E-mail integrated instant messaging

• US 10,313,297 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2016
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bernstein, Keith, Chung, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, John B
• Application Number:
  US15/188,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20160301654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• 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 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• 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 65/1013 Network architectures, gateways, control or user entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A system and method supporting instant messaging which removes many of the problems and barriers to the use of instant messaging through the use of universally unique identifiers to web pages for instant messaging sessions, with recipients invited to the instant messaging session via email.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, from a plurality of messages of a first type, at least one message of the first type between a first user and a second user;

providing to the first user, within a graphical user interface associated with the at least one message of the first type, an option for the first user to initiate a message of a second type with the second user; and

in response to a selection of the option by the first user;

determining a universally unique identifier;

generating a uniform resource locator including the universally unique identifier;

initiating a messaging session for the message of the second type; and

assigning the uniform resource locator to the messaging session for the message of the second type.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising generating a web page at the uniform resource locator comprising a transcript of the messaging session for the message of the second type.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the universally unique identifier is associated with the at least one message of the first type between the first user and the second user.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, upon initiating the messaging session for the message of the second type, enabling capture of data representative of one or more messages of the second type exchanged between the first user and the second user during the messaging session.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising storing, based on the universally unique identifier, the captured data representative of the one or more messages of the second type exchanged between the first user and the second user.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein storing the captured data representative of the one or more messages of the second type further comprises storing data representative of the at least one message of the first type.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising determining identifying information for the first user and the second user from data representative of the at least one message of the first type.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein storing the captured data representative of the one or more messages of the second type further comprises storing the identifying information for the first user and the second user.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one message of the first type is an email message and the message of the second type is an instant message.

10. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

identify, from a plurality of message of a first type, at least one message of the first type between a first user and a second user;

provide to the first user, within a graphical user interface associated with the at least one message of the first type, an option for the first user to initiate a message of a second type with the second user; and

in response to a selection of the option by the first user;

determine a universally unique identifier;

generate a uniform resource locator including the universally unique identifier;

initiate a messaging session for the message of the second type; and

assign the uniform resource locator to the messaging session for the message of the second type.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, further comprising instructions that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to generate a web page at the uniform resource locator comprising a transcript of the messaging session for the message of the second type.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, further comprising instructions that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to, upon initiating the messaging session for the message of the second type, enable capture of data representative of one or more messages of the second type exchanged between the first user and the second user during the messaging session.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, further comprising instructions that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to store, based on the universally unique identifier, the captured data representative of the one or more messages of the second type exchanged between the first user and the second user.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to store the captured data representative of the one or more messages of the second type by storing data representative of the at least one message of the first type.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, further comprising instructions that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to determine identifying information for the first user and the second user from the data representative of the at least one message of the first type.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to store the captured data representative of one or more messages of the second type and the data representative of the at least one message of the first type by storing the identifying information for the first user and the second user.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer system to:

identify, from a plurality of message of a first type, at least one message of the first type between a first user and a second user;

provide to the first user, within a graphical user interface associated with the at least one message of the first type, an option for the first user to initiate a message of a second type with the second user; and

in response to a selection of the option by the first user;

determine a universally unique identifier;

generate a uniform resource locator including the universally unique identifier;

initiate a messaging session for the message of the second type; and

assign the uniform resource locator to the messaging session for the message of the second type.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, further comprising instructions that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to generate a web page at the uniform resource locator comprising a transcript of the messaging session for the message of the second type.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, further comprising instructions that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to, upon initiating the messaging session for the message of the second type:

enable capture of data representative of one or more messages of the second type exchanged between the first user and the second user during the messaging session;

store, based on the universally unique identifier, the captured data representative of the one or more messages of the second type exchanged between the first user and the second user; and

store, based on the universally unique identifier, data representative of the at least one message of the first type.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19, further comprising instructions that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to:

determine identifying information for the first user and the second user from the data representative of the at least one message of the first type; and

store, based on the universally unique identifier, the identifying information for the first user and the second user.