Management capabilities for real-time messaging networks

• US 7,596,599 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Actiance, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Facetime Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Roth, Lewis D, Sherstinsky, Alex, Petviashvili, Joseph, Mangin, Frank, Abhyankar, Rahul, Maghsoodnia, Mehdi, Mandel, Eugene, Onusko, John, Khodosh, Yuri
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Daftuar; Saket K
• Application Number:
  US10/212,129
• Time in Patent Office: 2,617 Days
• Field of Search: 709206-207, 379/201.02, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

Techniques for managing instant message (IM) communications are provided. Instant message communications of a plurality of network implementations is managed using an instant message module that uses one or more policies. A policy in the one or more policies includes an action applicable for an IM communication. The techniques comprise receiving an instant message communication at the instant message module. The IM communication may be in a network implementation of one of the plurality of network implementations. Then, a policy is determined from the one or more policies that is applicable for the instant message communication. An action associated with the policy for the instant message communication is then performed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for handling instant message (IM) communications within a communications network, the plurality of instant message communications associated with a plurality of network implementations, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computer system, wherein the computer system communicates with the communications network and is configured to proxy instant message communications within the communications network between instant message clients of the same network implementation unmodified in each of the plurality of network implementations, a plurality of policies for each network implementation in the plurality of network implementations that are applicable to characteristics of instant message communications associated with the corresponding network implementation in the plurality of network implementations, each policy received at the computer system defining;

a set of characteristics pertaining to at least one network implementation in the plurality of network implementations or content of one or more instant message communications in the at least one network implementation in the plurality of network implementations, and

an action to be performed by the computer system when one or more characteristics of at least one of the instant message communications handled by the computer system satisfy the set of characteristics defined for the policy, wherein the computer system maintains the at least one of the instant message communications handled by the computer system unmodified in the at least one network implementation in the plurality of network implementations between the instant message clients for the at least one network implementation by performance of the action defined in the policy;

receiving, at the computer system, an instant message communication in a network implementation of one of the plurality of network implementations;

determining, within the computer system, a policy from the plurality of policies that are applicable to characteristics of instant message communications in the network implementation based on one or more characteristics pertaining to the network implementation of the instant message communication or to content of the instant message communication in the network implementation;

filtering the instant message communication using the computer system into a format specific to the computer system from the network implementation of the instant message communication, where the format specific to the computer system is different from the format of the network implementation; and

performing, using the computer system, an action defined by the policy that is determined to be applicable to the characteristics of the instant message communication such that the network implementation of the instant message communication as received at the computer system remains unchanged by performance of the action,

wherein the action is performed at the computer system using the format specific to the computer system that is different from the format of the network implementation, and

wherein one or more portions of the instant message communication are filtered at the computer system after performance of the action from the format specific to the computer system into the same instant message communication in the network implementation associated with the instant message communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

filtering the instant message communication using the computer system into a format specific to the computer system comprises filtering the instant message into a generic format from the network implementation of the instant message communication.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises:

performing the action using the computer system on the generic format of the instant message communication; and

filtering a remaining portion of the instant message communication using the computer system after performance of the action from the generic format into the same instant message communication in the network implementation associated with the instant message communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises storing the instant message communication in a storage device associated with the computer system.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating a report using the computer system from the stored instant message communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises virus checking the instant message communication using the computer system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises determining whether the instant message communication includes spam using the computer system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises modifying the content of the instant message communication using the computer system such that the instant message communication remains unchanged in the computer system in the network implementation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein modifying the content of instant message communication using the computer system comprises adding content to the instant message communication using the computer system.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein modifying content of the instant message communication using the computer system comprises deleting at least a part of content of the instant message communication using the computer system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises mapping an identification for an IM client associated with the instant message communication using the computer system with another identification that comprises an identifier for a user within an organization or enterprise.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises providing at least one of presence, availability, and location information using the computer system for an IM client.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises blocking communication of the instant message communication using the computer system within the communications network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises forwarding at least a portion of the instant message communication using the computer system to another computer system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises restricting access for an IM client associated with the instant message communication using the computer system.

