Method and system for voice on demand private message chat

• US 7,305,438 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2003
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Christensen, James E., Shae, Zon-Yin, Stern, Edith H.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, PHILIP B
• Application Number:
  US10/730,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-205, 709227-228, 709/230, 709/206, 715/753, 715/758
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A system and method for establishing a private message chat between electronic devices. The method includes steps of providing an indication as to the availability of a user for receiving a private message chat; receiving an audio input message from at least one first client; and transmitting the audio input message to at least one second client over a communications network, wherein the at least one second client can receive, temporarily store and play back the audio input message. The first client may receive a reply audio input message from the at least one second client or, receive a reply text input message from the at least one second client, and subsequently may further communicate back to the second client device via one of audio or text messaging, according to that user'"'"'s discretion. The transmitting of any audio input message may be accomplished via VoIP or SIP.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a voice on demand private message chat between first and second client devices adapted for communicating via a text chat session, the method comprising the steps of:

at a first client device;

providing an indication as to the availability of a second client device for receiving a voice on demand private message chat;

selecting said second client;

receiving an audio input message from a user of said first client device; and

,

responsive to said selecting, transmitting said audio input message to said second client device, and,

at said second client device;

receiving said audio input message and temporarily storing said received audio input message for access by a user of said second client device; and

,

providing an indicator that said audio message has been received from said first client, said indicator integrated with text received from said first client device; and

rendering said audio input message,

wherein either said first or second client device is enabled to select either an audio reply enabling audio reply or a text response mode enabling textual message reply from a single client device in a single chat session, whereby voice and text communications are interleaved in a single chat session such that said second client device can receive and play back said audio input message via said private message chat without interrupting said text chat session.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving, at said first client device, a reply audio input message from said second client.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving, at said first client device, a reply text input message from said at least one second client device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting said audio input message includes voice over Internet Protocol transmitting.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting said audio input message includes transmitting via SIP.

6. A method for establishing a voice on demand private message chat between electronic devices used by a plurality of users and adapted for communicating via a text chat session, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an indication as to the availability of at least one user from said plurality of users for receiving a voice on demand private message chat;

selecting a user of said plurality of users;

receiving an audio input message from a first user; and

transmitting said audio input message to said at least one user of said plurality of users, and,

at said at least one user;

receiving said audio input message and temporarily storing said received audio input message for access by said at least one user; and

,

providing an indicator that said audio message has been received from said first user, said indicator integrated with text received from said first user; and

rendering said audio input message,

wherein said at least one user from said plurality of users is enabled to select either an audio reply enabling audio reply or a text response mode enabling textual message reply from a single electronic device in a single chat session, whereby voice and text communications are interleaved in a single chat session such that said at least one user from said plurality of users can receive and play back said audio input message via said private message chat without interrupting said text chat session.

7. A system for providing a voice-based communications chat session comprising:

a first chat client device adapted to send and receive at least one audio message via a communications network;

a second chat client device adapted to send and receive at least one audio message via a communications network;

host server means in communication with said first and second chat client adapted to provide an indication as to the availability of the second chat client device for receiving a voice on demand private message chat via said communications network, for receiving an audio input message from a first chat client device destined for said user of said second chat client device, and, for transmitting said audio input message to said second chat client device via said communications network;

means for storing said audio input message, and,

means for providing an indicator that said audio message has been received from said first chat client, said indicator integrated with text received from said first user; and

means for rendering said audio input message,

wherein either said first chat or second chat client device is enabled to select either an audio reply enabling audio reply or a text response mode enabling textual message reply from a single chat client device in a single chat session, whereby voice and text communications are interleaved in a single chat session such that a user of said second chat client device is enabled to receive said audio message from said storage means via said private message chat without interrupting said text chat session.

8. The system for providing voice-based communications as claimed in claim 7, wherein said means for storing said audio input message resides in said host server means.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7, further including means provided at said at least one host computer for enabling transmission of said audio input message via VOIP.

10. The system as claimed in claim 7, further including means provided at said at least one host computer for enabling transmission of said audio input message via SIP.

