System, method and apparatus for communicating via instant messaging

• US 20020026483A1
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ranganathan, Dipti, Walendowski, Alan, Isaacs, Ellen
• Granted Patent: US 7,043,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus for facilitating communication among a number of distributed clients in a distributed network is disclosed. A user, such as through a personal digital assistant device, may select one or more instant messages for transmission to one or more other users in the network. The instant messages may be sound instant message and/or text instant messages. During messaging, message status indicators provide users with the status of their respective messages. In one embodiment, the messages may be deemed to be either pending or received as distinguished by a pending status indicator and a received status indicator.

Claims

1. A method for communicating via instant messages, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a message sender designated for at least one message recipient;

determining when the message is received by the at least one message recipient, wherein a determination that the message is received is confirmed by a message acknowledgement; and

providing a status update for the message sender, the status update comprising a visual representation of the message having a first appearance when the message is pending and a second appearance when the message is received by the at least one message recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining when the message is received by the at least one message recipient comprises:

assigning a unique sequential number to the message; and

updating a message listing, wherein the message is identified by the unique sequential number in the message listing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining when the message is received by the at least one message recipient comprises:

assigning a unique sequential number to the message; and

providing an acknowledgement to the message sender when the message is received by the at least one message recipient, the acknowledgement identifying the unique sequential number of the message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the acknowledgement is also assigned a unique sequential number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual representation is text from the message that alternates between a first color in the first appearance and a second color in the second appearance.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first color indicates the message is pending receipt and the second color indicates the message is received.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual appearance alternates between a first pattern and a second pattern, at least one of the first and the second pattern indicating the message is pending and the other indicating the message is received.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining when the message is received by the at least one message recipient comprises:

providing an acknowledgement to the message sender when the message is received by the at least one message recipient, the acknowledgement identifying the unique sequential number of the message, wherein the visual appearance of the status update before the acknowledgement is received is provided in a first configuration and in a second configuration once the acknowledgement is received.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the message to the at least one message recipient to a plurality devices used by the message recipient.

10. A method for establishing instant messaging communications between a message originator and one or more message receivers, the method comprising:

receiving an instant message from the message originator;

providing the instant message from the message originator to the one or more message receivers specified by the message originator; and

providing an update of a local message display of the message originator once the message originator'"'"'s instant message is received by the one or more message receivers, wherein the local message display is provided in a pending configuration before the message is received by the one or more message receivers and the local display is provided in a received configuration once the message is received by the one or more message receivers, the receipt of the message being acknowledged by a message acknowledgement sent by the one or more message receivers.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the local message display provides a display of the message text in the pending and received configurations.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining when the instant message is received by the one or more message receivers.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining when the instant message is received by the one or more message receivers comprises:

establishing a message listing for the message sender and the one or more message receivers, wherein the message listing updated based on an acknowledgement of the message being received by the one or more message receivers.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the message listing prohibits duplication of the instant message on the one or more message receivers'"'"' devices.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein each message in the message listing is identified by a unique serial number.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first appearance and the second appearance correspond respectively to a first coloration and a second coloration of the message.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining the location of one or more intended recipients of the pending messages.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

removing a message from the message listing when the message is deemed received by the message acknowledgement.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

compiling a message listing of all pending messages wherein the message listing is updated when a message is acknowledged as received.

16. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for executing the steps comprising:

creating a message listing of one or more pending messages;

providing a message indicator in a first appearance for the one more pending messages;

updating the message listing based on the receipt of message acknowledgements; and

providing the message indicator in a second appearance for the one or more pending messages as the pending messages are deemed to be received.