability and unavailability of the identities for the electronic message in the particular mode of communication, and wherein unavailable identities associated with a mobile telephone number accessible to the mobile device are displayed in a particular one of the multiple different groups.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an option by the mobile device selectable by the user to send the communication based on the electronic message as an email type of message.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein, in response to the identity being offline, an offline mobile proxy presents itself as the identity, and further comprising representing to the user on the mobile device that the user-specified destination is capable of receiving the electronic message.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

causing a prompt to be displayed to receive user input indicating whether to send the communication to the selected communication address.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication includes a GSM character set converted from an ASCII character set.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer executable program causing a processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining information indicating that an identity is not available to receive electronic messages using a particular mode of communication and has recipient-initiated mobile forwarding enabled;

outputting on a mobile device a recipient-initiated forwarding indicator indicating that the identity is not available to receive the electronic messages using the particular mode of communication and the identity has enabled recipient-initiated mobile forwarding in which a messaging account of the identity is enabled to forward the electronic messages to the identity via a different mode of communication;

after outputting the recipient-initiated forwarding indicator, receiving, based on user input from a user at the mobile device, a particular electronic message, an indication of a user-specified destination for the particular electronic message, and the particular mode of communication for the particular electronic message;

obtaining information indicating whether the identity associated with the user-specified destination is available to receive the particular electronic message using the particular mode of communication;

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

in response to the identity not being available to receive the particular electronic message using the particular mode of communication, determining from a user contact list stored on the mobile device that the identity has recipient-initiated mobile forwarding enabled; and

in response to determining that the identity has recipient-initiated mobile forwarding enabled;

sending, from the mobile device, a communication based on the particular electronic message, wherein the communication is sent via the different mode of communication.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the program further causes the processor to perform operations including:

receiving a selection preference indicating a predetermined order of types of messages,

wherein in response to the identity not being available to receive the particular electronic message using the particular mode of communication,

determining one or more communication addresses in the user contact list that are associated with the user-specified destination,

wherein, in response to determining one or more communication addresses in the user contact list that are associated with the user-specified destination, sending the communication is based on the particular electronic message using a selected communication address associated with the user-specified destination, wherein the selected communication address and the communication are of a type selected based on the order of types of messages indicated in the selection preference.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the program further causes the processor to perform operations including:

obtaining information indicating that a second identity is not available to receive the electronic messages using the particular mode of communication; and

in response to determining that the second identity is not available to receive the electronic messages using the particular mode of communication,

outputting on the mobile device a sender-initiated forwarding indicator indicating that the second identity is not available to receive the electronic messages using the particular mode of communication and that sender-initiated mobile forwarding is enabled for the second identity in which the mobile device forwards the electronic messages to the second identity via the different mode of communication.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the program further causes the processor to perform operations including:

causing display of identities of user contacts of the user contact list in at least one group of multiple different groups in an interface displayed on the mobile device, wherein the interface indicates availability and unavailability of the identities for the particular electronic message in the particular mode of communication, and wherein unavailable identities associated with a mobile telephone number accessible to the mobile device are displayed in a particular one of the multiple different groups.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the program further causes the processor to perform operations including:

mirroring the particular electronic message from the mobile device as a text message sent to a mobile telephone of the identity, the text message not sent using the particular mode of communication, wherein the mirroring is performed regardless of whether the electronic message is sent using the particular mode of communication.

16. A device for communicating using a messaging application, the device comprising:

an input device configured to receive input from a user;

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

a memory encoded with instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions and perform operations comprising;

obtaining a selection preference indicating a predetermined order of types of messages;

after obtaining the selection preference, receiving, based on user input from the user, an electronic message, an indication of a user-specified destination for the electronic message, and a particular mode of communication, wherein the user-specified destination is associated with an identity;

obtaining information indicating whether the identity is available to receive the electronic message using the particular mode of communication;

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

in response to the identity not being available to receive the electronic message using the particular mode of communication;

determining one or more communication addresses in a user contact list stored in the memory, the one or more communication addresses being associated with the user-specified destination; and

in response to determining one or more communication addresses in the user contact list, sending, from the device, a communication based on the electronic message using a selected communication address associated with the user-specified destination, wherein the selected communication address and the communication are of a type selected based on the predetermined order of types of messages indicated in the selection preference.

17. The device of claim 16 the particular mode of communication includes instant messaging, and wherein the types of messages include at least one of:

a text message and an e-mail message.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein the selection preference is associated with the identity, and wherein one or more other selection preferences are associated with one or more other identities having one or more communication addresses in the user contact list.

19. The device of claim 16 wherein the processor is configured to perform additional operations comprising:

prior to receiving the electronic message, the indication of the user-specified destination for the electronic message, and the particular mode of communication, obtaining information indicating that the identity has recipient-initiated mobile forwarding enabled; and

prior to receiving the electronic message, the indication of the user-specified destination for the electronic message, and the particular mode of communication, and in response to the indication that the identity has recipient-initiated mobile forwarding enabled, outputting on the device a recipient-initiated forwarding indicator indicating that the identity is not available to receive electronic messages using the particular mode of communication and the identity has enabled recipient-initiated mobile forwarding in which a messaging account of the identity is enabled to forward the electronic message to the selected communication address associated with the identity.

20. The device of claim 16 wherein the processor is configured to perform additional operations comprising:

causing a prompt to be displayed to receive user input indicating whether to send the communication to the selected communication address.