11. A system for voice chat comprising:

a first client device comprising;

a means for receiving indication of the availability context of a second client device for receiving a voice on demand private message chat via a chat interface,

a means for selecting said second client device via said chat interface,

a means for receiving an audio message input from a user of said first client device, and,

a means for transmitting said audio message in response to said means for selecting said second client device; and

,

said second client device comprising;

a means for indicating availability context to said first client device;

a means for receiving said transmitted audio message and storing said audio message;

a means for providing an indicator that said audio message has been received from said first client device, said indicator integrated with text received from said first client device; and

,

a means for playing said audio message, wherein either said first or second client device is enabled to select either an audio reply enabling audio reply or a text response mode enabling textual message reply from a single client device in a single chat session, whereby voice and text communications are interleaved in a single chat session enabling playing of said audio message without interrupting a text chat session.

12. The system for voice chat as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a host computer device including;

a means for determining availability status of said second chat client device for receiving a private message chat and providing an indication to a first client device as to the availability of said second chat client device to receive an audio input message;

a means for receiving an audio message input from said first client device and transmitting said audio input message to said second chat client device.

13. The system for voice chat as claimed in claim 11, wherein said first and second client device further comprises voice recognition means for transcribing received audio messages into textual information and integrating said textual information received from said first client device in a message chat session between users of said first and second devices.

14. The system for voice chat as claimed in claim 13, wherein said second client device further comprises an interface means for enabling user selection of an icon for rendering said received audio message.

15. The system for voice chat as claimed in claim 14, wherein said second client device further comprises means for selecting a textual response mode and enabling text reply in response to received audio message.

16. The system for voice chat as claimed in claim 14, wherein said second client device further comprises means for selecting an audio response mode and enabling an audio reply in response to received audio message.

17. The system for voice chat as claimed in claim 14, further including means for generating biometric information associated with a user of said first client device, wherein said means for transmitting said audio, responsive to said means for selecting said second client device, further includes transmission of biometric information.

18. The system for voice chat as claimed in claim 14, wherein a first or second client device includes one or more devices, a first of said one or more devices enabling only audio communication and a second of said one or more devices enabling textual communication.

19. The system for voice chat as claimed in claim 18, wherein a first or second client device comprises one or more of a personal computer, a PDA, and a cell phone device.

20. A method for semi-synchronous voice chat comprising:

indicating availability context of a user of a second client device to a user of a first client device;

receiving at said first client device, said availability context indication of the second client device for receiving a voice on demand private message chat;

selecting said second client device via a chat interface provided with said first client device,

receiving an audio message input from a user of said first client device, and,

transmitting said audio message to said second client device over a communications network; and

, said second client device,

receiving said transmitted audio message and storing said audio message; and

,

providing an indicator integrated with text received from said first client device via a chat interface of said second client device that said audio message has been received from said first client device; and

,

initiating playback of said audio message, wherein either said first or second client device is enabled to select either an audio reply enabling audio reply or a text response mode enabling textual message reply from a single client device in a single chat session, whereby voice and text communications are interleaved in a single chat session enabling playback of said audio message without interrupting a text chat session.

21. The method for voice chat as claimed in claim 20, further comprising the step of:

providing a host computer device for

i) determining availability status of said second chat client device for receiving a private message chat and providing an indication to a first client device as to the availability of said second chat client device to receive an audio input message; and

,

ii) receiving an audio message input from said first client device and transmitting said audio input message to said second chat client device.

22. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for enabling semi-synchronous voice message chat, said method steps for enabling voice message chat comprising:

indicating availability context of a user of a second client device to a user of a first client device;

receiving at said first client device, said availability context indication of the second client device for receiving a voice on demand private message chat;

selecting said second client device via a chat interface provided with said first client device,

receiving an audio message input from a user of said first client device, and,

transmitting said audio message to said second client device over a communications network; and

, said second client device,

receiving said transmitted audio message and storing said audio message; and

,

providing an indicator integrated with text received from said first client device via a chat interface of said second client device that said audio message has been received from said first client device; and

,

initiating playback of said audio message, wherein either said first or second client device is enabled to select either an audio reply enabling audio reply or a text response mode enabling textual message reply from a single client device in a single chat session, whereby voice and text communications are interleaved in a single chat session enabling playback of said audio message without interrupting a text chat session.