Protocol for instant messaging

• US 20010003203A1
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Published: 06/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mache, Niels
• Granted Patent: US 7,209,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging

Abstract

Messages are transmitted in nearly real-time in a distributed system. The message transmission system comprises a first message gateway (4) receiving a message from a sending client (9). Meta information is extracted by the first message gateway (4) from the received message and the meta information (MI) is transmitted from the first message gateway (4) to a message broker (2) connected to a client profile database (3). The message broker (2) selects a second message gateway (5) on the basis of the meta information and the client profile data of the client profile database (3). Than a message from the first message gateway (4) is transmitted to the selected second message gateway (5) which transfers the message to a target client (8).

Claims

1. Method for the transmission of messages in a distributed system, the method comprising the following steps:

reception of a message from a sending client (9) by a first message gateway (4),

transmission of meta information extracted from the received message from the first message gateway (4) to a message broker (2),

selection of a second message gateway (5) on the basis of the meta information and client profile data (3), and

sending the message from the first message gateway (4) to the selected second message gateway (5) to transfer it to a target client (8).

2. Method according to

claim 1

, characterized in that the message broker (2) processes the meta information to provide for security and authentication and returns it to the first message gateway (4).

3. Method according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that the message broker (2) processes the meta information and returns it to the first message gateway (4) and in that, controlled by the processed meta information, the message is sent to the selected second gateway (5) together with the meta information.

4. Method according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that the message itself is converted by a message processor (7) before it is sent to the selected second message gateway (5).

5. Computer program product, characterized in that it implements a method according to anyone of the preceding claims when loaded in the memory of a computing device in a network environment.

6. Distributed system for the transmission of messages, the system comprising:

a first message gateway (4) for the reception of messages from sending clients (9) and for the extraction of meta information from the received messages,

a message broker (2) for receiving the meta information from the first message gateway (4), processing the meta information and returning it to the first message gateway (4), and

a second message gateway (5) for receiving the message from the first message gateway (4) controlled by the processed meta information and for sending the message to a target client (8).

7. Distributed system according to

claim 6

, characterized by a client profile database (3) connected to the message broker (2), wherein the message broker (2) processes the meta information on the basis of the data of the client profile database (3).

8. Distributed system according to anyone of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the message broker (2) provides for a security and/or authentication functionality.

9. Distributed system according to anyone of

claims 6

to

8

, characterized by a message processor (7) interconnected between the first and second message gateway (4, 5) for processing the content of the message.