Direct file transfer between subscribers of a communications system

• US 7,366,779 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2000
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Crawford, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shingles; Kristie D
• Application Number:
  US09/597,784
• Time in Patent Office: 2,871 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/238, 709/203, 709/237
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

Systems and techniques for transferring a file from a first client associated with a first subscriber to a communications system to a second client associated with a second subscriber to the communications system by connecting from the first client to a communications system host; sending, through the communications system host, a request to the second client to establish a direct connection to the second client; when the second client accepts the request, establishing a direct connection to the second client that bypasses the communications system host; and transferring a file over the direct connection.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a file from a first client associated with a first subscriber to a communications system to a second client associated with a second subscriber to the communications system, the method comprising:

connecting the first client to a communications system host;

establishing an instant messaging communications session with the second client to enable instant messaging communications to be exchanged between the first client and the second client over a first communications channel, the first communications channel passing through the communications system host,

after establishing the instant messaging communications session, sending, through the communications system host, a request to the second client to establish a direct connection to the second client;

if a user of the second client accepts the request, establishing, in the instant messaging communications session, a second communications channel between the first client and the second client to enable files to be directly transferred between the first client and the second client, wherein the second communications channel consists of a direct connection to the second client that bypasses the communications system host; and

transferring a file over the second communications channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is authenticated by the communications system host.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second client accepts the request based on indicated preferences of the second subscriber.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the direct connection is initiated by the second client.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the direct connection to the second client is established using an IP address of the second client.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a graphical user interface indicating that a direct connection to the second client is established.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications system host comprises an instant messaging host.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the file comprises a data file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the file comprises a text file.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the file comprises a graphics file.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the file comprises an audio file.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the file comprises a video file.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the direct connection is a socket connection.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein connecting the first client to a communications system host includes connecting from the first client to the communications system host.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling the user to perceive the request and monitoring a response by the user to the request.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein enabling the user to perceive the request comprises enabling the request to be visually presented in a graphical user interface to the user of the second client.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an instant message to the second client through the first communications channel during the instant messaging communications session.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the user of the second client manually accepts the request.

19. A method of transferring a file from a first client associated with a first subscriber to a communications system to a second client associated with a second subscriber to the communications system, the method comprising:

connecting the second client to a communications system host;

establishing an instant messaging communications session with the first client to enable instant messaging communications to be exchanged between the first client and the second client over a first communications channel, the first communications channel passing through the communications system host,

after establishing the instant messaging communications session, receiving, through the communications system host, a request from the first client to establish a direct connection;

enabling a user to accept the request from the first client;

establishing, in the instant messaging communications session, a second communications channel between the first client and the second client to enable files to be directly transferred between the first client and the second client, wherein the second communications channel consists of a direct connection to the first client that bypasses the communications system host; and

receiving a file over the second communications channel.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the request is authenticated by the communications system host.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein accepting the request is based on indicated preferences of the second subscriber.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising initiating the direct connection.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the direct connection is established by the first client using an IP address of the second client.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying a graphical user interface indicating that a direct connection to the first client is established.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the communications system host comprises an instant messaging host.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the file comprises a data file.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the file comprises a text file.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the file comprises a graphics file.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the file comprises an audio file.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein the file comprises a video file.

31. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving an indication that the first subscriber using the first client is composing a message.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising receiving the message composed by the first subscriber from the first client.

33. The method of claim 19, wherein the direct connection is a socket connection.

34. The method of claim 19 wherein connecting the second client to a communications system host includes connecting from the second client to the communications system host.

35. The method of claim 19 further comprising enabling the user to perceive the request and monitoring a response by the user to the request.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein enabling the user to perceive the request comprises enabling the request to be visually presented in a graphical user interface to the user of the second client.

37. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving an instant message from the first client through the first communications channel during the instant messaging communications session.

38. The method of claim 19, wherein enabling the user to accept the request comprises enabling the user to manually accept the request.

39. An apparatus for transferring one or more files from a first client associated with a first subscriber to a communications system to a second client associated with a second subscriber to the communications system, the apparatus comprising a first client configured to:

connect the first client to a communications system host;

establish an instant messaging communications session with the second client to enable instant messaging communications to be exchanged between the first client and the second client over a first communications channel, the first communications channel passing through the communications system host,

after establishing the instant messaging communications session, send, through the communications system host, a request to the second client to establish a direct connection to the second client;

if a user of the second client accepts the request, establish, in the instant messaging communications session, a second communications channel between the first client and the second client to enable files to be directly transferred between the first client and the second client, wherein the second communications channel consists of a direct connection to the second client that bypasses the communications system host; and

transfer a file over the second communications channel.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein the first client is configured to connect to a communications system host by connecting from the first client to the communications system host.

41. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein the first client is further configured to enable the user to perceive the request and to monitor a response by the user to the request.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the first client being configured to enable the user to perceive the request comprises the first client being configured to enable the second client to visually present the request in a graphical user interface to the user of the second client.

