Instant messaging terminal adapted for Wi-Fi access points

• US 20050144237A1
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zipit Wireless, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zipit Wireless, Inc.
• Inventors: Dean, Michael P., Heredia, Rafael, Greer, Frank U. IV
• Granted Patent: US 7,292,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

An instant messaging terminal manages multiple conversation sessions across multiple instant messaging services. The terminal includes a display for conversation session windows, a data entry device, a communications module for wireless network communication, and a control module for coordinating network access and controlling conversation session management. The data entry device includes programmable keys for emoticons and the control module automates the generation of a key sequence for generation of a graphical symbol that is compatible with the service being used by a message recipient.

Claims

4-1. The terminal of claim 1 wherein the control module communicates with the communications module to determine whether any beacons have been detected in the area of the instant messaging terminal.

20. An method for managing wireless network access and instant messaging through a wireless access point comprising:

displaying textual characters and graphical symbols;

entering textual characters and graphical symbols to form instant messages for delivery to an instant messaging service;

communicating messages with a Wi-Fi access point;

coordinating authentication for coupling the instant messaging terminal to a local network corresponding to the Wi-Fi access point; and

controlling a conversation session through the Wi-Fi access point.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

identifying a key on a data entry device with a graphical symbol generated by depressing the key.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

associating at least one programmable key with a set of characters corresponding to a graphical symbol supported by an instant messaging service provider.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

generating and sending the correct character sequence to transmit the graphical symbol in response to the depression of the programmable key.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

determining whether any beacons have been detected in the area of the instant messaging terminal.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

prioritizing the detected beacons by strength of detected signal.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

determining whether the beacon is advertising its identifier.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

determining whether an access point requires a security key.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

generating a prompt for a security key in response to the determination that a security key is required.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

storing a profile containing network settings for a network to which the terminal has connected through an access point.

30. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

accessing one or more instant messaging service providers through the access point.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

generating a buddy list identifying buddies coupled to each instant messaging service accessed by the control module and displays the buddy list in response to a buddy list key being depressed on the data entry device.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the buddy list generation includes:

displaying the buddies with whom active conversations are being conducted at the top of the list; and

displaying those with whom no active conversation is being conducted following the active buddy list.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising:

generating and displaying a conversation session window for each active buddy in the active list.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the conversation session window generation including:

generating a header that identifies the buddy with whom the conversation is being conducted, the number of the window being displayed, and the total number of active conversations.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

parsing characters entered by with the data entry device; and

confirming the sequence is compatible with the messaging service associated with the buddy to whom the message is being sent.

36. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

generating sound from a downloaded file while communicating messages with a Wi-Fi access point.

37. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

generating sound from a streamed source while communicating messages with a Wi-Fi access point.

38. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

generating sound from a stored local file while communicating messages with a Wi-Fi access point.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein the sound generation includes downloading and storing audio files for sound generation.

40. The method of claim 36 wherein the sound generation includes:

receiving files from an Internet radio station through a Wi-Fi access point;

decoding a segment of a received file;

converting the decoded segment into an analog signal; and

driving a speaker with the analog signal.

41. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

displaying conversation histories for conversations active at the time of an operating power loss; and

automatically searching for Wi-Fi network beacons upon all of the displayed conversation histories being displayed.