16. A computer-implemented method for managing instant message (IM) communications within a communications network, the plurality of IM communications associated with a plurality of network implementations, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computer system, wherein the computer system communicates with the communications network and is configured to proxy IM communications between IM clients of the same network implementation unmodified in each of the plurality of network implementations within the communications network for a plurality of IM clients associated with the plurality of network implementations, one or more plurality of policies for managing the IM communications in the plurality of network implementations, each policy received at the computer system defining;

a set of characteristics pertaining to at least one network implementation in the plurality of network implementations or content of one or more instant message communications in the at least one network implementation in the plurality of network implementations, and

an action to be performed by the computer system that manages an instant message communication in the at least one network implementation in the plurality of network implementations when one or more characteristics of the instant message communication when managed by the computer system satisfy the set of characteristics defined in the policy such that the network implementation of the instant message communication remains unchanged by performance of the action defined by the policy;

receiving, at the computer system, instant message communications associated with the plurality of network implementations;

filtering each of the received instant message communications that is in one of the plurality of network implementation formats using the computer system into a predetermined format, wherein the predetermined format is different from the format of the network implementation of the instant message communications;

determining a policy using the computer system from the one or more plurality of policies for managing the plurality of IM communications that is applicable for each received instant message communication that has been filtered into the predetermined format, wherein the policy is determined based on whether one or more characteristics pertaining to the network implementation of each received instant message communication or to content of each received instant message communication satisfy the policy; and

performing an action defined by the applicable policy for each received instant message communication that has been filtered into the predetermined format using the computer system,

wherein the action is performed at the computer system using the predetermined format, and

wherein one or more portions of each received instant message communication are filtered at the computer system after performance of the action from the predetermined format into the same instant message communication in the network implementation associated with the instant message communication.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises storing the instant message communications in a storage device associated with the computer system.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

generating a report using the computer system from the stored instant message communications.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises virus checking the instant message communications using the computer system.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises determining whether the instant message communications include spam using the computer system.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises modifying the content of the instant message communications using the computer system such that the instant message communication remains unchanged in the computer system in the network implementation.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein modifying the content of the instant message communications using the computer system comprises adding content to the instant message communications using the computer system.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein modifying the content of the instant message communications using the computer system comprises deleting at least a part of content of the instant message communications using the computer system.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises mapping an identification for an IM client in the plurality of IM clients using the computer system with another identification that comprises an identifier for a user within an organization or enterprise.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises providing at least one of presence, availability, and location information using the computer system for an IM client in the plurality of IM clients.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises blocking communication of the instant message communications using the computer system within the communications network.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises forwarding the instant message communications using the computer system to another computer system.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein performing the action using the computer system comprises restricting access for an IM client in the plurality of IM clients using the computer system.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein a received instant message communication in the instant message communications comprises presence information in a network implementation in the plurality of network implementations, wherein filtering each of the received instant message communications that is in one of the plurality of network implementation formats into the predetermined format using the computer system comprises filtering the presence information in the network implementation for the received instant message communication using the computer system into presence information in the predetermined format.

30. A system for managing instant message (IM) communications within communications networks, the plurality of IM communications associated with a plurality of network implementations, the system comprising:

a communications network;

at least one device configured to communicate with the communications network and provide one or more IM clients, wherein each of the one or more IM clients provided by the at least one device is associated with a network implementation in the plurality of network implementations; and

a network computer configure to communicate with the communications network and proxy IM communications within the communications network unmodified in the same network implementation between the at least first device and one or more of a plurality of IM networks associated with the one or more IM clients provided by the at least one device, wherein each IM network in the plurality of IM networks is associated with a network implementation in the plurality of network implementations;

wherein the network computer is further configured to;