43. An apparatus for transferring one or more files from a first client associated with a first subscriber to a communications system to a second client associated with a second subscriber to the communications system, the apparatus comprising a second client configured to:

connect the second client to a communications system host;

establish an instant messaging communications session with the first client to enable instant messaging communications to be exchanged between the first client and the second client over a first communications channel, the first communications channel passing through the communications system host,

after establishing the instant messaging communications session, receive, through the communications system host, a request from the first client to establish a direct connection;

enable a user to accept the request from the first client;

establish, in the instant messaging communications session, a second communications channel between the first client and the second client to enable files to be directly transferred between the first client and the second client, wherein the second communications channel consists of a direct connection to the first client that bypasses the communications system host; and

receive a file over the second communications channel.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the second client is configured to connect to a communications system host by connecting from the second client to the communications system host.

45. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the second client is further configured to enable the user to perceive the request and to monitor a response by the user to the request.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the second client being configured to enable the user to perceive the request comprises the second client being configured to enable the request to be visually presented in a graphical user interface to the user of the second client.

47. A computer program, stored on a computer storage medium for transferring a file from a first client associated with a first subscriber to a communications system to a second client associated with a second subscriber to the communications system, comprising instructions for:

connecting the first client to a communications system host;

establishing an instant messaging communications session with the second client to enable instant messaging communications to be exchanged between the first client and the second client over a first communications channel, the first communications channel passing through the communications system host,

after establishing the instant messaging communications session, sending, through the communications system host, a request to the second client to establish a direct connection to the second client;

if a user of the second client accepts the request, establishing, in the instant messaging communications session, a second communications channel between the first client and the second client to enable files to be directly transferred between the first client and the second client, wherein the second communications channel consists of a direct connection to the second client that bypasses the communications system host; and

transferring a file over the second communications channel.

48. The computer program of claim 47 wherein the computer storage medium comprises a disc.

49. The computer program of claim 47 wherein the computer storage medium comprises a client device.

50. The computer program of claim 47 wherein the computer storage medium comprises a host device.

51. The computer program of claim 47 wherein the instructions for connecting the first client to a communications system host include instructions for connecting from the first client to the communications system host.

52. The computer program of claim 47 further comprising instructions for enabling the user to perceive the request and monitoring a response by the user to the request.

53. The computer program of claim 52, wherein the instructions for enabling the user to perceive the request comprise instructions for enabling the second client to visually present the request in a graphical user interface to the user of the second client.

54. The computer program of claim 47, further comprising instructions for sending an instant message to the second client through the first communications channel during the instant messaging communications session.

55. The computer program of claim 47, wherein the user of the second client manually accepts the request.

56. A computer program, stored on a computer storage medium for transferring a file from a first client associated with a first subscriber to a communications system to a second client associated with a second subscriber to the communications system, comprising instructions for:

connecting the second client to a communications system host;

establishing an instant messaging communications session with the first client to enable instant messaging communications to be exchanged between the first client and the second client over a first communications channel, the first communications channel passing through the communications system host,

after establishing the instant messaging communications session, receiving, through the communications system host, a request from the first client to establish a direct connection;

enabling a user to accept the request from the first client;

establishing, in the instant messaging communications session, a second communications channel between the first client and the second client to enable files to be directly transferred between the first client and the second client, wherein the second communications channel consists of a direct connection to the first client that bypasses the communications system host; and

receiving a file over the second communications channel.

57. The computer program of claim 56 wherein the computer storage medium comprises a disc.

58. The computer program of claim 56 wherein the computer storage medium comprises a client device.

59. The computer program of claim 56 wherein the computer storage medium comprises a host device.

60. The computer program of claim 56 wherein the instructions for connecting the second client to a communications system host include instructions for connecting from the second client to the communications system host.

61. The computer program of claim 56 further comprising instructions for enabling the user to perceive the request and monitoring a response by the user to the request.

62. The computer program of claim 61, wherein the instructions for enabling the user to perceive the request comprise instructions for enabling the request to be visually presented in a graphical user interface to the user of the second client.

63. The computer program of claim 56, further comprising instructions for receiving an instant message from the first client through the first communications channel during the instant messaging communications session.

64. The computer program of claim 56, wherein the instructions for enabling the user to accept the request from the first client comprise instructions for enabling the user to manually accept the request from the first client.

65. A user interface embodied on a computer storage medium configured to enable to acceptance or rejection of a file transfer from a first client associated with a first subscriber to a communications system to a second client associated with a second subscriber to the communications system, the user interface comprising:

a first graphical user interface element structured and arranged to notify an operator of the second client of a request by the first client to establish a direct connection to the second client, the request being communicated to the second client by a communications system host after establishment of an instant messaging communications session with the first client and the direct connection bypassing the communications system host, the instant messaging communications session enabling instant messaging communications to be exchanged between the first client and the second client over a first communications channel that passes through the communications system host; and

a second graphical user interface element structured and arranged to enable an operator of the second client to authorize the establishment of the direct connection and a file transfer over the direct connection in the instant messaging communications session.

66. The user interface of claim 65 wherein the first graphical user interface element is a dialog box.

67. The user interface of claim 65 wherein the second graphical user interface element includes a set of sub elements selectable by the recipient to authorize or reject establishment of the direct connection.

68. The user interface of claim 67 wherein the sub elements are option buttons.

69. The user interface of claim 67 wherein the sub elements include a sub element selectable to authorize the direct connection.

70. The user interface of claim 67 wherein the sub elements include a sub element selectable to reject the direct connection.

71. The user interface of claim 67 wherein the sub elements include a sub element selectable to ignore the request.

72. The user interface of claim 67 wherein the sub elements include a sub element selectable to warn the first client not to send future requests for a direct connection to the second client.