Managing instant messaging sessions on multiple devices

• US 10,298,524 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2017
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Odell, James A., Appelman, Barry, Renner, W. Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thanh T
• Application Number:
  US15/842,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20180115502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 709206, 709205, 709207, 709200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions

Abstract

Transferring instant messaging sessions includes receiving a selection, from a user within a user interface, of at least one instant messaging session from among multiple instant messaging sessions to transfer from a first instant messaging controller on a first device to at 5 least a second instant messaging controller on a second device, where the user is signed on concurrently to the first instant messaging controller on the first device and the second instant messaging controller on the second device. At least a portion of the selected instant messaging session is transferred from the first instant messaging controller on the first device to the second instant messaging controller on the second device and the transferred portion of 10 the instant messaging session is made perceivable on the second instant messaging controller on the second device.

Claims

1. A method to transfer instant messaging sessions, comprising:

receiving a selection of an instant messaging session for transfer from a first instant messaging controller on a first device to a second instant messaging controller on a second device, wherein the instant messaging session is perceivable on the first device, and wherein both the first device and a third device store at least a portion of the instant messaging session;

selecting one of the first device and the third device, wherein the selected device stores a particular version of the selected instant messaging session, wherein the particular version includes additional messages from the selected instant messaging session that are not stored in a different version of the selected instant messaging session that is stored by the other device of the first device and the third device; and

after selecting one of the first device and the third device, transferring at least a portion of the selected instant messaging session from the selected device to the second instant messaging controller on the second device,

wherein the transferred portion is perceivable on the second device, and instant messages from a first user of the first device and instant messages from a co-user of the selected instant messaging session are perceivable on the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the selection of the instant messaging session from a list of a plurality of instant messaging sessions, wherein the plurality of instant messaging sessions are perceivable on the first device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing a device selection region to be displayed, the device selection region receptive to user input selecting one or more devices to receive the selected instant messaging session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the different version of the selected instant messaging session is a partial version.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the partial version has fewer messages than the particular version, wherein at least one message was sent in the instant messaging session prior to the other device joining the instant messaging session.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing visual representations associated with the first device and the third device to be displayed by the first device; and

causing an indicator to be displayed by the first device, wherein the indicator visually distinguishes the visual representation associated with the device that stores the particular version of the selected instant messaging session,

wherein selecting the one of the first device and the third device is based on receiving a selection from the first user of the visual representation associated with the device that stores the particular version of the selected instant messaging session.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the list of the plurality of instant messaging sessions is displayed in a user interface by the first device, and further comprising causing display of the user interface by the first device in response to at least one of:

the first user signing on to the first instant messaging controller;

or

the first user signing on to the second instant messaging controller.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the one of the first device and the third device is performed automatically based on determining the one of the first device and the third device that stores the particular version.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing an instant messaging online identity using the first instant message controller of the first device while the second instant messaging controller of the second device is concurrently accessing the instant messaging online identity, such that both the first device and the second device are able to receive instant messages sent to the instant messaging online identity.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising discontinuing making the instant messaging session perceivable on the first device after the transferring of the at least a portion of the selected instant messaging session to the second instant messaging controller on the second device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising continuing to make the instant messaging session perceivable on the first device after the transferring of the at least a portion of the selected instant messaging session to the second instant messaging controller on the second device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the transferring and in response to the first instant messaging controller entering an idle or away state, interrupting the instant messaging session on the first instant messaging controller such that the instant messaging session is not perceivable on the first instant messaging controller.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to the first instant messaging controller entering an active state after being in the idle or away state, receiving a selection of the interrupted instant message session from user input of the first user; and

in response to receiving the selection of the interrupted instant message session, making all of the messages of the interrupted instant message session perceivable on the first instant messaging controller.

14. A system to transfer instant messaging sessions, comprising:

a memory;

one or more processors coupled to the memory; and

a data store comprising instructions executable by the one or more processors, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a selection of an instant messaging session for transfer from a first instant messaging controller on a first device to a second instant messaging controller on a second device, wherein the instant messaging session is perceivable on the first device, and wherein both the first device and a third device store at least a portion of the instant messaging session;

selecting one of the first device and the third device, wherein the selected device stores a particular version of the selected instant messaging session, wherein the particular version includes additional messages from the selected instant messaging session that are not stored in a different version of the selected instant messaging session that is stored by the other device of the first device and the third device; and

after selecting one of the first device and the third device, transferring at least a portion of the selected instant messaging session from the selected device to the second instant messaging controller on the second device,

wherein the transferred portion is perceivable on the second device, and instant messages from a first user of the first device and instant messages from a co-user of the selected instant messaging session are perceivable on the second device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the selection of the instant messaging session is accessed from at least one of the first instant messaging controller or the second instant messaging controller.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

after the transferring, maintaining the instant messaging session on the first instant messaging controller.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

after the transferring, disabling display of the instant messaging session on the first instant messaging controller.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting at least one of an idle state or an away state on the first instant messaging controller after the transferring;

disabling display of the instant messaging session on the first instant messaging controller in response to the detected at least one of the idle state or the away state;

detecting an active state on the first instant messaging controller after disabling display of the instant messaging session on the first instant messaging controller; and

refreshing the instant messaging session on the first instant messaging controller based on detection of the active state.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more processors, the instructions when executed by the one or more processors causing the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a selection of an instant messaging session for transfer from a first instant messaging controller on a first device to a second instant messaging controller on a second device, wherein the instant messaging session is perceivable on the first device, and wherein both the first device and a third device store at least a portion of the selected instant messaging session;

selecting a particular device of the first device and the third device that stores a more complete version of the selected instant messaging session, wherein the more complete version includes additional messages from the selected instant messaging session that are not stored in a different version of the selected instant messaging session that is stored by the other device of the first device and the third device; and

after selecting the particular device, transferring at least a portion of the selected instant messaging session from the selected particular device to the second instant messaging controller on the second device,

wherein the transferred portion is perceivable on the second device, and instant messages from a first user of the first device and instant messages from a co-user of the selected instant messaging session are perceivable on the second device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the different version of the selected instant messaging session is a partial version that has fewer messages than the particular version, and wherein at least one message was sent in the instant messaging session prior to the other device joining the instant messaging session.