receive one or more IM communications from the one or more IM clients provided by the at least one device and the plurality of IM networks, wherein each IM communication in the one or more IM communications is in a network implementation of one of the plurality of network implementations;

filter the one or more IM communications into an IM module format from the network implementation of each of the one or more IM communications, wherein the IM module format is different from the network implementation of each of the one or more IM communications;

determine a policy for each IM communication in the one or more IM communications, from one or more plurality of policies for each network implementation in the plurality of network implementations that are applicable to characteristics of IM communications, that is applicable to the IM communication based on one or more characteristics pertaining to the network implementation of the instant message communication or to content of the instant message communication in the network implementation, each policy in the one or more plurality of policies defining;

a set of characteristics pertaining to at least one network implementation in the plurality of network implementations or content of one or more instant message communications in the at least one network implementation in the plurality of network implementations, and

an action that manages an IM communication in a network implementation associated with the IM communication when one or more characteristics pertaining to the network implementation of the IM communication or to content of the instant message communication in the network implementation satisfy the set of characteristics defined in the policy; and

perform an action defined by the applicable policy for each IM communication such that the network implementation of the instant message communication remains unchanged by performance of the action,

wherein the network computer is further configured to perform the action using the IM module format that is different from the format of the network implementation of each IM communication, and

wherein the network computer is further configured to filter one or more portions of each of the IM communications after performance of the action from the IM module format into the same IM communication in the network implementation associated with the IM communication.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the action defined by the applicable policy for each of the IM communications comprises at least one of a storing action for storing the IM communication, a virus checking action for virus checking the IM communication, a modifying action for modifying the IM communication, a mapping action for mapping an identification associated with an IM client with another identification, a presence action for providing at least one of presence, availability, and location information for an IM client in the one or more IM clients, a blocking action for blocking the IM communication, a forwarding action for forwarding the IM communication, and a restricting action for restricting access for an IM client.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein a received instant message communication in the one or more instant message communications comprises presence information in a network implementation in the plurality of network implementations, wherein the network computer is configured to filter the instant message communication into the IM module format from the network implementation of the IM communication by filtering the presence information in the network implementation for the received instant message communication into the IM module format.

33. A method performed by a network appliance for managing instant messages within a communications network, the instant messages associated with a plurality of instant message protocols, the method comprising:

receiving, at a network appliance that communicates with the communications network and is configured with a plurality of instant messaging modules that enable the network appliance to natively proxy instant messages within the communications network between instant messaging clients of an instant messaging network using the plurality of instant messaging protocols, a set of instant messaging policies for each of the plurality of instant message protocols, each instant messaging policy in the set of instant messaging policies specifying;

a set of characteristics pertaining to at least one instant message protocol in the plurality of instant message protocols or content of one or more instant messages in the at least one instant message protocol, and

an action to be performed when one or more characteristics of an instant message in the at least one instant messaging protocol associated with the instant messaging policy is satisfied by the set of characteristics specified by the instant messaging policy;

receiving an instant message at the network appliance from a first instant message client operating on a first device, the instant message using a first instant message protocol in the plurality of instant message protocols and destined for an instant message network in the plurality of instant message networks accessible to the network appliance whose clients communicate using the first instant message protocol;

determining at the network appliance whether an instant messaging policy is applicable to the instant message received at the network appliance based at least in part on matching a characteristic of the instant message using the network appliance to a characteristic in the set of characteristics specified by the instant messaging policy;

determining at the network appliance an action to be performed on the instant message from information specified by an instant messaging policy that is determined by the network appliance to be applicable to the instant message;

filtering the instant message at the network appliance into a predetermined format that is different from the format of the first instant message protocol;

performing the action using the network appliance such that content of the instant message is modified by the network appliance as the network appliance preserves the instant message in the first instant message protocol by performance of the action, wherein the action is performed at the network appliance using the predetermined format;

filtering one or more portions of the instant message at the network appliance after performance of the action from the predetermined format into the first instant messaging protocol; and

transmitting the filtered instant message in the first instant message protocol using the network appliance to the instant message network.