Managing devices and messages for users during a messaging session

• US 7,403,973 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kothari, Kalpak, Ye, Zhou, Wilsher, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US10/857,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/223, 709/225, 709/229, 709/230
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A messaging session is established between a first user and a second user where messages are sent from a first user using a first device to a second user using a second device. During the messaging session, the second user may decide to use a third device. A presence update may be received that specifies the third device. Messages sent from the first user are then routed to the second user at the third device. These messages are routed without the second user having to manually start a new messaging session with the first user.

Claims

1. A method for processing messages during a messaging session, the method comprising:

maintaining a mapping between a first device and a second device for the messaging session;

determining an update for the mapping, the update specifying a third device that is being used instead of the second device;

updating the mapping based on the update determined;

receiving a first message from the first device during the messaging session;

determining, from the updated mapping, that the first message should be sent to the third device; and

sending at least a portion of the first message to the third device;

receiving a second message from the first device during the messaging session;

determining whether the at least a portion of the first message has been read or replied to;

retracting the at least a portion of the first message based on the determination whether the at least a portion of the first message has been read or replied to;

combining the at least a portion of the first message and at least a portion of the second message to generate a third message; and

sending the third message to the third device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an initial connection between the third device and the first device is not initiated by the first device or third device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before receiving the update, receiving a fourth message from the first device; and

determining from the mapping that the fourth message should be sent to the second device; and

sending the fourth message to the second device, wherein the fourth message and first message are sent in the same messaging session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated mapping indicates that messages received from an address associated with the first device should be sent to an address associated with the third device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the update for the mapping comprises using presence information from at least one of the second device and third device to determine the update.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein presence information indicates that the third device is active.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the update for the mapping comprises using user preferences for a user of the second device to determine the update.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping is updated dynamically during the messaging session.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the third device communicates in a different communication channel than the second device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a fourth message from the first device during the messaging session;

determining if at least a portion of the fourth message sent has been read or replied to;

if the at least a portion of the fourth message has not been read or replied to, performing the steps of;

retracting the at least a portion of the fourth message;

combining the at least a portion of the fourth message and at least a portion of a fifth message into a sixth message; and

sending the sixth message to the third device.

11. A method for maintaining a messaging session between a first user and a fourth user, the method comprising:

establishing the messaging session between the first user for a second user, wherein messages are sent between a first user at a first address and a second user at a second address;

determining an update for the second user specifying a third address; and

maintaining the messaging session between the first user and second user, wherein messages are sent between the first user at the first address to the second user at the third address;

wherein maintaining the messaging session comprises;

determining whether a first message sent between the first user at the first address to the second user at the third address has been read or replied to;

retracting at least a portion of the first message based on the determination whether the first message has been read or replied to;

combining the at least a portion of the first message with at least a portion of a second message into a third message; and

sending at least a portion of the third message to the second user at the third address.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein an initial connection between a first device associated with the third address and a second device associated with the third address device is not initiated by the first device or third device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

maintaining a mapping for the messaging session, wherein the mapping is updated to indicate that messages from the first user at the first address should be sent to the third address after the update is determined.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the mapping is updated to indicate that messages from the second user at the third address should be sent to the first user at the first address.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the second address is associated with a first device and the third address is associated with a second device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first device communicates in a first communication channel and the second device communicates in a second communication channel.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the update comprises using presence information for a device associated with the second user to determine the update.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein presence information indicates that the device is active.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the update comprises using user preferences for the second user to determine the update.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the update is determined dynamically during the messaging session.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein maintaining the messaging session further comprises:

receiving a fourth message for the first user from the second user;

sending at least a portion of the fourth message to the first user;

receiving a fifth message for the first user from the second user;

determining if the at least a portion of the fourth message sent to the first user has been read or replied to;

if the at least a portion of the fourth message has not been read or replied to, performing the steps of;

retracting the at least a portion of the fourth message;

combining the at least a portion of the fourth message and at least a portion of the fifth message into a sixth message; and

sending at least a portion of the sixth message to the first user.

22. A method for processing messages for a user, the method comprising:

receiving a first message for a first user from a second user;

sending at least a portion of the first message to the first user based on a mapping maintained between a first device and a second device for a messaging session between the first user and the second user;

receiving a second message for the first user from the second user;

determining if the at least a portion of the first message sent to the first user has been read or replied to;

if the at least a portion of the first message has not been read or replied to, performing the steps of;

retracting the at least a portion of the first message;

combining the at least a portion of the first message and at least a portion of the second message into a third message; and

sending the third message to a third device associated with the first user based on an update to the mapping that identifies the third device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first message is sent in a different communication channel than the second and third messages.

24. A system for processing message, the system comprising:

a first set of electronic devices associated with a first user;

a second set of electronic devices associated with a second user; and

a message delivery system configured to route messages between the first user and the second user, the message delivery system comprising;

a messaging session initiator configured to generate a mapping to map messages from a first device in the first set of electronic devices to a second device in the second set of electronic devices and the messages received from the second device to the first device; and

an updater configured to update the mapping to map messages from the first device to a third device in the second set of electronic devices and the messages received from the third device to the first device;

a message generator configured to generate a combined message to be routed by the message delivery system based on at least a portion of a first message sent to one of the first user or the second user and at least a portion of a second message received for the one of the first user or the second user, the combined message generated in response to retracting the at least a portion of the first message send to the one of the first user or the second user based on a determination whether the at least a portion of the first message has been read or replied to by the one of the first user or the second user;

wherein a messaging session between the first user and second user is maintained after the updater updates the mapping.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a device determiner configured to receive a message from the first device, wherein device determiner is configured to determine that the message should be sent to the second device based on the mapping.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a message sender configured to send at least a portion of the message to the second device.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the device determiner is configured to receive a second message from the second device and configured to determine that the second message should be sent to the first device based on the mapping.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the message sender is configured to send at least a portion of the second message to the first device.

