SYSTEM FOR INTEGRATING MULTIPLE IM NETWORKS AND SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES

• US 20100199340A1
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Popflyz, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Popflyz, Inc.
• Inventors: Jonas, Lawrence A., Toobi, Farshad
• Granted Patent: US 10,680,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Systems and methods are described herein that provide for the integration of instant messaging applications and social networking websites. In some embodiments, a user can chat with individuals or groups of individuals that are logged in to a variety of different instant messaging applications or social networking websites, of which the user is a member. Thus, the user is able to use a single application to chat with any contact appearing on any of the user'"'"'s contact lists across multiple different IM or social networks.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying registered social networks and instant messaging networks associated with a user of an integrated communication network;

logging the user into all identified social networks and instant messaging networks associated with the user;

identifying pre-selected friends of the user within the identified social networks and instant messaging networks and displaying a list of the preselected friends to the user;

determining whether one or more of the preselected friends of the user has created a chat room in one or more of the instant messaging networks and social networks associated with the user; and

if during the determining a chat room is identified and upon request by the user, connecting the user to one or more of the identified chat rooms.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the determining, and upon request by the user, creating a chat room for the user in the integrated communication network.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

connecting a user to a chat room within the integrated communication network via a voice over internet protocol call.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a voice over internet protocol call initiated by a first user within a chat room of the integrated communication network to a second user within the chat room or to a third party.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a text message created by a first user within a chat room of the integrated communication network to a second user of the chat room or to a third party.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a list of participants within a chat room of the integrated communication network; and

providing relationship information associated with each participant within the chat room.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying within a chat room of the integrated communication network a video feed of a first user in a larger format than a video feed associated with each of the remaining users when the first user is communicating with the other users via audio or text communications.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

translating a mnemonic included within a text message sent by a user of a chat room of the integrated communication network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes determining whether one or more mutual friends of the preselected friends of the user has created a chat room in one or more of the social networks associated with the user,

if during the determining, a chat room of a mutual friend is identified and upon request by the user, connecting the user to a chat room of a mutual friend.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encoding the audio output at the electronic device to distribute the audio for each participant within the chat room to a selected speaker from a plurality of speakers coupled to the electronic device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically pausing an audio output of an audio or video file playing within a chat room upon voice recognition of a participant in a chat room.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

during a presentation, inserting a cue point into a recorded video of the presentation to indicate a time and a location within the video where a page of the presentation has been changed.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

streaming a video feed directly from a first electronic device in communication with the integrated communication network to a second electronic device in communication with the integrated communication system bypassing a video server of the integrated communication system.

14. A method, comprising:

sending from an electronic device to an integrated communication system information associated with a user'"'"'s identification and password associated with one or more instant messaging networks or social networks;

receiving at the electronic device a list of preselected friends associated with the instant messaging networks and social networks associated with the user;

receiving at the electronic device a list of chat rooms initiated by one or more of the preselected friends, the list of chat rooms including one of no chat rooms or at least one chat room; and

if at least one chat room is listed, selecting to join one or more of the at least one chat rooms listed.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

sending a request from the electronic device to the integrated communication system to create a chat room.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a list of participants within a chat room and an indication of the participants associated instant messaging or social networks; and

receiving relationship information associated with each participant within the chat room.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving at the electronic device a RSS feed from the integrated communication network.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

sending from the electronic device a text message created by a participant in a chat room to be sent to another participant in the chat room.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

sending from the electronic device a greeting to at least one of a participant in the chat room or a third party.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

sending from the electronic device a reminder to the user of the electronic device, the reminder being displayed at a specified time and date within the user'"'"'s calendar program.

21. An integrated communications system, comprising:

a server configured to integrate communications within a chat room created by the server between a plurality of electronic devices and across a plurality of different instant messaging and social networks,

the server configured to connect a first electronic device from the plurality of electronic devices to one or more instant messaging or social networks associated with a user of the first electronic device,

upon receipt of a request by the first electronic device, the server configured to at least one of connect the first electronic device to one or more chat rooms created by preselected friends of the user of the first electronic device or create a chat room.