29. The system of claim 24, further comprising a device determiner configured to receive a message from the first device and configured to determine that the message should be sent to the third device based on the updated mapping.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising a message sender configured to send at least a portion of the message to the third device.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the second device and the third device communicate in different communication channels.

32. The system of claim 24, an initial connection between the first device and the third device is not initiated by the first device or third device.

33. A computer readable medium configured to store logic operational with a computor system for processing messages during a messaging session, the computer readable medium comprising:

logic configured to maintain a mapping between a first device and a second device for the messaging session;

logic configured to determine an update for the mapping, the update specifying a third device that is being used instead of the second device;

logic configured to update the mapping based on the update determined;

logic configured to receive a first message from the first device during the messaging session;

logic configured to determine, from the updated mapping, that the first message should be sent to the third device;

logic configured to send at least a portion of the first message to the third device;

logic configured to receive a second message from the first device during the messaging session;

logic configured to determine whether the at least a portion of the first message has been read or replied to;

logic configured to retract the at least a portion of the first message based on the determination whether the at least a portion of the first message has been read or replied to;

logic configured to combine the at least a portion of the first message and at least a portion of the second message to generate a third message; and

logic configured to send at least a portion of the third message to the third device.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein an initial connection between the third device and the first device is not initiated by the first device or third device.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the updated mapping indicates that messages received from an address associated with the first device should be sent to an address associated with the third device.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the logic configured to determine the update for the mapping comprises logic configured to use presence information from at least one of the second device and third device to determine the update.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the logic configured to determine the update for the mapping comprises logic configured to use user preferences for a user of the second device to determine the update.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the mapping is updated dynamically during the messaging session.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the third device communicates in a different communication channel than the second device.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 33, further comprising:

logic configured to receive a fourth message from the first device during the messaging session;

logic configured to determine if the at least a portion of the fourth message sent has been read or replied to;

if the at least a portion of the fourth message has not been read or replied to, logic configured to;

retract the at least a portion of the fourth message;

combine the at least a portion of the fourth message and at least a portion of a fifth message into a sixth message; and

send the sixth message to the third device.

41. A computer readable medium configured to store logic operation with a computer system for maintaining a messaging session between a first user and a second user, the computer readable medium comprising:

logic configured to establish the messaging session between the first user for a second user, wherein messages are sent between a first user at a first address and a second user at a second address;

logic configured to determine an update for the second user specifying a third address; and

logic configured to maintain the messaging session between the first user and second user, wherein messages are sent between the first user at the first address to the second user at the third address;

wherein the logic configured to maintain the messaging session comprises;

logic configured to determine whether a first message sent between the first user at the first address to the second user at the third address has been read or replied to;

logic configured to retract at least a portion of the first message based on the determination whether the first message has been read or replied to;

logic configured to combine the at least a portion of the first message with at least a portion of a second message into a third message; and

logic configured to send at least a portion of the third message to the second user at the third address.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein an initial connection between a first device associated with the third address and a second device associated with the third address device is not initiated by the first device or third device.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 41, further comprising:

logic configured to maintain a mapping for the messaging session, wherein the mapping is updated to indicate that messages from the first user at the first address should be sent to the third address after the update is determined.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 43, wherein the mapping is updated to indicate that messages from the second user at the third address should be sent to the first user at the first address.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein the second address is associated with a first device and the third address is associated with a second device.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 45, wherein the first device communicates in a first communication channel and the second device communicates in a second communication channel.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein the logic configured to determine the update comprises logic configured to use presence information for a device associated with the second user to determine the update.

48. The computer readable medium of claim 47, wherein presence information indicates that the device is active.

49. The computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein the update is determined dynamically during the messaging session.

50. The computer readable medium of claim 41, further comprising:

logic configured to receive a fourth message for the first user from the second user;

logic configured to send at least a portion of the fourth message to the first user;

logic configured to receive a fifth message for the first user from the second user;

logic configured to determine if the at least a portion of the fourth message sent to the first user has been read or replied to;

if the at least a portion of the fourth message has not been read or replied to, logic configured to;

retract the at least a portion of the fourth message;

combine the at least a portion of the fourth message and at least a portion of the fifth message into a sixth message; and

send at least a portion of the sixth message to the first user.

51. A computer readable medium configured to store logic operational whith a computer system for processing messages for a user, the computer readable medium comprising:

logic configured to receive a first message for a first user from a second user;

logic configured to send at least a portion of the first message to the first user based on a mapping maintained between a first device and a second device for a messaging session between the first user and the second user;

logic configured to receive a second message for the first user from the second user;

logic configured to determine if the at least a portion of the first message sent to the first user has been read or replied to;

if the at least a portion of the first message has not been read or replied to, logic configured to;

retract the at least a portion of the first message;

combine the at least a portion of the first message and at least a portion of the second message into a third message; and

send the third message to a third device associated with the first user based on an update to the mapping that identifies the third device.

52. The computer readable medium of claim 51, wherein the first message is sent in a different communication channel than the second and third message.